Traumatic injuries after manual and automatic mechanical compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Chest compressions during advanced cardiac life support is a life-saving, potential harmful procedure with high incidence of severe and life-threatening injuries. Previous studies suggest a possible correlation between the increased incidence of chest and/or abdominal trauma and the use of automatic mechanical compression devices. Methods: An observational monocentric retrospective cohort study was conducted including all patients admitted to our Intensive Care Unit suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Canton Ticino (Switzerland) from 2012 to 2021. The primary endpoint was to describe any resuscitation-related body injury. The secondary endpoints were to explore possible predictors of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) related injuries and their association with the 30-day mortality. Results: We included 335 patients, 287 treated with manual chest compressions, 48 mechanically assisted. 55.5% of all resuscitated patients presented severe, or life-threatening lesions. Skeletal and thoracic injuries were the most frequent lesions followed by abdominal injuries. Mechanical assisted resuscitated patients presented higher risk of bleeding (OR 5.9; 95% CI 2.9-11.6) and increased CPR-related injuries (aOR 6.2; 95% CI 2.5-15.4) compared to standard manual chest compressions. In particular higher number of extra-thoracic and life-threatening lesions were described among the mechanical assisted CPR group. Patients with life-threatening had statistically significant higher mortality at 30-days compared to the severe and lesion's free cohort. Conclusion: Traumatic lesions occurred frequently after chest compression and their severity was associated with increased 30-day mortality. Mechanical devices, compared to manual chest compression, appear to be more harmful and may play a role in causing body lesions and hemorrhagic events.

Cardiac surgeon and electrophysiologist shoulder-to-shoulder approach: Hybrid room, a kingdom for two. A zero mortality transvenous lead extraction single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is considered an essential technique in lead management strategy. Since 2011, a multidisciplinary approach was undertaken in our centre involving electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons and anaesthesiologists to improve cross- unit cooperation and minimize complications and mortality. The present paper reports procedural outcomes and complications of our lead extraction experience. METHODS: We retrospectively collected and analysed data from all consecutive patients undergoing cardiac implantable electronic device leads TLE at the IRCCS Centro Cardiologico Monzino between January 2011 and November 2017. RESULTS: One-hundred fifty patients (111 males, 68 ±â€¯13 years) underwent extraction procedures. The most common extraction indication were infections (86.7%) and TLE was carried out by laser-based approach in 88 (58.6%) patients, by mechanical dilating sheaths in 58 (38.7%) patients and by a combined approach (TLE + open surgical intervention) in 4 (2.7%) patients. Procedural success was obtained in 146 (97.3%) cases with only 3 (2.0%) major complications with 2 cases of structural injury with tamponade requiring emergent median sternotomy. Open surgery extraction was required in 4 patients, after an attempt to TLE, due to leads strict adhesion to cardiac or vascular structures, whereas in 5 (3.3%) cases, the treatment of choice was a combined approach consisting in transvenous leads extraction followed by planned surgery. CONCLUSIONS: TLE is a complex procedure that sometimes leads to fatal complications. In our single center experience, a multidisciplinary approach involving electrophysiologist, cardiac surgeon, anaesthesiologist in an operating room allows a safer approach and major complications treatment.

Postoperative insulin secretion is decreased in patients with preoperative insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hyperglycemia is associated with increased rate of surgical site infection, renal failure, and cardiovascular events. The study of insulin sensitivity state before surgery could help in treating postoperative hyperglycemia and preventing iatrogenic hypoglycemia. We studied the postoperative insulin secretion in patients who have a low insulin sensitivity (IR) before surgery compared to patients with normal preoperative insulin sensitivity (IS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients, undergoing abdominal surgery, underwent preoperative sequential hyperglycemic-euglycemic clamp (SHEC) in order to measure insulin secretion and to screen patients with low insulin sensitivity (IR) or with normal insulin sensitivity (IS). Patients had been randomized to receive either general anesthesia with epidural or PCA. RESULTS: Postoperative insulin secretion in IR patients is decreased compared to IS (P = 0.059) and to IR before surgery regardless to the type of analgesia (P < 0.001). In the IS group, postoperative insulin secretion depends on type of analgesia. It is increased when using PCA and decreased when using epidural (P < 0.05). Blood glucose increased after surgery in both IS an IR (P < 0.001). Patients with preoperative insulin resistance had a higher glycemia before and after surgery (P < 0.001). Blood glucose levels were comparable between PCA and epidural patients (P = 0.450). CONCLUSION: Insulin secretion is reduced in IR regardless the type of anesthesia. PCA increases insulin secretion, whereas epidural decreases it in patients with normal insulin sensitivity. These findings implicate that after surgery insulin administration is advisable in patients with preoperative insulin resistance while it should be given cautiously in those with normal preoperative insulin sensitivity.

Improvement of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin sensitivity and specificity by two plasma measurements in predicting acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains among the most severe complication after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as possible biomarker for the prediction of AKI in an adult cardiac population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgeries in our hospital were prospectively evaluated. In the intensive care unit (ICU) NGAL was measured as a new biomarker of AKI besides serum creatinine (sCrea). Patients with at least two factors of AKI risk were selected and samples collected before the intervention and soon after the patient's arrival in ICU. As reference standard, sCrea measurements and urine outputs were evaluated to define the clinical AKI. A Triage Meter for plasma NGAL fluorescence immunoassay was used. RESULTS: Acute kidney injury occurred in 24 of the 69 patients (35%). Analysis of post-operative NGAL values demonstrated an AUC of 0.71, 95% CI (0.60 - 0.82) with a cut-off = 154 ng/mL (sensitivity = 76%, specificity = 59%). Moreover, NGAL after surgery had a good correlation with the AKI stage severity (P ≤ 0.001). Better diagnostic results were obtained with two consecutive tests: sensitivity 86% with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 87%. At 10-18 h after surgery sCrea measurement, as confirmatory test, allowed to reach a more sensitivity and specificity with a NPV of 96%. CONCLUSIONS: The assay results showed an improvement of NGAL diagnostic accuracy evaluating two tests. Consequently, NGAL may be useful for a timely treatment or for the AKI rule out in ICU patients.