Multidisciplinary Care for Critical Limb Ischemia: Current Gaps and Opportunities for Improvement.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI), defined as ischemic rest pain or nonhealing ulceration due to arterial insufficiency, represents the most severe and limb-threatening manifestation of peripheral artery disease. A major challenge in the optimal treatment of CLI is that multiple specialties participate in the care of this complex patient population. As a result, the care of patients with CLI is often fragmented, and multidisciplinary societal guidelines have not focused specifically on the care of patients with CLI. Furthermore, multidisciplinary care has the potential to improve patient outcomes, as no single medical specialty addresses all the facets of care necessary to reduce cardiovascular and limb-related morbidity in this complex patient population. This review identifies current gaps in the multidisciplinary care of patients with CLI, with a goal toward increasing disease recognition and timely referral, defining important components of CLI treatment teams, establishing options for revascularization strategies, and identifying best practices for wound care post-revascularization.

Management of Isolated Atherosclerotic Stenosis of the Common Femoral Artery: A Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVE: Common femoral endarterectomy (CFE) remains the standard of care for treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis of the common femoral artery (CFA). Endovascular interventions have become the first-line therapy for atherosclerotic disease of the aortoiliac and femoropopliteal systems. Recent reports have documented high rates of technical success and low rates of complications with endovascular management of CFA stenosis. This study is a contemporary review of the surgical and endovascular literature on the management CFA stenosis and compares the results of these methods. METHODS: A search of OVID Medline identified all published reports of revascularization of isolated atherosclerotic CFA stenosis. For each study selected for review, the number of patients, number of limbs treated, percentage of patients with critical limb ischemia, and mean length of follow-up was recorded. Study end points included survival, primary patency, freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), freedom from amputation, and complications. RESULTS: The review included 7 CFE studies and 4 endovascular studies. Survival was similar between the groups. Primary patency was consistently higher with CFE compared to endovascular therapy. Freedom from TLR was lower with CFE compared to endovascular therapy. Morbidity and mortality was also higher with CFE compared to endovascular therapy. Freedom from amputation was not consistently reported in the endovascular studies. CONCLUSION: There is limited data to support endovascular treatment of isolated CFA atherosclerosis. CFE has durable results, but there is significant morbidity and mortality resulting from this procedure. Endovascular interventions have low rates of complications, high rates of technical success, good short-term patency but increased need for repeat interventions when compared to surgery. Further trial data comparing CFE with endovascular therapy is needed to guide the management of CFA stenosis.

Review of coronary subclavian steal syndrome.

The clinical benefits of using the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to bypass the left anterior descending artery are well established making it the most frequently used conduit for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) occurs during left arm exertion when (1) the LIMA is used during bypass surgery and (2) there is a high grade (≥75%) left subclavian artery stenosis or occlusion proximal to the ostia of the LIMA resulting in "stealing" of the myocardial blood supply via retrograde flow up the LIMA graft to maintain left upper extremity perfusion. Although CSSS was once thought to be a rare phenomenon, its prevalence has been underestimated and is becoming increasingly recognized as a serious threat to the success of CABG. Current guidelines are lacking on recommendations for screening of subclavian artery stenosis (SAS) pre- and post-CABG. We hope to provide an algorithm for SAS screening to prevent CSSS in internal mammary artery bypass recipients and review treatment options in the percutaneous era.

Association of ischemic stroke, hormone therapy, and right to left shunt in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) increases the risk of venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVES: We postulated that HT might increase the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting venous clots that travel to the brain through a right to left shunt (RLS). METHODS: A total of 2,389 records were studied. After eliminating the premenopausal patients, and those with TIAs and non-ischemic strokes, the medical records of 1846 postmenopausal women hospitalized at four institutions for ischemic stroke were reviewed to identify those who had undergone an adequate study to assess for RLS. The proportion of women with a shunt in users and non-users of HT was compared in stroke patients and in a reference population consisting of postmenopausal women undergoing elective cardiac catheterization. RESULTS: There were 363 (20%) records that had complete data and were included in the analysis. A shunt was more prevalent in patients with a cryptogenic stroke than in patients with a stroke of known cause (55/88 (63%) vs. 53/275 (19%), P < 0.001). In patients with a stroke of known cause, the frequency of a shunt was similar to that in reference women 31/136 (23%), and the proportion of women with a shunt was similar in non-users and current users of HT (14% vs. 20%, P = 0.40). However, among patients with a cryptogenic stroke, the prevalence of a shunt was 1.5 times higher in current users than non-users of HT (82% vs. 56%, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 23% of older women have a RLS. HT in these women may increase the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting paradoxical embolism.

Pneumoperitoneum after sexual assault in a patient who had hysterectomy 30 years ago: case report.

BACKGROUND: A non-surgical etiology accounts for approximately 10% of cases of pneumoperitoneum. However, in the patient with pneumoperitoneum, one must be suspicious of the less common non-surgical etiologies, including coitus, to avoid unnecessary laparotomy. OBJECTIVES: To report a case of pneumoperitoneum caused by coitus during sexual assault in a patient who had a hysterectomy 30 years ago. CASE REPORT: The authors present a case of non-surgical pneumoperitoneum after sexual assault occurring over 30 years after abdominal hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: This case is an important reminder that a thorough sexual and gynecologic/obstetrical history is an essential tool in identifying the patient who does not require laparotomy.