Essential Review of Oncological Emergencies.

Innovations in oncology have expanded treatment eligibility, leading to a rise in cancer patients requiring critical care. This necessitates that all critical care clinicians possess a fundamental knowledge of prevalent oncological conditions and identify emergent scenarios requiring immediate action. This article will explore key oncological complications and their management approaches.

Use of mixed gas pneumoperitoneum during minimally invasive surgery: a systematic review of human and mouse modelled laparoscopic interventions.

The formation of pneumoperitoneum involves the process of inflating the peritoneal cavity during laparoscopic and typically uses CO2 as the insufflation gas. This review aims to identify ideal gas mixtures for establishing the pneumoperitoneum with animal and human studies undertaken up to the writing of this review. A systematic search of PubMed, OVID, and clinicaltrials.gov was performed to identify studies on the utilisation of mixed gases in laparoscopic surgery, including non-randomised/randomised trials, animal and human studies, and studies with inflating pressures between 12 and 16 mmHg. ROBINS-I and RoB2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. A narrative synthesis of results was performed due to the heterogeneity of the studies. 5 studies from the database search and 5 studies from citation search comprising 128 animal subjects and 61 human patients were found. These studies collated results based on adhesion formation (6 studies), pain scores (2 studies) and other outcomes, with results favouring the use of carbon dioxide + 10% nitrous oxide + 4% oxygen. This has shown a significant reduction in adhesion formation, pain scores and inflammation. The use of this gas mixture provides promising results for future practice. Several of the studies available require larger sample sizes to develop a more definitive answer on the effects of different gas mixtures. Furthermore, the number of confounding factors in randomised trials should be reduced so that each component of the current suggested gas mixture can be tested for safety and efficacy.

Best Practices for Point of Care Ultrasound: An Interdisciplinary Expert Consensus.

Despite the growing use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in contemporary medical practice and the existence of clinical guidelines addressing its specific applications, there remains a lack of standardization and agreement on optimal practices for several areas of POCUS use. The Society of Point of Care Ultrasound (SPOCUS) formed a working group in 2022 to establish a set of recommended best practices for POCUS, applicable to clinicians regardless of their training, specialty, resource setting, or scope of practice. Using a three-round modified Delphi process, a multi-disciplinary panel of 22 POCUS experts based in the United States reached consensus on 57 statements in domains including: (1) The definition and clinical role of POCUS; (2) Training pathways; (3) Credentialing; (4) Cleaning and maintenance of POCUS devices; (5) Consent and education; (6) Security, storage, and sharing of POCUS studies; (7) Uploading, archiving, and reviewing POCUS studies; and (8) Documenting POCUS studies. The consensus statements are provided here. While not intended to establish a standard of care or supersede more targeted guidelines, this document may serve as a useful baseline to guide clinicians, leaders, and systems considering initiation or enhancement of POCUS programs.

A Case Series of Patients With Complex Airway Disease and Large Thyroid Tumors Anterior to the Trachea Precluding Tracheostomy.

BACKGROUND: This case series explores the management of respiratory failure in patients with large anterior tracheal thyroid tumors where tracheostomy is not an option. To our knowledge, this study is the first to address the challenges associated with caring for such patients. CASE SUMMARY: We present the clinical courses of four intubated adults with advanced thyroid cancer and complex airway issues that preclude surgical tracheostomy. Interventions included custom airway stents, long-term intubation, and oncological therapies. Ethical quandaries around patient autonomy and capacity emerged, exacerbated by the absence of viable exit strategies for prolonged intubation, notably the performance of a tracheostomy, causing emotional distress in patients, families, and staff. CONCLUSIONS: This study showcases the multifaceted challenges in medical, ethical, and emotional domains associated with managing intubated patients with complex disease precluding tracheotomies. We advocate for a nuanced, multidisciplinary, and personalized approach to confront unique issues in airway management, ethical considerations, and disposition.

Bridging the gap: Implementing a pilot radiology-focused curriculum in an acute care Nurse Practitioner program.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge in diagnostic radiology and performance of point-of-care ultrasound are integral to acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) in the inpatient settings, especially true in specialty areas such as interventional radiology and critical care. However, existing ACNP training programs, including at our institution, often lack robust relevant course content. To address this educational gap, we designed and implemented a pilot acute care radiology course, incorporating a flipped classroom approach and hands-on simulation activities led by expert faculty. Our course evaluation revealed high levels of student satisfaction, self-reported confidence, and perceived course effectiveness. The course aligns with key competencies outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, demonstrating its potential to advance ACNP education in radiology content.

Caring for patients with life-threatening hemoptysis.

ABSTRACT: Life-threatening hemoptysis (formerly called massive hemoptysis), though relatively uncommon, imposes significant mortality risks. This article discusses the etiology, clinical presentation, assessment, treatment, and nursing interventions to promote effective clinical management of patients with this condition.

Elevated brain natriuretic peptide in a patient with metastatic cancer without heart failure: A case study.

ABSTRACT: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-established biomarker for heart failure (HF). However, its diagnostic utility can be limited in patients with comorbidities that independently elevate serum BNP levels, including chronic renal failure and sepsis. We describe a rare occurrence of significantly elevated serum BNP levels in a patient with metastatic urothelial cancer without HF or obvious signs of sepsis. The report highlights the need for considering alternative causes for increased serum BNP levels, especially in the presence of malignancy.

Management of Pericardial Effusion in Patients With Solid Tumor: An Algorithmic, Multidisciplinary Approach Results in Reduced Mortality After Paradoxical Hemodynamic Instability.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared outcomes in patients with solid tumor treated for pericardial effusion with surgical drainage versus interventional radiology (IR) percutaneous drainage and compared incidence of paradoxical hemodynamic instability (PHI) between cohorts. BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced-stage solid malignancies may develop large pericardial effusions requiring intervention. PHI is a fatal and underreported complication that occurs following pericardial effusion drainage. METHODS: Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients with solid tumors who underwent s urgical drainage or IR percutaneous drainage for pericardial effusion from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: Among 447 patients, 243 were treated with surgical drainage, of which 27 (11%) developed PHI, compared with 7 of 204 patients (3%) who were treated with IR percutaneous drainage ( P =0.002); overall incidence of PHI decreased during the study period. Rates of reintervention (30-day: 1% vs 4%; 90-day: 4% vs 6%, P =0.7) and mortality (30-day: 21% vs 17%, P =0.3; 90-day: 39% vs 37%, P =0.7) were not different between patients treated with surgical drainage and IR percutaneous drainage. For both interventions, OS was shorter among patients with PHI than among patients without PHI (surgical drainage, median [95% confidence interval] OS, 0.89 mo [0.33-2.1] vs 6.5 mo [5.0-8.9], P <0.001; IR percutaneous drainage, 3.7 mo [0.23-6.8] vs 5.0 mo [4.0-8.1], P =0.044). CONCLUSIONS: With a coordinated multidisciplinary approach focusing on prompt clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, triage with bias toward IR percutaneous drainage than surgical drainage and postintervention intensive care resulted in lower incidence of PHI and improved outcomes.

Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program for Critical Care Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in an Oncological Intensive Care Unit and Rapid Response Team.

ABSTRACT: Implementation of a comprehensive point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) program for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting improves their diagnostic and therapeutic skills and enhances patient care. Overcoming staffing, IT infrastructure, and administrative challenges has allowed our critical care medicine service to develop a successful program that empowers NPs and PAs and boosts their professional growth. Our POCUS program underscores the necessity of institutional support, dedicated mentorship, collaboration with qualified faculty, and creation and maintenance of a curriculum that adheres to accepted national guidelines. Insights gained from our experiences can serve as a valuable resource for institutions aiming to develop their own POCUS programs.

The state of acute care postgraduate training: Faculty observations.

ABSTRACT: The benefits to postgraduate training programs (PTPs) for nurse practitioners (NPs) in all populations are being well established in the literature. As health care systems and teams evolve, acute care NPs (neonatal, pediatric, and adult-gerontology) are providing more specialized care to increasingly complex patients. As educators and clinicians, we recognize that acute care PTPs are playing an important role in preparing NPs to work to the top of their scope and training. This article provides our perspectives on the merits of PTPs for adult-gerontology acute care NPs and provides guidance for counseling NPs who are interested in acute care PTPs.

Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

Advanced nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are tumors not amenable to surgery and/or radiation. Early systemic treatment attempts with cytotoxic chemotherapy demonstrated low response rates, short durations of response, and high toxicity. Over the last decade, modern therapies for advanced NMSC include targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Hedgehog pathway inhibitors and programmed death-1 inhibitors are available first-line therapies for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, respectively.

Pseudohyponatremia: A Concise Guide to Diagnosis and Management in Clinical Practice.

Pseudo-hyponatremia is an uncommon laboratory finding that can lead to serious morbidity and mortality if not recognized abruptly. Often linked to conditions like hyperlipidemia or hyperproteinemia, pseudohyponatremia can mislead clinicians and result in misdiagnosis. We discuss this through two real-world case studies, explaining how it develops and how to diagnose it accurately. It's paramount that clinicians recognize and properly differentiate pseudohyponatremia from true hyponatremia to prevent wrong treatments. We stress the need to address the root causes in order to provide the optimal patient care.

Intracardiac Thrombus in Transit Detected by Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a condition with a high rate of morbidity and mortality if it is not recognized and treated in a timely fashion. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that can help clinicians make prompt diagnosis. We present a case where we diagnosed massive PE through visualizing an intracardiac thrombus in transit, and we highlight some important ultrasonographic features.

PD-1 inhibitors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

PD-1 inhibitors are immunotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). This study aimed to determine the pooled objective response and disease control rates of patients with advanced cSCC treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Pubmed, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases were searched up to 1 January 2021 to include eligible articles. Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were pooled and analysed. Subgroup analysis of the odds ratio (OR) for ORR for patients by PD-L1 tumour proportion score (TPS) was performed. Seven articles including a total of 453 patients were identified and included. Pooled estimate of ORR was 44% (95% CI: 39-49%, I2 = 23.7%) and of DCR was 66% (95% CI: 57-74%, I2 = 68.2%). Pooled odds ratio of ORR for patients by PD-L1 TPS was 2.81 (95% CI: 1.22-6.51, I2 = 0.0%). These results were derived from single-arm studies, some of which were retrospective. No head-to-head trials comparing PD-1 inhibitors have been reported. We present aggregate estimates of ORR and DCR for patients with advanced cSCC treated with PD-1 inhibitors, as well as subgroup analysis for ORR for patients by PD-L1 TPS.

High risk of relapsed disease in patients with NK/T-cell chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease outside of Asia.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disease (CAEBV) is characterized by high levels of EBV predominantly in T and/or natural killer cells with lymphoproliferation, organ failure due to infiltration of tissues with virus-infected cells, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and/or lymphoma. The disease is more common in Asia than in the United States and Europe. Although allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered the only curative therapy for CAEBV, its efficacy and the best treatment modality to reduce disease severity prior to HSCT is unknown. Here, we retrospectively assessed an international cohort of 57 patients outside of Asia. Treatment of the disease varied widely, although most patients ultimately proceeded to HSCT. Though patients undergoing HSCT had better survival than those who did not (55% vs 25%, P < .01), there was still a high rate of death in both groups. Mortality was largely not affected by age, ethnicity, cell-type involvement, or disease complications, but development of lymphoma showed a trend with increased mortality (56% vs 35%, P = .1). The overwhelming majority (75%) of patients who died after HSCT succumbed to relapsed disease. CAEBV remains challenging to treat when advanced disease is present. Outcomes would likely improve with better disease control strategies, earlier referral for HSCT, and close follow-up after HSCT including aggressive management of rising EBV DNA levels in the blood.

A Tale of Two Pulmonary Artery Catheters.

Innovative catheter-based therapies are increasingly being used for the treatment of patients with submassive pulmonary embolism. These patients may be monitored in the intensive care unit following insertion of specialized pulmonary artery catheters. However, the infusion catheters utilized in catheter-based therapies differ greatly from traditional pulmonary artery catheters designed for hemodynamic monitoring. As such, the critical care team will have to be familiar with the monitoring and management of these novel catheters. Important distinctions between the catheters are illustrated using a clinical case report.