Droxidopa or Atomoxetine for Refractory Hypotension in Critically Ill Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of droxidopa or atomoxetine on intravenous (IV) vasoactive agent discontinuation in cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) patients with hypotension refractory to midodrine. DESIGN: Single-center, retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary- and quaternary-care university teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Included patients who received at least 4 consecutive doses of droxidopa or atomoxetine and remained on concurrent midodrine. Patients were excluded if they received study medication before admission, had clinical deterioration after study medication initiation requiring additional vasoactives/escalation of IV vasoactive dosage for at least 12 hours, had a diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome, were prisoners, or were pregnant. INTERVENTIONS: Droxidopa, atomoxetine, or both. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary endpoint was time to discontinuation of IV vasoactive agents after initiation of study medication, analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier estimate with the Wilcoxon method, censoring death within 24 hours of the last dose of study medication. No adjustment for repetitive analyses was made, as the analysis was hypothesis-generating. Of the 72 charts reviewed, 45 patients met inclusion criteria (18 atomoxetine, 17 droxidopa, and 10 both). There were no differences in median time to discontinuation of IV vasoactive agents (21.9 days v 8.0 days v 13.9 days, respectively; p = 0.259) or ICU or hospital length of stay between groups. A higher percentage of patients who survived to hospital discharge received both study medications or droxidopa alone (90% v 76.5%) than atomoxetine alone (44.4%, p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Droxidopa and atomoxetine are oral vasoactive agents with potential mechanisms to facilitate IV vasopressor weaning for patients in the ICU with hypotension refractory to midodrine, but further prospective research is needed.

Right Ventricular Function in Left Heart Disease.

Right ventricular (RV) function is an independent prognostic factor for short- and long-term outcomes in cardiac surgical patients. Patients with mitral valve (MV) disease are at increased risk of RV dysfunction before and after MV operations. Yet RV function is not part of criteria for decision making or risk stratification in this setting. The role of MV disease in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) and the ultimate impact of PHTN on RV function have been well described. Nonetheless, there are other mechanisms by which MV disease and MV surgery affect RV performance. Research suggests that PHTN may not be the most important determinant of RV dysfunction. Both RV dysfunction and PHTN have independent prognostic significance. This review explores the unique anatomic and functional features of the RV and the pathophysiologic and prognostic implications of RV dysfunction in patients with MV disease in the perioperative period.

Efficient intratracheal delivery of airway epithelial cells in mice and pigs.

Cellular therapy via direct intratracheal delivery has gained interest as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating various pulmonary diseases including cystic fibrosis lung disease. However, concerns such as insufficient cell engraftment in lungs and lack of large animal model data remain to be resolved. This study aimed to establish a simple method for evaluating cell retention in lungs and to develop reproducible approaches for efficient cell delivery into mouse and pig lungs. Human lung epithelial cells including normal human bronchial/tracheal epithelial (NHBE) cells and human lung epithelial cell line A549 were infected with pSicoR-green fluorescent protein (GFP) lentivirus. GFP-labeled NHBE cells were delivered via a modified intratracheal cell instillation method into the lungs of C57BL/6J mice. Two days following cell delivery, GFP ELISA-based assay revealed a substantial cell-retention efficiency (10.48 ± 2.86%, n = 7) in mouse lungs preinjured with 2% polidocanol. When GFP-labeled A549 cells were transplanted into Yorkshire pig lungs with a tracheal intubation fiberscope, a robust initial cell attachment (22.32% efficiency) was observed at 24 h. In addition, a lentiviral vector was developed to induce the overexpression and apical localization of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-GFP fusion proteins in NHBE cells as a means of ex vivo CFTR gene transfer in nonprogenitor (relatively differentiated) lung epithelial cells. These results have demonstrated the convenience and efficiency of direct delivery of exogenous epithelial cells to lungs in mouse and pig models and provided important background for future preclinical evaluation of intratracheal cell transplantation to treat lung diseases.

Symptomatic obstruction of the brachiocephalic and left subclavian arteries obscured by aortic stenosis.

Stenosis or occlusion of the brachiocephalic artery represents an uncommon cause of cerebrovascular insufficiency. We report a patient with combined brachiocephalic and left subclavian obstruction with clinical manifestations of lightheadedness, syncope, and left-sided weakness who remained misdiagnosed essentially because of symmetrical pressures in the upper extremities. Aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis failed to provide symptomatic relief. Eventual stenting of the brachiocephalic trunk resolved the patient's symptoms. Our report highlights the diagnostic challenges in this case of bilateral supraaortic vessel disease and shows that equal upper extremity pressures do not rule out brachiocephalic artery obstruction.

Perioperative spinal cord infarction in nonaortic surgery: report of three cases and review of the literature.

Paraplegia caused by a spinal cord infarction (SCI) is a devastating perioperative complication, most often associated with aortic and spine surgery. We present two other clinical scenarios in which perioperative SCI may occur. They happened during surgical procedures performed with epidural anesthesia, in the presence of several specific risk factors such as spinal stenosis, vascular disease, intraoperative hypotension, or the use of epinephrine in the local anesthetic solution. Second, SCI may occur during episodes of postoperative hypotension in patients with a history of aortic aneurysms.

Haloperidol versus ondansetron for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

BACKGROUND: Haloperidol is effective for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis, but there are almost no data comparing it to 5-HT(3) antagonists. METHODS: Two hundred forty-four adults were randomized to receive i.v. haloperidol 1 mg or ondansetron 4 mg, during general anesthesia. Nausea, vomiting, need for rescue, sedation, extrapyramidal effects, QTc intervals, and time to postanesthesia care unit discharge were evaluated with a third-party blind design. RESULTS: There was no intergroup difference in any measure of efficacy or toxicity. Haloperidol and ondansetron subjects (78.2% and 76.8%) had complete response. Postoperatively, prolonged QTc occurred in 28.9% and 22.1% (N.S.). CONCLUSIONS: In a mixed surgical population, the efficacy and toxicity of postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis with haloperidol 1 mg was not significantly different from ondansetron 4 mg.

Haloperidol plus ondansetron versus ondansetron alone for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

INTRODUCTION: Haloperidol 1 mg and ondansetron 4 mg are equally safe and effective for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis. We compared the combination to ondansetron alone in a mixed surgical population. METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty-eight adults undergoing general anesthesia received 4 mg ondansetron plus 1 mg haloperidol or saline in this randomized, double-blind protocol. Efficacy and safety data were obtained until 480 min after postanesthesia care unit entry. RESULTS: The combination had more complete responders (76.2% vs 59.2%), less nausea, less rescue, and longer time to rescue. Sedation, time to postanesthesia care unit discharge, and QTc prolongation were not different. No subject had dystonia, akathisia, or serious dysrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis with both drugs is significantly more effective and longer lasting than ondansetron alone. There is no detectable increase in side effects.

Postoperative ST-segment elevation: was vasospasm caused by anaphylaxis or by its treatment with epinephrine?

BACKGROUND: Anaphylaxis must be recognized and treated promptly to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. In this clinical setting, electrocardiographic changes can be multifactorial. OBJECTIVE: To discuss vasospasm as a cause of myocardial ischemia and its possible triggering by anaphylaxis itself or by the administration of epinephrine. METHODS: We describe a patient with multiple previous allergies who received intravenous epinephrine to treat suspected anaphylaxis. She immediately developed crushing chest pain with ST-segment elevations in the inferior leads. Throughout the discussion, we address differential diagnoses, physiologic features, and treatment. RESULTS: Her symptoms and electrocardiographic changes were consistent with vasospasm, which resolved after treatment with sublingual nitroglycerin. However, the reaction was sufficient to cause an elevation in the troponin T level and, therefore, myocardial damage on the cellular level. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular complications, including electrocardiographic changes, may be induced by anaphylactic mediators or by medications used for its treatment.

Laryngospasm after autologous blood transfusion.

Although perioperative autologous blood transfusions are associated with few side effects, transfusion reactions can occur and can be life-threatening. We report the occurrence of postoperative laryngospasm in a patient who underwent spinal anesthesia for hip surgery. The laryngospasm could not be attributed to any cause other than the autologous blood transfusion and recurred when the transfusion was restarted. Laryngospasm was successfully treated both times with positive pressure ventilation. Autologous transfusions can trigger febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions, which may result in airway compromise.

Unilateral empyema as a complication of infectious mononucleosis: a pathogenic variant of Lemierre's syndrome.

We present a case of a healthy 19-year-old female who developed infectious mononucleosis complicated by unilateral empyema.