Impaired oxygenation after lung resection: Incidence and perioperative risk factors.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of postoperative oxygenation impairment after lung resection in the era of lung-protective management, and to identify perioperative factors associated with that impairment. DESIGN: Registry-based retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two large academic hospitals in the United States. PATIENTS: 3081 ASA I-IV patients undergoing lung resection. MEASUREMENTS: 79 pre- and intraoperative variables, selected for inclusion based on a causal inference framework. The primary outcome of impaired oxygenation, an early marker of lung injury, was defined as at least one of the following within seven postoperative days: (1) SpO2 < 92%; (2) imputed PaO2/FiO2 < 300 mmHg [(1) or (2) occurring at least twice within 24 h]; (3) intensive oxygen therapy (mechanical ventilation or > 50% oxygen or high-flow oxygen). MAIN RESULTS: Oxygenation was impaired within seven postoperative days in 70.8% of patients (26.6% with PaO2/FiO2 < 200 mmHg or intensive oxygen therapy). In multivariable analysis, each additional cmH2O of intraoperative median driving pressure was associated with a 7% higher risk of impaired oxygenation (OR 1.07; 95%CI 1.04 to 1.10). Higher median intraoperative FiO2 (OR 1.23; 95%CI 1.14 to 1.31 per 0.1) and PEEP (OR 1.12; 95%CI 1.04 to 1.21 per 1 cm H2O) were also associated with increased risk. History of COPD (OR 2.55; 95%CI 1.95 to 3.35) and intraoperative albuterol administration (OR 2.07; 95%CI 1.17 to 3.67) also showed reliable effects. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired postoperative oxygenation is common after lung resection and is associated with potentially modifiable pre- and intraoperative respiratory factors.

Effects of Intra-operative Cardiopulmonary Variability On Post-operative Pulmonary Complications in Major Non-cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Intraoperative cardiopulmonary variables are well-known predictors of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC), traditionally quantified by median values over the duration of surgery. However, it is unknown whether cardiopulmonary instability, or wider intra-operative variability of the same metrics, is distinctly associated with PPC risk and severity. We leveraged a retrospective cohort of adults (n = 1202) undergoing major non-cardiothoracic surgery. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association of two outcomes (1)moderate-or-severe PPC and (2)any PPC with two sets of exposure variables- (a)variability of cardiopulmonary metrics (inter-quartile range, IQR) and (b)median intraoperative cardiopulmonary metrics. We compared predictive ability (receiver operating curve analysis, ROC) and parsimony (information criteria) of three models evaluating different aspects of the intra-operative cardiopulmonary metrics: Median-based: Median cardiopulmonary metrics alone, Variability-based: IQR of cardiopulmonary metrics alone, and Combined: Medians and IQR. Models controlled for peri-operative/surgical factors, demographics, and comorbidities. PPC occurred in 400(33%) of patients, and 91(8%) experienced moderate-or-severe PPC. Variability in multiple intra-operative cardiopulmonary metrics was independently associated with risk of moderate-or-severe, but not any, PPC. For moderate-or-severe PPC, the best-fit predictive model was the Variability-based model by both information criteria and ROC analysis (area under the curve, AUCVariability-based = 0.74 vs AUCMedian-based = 0.65, p = 0.0015; AUCVariability-based = 0.74 vs AUCCombined = 0.68, p = 0.012). For any PPC, the Median-based model yielded the best fit by information criteria. Predictive accuracy was marginally but not significantly higher for the Combined model (AUCCombined = 0.661) than for the Median-based (AUCMedian-based = 0.657, p = 0.60) or Variability-based (AUCVariability-based = 0.649, p = 0.29) models. Variability of cardiopulmonary metrics, distinct from median intra-operative values, is an important predictor of moderate-or-severe PPC.

Feasibility Assessment of a Biomarker-Guided Kidney-Sparing Sepsis Bundle: The Limiting Acute Kidney Injury Progression In Sepsis Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a biomarker-guided implementation of a kidney-sparing sepsis bundle (KSSB) of care in comparison with standard of care (SOC) on clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis. DESIGN: Adaptive, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Five University Hospitals in Europe and North America. PATIENTS: Adult patients, admitted to the ICU with an indwelling urinary catheter and diagnosis of sepsis or septic shock, without acute kidney injury (acute kidney injury) stage 2 or 3 or chronic kidney disease. INTERVENTIONS: A three-level KSSB based on Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGOs) recommendations guided by serial measurements of urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 used as a combined biomarker [TIMP2]•[IGFBP7]. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The trial was stopped for low enrollment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nineteen patients enrolled in five sites over 12 months were randomized to the SOC (n = 8, 42.0%) or intervention (n = 11, 58.0%). The primary outcome was feasibility, and key secondary outcomes were safety and efficacy. Adherence to protocol in patients assigned to the first two levels of KSSB was 15 of 19 (81.8%) and 19 of 19 (100%) but was 1 of 4 (25%) for level 3 KSSB. Serious adverse events were more frequent in the intervention arm (4/11, 36.4%) than in the control arm (1/8, 12.5%), but none were related to study interventions. The secondary efficacy outcome was a composite of death, dialysis, or progression of greater than or equal to 2 stages of acute kidney injury within 72 hours after enrollment and was reached by 3 of 8 (37.5%) patients in the control arm, and 0 of 11 (0%) patients in the intervention arm. In the control arm, two patients experienced progression of acute kidney injury, and one patient died. CONCLUSIONS: Although the COVID-19 pandemic impeded recruitment, the actual implementation of a therapeutic strategy that deploys a KDIGO-based KSSB of care guided by risk stratification using urinary [TIMP2]•[IGFBP7] seems feasible and appears to be safe in patients with sepsis.

Thrombosis-Related Loss of Arterial Lines in the First Wave of COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit Patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can present with severe respiratory distress requiring intensive care unit (ICU)-level care. Such care often requires placement of an arterial line for monitoring of pulmonary disease progression, hemodynamics, and laboratory tests. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, experienced physicians anecdotally reported multiple attempts, decreased insertion durations, and greater need for replacement of arterial lines in patients with COVID-19 due to persistent thrombosis. Because invasive procedures in patients with COVID-19 may increase the risk for caregiver infection, better defining difficulties in maintaining arterial lines in COVID-19 patients is important. We sought to explore the association between COVID-19 infection and arterial line thrombosis in critically ill patients. METHODS: In this primary exploratory analysis, a multivariable Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model was used to retrospectively estimate the association between critically ill COVID-19 (versus sepsis/acute respiratory distress syndrome [ARDS]) patients and the risk of arterial line removal for thrombosis (with arterial line removal for any other reason treated as a competing risk). As a sensitivity analysis, we compared the number of arterial line clots per 1000 arterial line days between critically ill COVID-19 and sepsis/ARDS patients using multivariable negative binomial regression. RESULTS: We retrospectively identified 119 patients and 200 arterial line insertions in patients with COVID-19 and 54 patients and 68 arterial line insertions with non-COVID ARDS. Using a Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model, we found the adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) for arterial line clot to be 2.18 (1.06-4.46) for arterial lines placed in COVID-19 patients versus non-COVID-19 sepsis/ARDS patients ( P = .034). Patients with COVID-19 had 36.3 arterial line clots per 1000 arterial line days compared to 19.1 arterial line clots per 1000 arterial line days in patients without COVID-19 (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] [95% CI], 1.78 [0.94-3.39]; P = .078). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that arterial line complications due to thrombosis are more likely in COVID-19 patients and supports the need for further research on the association between COVID-19 and arterial line dysfunction requiring replacement.

Individualised positive end-expiratory pressure in abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Individualised positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may optimise pulmonary compliance, thereby potentially mitigating lung injury. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the impact of individualised PEEP vs fixed PEEP during abdominal surgery on postoperative pulmonary outcomes. METHODS: Medical databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched for RCTs comparing fixed vs individualised PEEP. The composite primary outcome of pulmonary complications comprised hypoxaemia, atelectasis, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Secondary outcomes included oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2) and systemic inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 [IL-6] and club cell protein-16 [CC16]). We calculated risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using DerSimonian and Laird random effects models. Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was applied. RESULTS: Ten RCTs (n=1117 patients) met the criteria for inclusion, with six reporting the primary endpoint. Individualised PEEP reduced the incidence of overall pulmonary complications (141/412 [34.2%]) compared with 183/415 (44.1%) receiving fixed PEEP (RR 0.69 [95% CI: 0.51-0.93]; P=0.016; I2=43%). Risk-of-bias analysis did not alter these findings. Individualised PEEP reduced postoperative hypoxaemia (74/392 [18.9%]) compared with 110/395 (27.8%) participants receiving fixed PEEP (RR 0.68 [0.52-0.88]; P=0.003; I2=0%) but not postoperative atelectasis (RR 0.93 [0.81-1.07]; P=0.297; I2=0%). Individualised PEEP resulted in higher PaO2/FiO2 (MD 20.8 mm Hg [4.6-36.9]; P=0.012; I2=80%) and reduced systemic inflammation (lower plasma IL-6 [MD -6.8 pg ml-1; -11.9 to -1.7]; P=0.009; I2=6%; and CC16 levels [MD -6.2 ng ml-1; -8.8 to -3.5]; P<0.001; I2=0%) at the end of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Individualised PEEP may reduce pulmonary complications, improve oxygenation, and reduce systemic inflammation after abdominal surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42021277973.

Postoperative pulmonary complications with adjuvant regional anesthesia versus general anesthesia alone: a sub-analysis of the Perioperative Research Network study.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant regional anesthesia is often selected for patients or procedures with high risk of pulmonary complications after general anesthesia. The benefit of adjuvant regional anesthesia to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications remains uncertain. In a prospective observational multicenter study, patients scheduled for non-cardiothoracic surgery with at least one postoperative pulmonary complication surprisingly received adjuvant regional anesthesia more frequently than those with no complications. We hypothesized that, after adjusting for surgical and patient complexity variables, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications would not be associated with adjuvant regional anesthesia. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective observational multicenter study including 1202 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3 patients undergoing non-cardiothoracic surgery. Patients were classified as receiving either adjuvant regional anesthesia or general anesthesia alone. Predefined pulmonary complications within the first seven postoperative days were prospectively identified. Groups were compared using bivariable and multivariable hierarchical logistic regression analyses for the outcome of at least one postoperative pulmonary complication. RESULTS: Adjuvant regional anesthesia was performed in 266 (22.1%) patients and not performed in 936 (77.9%). The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was greater in patients receiving adjuvant regional anesthesia (42.1%) than in patients without it (30.9%) (site adjusted p = 0.007), but this association was not confirmed after adjusting for covariates (adjusted OR 1.37; 95% CI, 0.83-2.25; p = 0.165). CONCLUSION: After adjusting for surgical and patient complexity, adjuvant regional anesthesia versus general anesthesia alone was not associated with a greater incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in this multicenter cohort of non-cardiothoracic surgery patients.

Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels as Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Abnormal ion channel expression distinguishes several types of carcinoma. Here, we explore the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We find that EOC cell lines express most VGSC, but at lower levels than fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (the cells of origin for most EOC) or control fibroblasts. Among patient tumor samples, lower SCN8A expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) (median 111 vs. 52 months; HR 2.04 95% CI: 1.21-3.44; p = 0.007), while lower SCN1B expression was associated with poorer OS (median 45 vs. 56 months; HR 0.69 95% CI 0.54-0.87; p = 0.002). VGSC blockade using either anti-epileptic drugs or local anesthetics (LA) decreased the proliferation of cancer cells. LA increased cell line sensitivity to platinum and taxane chemotherapies. While lidocaine had similar additive effects with chemotherapy among EOC cells and fibroblasts, bupivacaine showed a more pronounced impact on EOC than fibroblasts when combined with either carboplatin (ΔAUC -37% vs. -16%, p = 0.003) or paclitaxel (ΔAUC -37% vs. -22%, p = 0.02). Together, these data suggest VGSC are prognostic biomarkers in EOC and may inform new targets for therapy.

Acute kidney injury after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

OBJECTIVES: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin has been used successfully to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma, a highly aggressive malignancy that is rapidly fatal in most cases. We hypothesized that the combination of ischemic injury with nephrotoxic injury from cisplatin would result in high rates of acute kidney injury. METHODS: We conducted an observational study in 503 patients to study the risks and outcomes of acute kidney injury after surgical resection of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Eligible subjects underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy or pleurectomy/decortication with or without hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy. Acute kidney injury was defined as an increase in creatinine of 26.5 µmol/L or greater within 48 hours of surgery or a 50% or greater increase over 7 days. RESULTS: Acute kidney injury developed in 243 patients (48.3%). Severe acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy developed in 16 patients (3.2%). Major significant predictors for acute kidney injury included male sex (odds ratio, 2.98; P < .001), intraoperative cisplatin administration (odds ratio, 3.12; P < .001), previous cisplatin exposure (odds ratio, 1.96; P = .02), hypertension (odds ratio, 1.57; P = .02), and longer surgical time (odds ratio, 1.15 per hour; P = .02). Compared with patients without acute kidney injury, those with severe acute kidney injury had longer length of stay (26 vs 13 days) and a 2.71-fold increased risk of death in multivariable-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury is common after cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin and is associated with poor long-term outcomes. Strategies to prevent postoperative acute kidney injury are needed to improve multimodal treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Predicting kidney disease progression in patients with acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify patients who are likely to develop progressive kidney dysfunction (acute kidney disease) before their hospital discharge after cardiac surgery, allowing targeted monitoring of kidney function in this at-risk group with periodic serum creatinine measurements. METHODS: Risks of progression to acute kidney disease (a state in between acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease) were modeled from acute kidney injury stages (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A modified Poisson regression with robust error variance was used to evaluate the association between acute kidney injury stages and the development of acute kidney disease (defined as doubling of creatinine 2-4 weeks after surgery) in this observational study. RESULTS: Acute kidney disease occurred in 4.4% of patients with no preexisting kidney disease and 4.8% of patients with preexisting chronic kidney disease. Acute kidney injury predicted development of acute kidney disease in a graded manner in which higher stages of acute kidney injury predicted higher relative risk of progressive kidney disease (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve = 0.82). This correlation persisted regardless of baseline kidney function (P < .001). Of note, development of acute kidney disease was associated with higher mortality and need for renal replacement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of acute kidney injury can identify patients who will have a higher risk of progression to acute kidney disease. These patients may benefit from close follow-up of renal function because they are at risk of progressing to chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease.

Differential Effects of Chlorhexidine Skin Cleansing Methods on Residual Chlorhexidine Skin Concentrations and Bacterial Recovery.

BACKGROUND Bathing intensive care unit (ICU) patients with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)-impregnated cloths decreases the risk of healthcare-associated bacteremia and multidrug-resistant organism transmission. Hospitals employ different methods of CHG bathing, and few studies have evaluated whether those methods yield comparable results. OBJECTIVE To determine whether 3 different CHG skin cleansing methods yield similar residual CHG concentrations and bacterial densities on skin. DESIGN Prospective, randomized 2-center study with blinded assessment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Healthcare personnel in surgical ICUs at 2 tertiary-care teaching hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, and Boston, Massachusetts, from July 2015 to January 2016. INTERVENTION Cleansing skin of one forearm with no-rinse 2% CHG-impregnated polyester cloth (method A) versus 4% CHG liquid cleansing with rinsing on the contralateral arm, applied with either non-antiseptic-impregnated cellulose/polyester cloth (method B) or cotton washcloth dampened with sterile water (method C). RESULTS In total, 63 participants (126 forearms) received method A on 1 forearm (n=63). On the contralateral forearm, 33 participants received method B and 30 participants received method C. Immediately and 6 hours after cleansing, method A yielded the highest residual CHG concentrations (2500 µg/mL and 1250 µg/mL, respectively) and lowest bacterial densities compared to methods B or C (P<.001). CONCLUSION In healthy volunteers, cleansing with 2% CHG-impregnated cloths yielded higher residual CHG concentrations and lower bacterial densities than cleansing with 4% CHG liquid applied with either of 2 different cloth types and followed by rinsing. The relevance of these differences to clinical outcomes remains to be determined. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:405-411.

Diagnostic potential for a serum miRNA neural network for detection of ovarian cancer.

Recent studies posit a role for non-coding RNAs in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Combining small RNA sequencing from 179 human serum samples with a neural network analysis produced a miRNA algorithm for diagnosis of EOC (AUC 0.90; 95% CI: 0.81-0.99). The model significantly outperformed CA125 and functioned well regardless of patient age, histology, or stage. Among 454 patients with various diagnoses, the miRNA neural network had 100% specificity for ovarian cancer. After using 325 samples to adapt the neural network to qPCR measurements, the model was validated using 51 independent clinical samples, with a positive predictive value of 91.3% (95% CI: 73.3-97.6%) and negative predictive value of 78.6% (95% CI: 64.2-88.2%). Finally, biologic relevance was tested using in situ hybridization on 30 pre-metastatic lesions, showing intratumoral concentration of relevant miRNAs. These data suggest circulating miRNAs have potential to develop a non-invasive diagnostic test for ovarian cancer.

Association of pre-hospital theophylline use and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Although theophylline has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, the therapeutic use of theophylline before sepsis is unknown. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of theophylline on COPD patients presenting with sepsis. METHODS: This nationwide, population-based, propensity score-matched analysis used data from the linked administrative databases of Taiwan's National Health Insurance program. Patients with COPD who were hospitalized for sepsis between 2000 and 2011 were divided into theophylline users and non-users. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. The secondary outcome was in-hospital death, intensive care unit admission, and need for mechanical ventilation. Cox proportional hazard model and conditional logistic regression were used to calculate the risk between groups. RESULTS: A propensity score-matched cohort of 51,801 theophylline users and 51,801 non-users was included. Compared with non-users, the 30-day (HR 0.931, 95% CI 0.910-0.953), 180-day (HR 0.930, 95% CI 0.914-0.946), 365-day (HR 0.944, 95% CI 0.929-0.960) and overall mortality (HR 0.965, 95% CI 0.952-0.979) were all significantly lower in theophylline users. Additionally, the theophylline users also had lower risk of in-hospital death (OR 0.895, 95% CI 0.873-0.918) and need for mechanical ventilation (OR 0.972, 95% CI 0.949-0.997). CONCLUSIONS: Theophylline use is associated with a lower risk of sepsis-related mortality in COPD patients. Pre-hospital theophylline use may be protective to COPD patients with sepsis.

Early risk factors and the role of fluid administration in developing acute respiratory distress syndrome in septic patients.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a major risk factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, there remains a paucity of literature examining risk factors for ARDS in septic patients early in their course. This study examined the role of early fluid administration and identified other risk factors within the first 6 h of hospital presentation associated with developing ARDS in septic patients. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of septic adult patients presenting to the Emergency Department or being admitted for high-risk elective surgery from the multicenter observational cohort study, US Critical Injury and Illness trial Group-Lung Injury Prevention Study 1 (USCIITG-LIPS 1, NCT00889772). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify potential early risk factors for ARDS. Stratified analysis by shock status was performed to examine the association between early fluid administration and ARDS. RESULTS: Of the 5584 patients in the original study cohort, 2534 (45.4%) met our criteria for sepsis. One hundred and fifty-six (6.2%) of these patients developed ARDS during the hospital stay. In multivariable analyses, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.13), age (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.98), total fluid infused in the first 6 h (in liters) (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.29), shock (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.62-4.08), pneumonia as a site of infection (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.59-3.36), pancreatitis (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.33-11.24), and acute abdomen (OR 3.77, 95% CI 1.37-10.41) were associated with developing ARDS. In the stratified analysis, total fluid infused in the first 6 h (in liters) (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.87-1.28) was not associated with the development of ARDS in the shock group, while there was an association in the non-shock group (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.05-1.38). CONCLUSIONS: In septic patients, the following risk factors identified within the first 6 h of hospital presentation were associated with ARDS: APACHE II score, presence of shock, pulmonary source of infection, pancreatitis, and presence of an acute abdomen. In septic patients without shock, the amount of fluid infused during the first 6 h of hospital presentation was associated with developing ARDS.

Postoperative Pulmonary Complications, Early Mortality, and Hospital Stay Following Noncardiothoracic Surgery: A Multicenter Study by the Perioperative Research Network Investigators.

Importance: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), a leading cause of poor surgical outcomes, are heterogeneous in their pathophysiology, severity, and reporting accuracy. Objective: To prospectively study clinical and radiological PPCs and respiratory insufficiency therapies in a high-risk surgical population. Design, Setting, and Participants: We performed a multicenter prospective observational study in 7 US academic institutions. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3 patients who presented for noncardiothoracic surgery requiring 2 hours or more of general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation from May to November 2014 were included in the study. We hypothesized that PPCs, even mild, would be associated with early postoperative mortality and use of hospital resources. We analyzed their association with modifiable perioperative variables. Exposure: Noncardiothoracic surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures: Predefined PPCs occurring within the first 7 postoperative days were prospectively identified. We used bivariable and logistic regression analyses to study the association of PPCs with ventilatory and other perioperative variables. Results: This study included 1202 patients who underwent predominantly abdominal, orthopedic, and neurological procedures. The mean (SD) age of patients was 62.1 (13.8) years, and 636 (52.9%) were men. At least 1 PPC occurred in 401 patients (33.4%), mainly the need for prolonged oxygen therapy by nasal cannula (n = 235; 19.6%) and atelectasis (n = 206; 17.1%). Patients with 1 or more PPCs, even mild, had significantly increased early postoperative mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and ICU/hospital length of stay. Significant PPC risk factors included nonmodifiable (emergency [yes vs no]: odds ratio [OR], 4.47, 95% CI, 1.59-12.56; surgical site [abdominal/pelvic vs nonabdominal/pelvic]: OR, 2.54, 95% CI, 1.67-3.89; and age [in years]: OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 1.02-1.05) and potentially modifiable (colloid administration [yes vs no]: OR, 1.75, 95% CI, 1.03-2.97; preoperative oxygenation: OR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.80-0.93; blood loss [in milliliters]: OR, 1.17, 95% CI, 1.05-1.30; anesthesia duration [in minutes]: OR, 1.14, 95% CI, 1.05-1.24; and tidal volume [in milliliters per kilogram of predicted body weight]: OR, 1.12, 95% CI, 1.01-1.24) factors. Conclusions and Relevance: Postoperative pulmonary complications are common in patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3, despite current protective ventilation practices. Even mild PPCs are associated with increased early postoperative mortality, ICU admission, and length of stay (ICU and hospital). Mild frequent PPCs (eg, atelectasis and prolonged oxygen therapy need) deserve increased attention and intervention for improving perioperative outcomes.

Association of weekend effect with early mortality in severe sepsis patients over time.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the "weekend effect" and early mortality of patients with severe sepsis. METHODS: Using the Taiwanese National Healthcare Insurance Research Database, all patients who were hospitalized for the first time with an episode of severe sepsis between January 2000 and December 2011 were identified and the short-term mortality of patients admitted on weekdays was compared to those admitted on weekends. The primary endpoint was 7-day mortality. The secondary endpoints were 14 and 28-day mortality. RESULTS: A total of 398,043 patients were identified to have had the diagnosis of severe sepsis. Compared with patients admitted on weekends, patients admitted on weekdays had a lower 7-day mortality rate (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.89, 95% confidential interval [CI] 0.87-0.91), 14-day mortality rate (adjusted OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.93), and 28-day mortality rate (adjusted OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.98). This "weekend effect" was maintained every year throughout the 11-year study period. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe sepsis are more likely to die in the hospital if they were admitted on weekends than if they were admitted on weekdays.

A Comparison of Web-Based with Traditional Classroom-Based Training of Lung Ultrasound for the Exclusion of Pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a well-established method that can exclude pneumothorax by demonstration of pleural sliding and the associated ultrasound artifacts. The positive diagnosis of pneumothorax is more difficult to obtain and relies on detection of the edge of a pneumothorax, called the "lung point." Yet, anesthesiologists are not widely taught these techniques, even though their patients are susceptible to pneumothorax either through trauma or as a result of central line placement or regional anesthesia techniques performed near the thorax. In anticipation of an increased training demand for LUS, efficient and scalable teaching methods should be developed. In this study, we compared the improvement in LUS skills after either Web-based or classroom-based training. We hypothesized that Web-based training would not be inferior to "traditional" classroom-based training beyond a noninferiority limit of 10% and that both would be superior to no training. Furthermore, we hypothesized that this short training session would lead to LUS skills that are similar to those of ultrasound-trained emergency medicine (EM) physicians. METHODS: After a pretest, anesthesiologists from 4 academic teaching hospitals were randomized to Web-based (group Web), classroom-based (group class), or no training (group control) and then completed a posttest. Groups Web and class returned for a retention test 4 weeks later. All 3 tests were similar, testing both practical and theoretical knowledge. EM physicians (group EM) performed the pretest only. Teaching for group class consisted of a standardized PowerPoint lecture conforming to the Consensus Conference on LUS followed by hands-on training. Group Web received a narrated video of the same PowerPoint presentation, followed by an online demonstration of LUS that also instructs the viewer to perform an LUS on himself using a clinically available ultrasound machine and submit smartphone snapshots of the resulting images as part of a portfolio system. Group Web received no other hands-on training. RESULTS: Groups Web, class, control, and EM contained 59, 59, 20, and 42 subjects. After training, overall test results of groups Web and class improved by a mean of 42.9% (±18.1% SD) and 39.2% (±19.2% SD), whereas the score of group control did not improve significantly. The test improvement of group Web was not inferior to group class. The posttest scores of groups Web and class were not significantly different from group EM. In comparison with the posttests, the retention test scores did not change significantly in either group. CONCLUSIONS: When training anesthesiologists to perform LUS for the exclusion of pneumothorax, we found that Web-based training was not inferior to traditional classroom-based training and was effective, leading to test scores that were similar to a group of clinicians experienced in LUS.