A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Quality Improvement Project: The Perioperative Implementation of a Hypertension Protocol by Anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a common risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with a high prevalence in patients presenting for elective surgery. In limited resource environments, patients have poor access to primary care physicians, limiting the efficacy of lifestyle modification for the management of hypertension. In these circumstances, the perioperative period presents a unique opportunity for diagnosis and initiation and/or modification of pharmacotherapy of hypertension. Anesthesiologists are ideally placed to lead this aspect of perioperative medicine. The study objective was for anesthesiologists to identify patients at the preoperative visit with previously undiagnosed or poorly controlled chronic hypertension and follow a simple management algorithm. METHODS: In collaboration with expert physicians, we designed and implemented an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of chronic hypertension. This was a multicenter, cross-sectional quality improvement project in 7 hospitals in the Western Cape, South Africa. On the day before scheduled elective surgery, adult in-patients had 2 sets of blood pressure (BP) readings taken, one by nurses and the other by anesthesiologists, using a noninvasive automated BP device. These were averaged on an electronic database, to diagnose hypertension. Patients with normal BP or well-controlled hypertension required no further management. Those with borderline BP received educational pamphlets. Patients with stage 1 or 2 hypertension were managed with medication according to the algorithm, starting 1 day postoperatively, and provided with educational pamphlets. Patients with stage 3 disease had their surgery postponed and were referred to a physician. The primary outcome was adherence by the anesthesiologist to the algorithm in the diagnosis and management of hypertension. An 80% adherence rate was considered successful implementation. The secondary outcome was the adherence to the algorithm at discharge. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety-eight patients were screened for hypertension. One hundred six patients were eligible for the quality improvement project. Thirty-seven (34.9%) had borderline BP readings, 43 (40.6%) had stage 1, 22 (20.8%) stage 2, and 4 (3.8%) stage 3 hypertension, respectively. The adherence rate by the anesthesiologist in initiating treatment according to the algorithm was 89 of 106 (84.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI, 77.0-91.0). There was full adherence to the algorithm in 59 of 106 (55.5%; 95% CI, 46.2-65.1) at the time of discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesiologists successfully implemented a quality improvement project for diagnosis and management of hypertension in the perioperative period. This has the potential to reduce the public health burden of hypertension in limited resource environments. Successful ongoing prescription and follow-up requires cooperation within a multidisciplinary team.

Resting Hemodynamics and Response to Exercise Using the 6-Minute Walk Test in Late Pregnancy: An International Prospective Multicentre Study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac disease is the leading cause of maternal death. Assessment of cardiovascular fitness is important in pregnant women because it is linked to increased risk of cardiac disease but is rarely undertaken or studied. The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is a safe exercise test but is not used in pregnancy. We determined the 95% reference interval for resting heart rate (HR) and distance walked for the 6MWT, as well as hemodynamic recovery variables, and quantified expectations and actual experiences of exertion and breathlessness with exercise in late pregnancy. METHODS: After institutional research board approval (Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number: 12615000964516), 300 healthy term nulliparous pregnant women performed the 6MWT at 3 tertiary referral obstetric hospitals using a standardized protocol. Each woman underwent two 6MWT with maximum 15-minute recovery period after each test. Hemodynamic variables were measured at rest and after exercise. Participants were asked 4 questions, 2 regarding expectation and 2 regarding actual experience, using the Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and Modified Borg Dyspnea scale. RESULTS: Participant characteristics and resting variables were mean (standard deviation [SD]); age, 31 years (4.2 years); body mass index, 27 kg/m (2.9 kg/m); gestational age, 37 weeks (1.3 weeks); HR, 85 bpm (10.8 bpm) with 95% reference interval 64-106 bpm; systolic blood pressure, 112 mm Hg (10.2 mm Hg); diastolic blood pressure, 72 mm Hg (8.6 mm Hg); oxygen saturation, 98% (0.9%); and respiratory rate, 18 breaths/min (5.7 breaths/min). The mean (SD) average distance walked was 488 m (94.9 m) with a speed of 3.0 mph (0.64 mph) with a 95% reference interval of 302-674 m. The mean (SD) HR increase with exercise was 12 bpm (11.0 bpm) with a median [quartile] recovery time of 5.0 minutes [1-8 minutes]. A lower resting HR was associated with increased distance walked (r = -0.207; 95% confidence interval, -0.313 to -0.096; P < .001). A greater HR change with exercise was associated with increased recovery time from exercise (r = 0.736; 95% confidence interval, 0.697-0.784; P < .001). Sixty-three percent and 83% of participants, respectively, expected to be more exerted and breathless than they actually were with exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The 6MWT is feasible and applicable in term pregnant women. The reference intervals for resting HR and distance walked in the 6MWT have been generated. HR increases by approximately 12 bpm with submaximal exercise, and half of the women recovered within 5 minutes of submaximal exercise. Women expected to be more exerted and breathless than they actually were with exercise.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Abnormalities in Late-Onset Severe Preeclampsia: Prevalence and Association With Serum Albumin and Brain Natriuretic Peptide.

BACKGROUND: Pilot studies applying point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in preeclampsia indicate the presence of pulmonary interstitial edema, cerebral edema, and cardiac dysfunction. Laboratory markers of oncotic pressure (albumin) and cardiac dysfunction (brain natriuretic peptide [BNP]) may be abnormal, but the clinical application remains unclear. We investigated the prevalence of pulmonary interstitial syndrome (PIS), cardiac dysfunction, and increased optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in late-onset preeclampsia with severe features. The primary aim was to examine the association between PIS or ONSD and maternal serum albumin level. The secondary aims were to explore the association between cardiac dysfunction and PIS, ONSD, BNP, and serum albumin level and between POCUS-derived parameters and a suspicious or pathological cardiotocograph. METHODS: Ninety-five women were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study. A POCUS examination of lungs, heart, and ONSD was performed. PIS was defined as a bilateral B-line pattern on lung ultrasound and diastolic dysfunction according to an algorithm of the American Society of Echocardiography. ONSD >5.8 mm was interpreted as compatible with raised intracranial pressure (>20 mm Hg). Serum BNP and albumin levels were also measured. RESULTS: PIS, diastolic dysfunction, systolic dysfunction, and raised left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were present in 23 (24%), 31 (33%), 9 (10%), and 20 (25%) women, respectively. ONSD was increased in 27 (28%) women. Concerning the primary outcome, there was no association between albumin level and PIS (P = .4) or ONSD (P = .63). With respect to secondary outcomes, there was no association between albumin level and systolic dysfunction (P = .21) or raised LVEDP (P = .44). PIS was associated with diastolic dysfunction (P = .02) and raised LVEDP (P = .009; negative predictive value, 85%). BNP level was associated with systolic (P < .001) and diastolic dysfunction (P = .003) and LVEDP (P = .007). No association was found between POCUS abnormalities and a suspicious/pathological cardiotocograph (P = .07). CONCLUSIONS: PIS, diastolic dysfunction, and increased ONSD were common in preeclampsia with severe features. Cardiac ultrasound abnormalities may be more useful than albumin levels in predicting PIS. The absence of PIS may exclude raised LVEDP. The further clinical relevance of PIS and raised ONSD remains to be established. BNP level was associated with cardiac ultrasound abnormalities. Although this study was not designed to directly influence clinical management, the findings suggest that POCUS may serve as a useful adjunct to clinical examination for the obstetric anesthesiologist managing these complex patients.

Obesity: modern man's fertility nemesis.

The obesity pandemic has grown to concerning proportions in recent years, not only in the Western World, but in developing countries as well. The corresponding decrease in male fertility and fecundity may be explained in parallel to obesity, and obesity should be considered as an etiology of male fertility. Studies show that obesity contributes to infertility by reducing semen quality, changing sperm proteomes, contributing to erectile dysfunction, and inducing other physical problems related to obesity. Mechanisms for explaining the effect of obesity on male infertility include abnormal reproductive hormone levels, an increased release of adipose-derived hormones and adipokines associated with obesity, and other physical problems including sleep apnea and increased scrotal temperatures. Recently, genetic factors and markers for an obesity-related infertility have been discovered and may explain the difference between fertile obese and infertile obese men. Treatments are available for not only infertility related to obesity, but also as a treatment for the other comorbidities arising from obesity. Natural weight loss, as well as bariatric surgery are options for obese patients and have shown promising results in restoring fertility and normal hormonal profiles. Therapeutic interventions including aromatase inhibitors, exogenous testosterone replacement therapy and maintenance and regulation of adipose-derived hormones, particularly leptin, may also be able to restore fertility in obese males. Because of the relative unawareness and lack of research in this area, controlled studies should be undertaken and more focus should be given to obesity as an etiolgy of male infertility.