A novel combined approach to placement of a double lumen endobronchial tube using a video laryngoscope and fiberoptic bronchoscope: a retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate a modern combined video laryngoscopy and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope approach to placement of a double lumen endobronchial tube and further characterize potential strengths and weaknesses of this approach. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was conducted at our single institution, academic medical center, tertiary-care hospital. Patients aged 18 years of age or older were evaluated who underwent thoracic surgery and one-lung ventilation with placement of a double lumen endobronchial tube using a novel combined video laryngoscopy and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope approach. No interventions were performed. RESULTS: Demographics and induction and intubation documentation were reviewed for 21 patients who underwent thoracic surgery and one-lung ventilation with placement of a double lumen endobronchial tube using a novel combined video laryngoscopy and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope approach. First pass success using the combined approach was 86% (18/21). The five patients with an anticipated difficult airway had successful double lumen endobronchial tube placement on the first attempt. There were no instances of desaturation during double lumen endobronchial tube placement. No airway complications related to double lumen endobronchial tube placement were recorded. CONCLUSION: Use of a combined approach employing video laryngoscopy and a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope may represent a reliable alternative approach to placement of double lumen endobronchial tubes.

Preoperative sleep apnea screening protocol reduces medical emergency team activation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The association of in-hospital medical emergency team activation (META) among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is unclear. This study evaluates the performance of the DOISNORE50 sleep questionnaire as an OSA screener for patients with AF and determines the prevalence of META among perioperative patients with underlying AF who have a diagnosis or are at risk for OSA. METHODS: A prospective perioperative cohort of 2,926 patients with the diagnosis of AF was assessed for DOISNORE50 questionnaire screening. Propensity-score matching was used to match patients' physical characteristics, comorbidities, length of stay, and inpatient continuous positive airway pressure device usage. META and intensive care unit admissions during the surgical encounter, 30-day hospital readmissions, and 30-day emergency department visits were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1,509 out of 2,926 AF patients completed the DOISNORE50 questionnaire and were enrolled in the OSA safety protocol. Following propensity-score matching, there were reduced adjusted odds of META in the screened group of 0.69 (95% confidence interval: 0.48-0.98, P < .001) in comparison to the unscreened group. The adjusted odds of intensive care unit admissions and emergency department visits within 30 days of discharge were statistically lower for the screened group compared with the unscreened group. CONCLUSIONS: Among perioperative AF patients, evidence supports DOISNORE50 screening and implementation of an OSA safety protocol for reduction of META. This study identified decreased odds of META, intensive care unit admissions, and emergency department visits among the screened group. The high-risk and known OSA group showed reduced odds of META following the implementation of an OSA safety protocol. CITATION: Saha AK, Sheehan KN, Xiang KR, et al. Preoperative sleep apnea screening protocol reduces medical emergency team activation in patients with atrial fibrillation. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(5):783-792.

Lung Structure and Risk of Sleep Apnea in SPIROMICS.

Rationale: The SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) is a prospective cohort study that enrolled 2981 participants with the goal of identifying new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subgroups and intermediate markers of disease progression. Individuals with COPD and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience impaired quality of life and more frequent exacerbations. COPD severity also associates with computed tomography scan-based emphysema and alterations in airway dimensions. Objectives: The objective was to determine whether the combination of lung function and structure influences the risk of OSA among current and former smokers. Methods: Using 2 OSA risk scores, the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire (BSQ), and the DOISNORE50 (Diseases, Observed apnea, Insomnia, Snoring, Neck circumference > 18 inches, Obesity with body mass index [BMI] > 32, R = are you male, Excessive daytime sleepiness, 50 = age ≥ 50) (DIS), 1767 current and former smokers were evaluated for an association of lung structure and function with OSA risk. Measurements and Main Results: The study cohort's mean age was 63 years, BMI was 28 kg/m2, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 74.8% predicted. The majority were male (55%), White (77%), former smokers (59%), and had COPD (63%). A high-risk OSA score was reported in 36% and 61% using DIS and BSQ respectively. There was a 9% increased odds of a high-risk DIS score (odds ratio [OR]=1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.03-1.14) and nominally increased odds of a high-risk BSQ score for every 10% decrease in FEV1 %predicted (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 0.998-1.09). Lung function-OSA risk associations persisted after additionally adjusting for lung structure measurements (%emphysema, %air trapping, parametric response mapping for functional small airways disease, , mean segmental wall area, tracheal %wall area, dysanapsis) for DIS (OR=1.12, 95%CI:1.03-1.22) and BSQ (OR=1.09, 95%CI:1.01-1.18). Conclusions: Lower lung function independently associates with having high risk for OSA in current and former smokers. Lung structural elements, especially dysanapsis, functional small airways disease, and tracheal %wall area strengthened the effects on OSA risk.

Child Opportunity Index and Pediatric Intensive Care Outcomes: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate for associations between a child's neighborhood, as categorized by Child Opportunity Index (COI 2.0), and 1) PICU mortality, 2) severity of illness at PICU admission, and 3) PICU length of stay (LOS). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Fifteen PICUs in the United States. PATIENTS: Children younger than 18 years admitted from 2019 to 2020, excluding those after cardiac procedures. Nationally-normed COI category (very low, low, moderate, high, very high) was determined for each admission by census tract, and clinical features were obtained from the Virtual Pediatric Systems LLC (Los Angeles, CA) data from each site. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among 33,901 index PICU admissions during the time period, median patient age was 4.9 years and PICU mortality was 2.1%. There was a higher percentage of admissions from the very low COI category (27.3%) than other COI categories (17.2-19.5%, p < 0.0001). Patient admissions from the high and very high COI categories had a lower median Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 risk of mortality (0.70) than those from the very low, low, and moderate COI groups (0.71) ( p < 0.001). PICU mortality was lowest in the very high (1.7%) and high (1.9%) COI groups and highest in the moderate group (2.5%), followed by very low (2.3%) and low (2.2%) ( p = 0.001 across categories). Median PICU LOS was between 1.37 and 1.50 days in all COI categories. Multivariable regression revealed adjusted odds of PICU mortality of 1.30 (95% CI, 0.94-1.79; p = 0.11) for children from a very low versus very high COI neighborhood, with an odds ratio [OR] of 0.996 (95% CI, 0.993-1.00; p = 0.05) for mortality for COI as an ordinal value from 0 to 100. Children without insurance coverage had an OR for mortality of 3.58 (95% CI, 2.46-5.20; p < 0.0001) as compared with those with commercial insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Children admitted to a cohort of U.S. PICUs were often from very low COI neighborhoods. Children from very high COI neighborhoods had the lowest risk of mortality and observed mortality; however, odds of mortality were not statistically different by COI category in a multivariable model. Children without insurance coverage had significantly higher odds of PICU mortality regardless of neighborhood.

A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Adverse Effects of Transitions of Anesthesia Care on Postoperative Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: An intraoperative transfer of care from one anesthesia provider to another, or handover, may result in information loss and contribute to adverse patient outcomes. In 2019 the authors undertook a quality improvement effort to increase the use of a structured intraoperative handover tool incorporated in the electronic medical record. The authors hypothesized that intraoperative handovers of anesthesia care would be associated with adverse patient outcomes, and that increased use of a structured tool would attenuate this effect. METHODS: This study included adult patients undergoing noncardiac surgery of at least 1 h duration performed during the period 2016 to 2021. Cases with a handover were identified if either there was a change of attending anesthesiologist or change of nurse anesthetist or resident for more than 35 min. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a composite of postoperative mortality and major postoperative morbidity. The effect of the intervention was analyzed by examining the quarterly change in odds ratio for the primary outcome for cases with and without a handover. RESULTS: A total of 121,077 cases, 40.4% of which had a handover, were included. After weighting, the composite outcome was statistically associated with handovers (3,517 of 48,986 [7.2%] in handover cases vs. 4,470 of 72,091 [6.2%] in nonhandover cases; odds ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.12). Time series analysis showed a marked increase in usage of the structured tool after the initial intervention. The odds ratio for the composite outcome showed a significant decrease over time after the initial intervention (t = -3.97; P < 0.001), with the slope of the odds ratio versus time curve decreasing from 0.002 (95% CI, 0.001 to 0.004; P = 0.018) to -0.011 (95% CI, -0.01 to -0.018; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative handovers are significantly associated with adverse outcomes even after controlling for multiple confounding variables. Use of a structured handover tool during anesthesia care may attenuate the adverse effect.

Agreement between cardiac output estimation with a wireless, wearable pulse decomposition analysis device and continuous thermodilution in post cardiac surgery intensive care unit patients.

PURPOSE: Pulse Decomposition Analysis (PDA) uses integration of the systolic area of a distally transmitted aortic pulse as well as arterial stiffness estimates to compute cardiac output. We sought to assess agreement of cardiac output (CO) estimation between continuous pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) guided thermodilution (CO-CCO) and a wireless, wearable noninvasive device, (Vitalstream, Caretaker Medical, Charlottesville, VA), that utilizes the Pulse Decomposition Analysis (CO-PDA) method in postoperative cardiac surgery patients in the intensive care unit. METHODS: CO-CCO measurements were compared with post processed CO-PDA measurements in prospectively enrolled adult cardiac surgical intensive care unit patients. Uncalibrated CO-PDA values were compared for accuracy with CO-CCO via a Bland-Altman analysis considering repeated measurements and a concordance analysis with a 10% exclusion zone. RESULTS: 259.7 h of monitoring data from 41 patients matching 15,583 data points were analyzed. Mean CO-CCO was 5.55 L/min, while mean values for the CO-PDA were 5.73 L/min (mean of differences +- SD 0.79 ± 1.11 L/min; limits of agreement - 1.43 to 3.01 L/min), with a percentage error of 37.5%. CO-CCO correlation with CO-PDA was moderate (0.54) and concordance was 0.83. CONCLUSION: Compared with the CO-CCO Swan-Ganz, cardiac output measurements obtained using the CO-PDA were not interchangeable when using a 30% threshold. These preliminary results were within the 45% limits for minimally invasive devices, and pending further robust trials, the CO-PDA offers a noninvasive, wireless solution to complement and extend hemodynamic monitoring within and outside the ICU.

Impact of continuous and wireless monitoring of vital signs on clinical outcomes: a propensity-matched observational study of surgical ward patients.

BACKGROUND: Continuous and wireless vital sign monitoring is superior to intermittent monitoring in detecting vital sign abnormalities; however, the impact on clinical outcomes has not been established. METHODS: We performed a propensity-matched analysis of data describing patients admitted to general surgical wards between January 2018 and December 2019 at a single, tertiary medical centre in the USA. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality or ICU transfer during hospitalisation. Secondary outcomes were the odds of individual components of the primary outcome, and heart failure, myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, and rapid response team activations. Data are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and n (%). RESULTS: We initially screened a population of 34,636 patients (mean age 58.3 (Range 18-101) yr, 16,456 (47.5%) women. After propensity matching, intermittent monitoring (n=12 345) was associated with increased risk of a composite of mortality or ICU admission (OR 3.42, 95% CI 3.19-3.67; P<0.001), and heart failure (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.21-1.81; P<0.001), myocardial infarction (OR 3.87, 95% CI 2.71-5.71; P<0.001), and acute kidney injury (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09-1.57; P<0.001) compared with continuous wireless monitoring (n=7955). The odds of rapid response team intervention were similar in both groups (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-1.06; P=0.726). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received continuous ward monitoring were less likely to die or be admitted to ICU than those who received intermittent monitoring. These findings should be confirmed in prospective randomised trials.

Hypoxemia in School-age Children Undergoing One-lung Ventilation: A Retrospective Cohort Study from the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for hypoxemia in school-age children undergoing one-lung ventilation remain poorly understood. The hypothesis was that certain modifiable and nonmodifiable factors may be associated with increased risk of hypoxemia in school-age children undergoing one-lung ventilation and thoracic surgery. METHODS: The Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group database was queried for children 4 to 17 yr of age undergoing one-lung ventilation. Patients undergoing vascular or cardiac procedures were excluded. The original cohort was divided into two cohorts: 4 to 9 and 10 to 17 yr of age inclusive. All records were reviewed electronically for the primary outcome of hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation, which was defined as an oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (Spo2) less than 90% for 3 min or longer continuously, while severe hypoxemia was defined as Spo2 less than 90% for 5 min or longer. Potential modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors associated with these outcomes were evaluated using separate multivariable least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses for each cohort. The covariates evaluated included age, extremes of weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status of III or higher, duration of one-lung ventilation, preoperative Spo2 less than 98%, approach to one-lung ventilation, right operative side, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, lower tidal volume ventilation (defined as tidal volume of 6 ml/kg or less and positive end-expiratory pressure of 4 cm H2O or greater for more than 80% of the duration of one-lung ventilation), and procedure type. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypoxemia in the 4- to 9-yr-old cohort and the 10- to 17-yr-old cohort was 24 of 228 (10.5% [95% CI, 6.5 to 14.5%]) and 76 of 1,012 (7.5% [95% CI, 5.9 to 9.1%]), respectively. The prevalence of severe hypoxemia in both cohorts was 14 of 228 (6.1% [95% CI, 3.0 to 9.3%]) and 47 of 1,012 (4.6% [95% CI, 3.3 to 5.8%]). Initial Spo2 less than 98% was associated with hypoxemia in the 4- to 9-yr-old cohort (odds ratio, 4.20 [95% CI, 1.61 to 6.29]). Initial Spo2 less than 98% (odds ratio, 2.76 [95% CI, 1.69 to 4.48]), extremes of weight (odds ratio, 2.18 [95% CI, 1.29 to 3.61]), and right-sided cases (odds ratio, 2.33 [95% CI, 1.41 to 3.92]) were associated with an increased risk of hypoxemia in the older cohort. Increasing age (1-yr increment; odds ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.80 to 0.97]) was associated with a decreased risk of hypoxemia. CONCLUSIONS: An initial room air oxygen saturation of less than 98% was associated with an increased risk of hypoxemia in all children 4 to 17 yr of age. Extremes of weight, right-sided cases, and decreasing age were associated with an increased risk of hypoxemia in children 10 to 17 yr of age.

Chymase in Plasma and Urine Extracellular Vesicles: Novel Biomarkers for Primary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising liquid biopsy for various diseases. For the first time, using plasma and urinary EVs, we assessed the activity of renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a central regulator of renal, cardiac, and vascular physiology, in patients with control (Group I) or uncontrolled (Group II) primary hypertension. METHODS: EVs were isolated from 34 patients with history of hypertension, and characterized for size and concentration by nanoparticle tracking analyses, exosomal biomarkers by immunogold labeling coupled with transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunoblotting. EVs were analyzed for the hydrolytic activity of chymase, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, and neprilysin (NEP) by HPLC. RESULTS: Plasma and urinary EVs were enriched for small EVs and expressed exosomal markers (CD63, CD9, and CD81). The size of urinary EVs (but not plasma EVs) was significantly larger in Group II compared to Group I. Differential activity of RAS enzymes was observed, with significantly higher chymase activity compared to ACE, ACE2, and NEP in plasma EVs. Similarly, urinary EVs exhibited higher chymase and NEP activity compared to ACE and ACE2 activity. Importantly, compared to Group I, significantly higher chymase activity was observed in urinary EVs (p = 0.03) from Group II, while no significant difference in activity was observed for other RAS enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Bioactive RAS enzymes are present in plasma and urinary EVs. Detecting chymase in plasma and urinary EVs uncovers a novel mechanism of angiotensin II-forming enzyme and could also mediate cell-cell communication and modulate signaling pathways in recipient cells.

Automated Electronic Frailty Index-Identified Frailty Status and Associated Postsurgical Adverse Events.

Importance: Electronic frailty index (eFI) is an automated electronic health record (EHR)-based tool that uses a combination of clinical encounters, diagnosis codes, laboratory workups, medications, and Medicare annual wellness visit data as markers of frailty status. The association of eFI with postanesthesia adverse outcomes has not been evaluated. Objective: To examine the association of frailty, calculated as eFI at the time of the surgical procedure and categorized as fit, prefrail, or frail, with adverse events after elective noncardiac surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care academic medical center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The cohort included patients 55 years or older who underwent noncardiac surgery of at least 1 hour in duration between October 1, 2017, and June 30, 2021. Exposure: Frailty calculated by the eFI tool. Preoperative eFI scores were calculated based on available data 1 day prior to the procedure and categorized as fit (eFI score: ≤0.10), prefrail (eFI score: >0.10 to ≤0.21), or frail (eFI score: >0.21). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a composite of the following 8 adverse component events: 90-item Patient Safety Indicators (PSI 90) score, hospital-acquired conditions, in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, 30-day emergency department visit after surgery, transfer to a skilled nursing facility after surgery, or unexpected intensive care unit admission after surgery. Secondary outcomes were each of the component events of the composite. Results: Of the 33 449 patients (median [IQR] age, 67 [61-74] years; 17 618 females [52.7%]) included, 11 563 (34.6%) were classified as fit, 15 928 (47.6%) as prefrail, and 5958 (17.8%) as frail. Using logistic regression models that were adjusted for age, sex, race and ethnicity, and comorbidity burden, patients with prefrail (odds ratio [OR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.18-1.30; P < .001) and frail (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.58-1.82; P < .001) statuses were more likely to experience postoperative adverse events compared with patients with a fit status. Subsequent adjustment for all other potential confounders or covariates did not alter this association. For every increase in eFI of 0.03 units, the odds of a composite of postoperative adverse events increased by 1.06 (95% CI, 1.03-1.13; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that frailty, as measured by an automatically calculated index integrated within the EHR, was associated with increased risk of adverse events after noncardiac surgery. Deployment of eFI tools may support screening and possible risk modification, especially in patients who undergo high-risk surgery.

Incidence, severity and detection of blood pressure and heart rate perturbations in postoperative ward patients after noncardiac surgery.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine changes in continuous mean and systolic blood pressure and heart rate in a cohort of non-cardiac surgical patients recovering on the postoperative ward. Furthermore, we estimated the proportion of vital signs changes that would remain undetected with intermittent vital signs checks. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Post-operative general ward. PATIENTS: 14,623 adults recovering from non-cardiac surgical procedures. INTERVENTIONS & MEASUREMENTS: Using a wireless, noninvasive monitor, we recorded postoperative blood pressure and heart rate at 15-s intervals and encouraged nursing intervention as clinically indicated. MAIN RESULTS: 7% of our cohort of 14,623 patients spent >15 sustained minutes with a MAP <65 mmHg, and 23% had MAP <75 mmHg for 15 sustained minutes. Hypertension was more common, with 67% of patients spending at least 60 sustained minutes with MAP >110 mmHg. Systolic pressures <90 mmHg were present for 15 sustained minutes in about a fifth of all patients, and 40% of patients had pressures >160 mmHg sustained for 30 min. 40% of patients were tachycardic with heart rates >100 beats/min for at least continuous 15 min and 15% of patients were bradycardic at a threshold of <50 beats/min for 5 sustained minutes. Conventional vital sign assessments at 4-h intervals would have missed 54% of mean pressure episodes <65 mmHg sustained >15 min, 20% of episodes of mean pressures >130 mmHg sustained >30 min, 36% of episodes of heart rate > 120 beats/min sustained <10 min, and 68% of episodes of heart rate sustained <40 beats per minute for >3 min. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial hemodynamic disturbances persisted despite implementing continuous portable ward monitoring coupled with nursing alarms and interventions. A significant proportion of these changes would have gone undetected using traditional intermittent monitoring. Better understanding of effective responses to alarms and appropriate interventions on hospital wards remains necessary.

Association Between Mobilization and Composite Postoperative Complications Following Major Elective Surgery.

Importance: Mobilization after surgery is a key component of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) pathways. Objective: To evaluate the association between mobilization and a collapsed composite of postoperative complications in patients recovering from major elective surgery as well as hospital length of stay, cumulative pain scores, and 30-day readmission rates. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective observational study conducted at a single quaternary US referral center included patients who had elective surgery between February 2017 and October 2020. Mobilization was assessed over the first 48 postoperative hours with wearable accelerometers, and outcomes were assessed throughout hospitalization. Patients who had elective surgery lasting at least 2 hours followed by at least 48 hours of hospitalization were included. A minimum of 12 hours of continuous accelerometer monitoring was required without missing confounding variables or key data. Among 16 203 potential participants, 8653 who met inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed from February 2017 to October 2020. Exposures: Amount of mobilization per hour for 48 postoperative hours. Outcomes: The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial injury, ileus, stroke, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary complications, and all-cause in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, cumulative pain scores, and 30-day readmission. Results: Of 8653 included patients (mean [SD] age, 57.6 [16.0] years; 4535 [52.4%] female), 633 (7.3%) experienced the primary outcome. Mobilization time was a median (IQR) of 3.9 (1.7-7.8) minutes per monitored hour overall, 3.2 (0.9-7.4) in patients who experienced the primary outcome, and 4.1 (1.8-7.9) in those who did not. There was a significant association between postoperative mobilization and the composite outcome (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67-0.84; P < .001) for each 4-minute increase in mobilization. Mobilization was associated with an estimated median reduction in the duration of hospitalization by 0.12 days (95% CI, 0.09-0.15; P < .001) for each 4-minute increase in mobilization. The were no associations between mobilization and pain score or 30-day readmission. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, mobilization measured by wearable accelerometers was associated with fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital length of stay.

Preventing transfusion-associated circulatory overload in acute care settings.

ABSTRACT: Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is a potentially life-threatening complication that can occur with the transfusion of any blood component, and accounts for up to 24% of transfusion-associated patient fatalities. This article discusses how to develop evidence-based continuing education and guideline recommendations that will increase nursing staff awareness of TACO and guide nurses in prevention and prompt intervention.

The role of peripheral nerve stimulation in refractory non-operative chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Aim: This case series aimed to analyze the efficacy of a temporary peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) device implanted for 60 days at 60 days post-explant for patients with non-surgical osteoarthritic knee pain. Patients & methods: 19 patients were selected for treatment with temporary PNS at an outpatient pain management clinic. Results: Patients demonstrated improvement in their knee pain from baseline post-temporary PNS explant (p = 0.973). Conclusion: Temporary PNS serves as a promising therapy for patients with limited options for therapy, necessitating further high-quality studies.

Temporary peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a treatment for patients with knee swelling and pain who can't get surgery. The authors studied temporary PNS to see if the patient's knee pain improved. 19 patients were treated with temporary PNS. The study found the patients' knee pain improved after completing the treatment. More research is needed in the future to temporary PNS in knee pain patients.

Association of the exclusive use of intraoperative phenylephrine for treatment of hypotension with the risk of acute kidney injury after noncardiac surgery.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The hypothesis that the exclusive use of the commonly used vasopressor phenylephrine during the intraoperative period in noncardiac surgery is associated with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) was tested. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort analysis of 16,306 adults undergoing major noncardiac surgery who either did or did not receive phenylephrine was conducted. The primary outcome was the association of the use of phenylephrine with the risk of postoperative AKI defined by the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Logistic regression models with all independently associated potential confounders, and an exploratory model considering only patients with no untreated minutes of hypotension (post-phenylephrine in the exposed cohort, or entire case in the unexposed cohort) were used in the analysis. SETTING: The study was conducted in a tertiary care university hospital where a total of 8,221 patients were exposed to phenylephrine, and 8,085 were not. RESULTS: In unadjusted analysis, phenylephrine exposure was associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR 1.615, 95% CI [1.522-1.725], p < 0.001). In an adjusted model including several variables associated with AKI, phenylephrine remained associated with AKI (OR 1.325 [1.153-1.524]), as did post-phenylephrine exposure lengths of hypotension. Exclusion of patients with >1 min of post-phenylephrine exposure hypotension, also demonstrated that phenylephrine use was associated with AKI (OR 1.478, [1.245-1.753]). CONCLUSIONS: The exclusive use of intraoperative phenylephrine is associated with an increased risk of postoperative renal injury. Anesthesiologists must consider a balanced approach to correct hypotension under anesthesia, including judicious choices for fluids, inotropic support when indicated, and an appropriate adjustment of the plane of anesthesia.

Feasibility of intraoperative continuous glucose monitoring: An observational study in general surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hyperglycemia is associated with adverse outcomes in surgical patients, and major societies recommend intraoperative monitoring and treatment targeting glucose <180-200 mg/dL. However, compliance with these recommendations is poor, in part due to fear of unrecognized hypoglycemia. Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) measure interstitial glucose with a subcutaneous electrode and can display the results on a receiver or smartphone. Historically CGMs have not been utilized for surgical patients. We investigated the use of CGM in the perioperative setting compared to current standard practices. METHOD: This study evaluated the use of Abbott Freestyle Libre 2.0 and/or Dexcom G6 CGMs in a prospective cohort of 94 participants with diabetes mellitus undergoing surgery of ≥3 h duration. CGMs were placed preoperatively and compared to point of care (POC) BG checks obtained by capillary samples analyzed with a NOVA glucometer. Frequency of intraoperative blood glucose measurement was at the discretion of the anesthesia care team, with a recommendation of once per hour targeting BG of 140-180 mg/dL. Of those consented, 18 were excluded due to lost sensor data, surgery cancellation, or rescheduling to a satellite campus resulting in 76 enrolled subjects. There were zero occurrences of failure with sensor application. Paired POC BG and contemporaneous CGM readings were compared with Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: Data for use of CGM in perioperative period was analyzed for 50 participants with Freestyle Libre 2.0, 20 participants with Dexcom G6, and 6 participants with both devices worn simultaneously. Lost sensor data occurred in 3 participants (15%) wearing Dexcom G6, 10 participants wearing Freestyle Libre 2.0 (20%) and 2 of the participants wearing both devices simultaneously. The overall agreement of the two CGM's utilized had a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.731 in combined groups with 0.573 in Dexcom arm evaluating 84 matched pairs and 0.771 in Libre arm with 239 matched pairs. Modified Bland-Altman plot of the difference of CGM and POC BG indicated for the overall dataset a bias of -18.27 (SD 32.10). CONCLUSIONS: Both Dexcom G6 and Freestyle Libre 2.0 CGMs were able to be utilized and functioned well if no sensor error occurred at time of initial warmup. CGM provided more glycemic data and further characterized glycemic trends more than individual BG readings. Required time of CGM warm up was a barrier for intraoperative use as well as unexplained sensor failure. CGMs had a fixed warm of time, 1 h for Libre 2.0 and 2 h for Dexcom G6 CGM, before glycemic data obtainable. Sensor application issues did not occur. It is anticipated that this technology could be used to improve glycemic control in the perioperative setting. Additional studies are needed to evaluate use intraoperatively and assess further if any interference from electrocautery or grounding devices may contribute to initial sensor failure. It may be beneficial in future studies to place CGM during preoperative clinic evaluation the week prior to surgery. Use of CGMs in these settings is feasible and warrants further evaluation of this technology on perioperative glycemic management.

Alfentanil Pretreatment for Electroconvulsive Therapy-Associated Hemodynamic Lability: A Prospective Randomized Crossover Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is frequently associated with significant hemodynamic changes that increase myocardial oxygen demand including significant hypertension poststimulus. This raises concern about the cumulative effect of repetitive stress from ECT. Historically, various agents have been used to blunt this response and reduce hemodynamic fluctuations in these patients with varying degrees of efficacy. We hypothesized that bolus alfentanil administration timed with the ECT stimulus may reduce near-term hypertension and heart rate (HR) increases in patients undergoing ECT. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled AB/BA crossover trial of 87 patients 18 years or older with mood disorders was carried out. Patients received a standardized anesthetic regimen including induction with methohexital and succinylcholine and were randomized to receive either 20 µg/kg ideal bodyweight of alfentanil or placebo 60 seconds before the ECT stimulus for the first treatment and then crossed over to the other group for the second treatment. The primary outcome was the within-individual difference in preinduction systolic blood pressure and the first systolic blood pressure after the ECT stimulus. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients completed the protocol. The primary outcome of increase in systolic blood pressure pre-ECT to post-ECT was 16.9 mm Hg less in the alfentanil group than the placebo group (95% confidence interval, -26.0 to -7.8; P < 0.001). The maximum HR was 6.5 beats per minute lower (95% confidence interval, -12.1 to -0.9; P = 0.024) when patients received alfentanil compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Premedication with alfentanil reduces poststimulus hypertension and increased HR in patients receiving ECT and therefore, may reduce morbidity related to this in susceptible patients.

Agreement between cardiac output estimation by multi-beat analysis of arterial blood pressure waveforms and continuous thermodilution in post cardiac surgery intensive care unit patients.

We sought to assess agreement of cardiac output estimation between continuous pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) guided thermodilution (CO-CTD) and a novel pulse wave analysis (PWA) method that performs an analysis of multiple beats of the arterial blood pressure waveform (CO-MBA) in post-operative cardiac surgery patients. PAC obtained CO-CTD measurements were compared with CO-MBA measurements from the Argos monitor (Retia Medical; Valhalla, NY, USA), in prospectively enrolled adult cardiac surgical intensive care unit patients. Agreement was assessed via Bland-Altman analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed on data segments identified as arrhythmia, or with low CO (less than 5 L/min). 927 hours of monitoring data from 79 patients was analyzed, of which 26 had arrhythmia. Mean CO-CTD was 5.29 ± 1.14 L/min (bias ± precision), whereas mean CO-MBA was 5.36 ± 1.33 L/min, (4.95 ± 0.80 L/min and 5.04 ± 1.07 L/min in the arrhythmia subgroup). Mean of differences was 0.04 ± 1.04 L/min with an error of 38.2%. In the arrhythmia subgroup, mean of differences was 0.14 ± 0.90 L/min with an error of 35.4%. In the low CO subgroup, mean of differences was 0.26 ± 0.89 L/min with an error of 40.4%. In adult patients after cardiac surgery, including those with low cardiac output and arrhythmia CO-MBA is not interchangeable with the continuous thermodilution method via a PAC, when using a 30% error threshold.