Preoperative Management of Medications for Rheumatologic and HIV Diseases: Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI) Consensus Statement.

Perioperative medical management is challenging because of the rising complexity of patients presenting for surgical procedures. A key part of preoperative optimization is appropriate management of long-term medications, yet guidelines and consensus statements for perioperative medication management are lacking. Available resources use recommendations derived from individual studies and do not include a multidisciplinary focus on formal consensus. The Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement identified a lack of authoritative clinical guidance as an opportunity to use its multidisciplinary membership to improve evidence-based perioperative care. The Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement seeks to provide guidance on perioperative medication management that synthesizes available literature with expert consensus. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide practical guidance on the preoperative management of immunosuppressive, biologic, antiretroviral, and anti-inflammatory medications. A panel of experts including hospitalists, anesthesiologists, internal medicine physicians, infectious disease specialists, and rheumatologists was appointed to identify the common medications in each of these categories. The authors then used a modified Delphi process to critically review the literature and to generate consensus recommendations.

Narrative Review of Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Medications for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in Spine Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a narrative review. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify commonly utilized venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylactic measures, spine surgeon perspective, and provide pharmacologic recommendations from the literature. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Considered a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, VTE remains an important iatrogenic diagnosis of concern. Reported rates of VTE following spine surgery vary widely (0.3%-31.0%). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE query identified literature reporting on VTE prevention and outcomes in the setting of spine surgery. Findings extracted from the included articles were summarized in a narrative review format to identify salient aspects of the current literature. RESULTS: Sixty articles were summarized. Many anticoagulation medications that are described in the literature target factors involved in the coagulation cascade common pathway including aspirin and other antiplatelet medications, heparins, and warfarin. Newer direct inhibitors of thrombin and factor Xa are now being utilized for VTE prevention, although with limited use specifically in spine surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative management of antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications in spine surgery requires evidence-based protocols that can account for patient comorbidities and surgery-specific features. Future studies should prospectively focus on establishing stronger recommendations based on pathology, surgical indications, patient comorbidities, region of the spine, and broad surgical intervention to enable effective prophylaxis for VTE. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Enhanced recovery pathway in adult patients undergoing thoracolumbar deformity surgery.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Enhanced recovery (ERAS) pathways can help hospitals maximize the incentives of bundled payment models while maintaining high-quality patient care. A key component of an enhanced recovery pathway is the ability to predictably reduce inpatient length of stay, as this is a critical component of the cost equation. PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of an enhanced recovery pathway on reducing length of stay after thoracolumbar adult deformity surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Single surgeon retrospective review of prospectively-collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE: Forty adult deformity patients who underwent ≥5 levels of fusion to the pelvis (two to L5) with a single surgeon before and after implementation of an ERAS pathway. METHODS: The pathway involved participation by anesthesiology, hospital medicine, and physical therapy, and was designed to achieve goals previously associated with decreased LOS (eg, EBL<1200 mL, procedure time <4.5 hours, avoidance of ICU postoperatively, and mobilization POD0-1). Patients were propensity-score matched 1:1 to a historical cohort (enhanced recovery [ER] and historical [H] cohorts), based on demographics, medical comorbidities, radiographic alignment parameters, and surgical factors. Outcomes were compared to determine the effect of the enhanced recovery pathway. Primary outcomes included LOS and 90-day complications and readmissions. RESULTS: After matching, gender, BMI, ASA class, preoperative opioid dependence, day of surgery, sagittal alignment parameters, rate of revision surgery, three-column osteotomies, and interbody fusions were comparable between the cohorts (p>.05). In the ER cohort, there was reduced EBL (920±640 vs. 1437±555, p=.004) and no ER patient went to the ICU immediately following surgery, compared with 30% of H patients (p=.022). The ER cohort also had a greater number of patients ambulating by POD1 compared to the H cohort (100% vs. 55%, p=.010). ER patients had a shorter LOS (4.5±1.3 vs. 7.3±4.4 days, p=.010). A 90-day readmission and complications were comparable between the cohorts (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS: The creation of an ERAS pathway for patients undergoing thoracolumbar adult deformity surgery reduced length of stay without negatively affecting short-term morbidity and complications. Given the specificity of this pathway to a single surgeon and hospital, the resources and staffing changes that were instrumental in creating the pathway may not be generalizable to other centers.

Factors Associated With Short Length of Stay After Long Fusions for Adult Spinal Deformity: Initial Steps Toward Developing an Enhanced Recovery Pathway.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: The identification of case types and institutional factors associated with reduced length of stay (LOS) is a key initial step to inform the creation of clinical care pathways that can assist hospitals to maximize the benefit of value-based payment models. The objective of this study was to identify preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors associated with shorter than expected LOS after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of 82 patients with ASD who underwent ≥5 levels of fusion to the pelvis between 2013 and 2018. A LOS <6 days was determined as a basis for comparison, as 5.7 days was the "expected LOS" generated through Poisson regression modeling of the sample. Clinical, radiographic, surgical, and postoperative factors were compared between those staying ≥6 days (L group) and <6 days (S group). Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with LOS <6 days. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients were in group S (42.7%). Gender, age, body mass index, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) class, and use of preoperative narcotics, revision surgery, day of admission, and surgical complications did not vary between the cohorts (P > .05). Mild-moderate preoperative sagittal deformity (sagittal Schwab modifiers 0 or +), lower estimated blood loss (<1200 mL), fewer levels fused (7 vs 10 levels), shorter operating room time, procedure end time before 15:00, and no intensive care unit stay, were associated with short LOS (P < .05). Only 1 major medical complication occurred in the short LOS group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies the ASD "case phenotype," intra-, and postoperative benchmarks associated with shorter LOS, providing targets for pathways designed to reduce LOS.

Intercostal artery hemorrhage with hemothorax following combined lateral and posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a case report.

Introduction: Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is a safe treatment for degenerative spine conditions. However, risk of complications such as vascular injuries remains. We report a unique case of an intercostal artery (ICA) hemorrhage with hemothorax following LLIF. Case presentation: One hour after a right-sided LLIF L3-4 with posterior decompression L2-4 and L3-5 instrumentation, the patient became hypotensive, anemic and required vasopressor support. Evaluation revealed a right-sided hemothorax, which was caused by a bleeding intercostal artery, laterally at the 10th intercostal space. A lateral thoracotomy was performed to stop the bleeding. After vessel ligation and placement of two chest tubes, the patients' hemodynamics improved. The patient remained intubated overnight and was extubated on the first postoperative day. Discussion: Vascular injury is a rare complication of LLIF procedures. Most vascular injuries are segmental vessel lacerations, which resolve postoperatively. This is the first case description of ICA bleeding associated with LLIF surgery. Spontaneous ICA bleeding exists, but surgeons should be aware of careful handling in patients with vascular risk factors, especially with regard to patient positioning required in certain spinal surgical approaches. Timely vascular injury identification is critical for hemostasis and clinical management.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Procalcitonin as a Marker of Postoperative Orthopedic Infections.

Procalcitonin is a serologic marker that increases in response to inflammatory stimuli, especially those of bacterial origin. Postoperative orthopedic periprosthetic infections are often difficult to diagnose. This study systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the statistical measures of performance of procalcitonin as a marker of postoperative orthopedic infection. This study showed that procalcitonin has a weighted pooled sensitivity of 67.3%, specificity of 69.4%, positive likelihood ratio of 1.778, negative likelihood ratio of 0.423, and diagnostic odds ratio of 5.770. These results illustrate that procalcitonin is an effective serologic marker for postoperative bacterial infections. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):e303-e309.].

Psychosocial Variables Contribute to Length of Stay and Discharge Destination After Lumbar Surgery Independent of Demographic and Clinical Variables.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective analysis of resource utilization (RU) after lumbar surgery. OBJECTIVE: To determine contributions of patient psychosocial variables to RU, specifically length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Associations between demographic/clinical variables and RU are well-established; less is known about associations between psychosocial variables, such as social support and depressive/anxiety symptoms, and RU. METHODS: Preoperatively 532 patients provided standard ratings of depressive and anxiety symptoms and amount of social support. Clinical variables included calculation of a composite score reflecting invasiveness of surgery. Two outcomes were considered: LOS ≤ 3 or > 3 days; and discharged home without external services or discharged with external services. Independent variables in multivariable logistic models were demographic/clinical and psychosocial variables. RESULTS: Mean age was 56 years, 55% were men, 87% had degenerative conditions, 40% had a positive depression screen, 62% had anxiety greater than population norms, and 77% reported as much social support as wanted. Variables that remained associated with a LOS > 3 days (53%) in multivariable analysis were: older age (OR 1.8, confidence interval, CI, 1.2-2.8); female sex (OR 1.9, CI 1.2-2.9), less social support (OR 1.4, CI 1.1-1.7); obesity (OR 1.8, CI 1.1-2.8), worse functional status (OR 1.0, CI 1.0-1.0), and more invasive surgery (OR 3.0, CI 2.4-3.7). Variables that remained associated with discharged with external services (17%) in multivariable analysis were: older age (OR 3.3, CI 1.9-5.9); less social support (OR 1.3, CI 1.0-1.7); positive depression screen (OR 1.9, CI 1.1-3.4); more anxiety (OR 2.4, CI 1.3-4.2); major comorbidity (OR 1.7, CI 1.0-2.8); and more invasive surgery (OR 1.9, CI 1.5-2.5). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the importance of demographic/clinical variables as predictors of greater RU after lumbar surgery and provides preliminary evidence for the importance of concurrent psychosocial variables, particularly less social support, and worse psychological well-being. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

Serotonergic Antidepressants Are Associated with Increased Blood Loss and Risk for Transfusion in Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of antidepressants on blood loss and transfusion requirements in spinal surgery patients. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Several studies have shown an increase in perioperative bleeding in orthopedic surgery patients on antidepressant drug therapy, yet no study has examined the impact of these agents on spinal surgery patients. METHODS: Charts of patients who underwent single-level spinal fusion (posterior lumbar interbody fusion with posterior instrumentation) performed by five fellowship-trained surgeons at a tertiary spine center between 2008 and 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Exclusion criteria included select medical comorbidities, select drug therapy, and Amercian Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification score of greater than 2. Serotonergic antidepressants were examined in multivariate analysis to assess their predictive value on estimated blood loss and risk of transfusion. RESULTS: A total of 235 patients, of which 52% were female, were included. Allogeneic blood was transfused in 7% of patients. The average estimated blood loss was 682±463 mL. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were taken by 10% of all patients. Multivariable regression analysis showed that intake of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was a significant predictor for blood loss (average increase of 34%, p=0.015) and for the need of allogeneic blood transfusion (odds ratio, 4.550; p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and both increased blood loss and risk of allogeneic red blood cell transfusion. Surgeons and perioperative providers should take these findings into account when assessing patients' preoperative risk for blood loss and transfusion.

Acute myeloid leukemia in the elderly: conventional and novel treatment approaches.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a disorder affecting primarily elderly individuals and poses significant treatment challenges. Much has been learned about the underlying immunologic, cytogenetic and molecular features of AML in recent years, and many features have been identified that portend a poor prognosis for elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML. Despite this, treatment outcomes for elderly patients remain poor for both newly diagnosed and relapsed disease. While conventional treatment approaches may be appropriate for some elderly patients, the vast majority do not tolerate intensive chemotherapy well, thus alternative strategies have been investigated. Here we review both conventional and novel treatment approaches for elderly patients with AML, including agents in early clinical trials. Treatment options have been divided into several discussions, including conventional treatments, agents complementary to conventional treatments, alternatives to conventional induction therapies, post-induction treatment, and relapsed disease. Current and developing research focuses upon identifying subgroups of patients that benefit more from specific chemotherapeutic agents. Treating elderly patients with AML requires an organized, multidisciplinary approach, taking into account individual patient characteristics, preferences, and comorbidities when formulating treatment plans.