Endovascular Treatment of an Acutely Thrombosed Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Acute thrombosis of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm may be a life-threatening condition. REPORT: We describe a case of acute thrombosis of a 3.5-cm abdominal aortic aneurysm resulting in threatened lower limbs, in a high-risk surgical patient. Emergency stent-graft placement was undertaken using Fluency endoprostheses. The patient remains well at 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: High-risk surgical patients with acutely thrombosed abdominal aortic aneurysms may not be candidates for open surgery. Use of peripheral stent grafts in emergency situation has not been reported in such patients.

A case of Endovascular Treatment of Blunt Aortic Bifurcation Transection using peripheral stentgraft.

We present a case of endovascular management of aortic transection at the aortic bifurcation in a polytrauma patient.

Aorto-internal iliac artery endovascular reconstruction for critical limb ischaemia: a case report.

The internal iliac artery and cruciate anastomosis are important collateral vessels in severe aortoiliac occlusive disease. This report describes a patient with left leg rest pain due to occlusion of the left common and external iliac arteries. In addition, there was a high-grade stenosis of the right common iliac artery. Direct catheter canulation of the left internal iliac artery revealed that it was patent. Endovascular stent placement was successful in re-establishing blood flow into the left internal iliac artery. Ischaemic rest pain was relieved and the ankle brachial index was maintained at 0.85 at 6 months follow-up.

Proactive Measures to Combat a SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among High Risk Patients and Health Care Workers in an Outpatient Dialysis Facility.

Background: End-stage-renal-failure (ESRF) patients attending clustered out-patient dialysis are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Comorbidities render them vulnerable to severe COVID-19. Although preventative and mitigation strategies are recommended, the effect of these are unknown. A period of "potential-high-infectivity" results if a health-care-worker (HCWs) or a patient becomes infected. Aim: We describe and analyze early, universal SARS-CoV-2 real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, biomarker monitoring and SARS-CoV-2 preventative strategies, in a single dialysis center, after a positive patient was identified. Methodology: The setting was a single outpatient dialysis center in Johannesburg, South Africa which had already implemented preventative strategies. We describe the management of 57 patients and 11 HCWs, after one of the patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. All individuals were subjected to RT-PCR tests and biomarkers (Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, C-reactive protein, and D-Dimer) within 72 h (initial-tests). Individuals with initial negative RT-PCR and abnormal biomarkers (one or more) were subjected to repeat RT-PCR and biomarkers (retest subgroup) during the second week. Additional stringent measures (awareness of viral transmission, dialysis distancing and screening) were implemented during the period of "potential high infectivity." The patient retest subgroup also underwent clustered dialysis until retest results became available. Results: A second positive-patient was identified as a result of early universal RT-PCR tests. In the two positive-patients, biomarker improvement coincided with RT-PCR negative tests. We identified 13 individuals for retesting. None of these retested individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and there was no deterioration in median biomarker values between initial and retests. Collectively, none of the negative individuals developed COVID-19 symptoms during the period "potential high infectivity." Conclusion: A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak may necessitate additional proactive steps to counteract spread of infection. This includes early universal RT-PCR testing and creating further awareness of the risk of transmission and modifying preventative strategies. Abnormal biomarkers may be poorly predictive of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ESRF patients due to underlying illnesses. Observing dynamic changes in biomarkers in RT-PCR positive and negative-patients may provide insights into general state of health.

A current interpretation of popliteal vascular entrapment.

Functional popliteal artery entrapment is differentiated from anatomical entrapment by the absence of abnormal popliteal fossa anatomy. Although functional compression is a common entity in the general population, the precise etiology and natural history remains unknown. Magnetic resonance imaging clearly defines muscular variations within the popliteal fossa. In light of some of these variations, this article reviews embryological anatomy, diagnosis, classification, and treatment of the popliteal entrapment syndrome.

Assessment of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle in functional compression of the popliteal artery.

OBJECTIVE: Nonfunctional popliteal entrapment is due to embryologic maldevelopment within the popliteal fossa. Functional entrapment occurs in the apparent absence of an anatomic abnormality. Gastrocnemius hypertrophy has been associated with the latter. Both forms of entrapment may cause arterial injury and lower limb ischemia. This study assessed the attachment of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle in healthy occluders and healthy nonoccluders. METHODS: Provocative tests were used to identify 58 nonoccluders and 16 occluders. Ten subjects from each group underwent magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the popliteal fossa. The medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle attachment was assessed in the supracondylar, pericondylar, and intercondylar areas. RESULTS: In the occluder group, significantly more muscle was attached towards the femoral midline (supracondylar), around the lateral border of the medial condyle (pericondylar), and within the intercondylar fossa. CONCLUSION: The more extensive midline position of the medial head of the gastrocnemius in occluders is likely to be a normal embryological variation. Forceful contraction results in compression and occlusion of the adjacent popliteal artery. The clinical significance of these anatomic variations remains unclear. However, these new observations may provide insight for future analysis of the causes and natural history of functional compression and the potential progression to clinical entrapment.

Stent-Graft Relining in a Patient with Acute Aortic Aneurysm and a Completely Migrated Endograft.

Stent-graft migration and type I endoleaks are associated with a higher rate of reintervention and increased mortality and morbidity. This article describes a patient presented with an infrarenal aortic stent-graft which had migrated into the aortic sac with loss of all aortic neck attachment. The acutely expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm was treated by placing a second modular endograft within and above the migrated stentgraft. The patient returned 36 months later, with features of an acute myocardial infarction, severe bilateral lower limb ischemia, and renal failure. He was too ill for intervention and demised within 48 hours.

Prevalence and patterns of infection in critically ill trauma patients admitted to the trauma ICU, South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine if any patterns of infection or bacterial resistance existed in critically ill polytrauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the CM Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH). METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center study of patient laboratory records of 73 critically injured polytrauma patients admitted to an ICU. The data collected from each patient, beginning with admission and extending until discharge from the ICU, included age, gender, admission hemoglobin levels, injury severity score, length of ICU stay, microbiological cultures and sensitivity (MCS), and types and numbers of surgical procedures. RESULTS: Upon admission to the ICU, the injury severity score (ISS) was 40.86 (± 15.64). In total, 73.98% of the patients required the use of a ventilator during their ICU stay. The most prevalent organisms isolated from specimens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30.1%), Klebsiella species (25.7%), Acinetobacterbaumanni (16.4%), and Staphylococcus aureus (5.8%). Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was identified in 63% of patients, with Klebsiella (73.91%) and Pseudomonas (65.21%) occurring most frequently. Multivariate analysis showed MDR to be the only significant predictor associated with a higher risk for hospital mortality when age, gender, ventilation, duration of ICU stay, ISS score, and the number of surgeries undergone was taken into account. CONCLUSION: Critically ill polytrauma patients are at particularly high risk for Gram-negative sepsis.

Stent-graft relining in a patient with acute aortic aneurysm and a completely migrated endograft

Abstract Stent-graft migration and type I endoleaks are associated with a higher rate of reintervention and increased mortality and morbidity. This article describes a patient presented with an infrarenal aortic stent-graft which had migrated into the aortic sac with loss of all aortic neck attachment. The acutely expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm was treated by placing a second modular endograft within and above the migrated stentgraft. The patient returned 36 months later, with features of an acute myocardial infarction, severe bilateral lower limb ischemia, and renal failure. He was too ill for intervention and demised within 48 hours.