Stepwise development and expansion of an abdominal normothermic regional perfusion program for donation after circulatory determination of death organ procurement.

INTRODUCTION: Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) represents an innovative technology that improves the outcomes for liver and kidney recipients of donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) organs but protocols for abdominal-only NRP (A-NRP) DCD are lacking in the US. METHODS: We describe the implementation and expansion strategies of a transplant-center-based A-NRP DCD program that has grown in volume, geographical reach, and donor acceptance parameters, presented as four eras. RESULTS: In the implementation era, two donors were attempted, and one liver graft was transplanted. In the local expansion era, 33% of attempted donors resulted in transplantation and 42% of liver grafts from donors who died within the functional warm ischemic time (fWIT) limit were transplanted. In the Regional Expansion era, 25% of attempted donors resulted in transplantation and 50% of liver grafts from donors who died within the fWIT limit were transplanted. In the Donor Acceptance Expansion era, 46% of attempted donors resulted in transplantation and 72% of liver grafts from donors who died within the fWIT limit were transplanted. Eight discarded grafts demonstrated a potential opportunity for utilization. CONCLUSION: The stepwise approach to building an A-NRP program described here can serve as a model for other transplant centers.

The Effects of Humor in Clinical Settings on Medical Trainees and the Implications for Medical Educators: A Scoping Review.

Background: Clinical settings represent the site of patient care and clinical training for medical students and residents. Both processes involve social interaction, and humor is a fundamental component of social interaction that remains underexplored in medical education. This study investigated the impact of humor on medical trainees in the context of the clinical learning environment and examined the implications for medical educators. Methods: Following scoping review methodology, the authors systematically searched six databases and Google Scholar in February 2021 and March 2022. Articles were screened and selected according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, and findings from included articles were synthesized using procedures of metasynthesis. Results: Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria. Six themes emerged relating to the functions and effects of humor in clinical training settings: (1) managing emotions; (2) demarcating insider vs outsider status; (3) facilitating camaraderie; (4) ensuring conformity; (5) negotiating power differentials; and (6) fostering discrimination. Conclusions: The use of humor by medical educators plays an integral role in trainees' everyday experiences. Positive humor helps with coping and communication, while negative humor serves as an indirect medium for communicating ridicule and prejudice. Further research drawing on social psychology theories may identify ways to reduce effects of negative humor and promote well-being and diversity in medical education. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01769-0.

Type A Aortic Dissection with Antegrade Intimointimal Intussusception.

We describe a 60-year-old man with a history of hypertension who presented to an outside emergency department with chest pain and left lower extremity numbness and weakness. Computed tomography (CT) revealed Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD), and he was transferred to our institution for emergent open surgical repair. Review of the outside CT showed no dissection flap in the ascending aorta and a complex flap in the proximal descending thoracic aorta consistent with complex intimal transection at the sinotubular junction and intimointimal intussusception. This case presents high-resolution diagnostic and intraoperative images and illustrates the importance of rapid diagnosis and recognition of the potentially complex nature of the aortic dissection to avoid impending hemodynamic deterioration.

Atypical Presentation of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in an Elderly Woman.

We describe an 83-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with extreme thirst. Diagnostic testing revealed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Following symptomatic improvement and discharge, she returned to the emergency department with exudative pericardial effusion and elevated intrapericardial pressures. This case illustrates the importance of close follow-up of Takotsubo patients in whom complications such as pericardial effusion may lead to cardiac tamponade and hemodynamic instability if not managed properly.

Renal Dysfunction in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Late-stage heart failure and renal dysfunction are often seen in conjunction. Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) describes the complex interaction between the two disease states. Early literature described the pathophysiology of CRS as related only to reduced cardiac output and decreased renal perfusion. Recent literature suggests a more multifaceted mechanism. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), used as bridge-to-transplant and destination therapy in patients with heart failure, impact not only cardiac function but also renal function, especially in those patients with preoperative renal dysfunction. The mechanism by which LVAD implantation affects renal function is complex and understated in early literature. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of CRS, the impact of preoperative renal dysfunction in patients undergoing LVAD implantation, and the effect of LVAD implantation on postoperative renal function.

Current considerations for heart-kidney transplantation.

Cardiorenal syndrome is a complex syndrome characterized by dysfunction of the heart and kidneys in an interdependent fashion and is further divided into different subtypes based on primary organ dysfunction. Simultaneous Heart-Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage irreversible dysfunction of both organs, however it may be avoided with determination of cardiorenal subtype and management of primary organ dysfunction. This article discusses types of cardiorenal syndrome, indications and concerns regarding the use of simultaneous heart-kidney transplantation, and outlines algorithms for determination of need for dual vs. single organ transplantation.

Atypical Presentation of Marantic Endocarditis.

We describe a 39-year-old man referred for surgical aortic valve replacement for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Intraoperative inspection was unexpectedly consistent with marantic endocarditis. Pathology confirmed nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis. We present high-resolution intraoperative, diagnostic, and pathology images of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome with atypical presentation.

Defining Optimal Head-Tilt Position of Resuscitation in Neonates and Young Infants Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data.

Head-tilt maneuver assists with achieving airway patency during resuscitation. However, the relationship between angle of head-tilt and airway patency has not been defined. Our objective was to define an optimal head-tilt position for airway patency in neonates (age: 0-28 days) and young infants (age: 29 days-4 months). We performed a retrospective study of head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of neonates and infants to define the angle of head-tilt for airway patency. We excluded those with an artificial airway or an airway malformation. We defined head-tilt angle a priori as the angle between occipito-ophisthion line and ophisthion-C7 spinous process line on the sagittal MR images. We evaluated medical records for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and exposure to sedation during MRI. We analyzed MRI of head and neck regions of 63 children (53 neonates and 10 young infants). Of these 63 children, 17 had evidence of airway obstruction and 46 had a patent airway on MRI. Also, 16/63 had underlying HIE and 47/63 newborn infants had exposure to sedative medications during MRI. In spontaneously breathing and neurologically depressed newborn infants, the head-tilt angle (median ± SD) associated with patent airway (125.3° ± 11.9°) was significantly different from that of blocked airway (108.2° ± 17.1°) (Mann Whitney U-test, p = 0.0045). The logistic regression analysis showed that the proportion of patent airways progressively increased with an increasing head-tilt angle, with > 95% probability of a patent airway at head-tilt angle 144-150°.