Reduced Effective Oxygen Delivery and Ventilation with a Surgical Facemask Placed under Compared to over an Oxygen Mask: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVES: Consensus guidelines for perioperative anesthesia management during the COVID-19 pandemic recommend that patients wear a facemask in addition to their oxygen mask or nasal cannulae following tracheal extubation, where this is practical. The effects on effective oxygen delivery and ventilation of a surgical facemask under compared to over an oxygen (O2) mask are unclear. DESIGN: Single-center, comparative pilot study. Setting. Endoscopy procedure room at a major academic hospital. SUBJECTS: Five healthy anesthesiologists. Interventions. Using a carbon dioxide (CO2) sampling line positioned at the lips, the fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2), fraction of expiratory O2 (FeO2), expiratory end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2), and respiratory rate (RR) were measured under the following conditions: (1) a surgical facemask only, (2) a surgical facemask under an O2 mask, (3) an O2 mask only, and (4) a surgical facemask over an O2 mask. Measurements and Main Results. The sampled fractional expired oxygen (FeO2) at the lips was significantly lower when the surgical facemask was under compared to when over the O2 mask (27.9± 1.68 vs. 49.9 ± 6.27, p = 0.001), while there was no significant difference in inspired oxygen (FiO2). The sampled expiratory EtCO2 was significantly higher when the surgical facemask was under the O2 mask compared to when over the O2 mask (28.3 ± 8.5 vs. 23.5 ± 7.6, p = 0.026). The RR was not significantly different when the surgical facemask was under compared to over the O2 mask. CONCLUSIONS: Effective oxygen delivery and ventilation was reduced (lower FeO2 and increased EtCO2) when a surgical facemask was placed under compared to over an O2 mask.

Teleguidance Technology for Endotracheal Intubation: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Teleguidance facilitated intubation has recently reemerged during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as a strategy to provide expert airway management guidance and consultation to practitioners in settings where such expertise is not readily available onsite or in-person. We conducted a scoping review to provide a synthesis of the available literature on teleguidance facilitated intubation. Specifically, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of teleguidance facilitated intubation given existing technology. DATA SOURCES: A librarian-assisted search was performed using three primary electronic medical databases from January 2000 to November 2020. STUDY SELECTION: Articles that reported outcomes focused on implementing or evaluating the performance of teleguidance facilitated intubation were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full text of articles to determine eligibility. Data extraction was performed using customized fields established a priori within a systematic review software system. DATA SYNTHESIS: Of 255 citations identified, 17 met eligibility criteria. Studies included prospective investigations and proof of technology reports. These studies were performed in clinical and simulation environments. Five of the prospective investigations that examined time to intubation and intubation success rates. Multiple different commercially available and noncommercial teleconference software systems were used in these studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is a limited body of literature evaluating the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of teleguidance facilitated intubation. Based on the studies available that examined a variety of technologies within simulation and clinical environments, teleguidance facilitated intubation appears to be feasible, safe, and efficacious. Given the exponential growth in the use of telemedicine technology during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the evidence supporting teleguidance facilitated intubation, there is a need to critically evaluate the most effective mechanisms to integrate and optimize these technologies across diverse practice settings.

Case Report of Fulminant Eosinophilic Myocarditis With Concomitant Pheochromocytoma.

A 33-year-old woman presented with fulminant eosinophilic myocarditis requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a retroperitoneal mass that was eventually diagnosed as a pheochromocytoma. This case highlights the need for a comprehensive diagnostic workup for acute cardiomyopathy manifesting as cardiogenic shock in young patients and the benefit of early initiation of mechanical support facilitating both diagnosis and recovery.