Comparing preoperative fasting and ultrasound-measured intravascular volume status in elective surgery, enhanced recovery patients versus inpatient, urgent surgery patients and the ability of IVC collapsibility to predict post-induction hypotension.

Hypotension following induction of general anaesthesia has been shown to result in increased complications and mortality postoperatively. Patients admitted to the hospital undergoing urgent surgery are often fasted from fluids for significant periods compared to elective patients subject to Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols despite guidelines stating that a two-hour fast is sufficient. The aim of this prospective, observational study was to compare fasting times and intravascular volume status between elective surgery patients subject to enhanced recovery protocols and inpatient, urgent surgery patients and to assess differences in the incidence of post-induction hypotension. Fasting data was obtained by questionnaire in the preoperative area in addition to inferior vena cava collapsibility index, a non-invasive measure of intravascular volume. Blood pressure readings and drug administration for the ten minutes following induction were obtained from patients' charts. Inpatients undergoing urgent surgery were fasted significantly longer than enhanced recovery patients and had lower intravascular volume. However, no difference was found in the incidence of post-induction hypotension.

Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS Grading to Assess Perioperative Fluid Status for Noncardiac Surgeries: a Prospective Observational Pilot Study.

Objectives: Perioperative fluid administration impacts the rate of complications following surgery. VExUS grading system is a standardized point of care ultrasound (POCUS)-based, comprehensive method to assess volume status. VExUS could serve as a tool to guide fluid management, if validated perioperatively. The primary aim was to assess the success rate of obtaining required windows for VExUS grading , as well as the feasibility within a perioperative setting among noncardiac surgery. Further, this study describes the incidence of perioperative venous congestion and associations with 30-day postoperative complications. Methods: This observational study was conducted in non-critically ill adults undergoing noncardiac surgery. Patients were scanned preoperatively, in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU), and 24 hours postoperatively for venous congestion. Researchers retrospectively captured 30-day complications for multivariate analyses. Results: The cohort included 69 participants. Ninety-one percent of scans over all timepoints were successfully completed. Pre-operatively, 57 (83%) scans were Grade 0, and 11 (16%) were Grade 1. Venous congestion was observed in 29 (44%) patients in the PACU (n=66). 22 (33%) patients were Grade 1, while 7 (11%) were Grade 2. At 24 hours (n=63), 31 patients (49%) had venous congestion: 20 (32%) Grade 1 and 11 (17%) Grade 2. Of the pre-operative Grade 0, 28 (50%) had at least one postoperative scan with venous congestion. No patients were Grade 3 at any timepoint. The 30-day complication rate was 32% (n=22). Eleven (16%) patients developed acute kidney injury (AKI). There was no statistically significant association between VExUS grading and all-cause complications or AKI. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that perioperative VExUS scoring is a feasible tool among a variety of noncardiac surgeries. We highlight that venous congestion is common and increases postoperatively within non-ICU populations. Larger studies are needed to assess the relationship between VExUS grading and postoperative complications.

Right Heart Failure Management: Focus on Mechanical Support Options.

Millions of American adults suffer from right heart failure (RHF), a condition associated with high rates of hospitalization, organ failure, and death. There is a multitude of etiologies and mechanisms that lead to RHF, often in a feedforward spiral of decline. The management of advanced cases of RHF can be particularly difficult. For patients who are refractory to the medical optimization of volume status, hemodynamic and pharmacologic support, and rhythm control, mechanical therapies may be warranted. Currently available mechanical assist devices for RHF include venoarterial extracorporeal oxygenation and right ventricular assist devices, both surgical and percutaneous. Each advanced therapy has its own potential advantages and limitations, and often is appropriate in different clinical contexts. In this review, the authors describe the pathophysiology and medical therapies for RHF and then focus on the different types of advanced therapies that currently exist to help inform medical decision-making for this complicated patient cohort.

Effects of a Clonidine Taper on Dexmedetomidine Use and Withdrawal in Adult Critically Ill Patients-A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: Prolonged use of dexmedetomidine has become increasingly common due to its favorable sedative and anxiolytic properties. Hypersympathetic withdrawal symptoms have been reported with abrupt discontinuation of prolonged dexmedetomidine infusions. Clonidine has been used to transition patients off dexmedetomidine infusions for ICU sedation. The objective of this study was to compare the occurrence of dexmedetomidine withdrawal symptoms in ICU patients transitioning to a clonidine taper versus those weaned off dexmedetomidine alone after prolonged dexmedetomidine infusion. DESIGN: This was a single-center, prospective, double cohort observational study conducted from November 2017 to December 2018. SETTING: Medical-surgical, cardiothoracic, and neurosurgical ICUs in a tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: We included adult ICU patients being weaned off dexmedetomidine after receiving continuous infusions for at least 3 days. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were either weaned off dexmedetomidine alone or with a clonidine taper at the discretion of the providers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was the incidence of at least two dexmedetomidine withdrawal symptoms during a single assessment within 24 hours of dexmedetomidine discontinuation. Time on dexmedetomidine after wean initiation and difference in medication cost were also evaluated. Forty-two patients were included in this study: 15 received clonidine (Group C) and 27 weaned off dexmedetomidine alone (Group D). There was no significant difference in the incidence of two or more withdrawal symptoms between groups (73% in Group C vs 59% in Group D; p = 0.51). Patients in Group C spent less time on dexmedetomidine after wean initiation compared with patients in Group D (19 vs 42 hr; p = 0.02). An average cost savings of $1,553.47 per patient who received clonidine was observed. No adverse effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that patients receiving clonidine were able to wean off dexmedetomidine more rapidly, with a considerable cost savings and no difference in dexmedetomidine withdrawal symptoms, compared with patients weaned off dexmedetomidine alone. Clonidine may be a safe, effective, and practical option to transition patients off prolonged dexmedetomidine infusions.

What Should an Anesthesiologist and Surgeon Do When They Disagree About Terms of Perioperative DNR Suspension?

This case examines perioperative suspension of a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order during surgery. The commentary considers the appropriateness of DNR orders; types of DNR order suspension in the context of alternative anesthesia techniques; and what is required from a surgeon, anesthesiologist, and patient or surrogate to reach a decision expressing the patient's best interest. It concludes by offering communication recommendations based on joint discussion and decision sharing.

The effect of second-stage pushing and body mass index on postdural puncture headache.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore how pushing during labor and body mass index affect the development of postdural puncture headache in parturients who experienced dural puncture with Tuohy needles. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Obstetric ward and operating rooms at a university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred ninety parturients who had witnessed dural puncture with 17 or 18 gauge Tuohy needles from 1999-2014. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were categorized by pushing status and body mass index (kg/m2): nonobese <30, obese 30-39.99, morbidly obese 40-49.99, and super obese ≥50. MEASUREMENTS: Headache, number of days of headache, maximum headache score, and epidural blood patch placement. MAIN RESULTS: Compared with women who did not push, women who pushed during labor had increased risk of postdural puncture headache (odds ratio [OR], 2.1 [1.1-4.0]; P=.02), more days of headache (P=.02), and increased epidural blood patch placement (P=.02). Super obese patients were less likely to develop headache compared with nonobese (OR, 0.33 [0.13-0.85]; P=.02), obese (OR, 0.37 [0.14-0.98]; P=.045], and morbidly obese patients (OR, 0.20 [0.05-0.68]; P<.01). In a multivariate logistic regression model, lack of pushing (OR, 0.57 [0.29-1.10]; P=.096) and super obesity (OR, 0.41 [0.16-1.02]; P=.056] were no longer significantly associated with reduced risk of postdural puncture headache. CONCLUSIONS: Parturients who did not push before delivery and parturients with body mass index ≥50kg/m2 were less likely to develop postdural puncture headache in a univariate analysis. Similar trends were demonstrated in a multivariate model, but were no longer statistically significant.

Failure rate and complications associated with the use of spinal catheters for the management of inadvertent dural puncture in the parturient: a retrospective comparison with re-sited epidural catheters.

Objective To report on the failure rate of spinal catheters placed following inadvertent dural puncture (IDP) compared with re-sited epidural catheters in the obstetric population. Research design and methods Patients who experienced IDP during epidural or combined spinal epidural placement with 17 or 18 gauge Tuohy needles for labor analgesia between 2003 and 2014 were identified using our post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) database. Patients were categorized into two groups: those who had spinal catheters inserted and those who had epidural catheters re-sited. Main outcome measure Failure rate associated with spinal or re-sited epidural catheters (defined as need for repeat block or alternative analgesic modality). Secondary outcomes were incidence of PDPH, need for epidural blood patch (EBP), and adverse events. Results A total of 109 patients were included in the final analysis; 79 ultimately had spinal catheters and 30 ultimately had re-sited epidural catheters. There were no differences between spinal catheters and re-sited epidural catheters in failure rate (22% vs. 13%, P = 0.33), incidence of PDPH (73% vs. 60%, P = 0.24), need for EBP (42% vs. 30%, P = 0.28), number of headache days, or maximum headache scores. There was also no difference in the rate of adverse events including high block levels, hypotension, and fetal bradycardia (9% vs. 7%, P = 1.0) between the two groups. Conclusions There were no differences in failure rates, PDPH outcomes, or adverse events between spinal catheters and re-sited epidural catheters following IDP in parturients receiving labor analgesia. Limitations of the study include its single-center retrospective non-randomized design, and the uneven number of patients in the two groups with a relatively small number in the re-sited epidural catheter group.