Intraoperative neuromonitoring as real-time diagnostic for cerebral ischemia in endovascular treatment of ruptured brain aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during endovascular treatment (EVT) of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (rIA). METHODS: IONM and clinical data from 323 patients who underwent EVT for rIA from 2014-2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Significant IONM changes and outcomes were evaluated based on visual review of data and clinical documentation. RESULTS: Of the 323 patients undergoing EVT, significant IONM changes were noted in 30 patients (9.29%) and 46 (14.24%) experienced postprocedural neurological deficits (PPND). 22 out of 30 (73.33%) patients who had significant IONM changes experienced PPND. Univariable analysis showed changes in somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and electroencephalogram (EEG) were associated with PPND (p-values: <0.001 and <0.001, retrospectively). Multivariable analysis showed that IONM changes were significantly associated with PPND (Odd ratio (OR) 20.18 (95%CI:7.40-55.03, p-value: <0.001)). Simultaneous changes in both IONM modalities had specificity of 98.9% (95% CI: 97.1%-99.7%). While sensitivity when either modality had a change was 47.8% (95% CI: 33.9%-62.0%) to predict PPND. CONCLUSIONS: Significant IONM changes during EVT for rIA are associated with an increased risk of PPND. SIGNIFICANCE: IONM can be used confidently as a real time neurophysiological diagnostic guide for impending neurological deficits during EVT treatment of rIA.

Transcarotid Arterial Revascularization of Symptomatic Internal Carotid Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Study-Level Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is an interventional therapy for symptomatic internal carotid artery disease. Currently, the utilization of TCAR is contentious due to limited evidence. In this study, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of TCAR in patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery disease compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted, spanning from January 2000 to February 2023, encompassing studies that used TCAR for the treatment of symptomatic internal carotid artery disease. The primary outcomes included a 30-day stroke or transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and mortality. Secondary outcomes comprised cranial nerve injury and major bleeding. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) for each outcome were calculated to compare TCAR with CEA and CAS. Furthermore, subgroup analyses were performed based on age and degree of stenosis. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding the vascular quality initiative registry population. RESULTS: A total of 7 studies involving 24 246 patients were analyzed. Within this patient cohort, 4771 individuals underwent TCAR, 12 350 underwent CEA, and 7125 patients underwent CAS. Compared with CAS, TCAR was associated with a similar rate of stroke or transient ischemic attack (OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.33-1.82]) and myocardial infarction (OR, 1.29 [95% CI, 0.83-2.01]) but lower mortality (OR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.22-0.81]). Compared with CEA, TCAR was associated with a higher rate of stroke or transient ischemic attack (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.03-1.54]) but similar rates of myocardial infarction (OR, 0.9 [95% CI, 0.64-1.38]) and mortality (OR, 1.35 [95% CI, 0.87-2.10]). CONCLUSIONS: Although CEA has traditionally been considered superior to stenting for symptomatic carotid stenosis, TCAR may have some advantages over CAS. Prospective randomized trials comparing the 3 modalities are needed.

Role of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring to Predict Postoperative Delirium in Cardiovascular Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative delirium (POD) can occur in up to 50% of older patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery, resulting in hospitalization and significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine whether intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) modalities can be used to predict delirium in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. DESIGN: Adult patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery with IONM between 2019 and 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Delirium was assessed multiple times using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). Patients with an ICDSC score ≥4 were considered to have POD. Significant IONM changes were evaluated based on a visual review of electroencephalography (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potentials data and documentation of significant changes during surgery. SETTING: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Patients 18 years old and older undergoing cardiovascular surgery with IONM monitoring. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 578 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery with IONM, 126 had POD (21.8%). Significant IONM changes were noted in 134 patients, of whom 49 patients had delirium (36.6%). In contrast, 444 patients had no IONM changes during surgery, of whom 77 (17.3%) patients had POD. Upon multivariate analysis, IONM changes were associated with POD (odds ratio 2.12; 95% CI 1.31-3.44; p < 0.001). Additionally, baseline EEG abnormalities were associated with POD (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Significant IONM changes are associated with an increased risk of POD in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. These findings offer a basis for future research and analysis of EEG and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring to predict, detect, and prevent POD.

Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Recent Direct Oral Anticoagulant Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is an effective stroke therapy that remains underused. Currently, the use of IVT in patients with recent direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) intake is not recommended. In this study we aim to investigate the safety and efficacy of IVT in patients with acute ischemic stroke and recent DOAC use. METHODS AND RESULTS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of proportions evaluating IVT with recent DOAC use was conducted. Outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, any intracranial hemorrhage, serious systemic bleeding, and 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin scale score 0-2). Additionally, rates were compared between patients receiving IVT using DOAC and non-DOAC by a random effect meta-analysis to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) for each outcome. Finally, sensitivity analysis for idarucizumab, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and timing of DOAC administration was completed. Fourteen studies with 247 079 patients were included (3610 in DOAC and 243 469 in non-DOAC). The rates of IVT complications in the DOAC group were 3% (95% CI, 3-4) symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 12% (95% CI, 7-19) any ICH, and 0.7% (95%CI, 0-1) serious systemic bleeding, and 90-day functional independence was achieved in 57% (95% CI, 43-70). The rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (3.4 versus 3.5%; OR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.67-1.36]), any intracranial hemorrhage (17.7 versus 17.3%; OR, 1.23 [95% CI, 0.61-2.48]), serious systemic bleeding (0.7 versus 0.6%; OR, 1.27 [95% CI, 0.79-2.02]), and 90-day modified Rankin scale score 0-2 (46.4 versus 56.8%; OR, 1.21 [95% CI, 0.400-3.67]) did not differ between DOAC and non-DOAC groups. There was no difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate based on idarucizumab administration. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with IVT in recent DOAC versus non-DOAC use have similar rates of hemorrhagic complications and functional independence. Further prospective randomized trials are warranted.

Aggressiveness of Cancer Care at End of Life in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer in Jordan.

Background: Contrary to Western societies, more than 15% of patients with breast cancer in Jordan are diagnosed with stage IV disease. In this study, we evaluate the value of early palliative care integration in the end-of-life care of such patients. Methods: All consecutive adult patients who died between 2014 to 2018, while under the care of our institution, with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer at the time of death, irrespective of place of death, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: During the study period, a total of 433 patients, median age 51.6 years, were included in the analysis. Among the whole group, 102 (23.6%) were referred to palliative care service early (≥30 days prior to death), 182 (42.0%) had late referral (<30 days from death), while 149 (34.4%) were never referred and were followed up by their medical oncologists. During the last 30 days prior to death, patients who were never referred to palliative care were more likely to visit the Emergency Room (ER) more than once (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20-2.99, p = 0.006), more likely to be admitted to the hospital more than once (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.38-3.73, p = 0.001), and more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.48-6.38, p = 0.0027). Fewer patients in the "no referral" group died with advance directives compared to those who had early or late referral; 60.8%, 75.0% and 82.5%, respectively, p = 0.0003. Survival of patients followed by medical oncologist was not better than those referred to palliative care, either late or early; median survival was 19.0, 19.1 and 23.8 months, respectively (p = 0.2338). Conclusion: Findings suggest that earlier palliative care referral is associated with less aggressive end-of-life care, leading to less frequent ER visits, hospital and ICU admissions during the last month of life, and does not compromise survival.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials and Electroencephalography During Endovascular Treatment of Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular treatment (EVT) of unruptured cerebral aneurysms (UCA) offers a safer alternative to clipping. However, it is still associated with an increased risk for Postprocedural Neurological deficit (PPND). Prompt recognition using intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) and intervention can reduce the incidence and impact of new postoperative neurological complications. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of IONM in predicting PPND after EVT of UCA. METHODS: We included 414 patients who underwent EVT for UCA from 2014 to 2019. The sensitivities, specificities, and diagnostic odds ratio of somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalography monitoring methods were calculated. We also determined their diagnostic accuracy using receiver operating characteristic plots. RESULTS: The highest sensitivity of 67.7% (95% confidence interval {CI}, 34.9%-90.1%) was obtained when either modality had a change. Simultaneous changes in both modalities have the highest specificity of 97.8% (95% CI, 95.8%-99.0%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.795 (95% CI, 0.655-0.935) for changes in either modality. CONCLUSIONS: IONM with somatosensory evoked potentials alone or in combination with electroencephalography has high diagnostic accuracy in detecting periprocedural complications and resultant PPND during EVT of UCA.

Outcome of upper limb vascular access for hemodialysis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of vascular access procedures for hemodialysis and factors affecting access survival and complication rates. A retrospective review was carried out on 276 patients who underwent 404 consecutive vascular access operations performed over seven-years. The overall primary failure rate was 9.2%, while the oneand five-year cumulative access patency rates were 63.8% and 40.6%, respectively. Diabetes mellitus status significantly influenced access survival (P = 0.022). Autogenous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are reliable procedures with access sites often available in the upper limb proximally and distally. Patients with diabetes mellitus have significantly worse patency rates of upper limb AVFs.

The effect of low serum bicarbonate values on the onset of action of local anesthesia with vertical infraclavicular brachial plexus block in patients with end-stage renal failure.

Vertical infraclavicular brachial plexus block is utilized in patients with chronic renal failure at the time of creation of an arterio-venous fistula (AVF). The aim of this study is to test the effect of impaired renal function, with the resulting deranged serum electrolytes and blood gases, on the success rate and the onset of action of the local anesthetics used. In this prospective clinical study, we investigated the effect of the serum levels of sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, pH, and bicarbonate on the onset of action of a mixture of lidocaine and bupivacaine administered to create infraclavicular brachial plexus block. A total of 31 patients were studied. The success rate of the block was 93.5 % (29 patients). The mean onset time for impaired or reduced sensation was found to be 8.9 +/- 4.7 mins and for complete loss of sensation, was 21.2 +/- 6.7 mins. There was no significant association with serum sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine or the blood pH level (P > 0.05). The bivariate correlation between serum bicarbonate level and the partial and complete sensory loss was -0.714 and -0.433 respectively, with significant correlation (P = 0.00, 0.019). Our study suggests that infraclavicular block in patients with chronic renal failure carries a high success rate; the onset of the block is delayed in patients with low serum bicarbonate levels.

Periosteal chondroma of the clavicle: case report and review of the literature.

Periosteal chondromas (juxtacortical chondromas), are slow growing, rare cartilaginous lesion that arises adjacent to the cortex beneath the periosteum. They occur more in males in their 20s. We report a rare case of periosteal chondroma arising from the left clavicle of a 56 year old male. We could only find one reported case in the English literature of periosteal chondroma arising from the research and to the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case.

Operative treatment of sternal fractures.

Four patients with displaced sternal fractures complained of intractable pain following road traffic accidents. They all had bone deformities, but only one had associated traumatic injuries. All patients underwent operative reduction and fixation of the fractured sternum using a T-shaped compression-tension stainless steel plate and screws. Pain relief was often dramatic and all patients progressed to sternal union. None required reoperation. No infections occurred. Two plates have subsequently been removed. On follow-up, all patients had excellent results. Sternal plating, which is based on the tension-band principle, is an effective treatment for displaced sternal fractures.

Treatment options of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Penumothorax is a benign condition with high morbidity and high recurrence rate; and remains a significant clinical problem worldwide. The exact underlying pathogenesis is probably multifocal and is still unclear. The initial approach to the management of spontaneous pneumothorax differs from country to country and it is very difficult to establish an international standard protocol. Needless to say, that the safest and most cost-effective treatment protocol for a particular center should be used. However, first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax can be managed conservatively and there is no consensus on optimal treatment of patients presenting with spontaneous pneumothorax specially those with first event. On the contrary, there is some consensus that some treatment is mandatory with second or recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. Regardless of the chosen therapeutic modality, the treatment goals of spontaneous pneumothorax consist of elimination of the pleural air and also prevention of future recurrence. Therapeutic options include bed rest, oxygen supplementation, manual aspiration, chest tube drainage, thoracoscopic and surgical interventions. Till present, there are no prospective, randomised comparative studies between various treatment strategies but only few between various therapeutic techniques are available.

Video-assisted thoracoscopy versus open thoracotomy for spontaneous pneumothorax

This retrospective study was designed to compare the contribution of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and open thoracotomy in the management of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). The medical records of 100 patients with recurring or persisting (SP) treated were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: group I treated by thoracotomy while in group II (VATS) was used. There were 96 men and 6 women aged from 16 to 75 years. Indications for operation and sex distribution were comparable. The mean age for group I was 35 years and for group II was 45 years. Hospital stay was identical in both groups. The amount of narcotic requirements was lesser in group II than in group I as well as the postoperative respiratory dysfunction. There have been no recurrence to date (mean follow-up 6 years for the group I and 3 years for the group II). VATS have been shown to produce results comparable to those obtained following open thoracotomy with reduction of postoperative pain, respiratory dysfunction, catabolic response to trauma and decrease in wound related complications. VATS is a valid alternative to open thoracotomy for primary (SP) but it should be used with caution for the management of secondary pneumothorax.