Thrombolytics in Cardiac Arrest from Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis.

BACKGROUND: During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intravenous thrombolytics are commonly used for patients whose underlying etiology of cardiac arrest is presumed to be related to pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature that focused on the use of thrombolytics for cardiac arrest due to presumed or confirmed PE. Outcomes of interest were return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital discharge, neurologically-intact survival, and bleeding complications. RESULTS: Thirteen studies with a total of 803 patients were included in this review. Most studies included were single-armed and retrospective. Thrombolytic agent and dose were heterogeneous between studies. Among those with control groups, intravenous thrombolysis was associated with higher rates of ROSC (OR 2.55, 95% CI = 1.50-4.34), but without a significant difference in survival to hospital discharge (OR 1.41, 95% CI = 0.79-2.41) or bleeding complications (OR 2.21, 0.95-5.17). CONCLUSIONS: Use of intravenous thrombolytics in cardiac arrest due to confirmed or presumed PE is associated with increased ROSC but not survival to hospital discharge or change in bleeding complications. Larger randomized studies are needed. Currently, we recommend continuing to follow existing consensus guidelines which support use of thrombolytics for this indication.

Cricothyrotomy Online: Quality Assessment of Educational Videos on YouTube.

BACKGROUND: Medical learners may use YouTube® videos to prepare for procedures. Videos are convenient and readily available, but without any uploading standards, their accuracy and quality for education are uncertain. We assessed the quality of emergency cricothyrotomy videos on YouTube through an expert panel of surgeons with objective quality metrics. METHODS: A YouTube® search for "emergency cricothyrotomy" was performed and results were filtered to remove animations and lectures. The 4 most-viewed videos were sent to a panel of trauma surgeons for evaluation. An educational quality (EQ) score was generated for each video based on its ability to explain the procedure indications, orient the viewer to the patient, provide accurate narration, provide clear views of procedure, identify relevant instrumentation and anatomy, and explain critical maneuvers. Reviewers were also asked if safety concerns were present and encouraged to give feedback in a free-response field. RESULTS: Four surgical attendings completed the survey. The median EQ score was 6 on a 7-point scale (95% CI [6, 6]). All but one of the individual parameters had a median EQ score of 6 (95% CI: indications [3, 7], orientation [5, 7], narration [6, 7], clarity [6, 7], instruments [6, 7], anatomy [6, 6], critical maneuvers [5, 6]). Safety received a lower EQ score (5.5, 95% CI [2, 6]). CONCLUSIONS: The most-viewed cricothyrotomy videos were rated positively by surgical attendings. Still, it is necessary to know if medical learners can distinguish high from low quality videos. If not, this suggests a need for surgical societies to create high-quality videos that can be reliably and efficiently accessed on YouTube®.

Exposure to a Virtual Reality Mass-Casualty Simulation Elicits a Differential Sympathetic Response in Medical Trainees and Attending Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the use of virtual reality (VR) in mass-casualty incident (MCI) simulation; however, it is uncertain if VR simulations can be a substitute for in-person disaster training. Demonstrating that VR MCI scenarios can elicit the same desired stress response achieved in live-action exercises is a first step in showing non-inferiority. The primary objective of this study was to measure changes in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response via a decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) in subjects participating in a VR MCI scenario. METHODS: An MCI simulation was filmed with a 360º camera and shown to participants on a VR headset while simultaneously recording electrocardiography (EKG) and HRV activity. Baseline HRV was measured during a calm VR scenario immediately prior to exposure to the MCI scenarios, and SNS activation was captured as a decrease in HRV compared to baseline. Cognitive stress was measured using a validated questionnaire. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank analysis, Welch's t-test, and multivariate logistic regression were performed with statistical significance established at P <.05. RESULTS: Thirty-five subjects were enrolled: eight attending physicians (two surgeons, six Emergency Medicine [EM] specialists); 13 residents (five Surgery, eight EM); and 14 medical students (six pre-clinical, eight clinical-year students). Sympathetic nervous system activation was observed in all groups during the MCI compared to baseline (P <.0001) and occurred independent of age, sex, years of experience, or prior MCI response experience. Overall, 23/35 subjects (65.7%) reported increased cognitive stress in the MCI (11/14 medical students, 9/13 residents, and 3/8 attendings). Resident and attending physicians had higher odds of discordance between SNS activation and cognitive stress compared to medical students (OR = 8.297; 95% CI, 1.408-64.60; P = .030). CONCLUSIONS: Live-actor VR MCI simulation elicited a strong sympathetic response across all groups. Thus, VR MCI training has the potential to guide acquisition of confidence in disaster response.

Predictors of Inpatient Morbidity and Mortality After 1- and 2-Level Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion Based on the National Inpatient Sample Database From 2006 Through 2010.

Spine procedures, including anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF), are more commonly being performed in an outpatient setting to maximize value. Early complications after ACDF are rare but can have devastating consequences. The authors sought to determine risk factors for inpatient complications after 1-and 2-level ACDF by performing a retrospective review of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) administrative database from 2006 through 2010. A total of 78,771 patients were identified. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify preoperative risk factors for medical and surgical complications, including mortality, airway compromise, new neurologic deficit, and surgical-site infection. Inpatient mortality and overall complication rates were 0.074% and 3.73%, respectively. The risk of any medical complication was 3.13%. Airway compromise, neurologic deficit, and surgical-site infection occurred in 0.75%, 0.05%, and 0.04% of cases, respectively. Chronic kidney disease was the strongest predictor of mortality, with an odds ratio (OR) of 11.14 (P<.001). Airway complication was associated with age older than 65 years, male sex, myelopathy, diabetes mellitus, anemia, bleeding disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, and obstructive sleep apnea (P<.05). Preoperative diagnosis of myelopathy was most strongly associated with an increased rate of neurologic complication (OR, 6.67; P<.001). Anemia was associated with a significantly increased rate of surgical-site infection, with an OR of 14.34 (P<.001). Age older than 65 years; certain medical comorbidities, particularly kidney disease and anemia; and a preoperative diagnosis of myelopathy are associated with increased risk of early complication following ACDF surgery. Surgeons should consider these risk factors when deciding to perform ACDF surgery in an outpatient setting. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(5):e675-e681.].

Video case review for quality improvement during cardiac arrest resuscitation in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are a leading global cause of mortality. The American Heart Association (AHA) promotes several important strategies associated with improved cardiac arrest (CA) outcomes, including decreasing pulse check time and maintaining a chest compression fraction (CCF) > 0.80. Video review is a potential tool to improve skills and analyse deficiencies in various situations; however, its use in improving medical resuscitation remains poorly studied in the emergency department (ED). We implemented a quality improvement initiative, which utilised video review of CA resuscitations in an effort to improve compliance with such AHA quality metrics. METHODS: A cardiopulmonary resuscitation video review team of emergency medicine residents were assembled to analyse CA resuscitations in our urban academic ED. Videos were reviewed by two residents, one of whom was a senior resident (Postgraduate Year 3 or 4), and analysed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for numerous quality improvement metrics, including pulse check time, CCF, time to intravenous access and time to patient attached to monitor. RESULTS: We collected data on 94 CA resuscitations between July 2017 and June 2020. Average pulse check time was 13.09 (SD ± 5.97) seconds, and 38% of pulse checks were <10 seconds. After the implementation of the video review process, there was a significant decrease in average pulse check time (P = .01) and a significant increase in CCF (P = .01) throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the video review and feedback process was significantly associated with improvements in AHA quality metrics for resuscitation in CA amongst patients presented to the ED.

Age Does Not Predict Failure to Rescue Following Resuscitative Thoracotomy in Penetrating Trauma.

BACKGROUND: The limitations of resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) after penetrating trauma have been well documented, but there is a paucity of data on the effect age has on mortality. This begs the question as to the utility of RT in an aging patient population. We investigate the significance of age as a predictor for failure to rescue after RT in penetrating trauma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify whether chronologic age has a measurable effect on rates of failure to rescue after RT. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis using the Trauma Quality Improvement Program from 2011 to 2015 including all pulseless patients undergoing RT after penetrating injury. Our primary outcome was failure to rescue defined as death in the emergency department after RT. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the relationship between age and morality controlling for injury severity. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred twelve RTs were performed during the study period with an overall failure to rescue rate of 61.8% (n = 687) within the emergency department and an in-hospital mortality rate of 96.9%, which is in line with national data. On univariate analysis, there was no significant association between age and mortality (p = 0.44). On multivariate analysis examining the interaction between age and mortality adjusting for injury severity, we found that chronologic age was not an independent predictor of death after RT. CONCLUSIONS: Age does not appear to be an independent predictor of failure to rescue after RT in penetrating trauma and should not be a sole determinant in procedural decision making.

COVID-19 Intubation Safety: A Multidisciplinary, Rapid-Cycle Model of Improvement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the health care industry to develop dynamic protocols to maximize provider safety as aerosolizing procedures, specifically intubation, increase the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. The authors sought to create a quality improvement framework to ensure safe practices for intubating providers, and describe a multidisciplinary model developed at an academic tertiary care facility centered on rapid-cycle improvements and real-time gap analysis to track adherence to COVID-19 intubation safety protocols. The model included an Intubation Safety Checklist, a standardized documentation template for intubations, obtaining real-time feedback, and weekly multidisciplinary team meetings to review data and implement improvements. This study captured 68 intubations in suspected COVID-19 patients and demonstrated high personal protective equipment compliance at the institution, but also identified areas for process improvement. Overall, the authors posit that an interdisciplinary workgroup and the integration of standardized processes can be used to enhance intubation safety among providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Combining Wireless Technology and Behavioral Economics to Engage Patients (WiBEEP) with cardiometabolic disease: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term management of cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, is complex and can be facilitated by supporting patient-directed behavioral changes. The concurrent application of wireless technology and personalized text messages (PTMs) based on behavioral economics in managing cardiometabolic diseases, although promising, has not been studied. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the concurrent application of wireless home blood pressure (BP) monitoring (as an example of "automated hovering") and PTMs (as an example of "nudging") targeting pharmacotherapy and lifestyle habits in patients with cardiometabolic disease (type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension). METHODS: The Wireless Technology and Behavioral Economics to Engage Patients (WiBEEP) with cardiometabolic disease study was a single-arm, open-label, 7-week-long pilot study in 12 patients (mean age 58.5 years) with access to a mobile phone. The study took place at Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA) between March and September 2017. All patients received PTMs; nine patients received wireless home BP monitoring. At baseline, patients completed questionnaires to learn about their health goals and to assess medication adherence; at the end of week 7, all patients completed questionnaires to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and assess medication adherence. Hemoglobin A1c was ascertained from data collected during routine clinical care in 7 patients with available data. RESULTS: The majority of patients reported the text messages to be easy to understand (88%) and appropriate in frequency (71%) and language (88%). All patients reported BP monitoring to be useful. Mean arterial pressure was lower at the end-of-study compared to baseline (- 3.4 mmHg [95% CI, - 5 to - 1.8]. Mean change in hemoglobin A1c was - 0.31% [95% CI, - 0.56 to - 0.06]. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with cardiometabolic disease, the combination of wireless BP monitoring and lifestyle-focused text messaging was feasible and acceptable. Larger studies will determine the long-term effectiveness of such an approach.

Three Different Databases, Three Different Complication Rates for Knee and Hip Arthroplasty: Comparing the National Inpatient Sample, National Hospital Discharge Survey, and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 2006 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: National databases are increasingly used to research complication rates, risk factors, and the role of comorbidities. Three commonly used databases are the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Program's National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Despite many publications, the accuracy of results from these databases remains unclear. METHODS: We compared demographics and complication rates of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) across three national databases from 2006 to 2010. Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify cases, we calculated postoperative inpatient complication rates in all three databases and 30-day complication rates in the NSQIP. RESULTS: We identified a total of 607,322 TKAs and 279,428 THAs. Overall complication rates varied greatly between the databases. For TKA, the overall complication rates were the highest in the NIS (17.3% [16.6 to 18.0]), followed by the NHDS (14.9% [14.0 to 15.8]), and then the NSQIP 30 days (10.20% [9.73 to 10.70]) and the NSQIP until discharge (7.34% [6.95 to 7.75]). Similarly, for THA, the NIS was the highest (24.09% [23.05 to 25.16]), and then the NHDS (21.5% [19.8 to 23.2]), followed by the NSQIP 30 days (12.00% [11.31 to 12.72]), and the NSQIP until discharge (9.25% [8.64 to 9.90]). Breakdown and comparison of individual adverse events further revealed different complication rates. CONCLUSION: The estimated complication rates from THA and TKA depend on which data source is used because of differences in data collection and sampling methodology. Similar differences may exist in other publications that use such secondary data sources.