Comparison of four handheld point-of-care ultrasound devices by expert users.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is rapidly becoming ubiquitous across healthcare specialties. This is due to several factors including its portability, immediacy of results to guide clinical decision-making, and lack of radiation exposure to patients. The recent growth of handheld ultrasound devices has improved access to ultrasound for many clinicians. Few studies have directly compared different handheld ultrasound devices among themselves or to cart-based ultrasound machines. We conducted a prospective observational study comparing four common handheld ultrasound devices for ease of use, image quality, and overall satisfaction. Twenty-four POCUS experts utilized four handheld devices (Butterfly iQ+™ by Butterfly Network Inc., Kosmos™ by EchoNous, Vscan Air™ by General Electric, and Lumify™ by Philips Healthcare) to obtain three ultrasound views on the same standardized patients using high- and low-frequency probes. RESULTS: Data were collected from 24 POCUS experts using all 4 handheld devices. No single ultrasound device was superior in all categories. For overall ease of use, the Vscan Air™ was rated highest, followed by the Lumify™. For overall image quality, Lumify™ was rated highest, followed by Kosmos™. The Lumify™ device was rated highest for overall satisfaction, while the Vscan Air™ was rated as the most likely to be purchased personally and carried in one's coat pocket. The top 5 characteristics of handheld ultrasound devices rated as being "very important" were image quality, ease of use, portability, total costs, and availability of different probes. CONCLUSIONS: In a comparison of four common handheld ultrasound devices in the United States, no single handheld ultrasound device was perceived to have all desired characteristics. POCUS experts rated the Lumify™ highest for image quality and Vscan Air™ highest for ease of use. Overall satisfaction was highest with the Lumify™ device, while the most likely to be purchased as a pocket device was the Vscan Air™. Image quality was felt to be the most important characteristic in evaluating handheld ultrasound devices.

A successful daptomycin and micafungin dosing strategy in veno-venous ECMO and continuous renal replacement.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Studies have demonstrated that ECMO leads to pharmacokinetic changes, with alterations in volume of distribution, clearance and drug sequestration by the circuit. We describe a successful dosing approach for daptomycin and micafungin for the treatment of VRE faecium bacteremia and C. glabrata fungemia in a patient receiving veno-venous ECMO and CRRT. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a patient with ARDS on veno-venous ECMO complicated by VRE faecium bacteremia and C. glabrata fungemia. The patient was treated with daptomycin 10 mg/kg every 24 h and micafungin 150 mg every 24 h for 14 days. Key observations included the documented bacteremia and fungemia clearance without the need for ECMO circuit exchange. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This case report demonstrates successful bacteremia and fungemia clearance in an adult without the need for ECMO circuit exchange. It also highlights the need for more research to identify optimal antimicrobial dosing strategies in similar scenarios.

A role for nebulized tranexamic acid in veno-venous ECMO patients.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Although pulmonary haemorrhage as a complication of ECMO has been well documented, optimal management is not fully elucidated. We describe the role of nebulized tranexamic acid as a therapeutic alternative. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case series of three patients with ARDS on ECMO complicated by pulmonary haemorrhage. These patients were treated with 500 mg of nebulized tranexamic acid via the endotracheal tube. Key observations included significant stabilization of haemodynamics, reduced circuit changes and less time off of anticoagulation. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This series demonstrates successful bleeding management with nebulized tranexamic acid, reducing the frequency of ECMO circuit changes, time off of anticoagulation and blood loss.

Primary pulmonary cystic Echinococcus in an immunocompetent patient.

A 60-year-old man was referred to the interventional pulmonology clinic with a large right-sided intraparenchymal lung mass and a second, smaller lesion in the left lower lobe, accompanied by intermittent haemoptysis, fever, chills, productive cough of white phlegm as well as dizziness and weakness. He had presented previously and was being evaluated for the possibility of malignancy. Investigations had revealed 'hooklets' (protoscolices) of hydatid cysts, most likely representing the parasite Echinococcus Successful surgical excision of the affected lobe, lung decortication, partial pleurectomy and pneumolysis of the adhesions was performed, along with long-term antiparasitic therapy. The initial differential diagnosis for this patient was challenging and required multimodal investigations. The patient made good recovery and continued to be followed by infectious disease specialists for management of antiparasitic therapy.

External Validation of the COmorbidity Test.

The COmorbidity TEst (COTE) is a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-specific co-morbidity score created to predict mortality. Before its wide application at the University of New Mexico we intended to validate it. The study was conducted at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) in Albuquerque, NM, USA, a tertiary academic hospital. Consecutive patients with the clinical diagnosis of COPD were identified using the hospital's medical records system and included if they were older than 40 years, had smoked at least 20 pack-years and their post bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) was <0.7 without an alternative diagnosis. The data collected included demographics, co-morbidities as described in the COTE, COPD-specific therapies, spirometry results and mortality. Of 317 patients 51.4% were male, average age was 65.6 ± 9.6 years and the mean post-bronchodilator FEV1 percent predicted (FEV1%) was 52.9 ± 16.9%. 31 (9.8%) patients were on triple long-acting bronchodilator inhaler therapy, 88 (27.8%) on two long-acting bronchodilators and 163 (51.4%) on at least one long-acting bronchodilator. The median follow-up was 3.5 years (IQR = 1.9-6.9). Fifty four patients died by the end of the follow-up period and their median COTE of 4 (IQR = 1-8) was significantly higher than for the survivors with COTE = 1 (IQR = 0-6; p = 0.002). In univariable analyses COTE was positively associated while FEV1%, body mass index (BMI) and gender were negatively associated with all-cause mortality. In multivariable analysis BMI, FEV1% and COTE remained independent predictors for mortality. The COTE is an independent predictor of mortality for COPD patients at UNMH.

Chronic subdural hematoma patients aged 90 years and older.

OBJECTIVES: The American population above 65 years of age will double by 2050, and more nonagenarians will present to neurosurgeons for treatment for subdural hematomas (SDH), common in the elderly. Healthcare providers, and patients' relatives, often choose treatment when there is little chance of recovery. Hospital mortality is 24% (n = 5) in chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) patients over 65 years, but there are no studies on cSDH outcomes in patients aged over 90 years. This retrospective study evaluates outcomes in this population. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with cSDH between December 2005 and December 2011. We analyzed charts of patients aged 90 years and older. Patient demographics, Glagow Coma Scale (GCS) at presentation, medical co-morbidities, length of stay, disposition, treatment, and radiographic characteristics were abstracted. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients aged 90 or older with 24 admissions for cSDH were identified. Median age was 92 (SD = 2.5); 76% (n = 16) underwent surgery. Median presentation GCS was 14. Disposition to home, rehabilitation facility, nursing home, hospice, or death were not significantly different between conservative and operative groups (P = 0.10), nor was admission GCS (P = 0.59). The size of SDH was significantly (P = 0.02) larger in the operative group. Overall, only 24% (n = 5) of patients were discharged home. CONCLUSION: Clinical presentation with cSDH is a sentinel event for patients aged 90 years or older; 67% have surgical intervention. Disposition does not vary with surgical or non-surgical treatment. Only 24% of patients of this age group presenting with cSDH return home despite a good admission GCS.