Validity of mortality risk prediction scores in critically ill patients with secondary pulmonary embolism.

Herein, we assess the use of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-IV (APACHE-IV) and pulmonary embolism (PE)-specific risk scores to predict mortality among intensive care unit (ICU) patients who developed secondary PE. This retrospective cohort study used information from 208 United States critical care units recorded in the eICU Collaborative Research Database during 2014 and 2015. We calculated APACHE-IV, Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), simplified PESI (sPESI), and ICU-sPESI scores and compared their predicting performance using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Of 812 patients included in our study, 150 died (mortality, 18.5% [95% CI, 15.8%-21.1%]). Compared to survivors, non-survivors had higher APACHE-IV (86 vs 52, P<0.001), PESI (170 vs 129, P<0.001), sPESI (2 vs 2, P<0.001), and ICU-sPESI (4 vs 2, P<0.001) scores. AUROCs were 0.790 (APACHE-IV); 0.737 (PESI); 0.726 (ICU-sPESI); and 0.620 (sPESI). APACHE-IV performed significantly better than all 3 PE-specific mortality scores (APACHE-IV vs PESI, P=0.041; APACHE-IV vs sPESI, P=0.001; and APACHE-IV vs ICU-sPESI, P=0.021). Both the PESI and ICU-sPESI outperformed the sPESI (PESI vs sPESI, P=0.001; ICU-sPESI vs sPESI, P<0.001). APACHE-IV score was found to be the best instrument for predicting mortality risk, but PESI and ICU-sPESI scores may be used when APACHE-IV is unavailable. sPESI AUROC suggests absence of sufficient discriminative value to be used as a predictor of mortality in patients with secondary PE.

Writing Groups for Healthcare Professionals in Academic Medicine.

Within the Department of Medicine (DOM) in a large tertiary academic health care facility in midwestern United States, we have developed an educational offering that incorporates an academic writing program (AWP) blending the approaches of a writing accountability work group, a writing workshop, and didactic writing courses. The purpose of this AWP was to assist healthcare professionals (HCP) with their manuscript writing skills to enhance academic productivity. We report our evolving journey and experiences with this AWP. To date, it has been offered 3 times to 25 HCP over the course of 3 years. Among those responding to a post program follow up survey (N = 11), 8 (73%) indicated that they completed the project that they were working on during the AWP and went on to publish the manuscript (N = 5) or were in the process of submission (N = 2). Some indicated they has also gone on to present posters (N = 2) or were in the process of presenting posters (N = 2) or had received grants (N = 1) or were awaiting grant notice (N = 1). A number of attendees have continued to use and share the tools presented during the AWP. Based on input from attendees and increased requests for this AWP, this educational program has been deemed a success and expansion of this program is currently underway.

Urinary Retention Following Inguinal Herniorrhaphy: Role of Neuromuscular Blockade Reversal.

BACKGROUND: Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade is reversed with neostigmine/glycopyrrolate or sugammadex. Anticholinergic glycopyrrolate decreases bladder detrusor muscle contractility, potentially leading to postoperative urinary retention (POUR). POUR commonly complicates inguinal herniorrhaphy. In this study we assess association between reversal technique and POUR. METHODS: Records of adult patients undergoing unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy with neuromuscular blockade from January 2013 to September 2020 were reviewed for POUR (unplanned postoperative insertion of urinary catheter). A propensity-adjusted analysis was performed to assess POUR in neostigmine/glycopyrrolate versus sugammadex using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for potential confounding. RESULTS: We identified 181 patients who underwent herniorrhaphy with amnio-steroidal neuromuscular blockers, 75 (41.4%) who received sugammadex and 106 (58.6%) neostigmine/glycopyrrolate. Compared with sugammadex, neostigmine/glycopyrrolate group had longer surgical course [unweighted standardized difference (USTD)=0.38, P=0.004], received more intraoperative opioids (USTD=0.704, P<0.001), more often performed via laparoscopic approach (USTD=0.407, P=0.012), and less often with periprocedural urinary catheter insertion (USTD=0.452, P=0.003). POUR was observed in 2 (3%) of patients in the sugammadex group, and 16 (15%) in neostigmine/glycopyrrolate [unadjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.15; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-0.69; P=0.015, and IPTW OR=0.13; 95% CI: 0.03-0.64; P=0.012]. Results remained similar with further analysis adjusted for opioid administration in the postanesthesia care unit (adjusted IPTW OR=0.18; 95% CI: 0.04-0.88; P=0.034). Of the POUR patients, 9 required unplanned overnight admission and 4 emergency room visit. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that neuromuscular blockade reversal with sugammadex is associated with lower rates of POUR following unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy. Our results need to be reconfirmed in a randomized prospective study.

Effects of caffeine administration on sedation and respiratory parameters in patients recovering from anesthesia.

Caffeine has been shown to enhance the speed of recovery from general anesthesia in murine models, though data in human patients is lacking. This is a retrospective review of intravenous caffeine administration (median dose 150 [125, 250] mg) to 151 heavily sedated patients in the post-anesthesia recovery area, to determine the association between caffeine administration and changes in sedation score, respiratory rate, and oxyhemoglobin saturation. Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score, respiratory rate, and oxyhemoglobin saturation values were obtained during the 90-minute period prior to and following caffeine administration. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) with explanatory variables of time, caffeine, and the time-by-caffeine interaction were created to assess changes in the variables of interest after caffeine administration. Following the administration of caffeine, the RASS scores increased (estimate = 0.57, SE = 0.14, p < 0.001) but a trend over time or in the interaction effect was not observed, suggesting that the changes in RASS were not solely due to the recovery from anesthesia over time. No association was found between caffeine administration and changes in respiratory parameters. No adverse cardiac events were observed. Our data suggests that intravenous caffeine may enhance the speed of recovery following general anesthesia, though future prospective trials are necessary to define the optimal dose and timing of administration.

Tobacco use during pregnancy among Alaska Natives in western Alaska.

OBJECTIVE: To determine tobacco use rates during pregnancy among Alaska Natives residing on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta of western Alaska. Alaska Natives residing in this region use Iqmik, a unique form of smokeless tobacco (ST). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. The medical records of the most recent consecutive 100 Alaska Native women delivering within the Y-K Health Corporation system in 2001 were abstracted for information on tobacco use during this pregnancy and basic demographics. RESULTS: Of the 100 women, 24 did not use tobacco, 55 used ST only, 18 smoked cigarettes only, and 3 used both ST and smoked cigarettes during this pregnancy. Of the 58 who used ST, 22 used Iqmik only, 32 used commercial ST only, and 4 used both. The frequency of ST use increased significantly with age (p=0.007; OR=1.65 per 5-year increase in age, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.36), while the frequency of cigarette smoking tended to decrease with age (p=0.254; OR=0.79 per 5-year increase in age, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.18). CONCLUSION: A high proportion of Alaska Native women use tobacco during pregnancy. The rate of ST use (58%) among pregnant Alaska Native women is markedly higher than the prevalence of ST use (0.5%) among women in the general U.S. population.

Correlates of myalgia in electroconvulsive therapy.

Myalgias are common in patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The mechanism of this side effect is unknown. Two commonly postulated etiologies are the motor activity during the convulsion and the fasciculations induced by succinylcholine. If the former phenomenon accounts for most of themyalgias, then the appropriate strategy will be to increase the succinylcholine dose at subsequent treatments. If, on the other hand, the latter phenomenon is more important in inducing myalgias, then the appropriate strategy may be to decrease succinylcholine dosages (on the theory that lower doses result in less fasciculating). On the other hand, if neither of these factors accounts for myalgias, then succinylcholine dose adjustments may be irrelevant to myalgias in the ECT situation. In this study, we assessed the degree of convulsive movements during the seizure as well as strength of fasciculations caused by succinylcholine to see which, if either, correlates with ultimate complaints of myalgias. The results indicated that neither of these factors, nor dose of succinylcholine, correlated with myalgias. We conclude that dose adjustments to succinylcholine are unlikely to affect complaints of myalgias in ECT patients.