Improvement in intubation success during COVID-19 pandemic with a simple and low-cost intervention: A quasi-experimental study / Mejoría del éxito en la intubación durante la pandemia covid-19 con una intervención simple y de bajo costo: estudio cuasi-experimental

Objectives: primary objective: to improve the FPS rates after an educational intervention. Secondary objective: to describe variables related to FPS in an ED and determine which ones were related to the highest number of attempts.Design it was a prospective quasi-experimental study. Setting done in an ED in a public Hospital in Argentina. Patients there were patients of all ages with intubation in ED. Interventionsin the middle of the study, an educational intervention was done to improve FPS. Cognitive aids and pre- intubation Checklists were implemented. Main variables of interest the operator experience, the number of intubation attempts, intubation judgment, predictors of a difficult airway, Cormack score, assist devices, complications, blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry before and after intubation All the intubations were done by direct laryngoscopy (DL). Results data from 266 patients were included of which 123 belonged to the basal period and 143 belonged to the post-intervention period. FPS percentage of the pre-intervention group was 69.9% (IC95%: 60.89–77.68) whereas the post-intervention group was 85.3% (IC95%: 78.20–90.48). The difference between these groups was statistically significant (p=0.002). Factors related to the highest number of attempts were low operator experience, Cormack-Lehane 3 score and no training. Conclusions a low-cost and simple educational intervention in airway management was significantly associated with improvement in FPS, reaching the same rate of FPS than in high income countries. (AU)

Objetivos: objetivo principal: mejorar la tasa de éxito de intubación luego de una intervención educativa. Objetivo secundario: describir las variables asociadas con el éxito en el primer intento (EPI) y determinar cuáles se relacionaron con mayor número de intentos. Diseño estudio prospectivo cuasi-experimental. Ámbito: realizado en un SE de un Hospital público de Argentina. Pacientes se incluyeron todos aquellos pacientes intubados en el SE en el período de estudio. Intervención en la mitad del estudio, se realizó una intervención educativa, se implementaron ayudas cognitivas y listas de verificación preintubación. Todas las intubaciones se realizaron por laringoscopia directa. Variables de interés principales experiencia del operador, número de intentos de intubación, criterios de intubación, predictores de vía aérea difícil, grado de Cormack, dispositivos facilitadores utilizados, complicaciones y los signos vitales antes y después de la intubación. Resultados se incluyeron datos de 266 pacientes de los cuales 123 pertenecían al período basal y 143al período postintervención. El porcentaje de éxito del grupo preintervención fue del 69,9% (IC95%: 60,89-77,68) mientras que el grupo postintervención fue del 85,3% (IC95%: 78,20-90,48). La diferencia entre estos grupos fue estadísticamente significativa (p=0,002). Los factores relacionados con el mayor número de intentos fueron la baja experiencia del operador, el grado de Cormack-Lehane 3 y la falta de capacitación. Conclusiones una intervención educativa simple y de bajo costo en el manejo de la vía aérea se asoció significativamente con la mejora en el éxito del primer intento de intubación, alcanzando los porcentajes de los países de altos ingresos. (AU)

Improvement in intubation success during COVID-19 pandemic with a simple and low-cost intervention: A quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: primary objective: to improve the FPS rates after an educational intervention. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: to describe variables related to FPS in an ED and determine which ones were related to the highest number of attempts. DESIGN: it was a prospective quasi-experimental study. SETTING: done in an ED in a public Hospital in Argentina. PATIENTS: there were patients of all ages with intubation in ED. INTERVENTIONS: in the middle of the study, an educational intervention was done to improve FPS. Cognitive aids and pre- intubation Checklists were implemented. MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST: the operator experience, the number of intubation attempts, intubation judgment, predictors of a difficult airway, Cormack score, assist devices, complications, blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry before and after intubation All the intubations were done by direct laryngoscopy (DL). RESULTS: data from 266 patients were included of which 123 belonged to the basal period and 143 belonged to the post-intervention period. FPS percentage of the pre-intervention group was 69.9% (IC95%: 60.89-77.68) whereas the post-intervention group was 85.3% (IC95%: 78.20-90.48). The difference between these groups was statistically significant (p=0.002). Factors related to the highest number of attempts were low operator experience, Cormack-Lehane 3 score and no training. CONCLUSIONS: a low-cost and simple educational intervention in airway management was significantly associated with improvement in FPS, reaching the same rate of FPS than in high income countries.

Glucocorticoides en hemorragia alveolar por leptospira / Glucocorticoids in leptospira alveolar hemorrhage

Resumen Se presentan los casos clínicos de dos pacientes que ingresaron en la guardia de Emergencias del HIGA San Martín de La Plata con un cuadro clínico compatible con leptospirosis, que evolucionaron con insuficiencia respiratoria y hemorragia alveolar. En ambos se administraron glucocorticoides con buena evolución. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de artículos publicados desde 2005 en castellano e inglés y la revisión del tema. Basada en la evidencia actual no se puede hacer una clara recomendación para el uso de corticoides en la leptospirosis grave. La bibliografía publicada es escasa y de baja calidad. Aparentemente habría un beneficio en el uso de corticoides en los casos de afectación pulmonar por leptospirosis grave. Se necesitan estudios de alta calidad para realizar recomendaciones con evidencia científica, para verificar la dosis adecuada de corticoides, tiempo de inicio, duración del tratamiento y los casos en los que se debería administrar esta terapéutica.

Abstract We present the clinical cases of two patients who were admitted to the HIGA San Martín de La Plata emergency ward with a clinical picture compatible with leptospirosis, who evolved with respiratory failure and alveolar hemorrhage. In both, glucocorticoids were administered with good evolution. A bibliographic search of articles published since 2005 in Spanish and English and a review of the topic was carried out. Based on the current evidence, no clear recommendation can be made for the use of corticosteroids in severe leptospirosis. The published bibliography is scarce and of low quality. There would appear to be a benefit in the use of corticosteroids in cases of pulmonary involvement due to severe leptospirosis. High-quality studies are needed to make recommendations with scientific evidence, to verify the adequate dose of corticosteroids, time of initiation, duration of treatment and the cases in which this therapy should be administered.

[Glucocorticoids in leptospira alveolar hemorrhage]. / Glucocorticoides en hemorragia alveolar por leptospira.

We present the clinical cases of two patients who were admitted to the HIGA San Martín de La Plata emergency ward with a clinical picture compatible with leptospirosis, who evolved with respiratory failure and alveolar hemorrhage. In both, glucocorticoids were administered with good evolution. A bibliographic search of articles published since 2005 in Spanish and English and a review of the topic was carried out. Based on the current evidence, no clear recommendation can be made for the use of corticosteroids in severe leptospirosis. The published bibliography is scarce and of low quality. There would appear to be a benefit in the use of corticosteroids in cases of pulmonary involvement due to severe leptospirosis. High-quality studies are needed to make recommendations with scientific evidence, to verify the adequate dose of corticosteroids, time of initiation, duration of treatment and the cases in which this therapy should be administered.

Se presentan los casos clínicos de dos pacientes que ingresaron en la guardia de Emergencias del HIGA San Martín de La Plata con un cuadro clínico compatible con leptospirosis, que evolucionaron con insuficiencia respiratoria y hemorragia alveolar. En ambos se administraron glucocorticoides con buena evolución. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de artículos publicados desde 2005 en castellano e inglés y la revisión del tema. Basada en la evidencia actual no se puede hacer una clara recomendación para el uso de corticoides en la leptospirosis grave. La bibliografía publicada es escasa y de baja calidad. Aparentemente habría un beneficio en el uso de corticoides en los casos de afectación pulmonar por leptospirosis grave. Se necesitan estudios de alta calidad para realizar recomendaciones con evidencia científica, para verificar la dosis adecuada de corticoides, tiempo de inicio, duración del tratamiento y los casos en los que se debería administrar esta terapéutica.