Does playing surface affect the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the National Football League? A look at the 2017 - 2021 NFL seasons.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are devastating injuries for athletes. Prior studies have shown increased ACL injury rates on non-natural surfaces versus natural grass in several sports. The purpose of this study is to calculate the prevalence of ACL injuries in the NFL on natural versus non-natural surfaces to determine if there is a significant increase on non-natural surfaces. METHODS: Accessing publicly available data for NFL seasons beginning with the 2017-2018 season through 2021-2022 seasons, all ACL injuries with publicly available data concerning timing and playing surface were recorded and categorized according to playing surface. Practice injuries or those without an identifiable playing surface were excluded. Incidence rates, defined as ACL ruptures per game, were calculated. ACL injuries were recorded for each playing surface, as well as the combined category of non-natural grass surface. Odds ratio was calculated to compare the risk of ACL rupture on non-natural surfaces vs natural grass. RESULTS: During the 2017-2021 NFL seasons, 173 ACL ruptures were identified with known surfaces. Injury rate for non-natural surfaces was 0.134 compared to 0.097 for grass. Injury rate ratio for non-natural vs natural grass surfaces was 1.211, a 21.1% increased risk of ACL injury in the NFL on non-natural surfaces vs natural grass. OR for non-natural surfaces 1.239 (95% CI 0.900-1.704). Based on these findings there is a trend toward increased risk of ACL injury on non natural grass surfaces, however this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Numerous published studies show trends toward increasing rates of ACL injuries on non-natural playing surfaces vs natural grass. Based on our findings the difference is not statistically significant, however it does trend toward increased risk of ACL injury with non-natural surfaces. Further studies should be performed with larger sample sizes in order to further determine the risk of non-natural surfaces.

Incidence and Causes of Iatrogenic Hypoglycemia in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Hypoglycemia is frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED) and has potential for serious morbidity. The incidence and causes of iatrogenic hypoglycemia are not known. We aim to describe how often the cause of ED hypoglycemia is iatrogenic and to identify its specific causes. METHODS: We included adult patients with a chief complaint or ED diagnosis of hypoglycemia, or an ED glucose value of ≤70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) between 2009-2014. Two independent abstractors each reviewed charts of patients with an initial glucose ≤ 50 mg/dL, or initial glucose ≥ 70 mg/dL with a subsequent glucose ≤ 50 mg/dL, to determine if the hypoglycemia was caused by iatrogenesis. The data analysis was descriptive. RESULTS: We reviewed the charts of 591 patients meeting inclusion criteria. Of these 591 patients, 99 (17%; 95% confidence interval, 14-20%) were classified as iatrogenic. Of these 99 patients, 61 (61%) cases of hypoglycemia were caused by insulin administration and 38 (38%) were caused by unrecognized malnutrition. Of the 61 patients with iatrogenic hypoglycemia after ED insulin administration, 45 and 15 patients received insulin for hyperkalemia and uncomplicated hyperglycemia, respectively. One patient received insulin for diabetic ketoacidosis. CONCLUSION: In ED patients with hypoglycemia, iatrogenic causes are relatively common. The most frequent cause was insulin administration for hyperkalemia and uncomplicated hyperglycemia. Additionally, patients at risk of hypoglycemia in the absence of insulin, including those with alcohol intoxication or poor nutritional status, should be monitored closely in the ED.

Fusion Rates of Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Using Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. OBJECTIVES: Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) has been widely performed with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), but the fusion rates using this graft alternative have not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate fusion rates in 1- and 2-level LLIF with rhBMP-2 and their relationship with fixation, as well as rates of BMP-related complications. METHODS: Institutional review board (IRB)-approved spine registry cohort of 93 patients who underwent LLIF with rhBMP-2 (71 one-level cases and 22 two-level cases). Minimum 1-year clinical follow-up and computed tomography (CT) scan for fusion assessment. Postoperative CT scans were used to evaluate the rate of fusion in all patients. Instrumentation and complications were collected from chart and imaging review. RESULTS: Average age was 65 years (67% female). For 1-level cases, 92% (65/71) had complete fusion and 8% (6/71) had either incomplete or indeterminate fusion. Three of the 6 patients who had incomplete or indeterminate fusion had bilateral pedicle screw instrumentation, 1 patient had unilateral posterior fixation, and 2 had no fixation. In 2-level cases, 86% (19/22) had complete fusion and 14% (3/22) had either incomplete or indeterminate fusion. The 3 patients who had incomplete or indeterminate fusion did not have fixation. CONCLUSION: Interbody fusion rates with rhBMP-2 via LLIF was 92% in 1-level cases and 86% in 2-level cases, indicating that rhBMP-2 may be used as a viable graft alternative to allograft options for LLIF. Higher rates of pseudarthrosis occurred when not using fixation.

Preoxygenation With Flush Rate Oxygen: Comparing the Nonrebreather Mask With the Bag-Valve Mask.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Nonrebreather masks and bag-valve masks are used for preoxygenation before emergency intubation. Flush rate oxygen delivered with a nonrebreather mask is noninferior to bag-valve mask oxygen at 15 L/min. We seek to compare the nonrebreather mask with flush rate oxygen to a bag-valve mask with flush rate oxygen (with and without inspiratory assistance) and determine whether the efficacy of bag-valve mask with flush rate oxygen is compromised by a simulated mask leak. METHODS: We conducted 2 prospective studies in healthy, adult volunteers. All devices in both studies used flush rate oxygen, achieved by rotating the flowmeter dial counterclockwise until it could not be rotated farther, which delivered oxygen at 40 to 60 L/min. Study 1 compared preoxygenation with nonrebreather mask to bag-valve mask (modified with a one-way exhalation port) with and without a simulated mask leak. Study 2 compared nonrebreather mask to bag-valve mask with inspiratory assistance. The primary outcome was FeO2. For each comparison, we prespecified a noninferiority margin of FeO2 for the nonrebreather mask (compared with the bag-valve mask, bag-valve mask with mask leak, and bag-valve mask with assistance) of 10%. RESULTS: Thirty subjects were enrolled in study 1 and 27 subjects were enrolled in study 2. For study 1, mean FeO2 values for nonrebreather mask, bag-valve mask, and bag-valve mask with leak were 81% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78% to 83%), 76% (95% CI 71% to 81%), and 30% (95% CI 26% to 35%), respectively. FeO2 for the nonrebreather mask was noninferior to the bag-valve mask at flush rate (difference 5%; 95% CI -1% to 10%). FeO2 was higher for the nonrebreather mask compared with the bag-valve mask with a simulated mask leak (difference 51%; 95% CI 46% to 55%). For study 2, mean FeO2 values for nonrebreather mask and bag-valve mask with assistance were 83% (95% CI 80% to 86%) and 77% (95% CI 73% to 80%), respectively. FeO2 for the nonrebreather mask was noninferior to the bag-valve mask with assistance at flush rate (difference 6%; 95% CI 3% to 10%). CONCLUSION: With flush rate oxygen, the nonrebreather mask is noninferior to the bag-valve mask, with and without inspiratory assistance. Bag-valve mask performed poorly with a mask leak, even with flush rate oxygen. Flush rate oxygen with a nonrebreather mask is a reasonable default preoxygenation method in spontaneously breathing patients with no underlying respiratory pathology.

A prospective study of ketamine as primary therapy for prehospital profound agitation.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effectiveness of ketamine as a primary therapy for prehospital profound agitation. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of patients receiving 5mg/kg of intramuscular ketamine for profound agitation, defined as a score of +4 on the Altered Mental Status Scale (AMSS), a validated ordinal scale of agitation from -4 (unresponsive) to +4 (most agitated). The primary outcome was time to adequate sedation (AMSS<+1). Secondary outcomes included need for additional sedatives, intubation frequency, complications associated with ketamine, and mortality. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were enrolled. Median age was 29years (range 18-66); 76% (37/49) were male. Median time to adequate sedation was 4.2min (95% CI: 2.5-5.9, range 1-25min) and 90% (44/49) had adequate sedation prehospital. Seven patients (14%) received a second sedative prehospital. Intubation occurred in 57% (28/49) of patients. Mechanical ventilation lasted <24h in 82% (23/28) of patients, and <48h in 96% (27/28) of patients. A single physician intubated 36% (10/28) of the patients. Complications related to ketamine included hypersalivation (n=9, 18%), vomiting (n=3, 6%), and emergence reaction (n=2, 4%). One patient died from complications of septic shock on hospital day 29, likely unrelated to ketamine. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with prehospital profound agitation, ketamine provides rapid effective sedation when used as a primary therapy. Intubation was common but accompanied by a short duration of mechanical ventilation and appears to have been subject to individual physician practice variation.

Prevalence of arterial branches arising from the extracranial internal carotid artery on CT angiography.

Although it is well known that arterial branches may rarely arise from the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA), their incidence has not been adequately evaluated on computed tomography angiography (CTA). We investigate the prevalence of congenital and non-congenital anomalous branches arising from the cervical ICA by a 5 year retrospective review of neck CTAs performed on 2,602 patients. We found a higher frequency of arteries arising from the ICA than suggested by the existing literature, including a 0.49 % prevalence of the occipital artery origin and a 6.25 % prevalence of the superior pharyngeal branch of (the pharyngeal trunk of) the ascending pharyngeal artery. In addition, six cases of recanalized intersegmental arteries providing collateral flow to the cervical ICA from the cervical vertebral artery were identified. This is the first large, retrospective CTA study evaluating the incidence of these anomalous vessel origins.

Timing-dependent reduction in ethanol sedation and drinking preference by NMDA receptor co-agonist d-serine.

NMDA receptors become a major contributor to acute ethanol intoxication effects at high concentrations as ethanol binds to a unique site on the receptor and inhibits glutamatergic activity in multiple brain areas. Although a convincing body of literature exists on the ability of NMDA receptor antagonists to mimic and worsen cellular and behavioral ethanol effects, receptor agonists have been less well-studied. In addition to a primary agonist site for glutamate, the NMDA receptor contains a separate co-agonist site that responds to endogenous amino acids glycine and d-serine. d-serine is both selective for this co-agonist site and potent in boosting NMDA dependent activity even after systemic administration. In this study, we hypothesized that exogenous d-serine might ameliorate some acute ethanol behaviors by opposing NMDA receptor inhibition. We injected adult male C57 mice with a high concentration of d-serine at various time windows relative to ethanol administration and monitored sedation, motor coordination and voluntary ethanol drinking. d-serine (2.7 g/kg, ip) prolonged latency to a loss of righting reflex (LoRR) and shortened LoRR duration when given 15 min before ethanol (3 g/kg) but not when it was injected with or shortly after ethanol. Blood samples taken at sedative recovery and at fixed time intervals revealed no effect of d-serine on ethanol concentration but an ethanol-induced decrease in l-serine and glycine content was prevented by acute d-serine pre-administration. d-serine had no effect on ethanol-induced (2 g/kg) rotarod deficits in young adult animals but independently and interactively degraded motor performance in a subset of older mice. Finally, a week-long series of daily ip injections resulted in a 50% decrease in free choice ethanol preference for d-serine treated animals compared to saline-injected controls in a two-bottle choice experiment.