Comprehensive Assessment of Acute Isolated or Prominent Dysarthria in the Emergency Department: A Neuro-Emergency Expert's Experience beyond Stroke.

We investigated the clinical characteristics, neuroimaging findings, and final diagnosis of patients with acute isolated or prominent dysarthria who visited the emergency department (ED) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. Of 2028 patients aged ≥ 18 years with neurologic symptoms treated by a neuro-emergency expert, 75 with acute isolated or predominant dysarthria within 1 week were enrolled. Patients were categorized as having isolated dysarthria (n = 28, 37.3%) and prominent dysarthria (n = 47, 62.7%). The causes of stroke were acute ischemic stroke (AIS) (n = 37, 49.3%), transient ischemic attack (TIA) (n = 14, 18.7%), intracerebral hemorrhage (n = 1, 1.3%), and non-stroke causes (n = 23, 30.7%). The most common additional symptoms were gait disturbance or imbalance (n = 8, 15.4%) and dizziness (n = 3, 13.0%) in the stroke and non-stroke groups, respectively. The isolated dysarthria group had a higher rate of TIA (n = 7, 38.9%), single and small lesions (n = 10, 83.3%), and small-vessel occlusion in Trial of Org 101072 in acute stroke treatment (n = 8, 66.7%). Acute isolated or prominent dysarthria in the ED mostly presented as clinical symptoms of AIS, but other non-stroke and medical causes were not uncommon. In acute dysarthria with ischemic stroke, multiple territorial and small and single lesions are considered a cause.

Effect of Designating Emergency Medical Centers for Critical Care on Emergency Medical Service Systems during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Study.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, prehospital times were delayed for patients who needed to arrive at the hospital in a timely manner to receive treatment. To address this, in March 2020, the Korean government designated emergency medical centers for critical care (EMC-CC). This study retrospectively analyzed whether this intervention effectively reduced ambulance diversion (AD) and shortened prehospital times using emergency medical service records from 219,763 patients from the Gyeonggi Province, collected between 1 January and 31 December 2020. We included non-traumatic patients aged 18 years or older. We used interrupted time series analysis to investigate the intervention effects on the daily AD rate and compared prehospital times before and after the intervention. Following the intervention, the proportion of patients transported 30-35 km and 50 km or more was 13.8% and 5.7%, respectively, indicating an increased distance compared to before the intervention. Although the change in the AD rate was insignificant, the daily AD rate significantly decreased after the intervention. Prehospital times significantly increased after the intervention in all patients (p < 0.001) and by disease group; all prehospital times except for the scene time of cardiac arrest patients increased. In order to achieve optimal treatment times for critically ill patients in a situation that pushes the limits of the medical system, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, even regional distribution of EMC-CC may be necessary, and priority should be given to the allocation of care for patients with mild symptoms.

Experience of a Neuro-Emergency Expert in the Emergency Department during One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We aimed to evaluate the overall clinical characteristics of patients treated by a neuro-emergency expert dedicated to the emergency department (ED) as an attending neurologist during the COVID-19 pandemic. We included adult patients who visited the ED between 1 January and 31 December 2020 and were treated by a neuro-emergency expert. We retrospectively obtained and analyzed the data on patients' clinical characteristics and outcome. The neuro-emergency expert treated 1155 patients (mean age, 62.9 years). The proportion of aged 18-40 years was the lowest, and the most common modes of arrival were public ambulance (50.6%) and walk-in (42.3%). CT and MRI examinations were performed in 94.4 and 33.1% of cases, respectively. The most frequent complaints were dizziness (31.8%), motor weakness (24.2%), and altered mental status (15.8%). The ED diagnoses were acute ischemic stroke (19.8%), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (14.2%), vestibular neuritis (9.9%), and seizure (8.8%). The mean length of stay in the ED was 207 min. Of the patients, 55.0% were admitted to the hospital, and 41.8% were discharged for outpatient follow-up. Despite the longer stay and the complexity and difficulty of neurological diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, the accurate diagnosis and treatment provided by a neuro-emergency expert can be presented as a good model in the ED.

Application of convolutional neural networks for distal radio-ulnar fracture detection on plain radiographs in the emergency room.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested that deep-learning models can satisfactorily assist in fracture diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate the performance of two of such models in wrist fracture detection. METHODS: We collected image data of patients who visited with wrist trauma at the emergency department. A dataset extracted from January 2018 to May 2020 was split into training (90%) and test (10%) datasets, and two types of convolutional neural networks (i.e., DenseNet-161 and ResNet-152) were trained to detect wrist fractures. Gradient-weighted class activation mapping was used to highlight the regions of radiograph scans that contributed to the decision of the model. Performance of the convolutional neural network models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: For model training, we used 4,551 radiographs from 798 patients and 4,443 radiographs from 1,481 patients with and without fractures, respectively. The remaining 10% (300 radiographs from 100 patients with fractures and 690 radiographs from 230 patients without fractures) was used as a test dataset. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of DenseNet-161 and ResNet-152 in the test dataset were 90.3%, 90.3%, 80.3%, 95.6%, and 90.3% and 88.6%, 88.4%, 76.9%, 94.7%, and 88.5%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of DenseNet-161 and ResNet-152 for wrist fracture detection were 0.962 and 0.947, respectively. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that DenseNet-161 and ResNet-152 models could help detect wrist fractures in the emergency room with satisfactory performance.

Different characteristics of bloodstream infection during venoarterial and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult patients.

Currently, there is scarcity of data on whether differences exist in clinical characteristics and outcomes of bloodstream infection (BSI) between venoarterial (VA) and venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and whether they differ between Candida BSI and bacteremia in adult ECMO patients. We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who required ECMO for > 48 h and had BSIs while receiving ECMO between January 2015 and June 2020. Cases with a positive blood culture result within 24 h of ECMO implantation were excluded. We identified 94 (from 64 of 194 patients) and 38 (from 17 of 56 patients) BSI episodes under VA and VV ECMO, respectively. Fifty nine BSIs of VA ECMO (59/94, 62.8%) occurred in the first 2 weeks after ECMO implantation, whereas 24 BSIs of VV ECMO (24/38, 63.2%) occurred after 3 weeks of ECMO implantation. Gram-negative bacteremia (39/59, 66.1%) and gram-positive bacteremia (10/24, 41.7%) were the most commonly identified BSI types in the first 2 weeks after VA ECMO implantation and after 3 weeks of VV implantation, respectively. Timing of Candida BSI was early (6/11, 54.5% during the first 2 weeks) in VA ECMO and late (6/9, 66.7% after 3 weeks of initiation) in VV ECMO. Compared with bacteremia, Candida BSI showed no differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes during VA and VV ECMO, except the significant association with prior exposure to carbapenem in VA ECMO (vs. gram-negative bacteremia [P = 0.006], vs. gram-positive bacteremia [P = 0.03]). Our results suggest that ECMO modes may affect BSI clinical features and timing. In particular, Candida BSI occurrence during the early course of VA ECMO is not uncommon, especially in patients with prior carbapenem exposure; however, it usually occurs during the prolonged course of VV ECMO. Consequently, routine blood culture surveillance and empiric antifungal therapy might be warranted in targeted populations of adult ECMO patients, regardless of levels of inflammatory markers and severity scores.

Validation and modification of HEART score components for patients with chest pain in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clarify the relative prognostic value of each History, Electrocardiography, Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) score component for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 3 months and validate the modified HEART (mHEART) score. METHODS: This study evaluated the HEART score components for patients with chest symptoms visiting the emergency department from November 19, 2018 to November 19, 2019. All components were evaluated using logistic regression analysis and the scores for HEART, mHEART, and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) were determined using the receiver operating characteristics curve. RESULTS: The patients were divided into a derivation (809 patients) and a validation group (298 patients). In multivariate analysis, age did not show statistical significance in the detection of MACE within 3 months and the mHEART score was calculated after omitting the age component. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for HEART, mHEART and TIMI scores in the prediction of MACE within 3 months were 0.88, 0.91, and 0.83, respectively, in the derivation group; and 0.88, 0.91, and 0.81, respectively, in the validation group. When the cutoff value for each scoring system was determined for the maintenance of a negative predictive value for a MACE rate >99%, the mHEART score showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value (97.4%, 54.2%, 23.7%, and 99.3%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the mHEART score better detects short-term MACE in high-risk patients and ensures the safe disposition of low-risk patients than the HEART and TIMI scores.

Predictors of survival following veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with acute myocardial infarction-related refractory cardiogenic shock: clinical and coronary angiographic factors.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the determinant factors of survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and refractory cardiogenic shock (RCS) who underwent veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients with AMI-related RCS were enrolled in the study. They were treated with ECMO and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The clinical scores and coronary angiography (CAG) factors related to 100-day survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty patients (43.5%) survived for more than 100 days. The CAG showed that 19 (27.5%) patients had left main disease (LMD). There were 17 (24.6%), 27 (39.1%), and 25 (36.3%) patients with one-vessel, two-vessel, and three-vessel disease, respectively. There were significant differences between the survivors and non-survivors in the simplified acute physiology score II (SAPSII) (65.4±17.2 vs. 83.1±13.0, P<0.001), sepsis-related organ failure assessment score (SOFA) (10.4±2.7 vs. 12.3±2.5, P=0.004), survival after veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation score (SAVE) (-4.4±4.3 vs. -8.4±3.1, P<0.001), CPR time (15.8±16.6 vs. 30.0±29.5, P=0.048), LMD [4 (13.3%) vs. 15 (38.5%), P=0.029], and number of coronary artery disease (NCAD) (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NCAD (OR 3.788, P=0.008) was one of the independent predictors of mortality. The ROC analysis showed that SAPSII (AUC 0.786, P<0.001), SOFA (AUC 0.715, P=0.002), and SAVE (AUC 0.766, P<0.001) equally predict mortality. The combined NCAD parameters more accurately predicted mortality and differences in the AUC values (d-AUC) between SAPSII plus NCAD vs. SAPSII (d-AUC 0.073, z=2.256, P=0.024), SOFA plus NCAD vs. SOFA (d-AUC 0.058, z=2.773, P=0.006), and SAVE plus NCAD vs. SAVE (d-AUC 0.036, z=2.332, P=0.020). CONCLUSIONS: The SAPSII, SOFA, and SAVE scores predict the prognosis of ECMO-treated AMI patients with RCS. The CAG findings reinforce the predictive power of each score.

Brain natriuretic peptide levels predict 6-month mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock who were weaned off extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

There are limited data regarding the association between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels obtained after weaning from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and the outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-associated cardiogenic shock.We prospectively obtained data regarding patients (aged ≥ 19 years) with ACS-associated cardiogenic shock who received ECMO and were subsequently weaned off the treatment. BNP levels were collected at 5 time points: pre-ECMO implantation, post-ECMO implantation, pre-ECMO weaning, day 1 after ECMO weaning, and day 5 after ECMO weaning.Of 48 patients with ACS-related cardiogenic shock, 33 were included in this analysis. Mean patient age was 59.0 (50.0-66.5) years, and 5 patients (15.2%) were women. Eight patients had asystole/pulseless electrical activity before ECMO and 14 (42.4%) had 3-vessel disease on coronary angiography. During the 6-month follow up, 12 (36.4%) patients died. BNP levels after ECMO weaning were significantly different between 6-month survivors and non-survivors. Cox proportional hazards model revealed that BNP levels (tertiles) on days 1 and 5 after ECMO weaning were significantly associated with 6-month mortality (hazard ratio, 7.872; 95% confidence interval, 1.870-32.756; 8.658 and 1.904-39.365, respectively). According to the Kaplan-Meier curves, the first tertile had significantly longer survival compared to the third tertile for both days 1 and 5 after ECMO weaning.Post-ECMO weaning BNP levels (days 1 and 5) were significantly associated with increased 6-month mortality in patients with ACS complicated by refractory cardiogenic shock who were weaned off ECMO.

Clinical outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acute traumatic lung injury: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a challenging procedure in patients who have experienced severe trauma. Particularly, patients with traumatic lung injury and posttraumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have a high risk of bleeding during this procedure. This study aimed to determine the safety and feasibility of ECMO in patients with traumatic ARDS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and investigated the clinical outcomes of ECMO in 42 patients with traumatic ARDS, among whom near-drowning (42.9%) was the most frequent cause of injury. RESULTS: Thirty-four of 42 patients (81%) survived and were discharged after a median hospital stay of 23 days. A multivariate analysis identified a lactate level (odds ratio: 1.493, 95% confidence interval: 1.060-2.103, P = 0.022) and veno-venous (VV) ECMO (odds ratio: 0.075, 95% confidence interval: 0.006-0.901, P = 0.041) as favorable independent predictors of survival in patients with traumatic ARDS who underwent ECMO. The optimal cut off value for pre-ECMO lactate level was 10.5 mmol/L (area under the curve = 0.929, P = 0.001). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the survival rate at hospital discharge was significant higher among the patients with a pre-ECMO lactate level of 10.5 mmol/L or less compared with patients with pre-ECMO lactate level greater than 10.5 mmol/L (93.8% versus 40.0%, respectively; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ECMO yielded excellent survival outcomes, particularly in patients with low pre-treatment lactate levels who received VV ECMO. Therefore, ECMO appears safe and highly feasible in a carefully selected population of trauma patients.

Incidence and outcomes of cricothyrotomy in the "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate" situation.

Few data are available regarding factors that impact cricothyrotomy use and outcome in general hospital setting. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence and outcomes of the patients underwent cricothyrotomy in a "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate" (CICO) situation at university hospitals in Korea.This was a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of consecutive patients who underwent cricothyrotomy during a CICO situation between March, 2007, and October, 2018, at 2 university hospitals in Korea. Data regarding patient characteristics and outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics.During the study period, a total of 10,187 tracheal intubations were attempted and 23 patients received cricothyrotomy. Hospitalwide incidence of cricothyrotomy was 2.3 per 1000 tracheal intubations (0.23%). The majority of cricothyrotomy procedures (22 cases, 95.7%) were performed in the emergency department (ED); 1 cricothyrotomy was attempted in the endoscopy room. In the ED, 5663 intubations were attempted and the incidence of cricothyrotomy was 3.9 per 1000 tracheal intubations (0.39%). Survival rate at hospital discharge was 47.8% (11 of 23 cases). Except for cardiac arrest at admission, survival rate was 62.5% (10 of 16 cases). Successful cricothyrotomy was performed in 17 patients (73.9%) and 9 patients (52.9%) were survived. Among 6 patients of failed cricothyrotomy (26.1%), 2 patients (33.3%) were survived. After failure of cricothyrotomy, various methods of securing airway were established: 3 tracheal intubations, 1 nasotracheal intubation, and 1 tracheostomy.The success rate of cricothyrotomy and survival rate in the CICO situation were not high. After failure of cricothyrotomy, various methods of securing airway were performed.

Cerebral Oxygenation as a Monitoring Parameter for Mortality During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

There are no recommended guidelines for monitoring parameters during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO). We evaluated whether regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) could be a monitoring parameter for mortality during V-A ECMO. We retrospectively searched our database for adult patients who underwent V-A ECMO between April 2015 and October 2016 and identified 21 patients with rScO2 data. Their baseline and clinical characteristics during the first 7 days (vital signs, arterial blood gas results, ECMO variables, rScO2, Swan-Ganz catheter parameters, transthoracic echocardiography parameters, and outcomes) were collected and evaluated for associations with 28 day mortality. The survivor group (12 patients, 57.1%) had higher rScO2 values and lower lactate levels, compared with the nonsurvivor group (nine cases, 42.9%) during the first 7 days. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves were 0.87 for right rScO2 (p < 0.001) and 0.86 for left rScO2 (p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff values for right and left rScO2 were 58% (sensitivity: 78.7%, specificity: 83.3%) and 57% (sensitivity: 80.0%, specificity: 70.8%), respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the risks of 28 day mortality were higher among patients with a right rScO2 of <58% and a left rScO2 of <57%, compared with patients with a right rScO2 of ≥58% and a left rScO2 of ≥57% (both, p < 0.001). We suggest that rScO2 may be used as a monitoring parameter for 28 day mortality among patients undergoing V-A ECMO.

Early changes in coagulation profiles and lactate levels in patients with septic shock undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of coagulation profiles and lactate levels in patients with septic shock undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of coagulation profiles, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) score, before and during 48 h of ECMO support [on day 0 (pre-ECMO), day 1, and day 2], was conducted in patients with septic shock undergoing ECMO. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients were included, and 15 (40.5%) patients survived. The initial DIC scores did not change in either the pre-ECMO overt-DIC (n=15) or non-overt-DIC (n=22) group after ECMO commencement. However, the DIC scores were significantly higher, at all three time-points, in non-survivors than in survivors. Additionally, the lactate levels improved considerably in the pre-ECMO non-overt-DIC group and in survivors during ECMO support, but not in the pre-ECMO overt DIC group or non-survivors. On a multivariate analysis, the pre-ECMO DIC score was significantly associated with hospital death [odds ratio (OR), 3.935; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.170-13.230]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the combination of pre-ECMO DIC score plus lactate level was the best predictor of hospital death (area under the curve, 0.879; 0.771-0.987); patients with combined scores >9.35 (the optimal cut-off) exhibited a three-fold higher mortality rate than did those with lower scores (81.8% vs. 26.7%, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the early period of ECMO support, the coagulation profiles and lactate levels exhibited different trajectories in survivors and non-survivors. Furthermore, the pre-ECMO DIC score plus lactate level was the best predictor of hospital death.

Rapid Response Systems Reduce In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Pilot Study and Motivation for a Nationwide Survey.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration could diminish the incidence of cardiopulmonary arrest. The present study investigates outcomes with respect to cardiopulmonary arrest rates in institutions with and without rapid response systems (RRSs) and the current level of cardiopulmonary arrest rate in tertiary hospitals. METHODS: This was a retrospective study based on data from 14 tertiary hospitals. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rate reports were obtained from each hospital to include the number of cardiopulmonary arrest events in adult patients in the general ward, the annual adult admission statistics, and the structure of the RRS if present. RESULTS: Hospitals with RRSs showed a statistically significant reduction of the CPR rate between 2013 and 2015 (odds ratio [OR], 0.731; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.577 to 0.927; P = 0.009). Nevertheless, CPR rates of 2013 and 2015 did not change in hospitals without RRS (OR, 0.988; 95% CI, 0.868 to 1.124; P = 0.854). National university-affiliated hospitals showed less cardiopulmonary arrest rate than private university-affiliated in 2015 (1.92 vs. 2.40; OR, 0.800; 95% CI, 0.702 to 0.912; P = 0.001). High-volume hospitals showed lower cardiopulmonary arrest rates compared with medium-volume hospitals in 2013 (1.76 vs. 2.63; OR, 0.667; 95% CI, 0.577 to 0.772; P < 0.001) and in 2015 (1.55 vs. 3.20; OR, 0.485; 95% CI, 0.428 to 0.550; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RRSs may be a feasible option to reduce the CPR rate. The discrepancy in cardiopulmonary arrest rates suggests further research should include a nationwide survey to tease out factors involved in in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest and differences in outcomes based on hospital characteristics.

SEALONE (Safety and Efficacy of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography with Low Dose in Patients Visiting Emergency Room) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Chest pain is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department (ED). Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a frequently used tool for the early triage of patients with low- to intermediate-risk acute chest pain. We present a study protocol for a multicenter prospective randomized controlled clinical trial testing the hypothesis that a low-dose CCTA protocol using prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggering and limited-scan range can provide sufficient diagnostic safety for early triage of patients with acute chest pain. METHODS: The trial will include 681 younger adult (aged 20 to 55) patients visiting EDs of three academic hospitals for acute chest pain or equivalent symptoms who require further evaluation to rule out acute coronary syndrome. Participants will be randomly allocated to either low-dose or conventional CCTA protocol at a 2:1 ratio. The low-dose group will undergo CCTA with prospective ECG-triggering and restricted scan range from sub-carina to heart base. The conventional protocol group will undergo CCTA with retrospective ECG-gating covering the entire chest. Patient disposition is determined based on computed tomography findings and clinical progression and all patients are followed for a month. The primary objective is to prove that the chance of experiencing any hard event within 30 days after a negative low-dose CCTA is less than 1%. The secondary objectives are comparisons of the amount of radiation exposure, ED length of stay and overall cost. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Our low-dose protocol is readily applicable to current multi-detector computed tomography devices. If this study proves its safety and efficacy, dose-reduction without purchasing of expensive newer devices would be possible.

The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients Who Underwent Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Septic Shock.

BACKGROUND: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with septic shock is controversial. The outcomes are favorable in children but heterogeneous in adults. The present study aimed to analyze the outcomes of adult patients who underwent ECMO for septic shock, and to determine the factors associated with prognosis. METHODS: We respectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ECMO for septic shock between January 2007 and December 2013. Patients were divided into survivor and nonsurvivor groups based on survival to hospital discharge. The patient characteristics before and during ECMO were compared between the groups. Independent risk factors for mortality were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression, receiver-operating characteristic curves, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were treated with venoarterial (n = 21), venovenous (n = 4), or venoarteriovenous (n = 3) mode ECMO. The overall survival rate to hospital discharge was 35.7%. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) and prealbumin were predictors of survival to hospital discharge. The optimal cutoff value for SAPS II was 80 (area under the curve 0.80, p = 0.010). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the cumulative survival rate at hospital discharge and at 54-month follow-up was significantly higher among patients with SAPS II of 80 or less compared with patients with SAPS II greater than 80 (66.7% versus 12.5% and 58.3% versus 12.5%, respectively; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is still difficult to conclude whether ECMO should be recommended as therapy for adult patients with septic shock. However, a SAPS II score of 80 or less may be an indicator of favorable outcomes with the use of ECMO.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support in Trauma Versus Nontrauma Patients with Noninfectious Acute Respiratory Failure.

The utility of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of noninfectious origin remains unclear. Data on patients with ARDS of noninfectious origin who underwent ECMO were reviewed retrospectively. We compared the pre-ECMO characteristics and hospital outcomes of patients with traumatic and nontraumatic ARDS. In total, 23 patients (trauma, n = 9; nontrauma, n = 14) were included in the study. The mean patient age was 42 years, there were three females, and the mean pre-ECMO Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS) II was 60.0 (49.0-71.0). The hemoglobin level was lower and the prothrombin time (PT) more prolonged, prior to initiation of ECMO, in traumatic compared with nontraumatic ARDS patients. During the first 48 h of ECMO support, the coagulation parameters did not differ between the two groups, but the platelet counts, PT, and activated partial thromboplastin time indicated that coagulopathy was developing in all patients. The hospital and 28-day mortality rates were 21.7 and 13.0%, respectively, and serious neurological outcomes (cerebral performance category [CPC] of three points or more) developed in 26.1% of all patients; however, the extent of such outcomes did not differ between traumatic and nontraumatic ARDS patients. Upon multivariate analysis, the pre-ECMO SAPS II tended to be associated with composite events (i.e., hospital death and/or a CPC of three points or more) (P = 0.051). Additionally, a history of hypertension and an elevated pre-ECMO SAPS II were significant risk factors for serious neurological outcomes among hospital survivors (n = 18). In conclusion, ECMO support can be associated with favorable outcomes in patients with ARDS of noninfectious origin, irrespective of whether the ARDS is associated with trauma. The pre-ECMO SAPS II and a history of hypertension may be independent risk factors for poor outcomes.

Severe ARDS caused by adenovirus: early initiation of ECMO plus continuous renal replacement therapy.

The reported survival rates of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by human adenovirus (HAdV) pneumonia are poor. The results do not differ much in immunocompetent patients supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We report two immunocompetent patients with severe ARDS complicating HAdV pneumonia who were treated successfully and survived to discharge. Compared with previous cases, our cases might have benefited from several factors. First, the time interval between mechanical ventilator support and ECMO implantation was shorter. Second, we implemented conservative fluid management as recommended by the ARDS network using continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Third, we administered an antiviral agent as early as possible. A clinical trial of early ECMO with CRRT and the administration of cidofovir in patients with severe ARDS complicating HAdV pneumonia are needed to confirm our results.

Renal Complications in Patients with Renal Infarction: Prevalence and Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with renal infarction. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted from January 2005 to December 2013. Baseline and clinical characteristics of the enrolled patients with renal infarction were evaluated and analyzed according to the presence of AKI and CKD. In particular, predictors for AKI and CKD were determined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 105 patients included in present study, 41 (39.0%) patients had AKI. A total of 80 patients were followed up for 2 years after hospital discharge. Among these patients, 27 (33.8%) patients had CKD. In the multivariate analysis, the predictors were mean blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] 1.062, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.015-1.112, p = 0.009) and bilateral involvement (OR 4.396, 95% CI 1.096-17.632, p = 0.037) for AKI, and AKI (OR 14.799, 95% CI 4.173-52.490, p < 0.001) and old age (OR 1.065, 95% CI 1.016-1.116, p = 0.009) for CKD. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should pay attention to the development of AKI and CKD after renal infarction and follow patients over a long term.

Air reduction of intussusception after abdominal blunt trauma and a literature review.

The typical presentation of intussusception includes intermittent severe abdominal pain, vomiting, rectal bleeding, and the presence of an abdominal mass. We present a case of intussusception after abdominal blunt trauma along with a literature review. A 4-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency department after a bicycle accident. She complained of progressively worsening abdominal pain, but there was no vomiting, fever, bloody stool, or abdominal mass. She was finally diagnosed with traumatic intussusception by ultrasonography and treated with air reduction. Because the typical symptoms are unusual in traumatic intussusception, close attention must be paid to avoid a delayed diagnosis.