The Use of Point of Care Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Peritonsillar Abscess.

The use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosis and treatment of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is increasing 1. Proven advantages include improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment success rates as well as decreased otolaryngology consultation, computed tomography (CT) usage, return visits to the emergency department (ED), and length of stay 1. We present a case of a patient with a PTA that was diagnosed and successfully treated utilizing POCUS, avoiding the need for otolaryngology consultation and CT.

IF IM in a crisis: Intranasal fentanyl versus intravenous morphine in adult vaso-occlusive crisis.

IMPORTANCE: Studies have demonstrated the benefits of INF in reducing pain scores in pediatric patients with VOC due to sickle cell disease (SCD) and in adult patients with chronic pain conditions other than VOC, such as cancer. However, there is limited literature that exists describing the role of INF in adult patients with VOC due to SCD. Current literature demonstrates that the use of IV morphine for VOC patients leads to reduced pain. Therefore, comparing the use of INF with IV morphine will establish the degree of effectiveness of INF for VOC patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine if intranasal fentanyl is equally as effective as IV morphine for treating VOC-associated pain in adult SCD patients. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective non-inferiority cohort study. Electronic health records were utilized to identify eligible patients between January 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022. Patients who received INF as an initial opioid upon presentation to the ED where allocated to the intervention group. On the other hand, individuals who received IV morphine as an initial opioid upon presentation to the ED were allocated to the control group. SETTING: A multi-site healthcare system containing five hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Patients 18 years of age or older, admitted to the ED with VOC due to SCD, and received INF or IV morphine as an initial opioid upon presentation to the ED. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was to evaluate the percent change in pain reduction after the initial dose of opiate between groups. Secondary outcomes include time to first rescue medication, total morphine milligram equivalent (MME) of IV opiates, hypotension, bradycardia, respiratory distress requiring opiate reversal within 6 h post- study drug administration, readmission within 48 h, and ED disposition. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were reviewed within the study period, 95 subjects met inclusion criteria, 31 subjects were included in the INF arm and 64 subjects in the IV morphine arm. The primary outcome showed an average percent pain reduction of 17.25% in the INF arm and 17.15% in the IV morphine arm. The point estimate difference was 0.1% (95% CI -9.3%-9.5%; non-inferiority (p < 0.0001). The median dose of IV opiates was 8 MME in the INF group, and 6 MME in the IV morphine group (p = 0.0268). The time from study drug to first rescue medication administration was 22.4 min and 27.3 min in the INF and IV morphine groups, respectively (p = 0.2231). There was no incidence of hypotension or respiratory distress requiring opiate reversal in either arm. Bradycardia occurred in 12.9% and 7.7% (p = 0.2042), readmission rates within 48 h due to VOC was 6.5% and 20.9% (p = 0.0553), and discharge from the ED to home was 16% and 66% (p = 0.0196) in INF and IV morphine arms, respectively. CONCLUSION: INF provided similar pain reduction compared to IV morphine in the treatment of adults with VOC presenting to the ED. IV morphine arm showed a statistically significant difference in discharge to home from the ED, however there was a trend in readmission within 48 h. The study showed no significant difference in hypotension, respiratory distress, or bradycardia between the groups. The INF group had no significant impact on time to drug administration compared to IV morphine, however it was within 1 h of patient presentation which complies with American Society of Hematology (ASH) guidelines. In conclusion, our study showed that INF was non-inferior when compared to IV morphine in reducing pain scores after drug administration. Therefore, INF is an effective alternative to IV morphine for pain management in adults presenting to the ED for VOC particularly in those with limited IV access.

Pediatric catheterization laboratory anticoagulation with bivalirudin.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric physicians regularly face the problem of uncertain procedural anticoagulation in children, especially in neonates. We sought to evaluate the safety, plasma concentration (pharmacokinetics, PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and dosing guidelines of bivalirudin when used as a procedural anticoagulant in pediatric percutaneous intravascular procedures. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pediatric subjects undergoing percutaneous intravascular procedures for congenital heart disease were enrolled and received the current weight-based dose used in percutaneous coronary interventions (0.75 mg/kg bolus, 1.75 mg/kg/hr infusion). Blood samples for PK/PD analyses were drawn, and safety was evaluated by monitoring bleeding and thrombosis events. A total of 110 patients (11 neonates, 33 infants, 32 young children, and 34 older children) were enrolled; 106 patients received the protocol dose. The PK/PD response of bivalirudin was predictable and behaved in a manner similar to that in adults. Weight-normalized bivalirudin clearance rates were more rapid in neonates and decreased with increasing age. Bivalirudin concentrations were slightly lower in neonates, with a trend to an increase with age. Activating clotting time response was consistent with adult studies and prolonged in all age groups, and there was reasonable correlation between activating clotting time and bivalirudin plasma concentrations across all age groups. There were few major bleeding (2 of 110, 1.8%) or thrombotic events (9 of 110, 8.2%) reported. CONCLUSIONS: PK/PD response of bivalirudin in the pediatric population is predictable and behaves in a manner similar to that in adults. Using adult dosing, bivalirudin safely provided the expected anticoagulant effect in the pediatric population undergoing intravascular procedures for congenital heart disease.

Successful anticoagulation with bivalirudin in antithrombin-deficient pediatric patient undergoing stent placement.

Many pediatric patients requiring anticoagulation during interventional heart catheterizations have antithrombin (AT) deficiency. AT is a necessary cofactor for heparin inhibition of thrombin. Without sufficient AT, these patients are at increased risk for thrombotic complications. This case describes the successful use of bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, as an anticoagulant in a 2-month old infant with AT deficiency undergoing stent placement.

An unusual case of an accessory coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula: successful closure with transcatheter coil embolization.

Coronary artery fistulae (CAF) are rare congenital anomalies. Surgical ligation is the standard treatment for symptomatic CAF, but is associated with higher morbidity. In a select group of patients, transcatheter coil embolization (TCE) is a reasonable alternative to standard surgical treatment. In this article, we present a unique (not previously reported) case of a tortuous accessory anomalous right coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula with coronary steal phenomenon. TCE of highly tortuous fistulae can be technically difficult and are usually referred for surgery. In this case report we describe how utilization of adult coronary interventional wires and balloon catheters may help overcome some of the technical difficulties encountered with catheter-based closure of CAF.

Successful thrombolysis of acute left atrial thrombi in two pediatric patients following interventional cardiac catheterization.

Acute left atrial intracardiac thrombi require aggressive therapy due to the risk of embolization and cerebrovascular accidents. Current treatment includes the use of high-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA), which is associated with significant bleeding complications. We report the successful treatment of two pediatric patients with acute left atrial thrombi following interventional cardiac catheterizations using low-dose rTPA. Echocardiography was used to document the presence of the thrombi and monitor treatment with rTPA infusion at 0.03 mg/kg/hour and heparin. Both patients experienced complete resolution of left atrial thrombi without hemodynamically significant side effects. Low-dose (0.03 mg/kg/hour) rTPA with heparin is an acceptable and safe alternative to high-dose rTPA infusion for intracardiac thrombi in children.

Influence of Echocardiographic Guidance on Positioning of the Buttoned Occluder for Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defects.

Ideal position of the buttoned device for occlusion of atrial septal defects was achieved more often with transesophageal than with transthoracic echocardiographic guidance (10/11 vs 7/23; P = 0.001). Patients with ideal device position were less likely to have residual shunts, device unbuttoning, or atrioventricular valve regurgitation (2/17 vs 11/17; P = 0.002). We therefore recommend the use of transesophageal echocardiography to guide implantation of the buttoned device. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, March 1996)