Developing a new flexible tool for handover.

BACKGROUND: Transferring medical information among professionals and between shifts is a crucial process, allowing continuity of care and safety, especially for complex patients in life-threatening situations. This process, handover, requires focusing on specific, essential medical information while filtering out redundant and unnecessary details. OBJECTIVES: To create and implement a tool for handover that would be flexible enough to meet the unique needs of specific departments. METHODS: We used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology to prospectively develop, implement, evaluate and reassess a new handover tool in a 900-bed teaching hospital in central Israel. Nurses from 35 departments participated in developing a tool that presents the staff's viewpoint regarding the most critical information needed for handover. RESULTS: A total of 78 nurse managers and 15 doctors (63.7%) completed the questionnaire. Based on exploratory factor analysis, 15 items explained 58.9% of the variance. Four key areas for handover were identified, in addition to basic patient identification: (i) updated clinical status, (ii) medical information, (iii) special clinical treatment and (iv) treatments not yet initiated. Subsequently, a Flexible Handover Structured Tool (FAST) was designed that identifies patients' needs and is flexible for the specific needs of departments. Revisions based on hands-on experience led to high nurse satisfaction with the new tool in most departments. The FAST format was adopted easily during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Implementing a new handover tool-FAST-was challenging, but rewarding. Using PDSA methodology enabled continuous monitoring, oversight and adaptive corrections for better implementation of this new handover reporting tool.

Civilian casualties of terror-related explosions: The impact of vascular trauma on treatment and prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: A high prevalence (10%) of vascular trauma (VT) was previously described in terror-related trauma as compared with non-terror-related trauma (1%), in a civilian setting. No data regarding outcome of VT casualties of improvised explosive device (IED) explosions, in civilian settings, are available. The aim of the current study is to present the prognosis of civilian casualties of IED explosions with and without VT. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the Israeli National Trauma Registry was performed. All patients in the registry from September 2000 to December 2005 who were victims of explosions were included. These patients were subdivided into patients with VT (n = 109) and non-VT (NVT) (n = 1,152). Both groups were analyzed according to mechanism of trauma, type and severity of injury, and treatment. RESULTS: Of 1,261 explosion casualties, there were 109 VT victims (8.6%). Patients with VT tended to be more complex, with a higher injury severity score (ISS): 17.4% with ISS 16 to 24 as compared with only 10.5%. In the group of critically injured patients (ISS, 25-75), 51.4% had VT compared with only 15.5% of the NVT patients. As such, a heavy share of hospitals' resources were used-trauma bay admission (62.4%), operating rooms (91.7%), and intensive care unit beds (55.1%). The percentage of VT patients who were admitted for more than 15 days was 2.3 times higher than that observed among the NVT patients. Lower-extremity VT injuries were the most prevalent. Although many resources are being invested in treating this group of patients, their mortality rate is approximately five times more than NVT (22.9% vs. 4.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Vascular trauma casualties of IED explosions are more complex and have poorer prognosis. Their higher ISS markedly increases the hospital's resource utilization, and as such, it should be taken into consideration either upon the primary evacuation from the scene or when secondary modulation is needed in order to reduce the burden of the hospitals receiving the casualties. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level V.

[Is there a role for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis screening?].

Screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is highly controversial Many surgeons routinely screen their patients for carotid disease prior to major operations, yet the benefit of such practice was never demonstrated. The treatment of symptomatic patients has not changed much during the last twenty years, since the publication of the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET). However, in contrast, the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS) and the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial (ACST) failed to get the same acceptance among the multidisciplinary group treating CAS.The prevalence of asymptomatic 60-99% carotid artery stenosis among the general population is about 1%. Neither ACAS nor ACST showed that stenosis severity was associated with increasing stroke risk. The 'realpolitik' is that mass interventions in asymptomatic patients will probably only ever prevent about 1% of all strokes. This is even truer regarding patients scheduLed for major operation, in which the incidence of stroke is less than 1%. Moreover the current evidence in the literature suggests that the best medicaL treatment (BMT) results in 0.5% strokes per year, better than resuLts which can be offered by surgery. According to the current evidence, it seems that asymptomatic carotid artery screening should be discontinued, since it is a major waste of resources.

Preprogrammed oscillations improve lower limb blood flow and walking distance in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

BACKGROUND: Claudication is one of the sequelae of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). To date, no effective treatment has been found for this condition. OBJECTIVES: To investigate a new device to treat PAD. The device administers pre-programmed protocols of oscillations to the foot. METHODS: Fifteen patients aged 40-70 years who suffered from intermittent claudication secondary to PAD were recruited to an open prospective study. Each patient was treated once for 30 minutes. The following parameters were evaluated: pain-free and maximal walking distances, skin blood flux by laser-Doppler, skin temperature, ankle-brachial and toe-brachial indices, transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcpO2) and transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure (tcpCO2). Non-parametric signed-rank test was applied for testing differences between baseline assessment and post-treatment assessments for quantitative parameters. RESULTS: Mean pain-free walking distance was 122 +/- 33 m and increased to 277 +/- 67 m, after the treatment session (P = 0.004). Mean maximal walking distance was 213 +/- 37 m and it increased to 603 +/- 77 m (P < 0.001). Foot skin perfusion also improved, as demonstrated by an increase in tcpO2 by 28.6 +/- 4.1 mmHg (P < 0.001), a decrease in tcpCO2 by 2.8 +/- 1.3 (P= 0.032), and up to twofold improvement in blood flux parameters, and an increase in skin temperature by 1.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C (P < 0.001). Ankle-brachial index increased by 0.06 +/- 0.01 (P = 0.003) and toe-brachial index by 0.17 +/- 0.02 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preprogrammed oscillations applied to the foot had a positive effect on microcirculation, tissue oxygenation and CO2 clearance; they had a smaller though significant effect on arterial blood pressure indices, and the change in the arterial-brachial index correlated with the change in the pain-free walking distance.

Terror attacks increase the risk of vascular injuries.

OBJECTIVES: Extensive literature exists about military trauma as opposed to the very limited literature regarding terror-related civilian trauma. However, terror-related vascular trauma (VT), as a unique type of injury, is yet to be addressed. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the Israeli National Trauma Registry was performed. All patients in the registry from 09/2000 to 12/2005 were included. The subgroup of patients with documented VT (N = 1,545) was analyzed and further subdivided into those suffering from terror-related vascular trauma (TVT) and non-terror-related vascular trauma (NTVT). Both groups were analyzed according to mechanism of trauma, type and severity of injury and treatment. RESULTS: Out of 2,446 terror-related trauma admissions, 243 sustained TVT (9.9%) compared to 1302 VT patients from non-terror trauma (1.1%). TVT injuries tend to be more complex and most patients were operated on. Intensive care unit admissions and hospital length of stay was higher in the TVT group. Penetrating trauma was the prominent cause of injury among the TVT group. TVT group had a higher proportion of patients with severe injuries (ISS ≥ 16) and mortality. Thorax injuries were more frequent in the TVT group. Extremity injuries were the most prevalent vascular injuries in both groups; however NTVT group had more upper extremity injuries, while the TVT group had significantly much lower extremity injuries. CONCLUSION: Vascular injuries are remarkably more common among terror attack victims than among non-terror trauma victims and the injuries of terror casualties tend to be more complex. The presence of a vascular surgeon will ensure a comprehensive clinical care.

Effect of timing of thrombectomy on survival of thrombosed arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts.

BACKGROUND: The use of an arteriovenous (AV) graft for hemodialysis is associated with a relatively high rate of thrombosis. Unfortunately, the urgent thrombectomy is not always readily available. Our aim was to investigate a possible association between the timing of thrombectomy and the patency rates of AV grafts. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study on patients who underwent thrombectomy of clotted AV grafts was conducted. According to the time of thrombectomy, all patients were divided into 4 groups. RESULTS: Primary graft patency at 6 months after thrombectomy was 28.3%, with no significant difference between the study groups (P = .161). Secondary graft patency at 6 months was significantly worse in the group that underwent thrombectomy between the third and fifth days than in the whole cohort: 15.4% versus 45.6% (P = .038). CONCLUSIONS: Timing of thrombectomy of a clotted AV graft may have a significant impact on the graft survival.

[Secondary lymphedema--the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach].

Secondary lymphedema is the most common type of lymphedema. Malignancy, mainly breast carcinoma, is the main cause of upper extremity lymphedema, while groin dissection, irradiation and trauma are the cause of lower extremity lymphedema. Early recognition of the pathology followed by early referral to a vascular surgeon, leading a multidisciplinary team, who takes care of those patients, can prevent a miserable Life from these patients. Lifelong commitment of the patients, prolonged financial support of the health insurance supplier, as well as team work of the group taking care of the patient, is the only way to help these patients.

[Lymphedema--guidelines for evaluation and treatment].

Lymphedema is the "neglected vascular disease". A lot has been written about arterial and venous pathologies but our knowledge, as physicians, about the pathophysiology on the one hand and about the treatment, on the other hand, is scarce. Lymphedema is subdivided into primary and secondary disease. The primary lymphedema is further subdivided to congenital, praecox and tarda. Conservative treatment is the first line of therapy. Surgery has not been proven as a good solution for this disease, and furthermore, even when operations are being conducted, conservative treatment should be continued on a daily basis. It seems that further research about this "forgotten disease" should be designed in order to improve the treatment of these complicated patients.

Effect of timing of the first cannulation on survival of arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts.

The use of an arteriovenous graft as vascular access for hemodialysis is associated with a high rate of patency loss. The influence of timing of the first cannulation of the graft on graft survival has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate an association between the timing of the first cannulation of the polytetrafluoroethylene arteriovenous graft and the incidence of 12-month failure. This is a retrospective study on a cohort of chronic hemodialysis patients treated in a single center. According to the time, in weeks, between graft construction and its first successful cannulation, the grafts were divided into six groups: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th or more week after surgery. The primary outcome was primary graft failure at 12 months, defined as the first occurrence of graft thrombosis or any invasive access procedure. The secondary outcome was cumulative graft failure at 12 months, defined as complete loss of the access site for dialysis. Fifty-eight patients with 64 newly-created arteriovenous grafts were included in the study. In the whole cohort, the incidence of primary graft failure at 12 months was 72.2%, and the incidence of cumulative graft failure at 12 months was 40.7%. The incidences of primary graft failure and cumulative graft failure at 12 months did not differ significantly between the study groups. In our study, timing of the first cannulation of a new arteriovenous polytetrafluoroethylene graft had no significant impact on graft survival.

Long-term follow-up of patients after carotid stenting with or without distal protective device in a single tertiary medical center.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immediate and long-term clinical outcomes after carotid artery stenting (CAS) with and without protection devices (PDs), compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS: A total of 116 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis underwent CAS; 56 patients (48.3%) underwent CAS-PD; and 137 patients underwent CEA. RESULTS: There were more ipsilateral transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in the CEA group than in CAS-PD and CAS + PD (4 [3%] vs 1 [1.6%] and 0 respectively, P = 0.02). In the CAS-PD group there were more vertebrobasilar TIAs, ipsi- and contralateral strokes, myocardial infarctions, and death rates in the 30-day postprocedural period. After 8-year follow-up, there were 18 (30%) death cases in the CAS-PD group, 10 death cases (17%) in the CAS + PD patients, and 15 death cases (11%) in the CEA group of patients (P = .02). CONCLUSION: Our data show that CAS + PD was associated with lower rate of vascular complications and mortality compared with CAS-PD and CEA.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma as a rare cause of blue toe syndrome.

Blue toe syndrome (BTS), is a well-known entity of toe gangrene and rest pain secondary to micro emboli lodged within the digital arteries. BTS among young patients should alert physicians to look for causes such as trauma, connective tissue disease, hypercoagulability state, and others. We hereby describe a 32-year-old female with right BTS. A mass obstructing 80% of the right popliteal artery lumen was the source of emboli. The histologic results of the replaced arterial segment revealed a thrombus on top of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. This is the first description of the association between primary vascular tumor and BTS.

[Prevention is the name of the game].

The review on critical limb ischemia (CLI) by Melamed and his co-authors in this issue of Harefuah focuses on treatment modalities but does not address the important issue of prevention, which, I believe, is the most effective tool in saving limbs. Peripheral arterial occlusion secondary to atherosclerosis (ASO) is common in the western hemisphere. Ten percent of the population between the ages 50-55 years and more than 20% of the population over 70 years of age suffer from some degree of ASO. Three percent of these patients will develop severe forms of ischemia. The problem is even worse amongst diabetic patients, where 1 in 1000 will lose a leg. Most patients with leg pain are treated by the orthopedic surgeon and many of those with minor skin changes are referred to a dermatologist, often without proper vascular evaluation, until the condition deteriorates. The secret of limb preservation is threefold: 1) High level of awareness by the primary medical team 2) Dedicated foot clinics and 3) A multidisciplinary team. A rigid protocol of foot examination, pulse palpation and Doppler evaluation, combined with clinical education regarding proper foot wear, can prevent close to 70% of major limb amputations. These simple, inexpensive and non-invasive modalities enable us to both diagnose arterial disease and follow-up on the treatment. An interdisciplinary team of a diabetes expert, foot orthopedic surgeon, podiatrist and a vascular surgeon can, in most cases, build a treatment plan which will alter the course of the disease at an early stage and prevent the development of CLI. The natural course of CLI without revascularization leads to major limb amputation in 70% of patients within a year or two of diagnosis. When vascular reconstruction is not an option, more conservative measures, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), can also be useful in some patients but over-use and abuse of this modality and other alternative treatments must be avoided. The fact that 30% of those patients do not lose their leg, leads to unsubstantiated claims of limb salvage by unproven methods. A major effort of educating both the medical teams and the patients is required in order to decrease the number of patients who will develop CLI. On the other hand, one must remember that for some patients primary amputation can be the best alternative, offering minimal risk and a reasonable quality of life.

Carotid artery stenting in high risk patients with carotid artery stenosis not eligible for endarterectomy: clinical outcome after 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery stenting is used as an alternative to surgical endarterectomy. OBJECTIVES: To determine the outcome of CAS in a retrospective cohort of patients. METHODS: Between July 1999 and March 2003, 56 consecutive patients with carotid artery stenosis who were considered ineligible for surgery were treated (45 males, 11 females, mean age 69). All underwent the procedure prior to the introduction of distal protective devices in Israel. RESULTS: Intraprocedural complications included transient neurological findings in 5 patients (8%), cerebrovascular accident in 2 (3%), hemodynamic changes in 11 (18%), and 4 procedural failures. Post-procedural complications included transient ischemic attack in 3 patients and cardiovascular accident in 6 (10%). At 30 days follow-up, three patients (5%) remained with signs of CVA. Two patients (3%) died during the post-procedural period and 16 (28%) during the 5 year follow-up, one due to recurrent CVA and the remainder to non-neurological causes. Five-year carotid Doppler follow-up was performed in 25 patients (45%), which revealed normal stent flow in 21 (84%), 50-60% restenosis in 3 (12%) and > 70% restenosis in one patient (4%). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that stent procedures are beneficial for symptomatic carotid stenosis in patients not eligible for surgery.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome: apropos of six cases and review of the literature.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome (HHS) is a rather rare condition and is a term used to describe an aneurysm or thrombosis of the ulnar artery. It is considered an occupational or recreational injury and is usually a result of a repetitive trauma to the hypothenar region where the unique anatomy of the Guyon canal allows arterial injury. HHS is one of the less common causes of symptomatic ischemia of the upper extremity. The aim of this article is to describe our experience with six patients. Presenting signs, symptoms, differential diagnoses, and literature review of this probably underdiagnosed syndrome are described. There are two pathologic entities: the aneurysmal type and the thrombotic type. Although most authors recommend watchful observation for the thrombotic type, reconstructive surgery is the treatment of choice for the aneurysmal type.