A prospective observational study of maternal oxygenation during remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia use in labour.

Numerous studies of remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia during labour have shown high levels of maternal satisfaction, but concerns remain, especially over the side-effects of sedation and respiratory depression. We conducted a prospective observational study of maternal oxygen desaturation during remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia. Pulse oximetry values were recorded every eight s and later downloaded for analysis. A desaturation episode was defined as oxygen saturation < 90%. We collected 148 h of data in 61 women, during which we observed 176 desaturation episodes. These episodes occurred in 43 (70%) women. The median (IQR [range]) of the lowest saturation during each episode was 87 (85-89 [68-89])% with duration 16 (8-24 [8-104]) s. Supplementary oxygen reduced the time per hour spent with saturation < 90%, but not the depth or duration of individual episodes. Desaturation episodes were twice as common during the second stage of labour as compared with the first stage. Prior opioid administration, bolus size and use of nitrous oxide during patient-controlled analgesia use were not found to influence frequency, depth or duration of desaturation episodes. Although these findings suggest desaturation occurs more frequently during remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia than previously reported, the results are comparable with earlier oximetry studies of women who received nitrous oxide and pethidine during labour.

National early warning score at Emergency Department triage may allow earlier identification of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock: a retrospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Severe sepsis and septic shock (SS) are time-critical medical emergencies that affect millions of people in the world. Earlier administration of antibiotics has been shown to reduce mortality from SS; however, the initiation of early resuscitation requires recognition that a patient may have sepsis. Early warning scores (EWS) are broadly used to detect patient deterioration, but to date have not been evaluated to detect patients at risk for SS. The purpose of our study was to look at the relationship between the initial national EWS (NEWS) in the emergency department (ED) and the diagnosis of SS. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, single-centre, observational study in the ED of an urban university hospital with an annual attendance of 140,000 patients. We aimed to include 500 consecutive non-trauma adult patients presenting to the ED with Manchester Triage System (MTS) category 1-3. The final diagnosis was taken from either the ED medical records or the hospital discharge summary. For all NEWS, the sensitivity and specificity to detect patients with SS was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 500 patients were included, 27 patients (5.4%) met the criteria for SS. The area under the curve (AUC) for NEWS to identify patient at risk for SS is 0.89 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.94). A NEWS of 3 or more at ED triage has a sensitivity of 92.6% (95% CI 74.2% to 98.7%) and a specificity of 77% (95% CI 72.8% to 80.6%) to detect patients at risk for SS at ED triage. CONCLUSIONS: A NEWS of 3 or more at ED triage may be the trigger to systematically screen the patient for SS, which may ultimately lead to early recognition and treatment.

Dysphagia incidence in intensive care unit patients with coronavirus disease 2019: retrospective analysis following systematic dysphagia screening.

OBJECTIVE: Post-extubation dysphagia in critically ill patients is known to affect about 18 per cent of mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit patients. This study investigated the incidence of post-extubation dysphagia in adult intensive care unit patients with coronavirus disease 2019. METHOD: This study was a retrospective analysis of consecutive intensive care unit patients prospectively screened for dysphagia. Systematic screening of all extubated intensive care unit patients at our tertiary centre was performed using the Bernese intensive care unit dysphagia algorithm. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of post-extubation dysphagia. RESULTS: A total of 231 critically ill adult coronavirus disease 2019 positive patients were included, and 81 patients remained in the final analysis after exclusion criteria were applied (e.g. patients transferred). Dysphagia screening positivity was 25 of 81 (30.9 per cent), with 28.2 per cent (22 of 78) having confirmed dysphagia by specialist examination within 24 hours (n = 3 lost to follow up). CONCLUSION: In this observational study, it was observed that the incidence of dysphagia in adult critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients was about 31 per cent (i.e. increased when compared with a historical pre-pandemic non-coronavirus disease 2019 intensive care unit cohort).

An observational cohort study of 3 units versus 5 units slow intravenous bolus oxytocin in women undergoing elective caesarean delivery.

This study sought to compare postpartum blood loss and maternal outcomes after 3IU and 5IU oxytocin at elective caesarean delivery. In a prospective observational study, 73 women undergoing elective caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthetic received a slow I.V. injection of either 3IU (n = 35) or 5IU (n = 38) oxytocin after delivery. The main outcome was gravimetrically measured 24-hour postpartum blood loss with a non-inferiority margin of 300 mL. Uterine tone, phenylephrine dose, emesis and hypotension after oxytocin administration were secondary outcomes. Gravimetric postpartum blood loss was lower in the 3IU group (-58.8 mL [95% CI: -212.1, 94.3]) after adjusting for BMI, pre-delivery vasopressor dose, parity, and risk of uterine atony, with the upper confidence limit below the 300 mL margin in support of non-inferiority. Patients receiving 3IU had a higher (non-significant) rate of having post-delivery phenylephrine to treat hypotension (RR = 1.59 [95% CI: 0.97, 2.63]), but of those treated, the 3IU group required significantly less (-427 mcg [95% CI: -740, -114]). The 3IU group had a lower prevalence of vomiting compared to those receiving 5IU (6% versus 24%; P = 0.047). Administration of 3IU oxytocin was non-inferior compared to standard 5IU with respect to blood loss in women undergoing elective caesarean delivery.

[Cervical infection epidemiology of human papillomavirus in Ushuaia, Argentina]. / Epidemiología de la infección cervical por virus papiloma humano en Ushuaia, Argentina.

Genital infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is decisive in the causation of cervical cancer. In order to evaluate the epidemiology of HPV infection in Ushuaia, Province of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, 132 endocervical cytobrushes from preneoplastic and neoplastic cases and controls were studied. Detection and typing of the viral genome was performed by polymerase chain reaction, combined with a restriction fragment length polymorphism assay or hybridization. The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 41% in the population examined, with a frequency of 26% in the controls and 71% in the cases under study. The 14-24 age group showed the highest HPV prevalence. The most common viral types in the infected population were HPV 16 (23%), HPV 18 (11%), HPV 33 (8%) and HPV 35 (8%), while high risk viral types were detected in 30% of the samples, 16% of the controls and 60% of the cases. This study provides the first data on the predominant viral types in Ushuaia. Our results show lower levels of infection than in regions with a high incidence of cervical cancer, HPV 16 being the most prevalent viral type. This research may be useful for selecting a specific vaccine targeting the population examined.

Risk stratification using D-dimers in patients presenting to the emergency department with nonspecific complaints.

BACKGROUND: Patients with nonspecific complaints (NSC) such as generalized weakness present frequently to acute care settings. These patients are at risk of adverse health outcomes. The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis whether D-dimers are predictive for 30-day mortality in patients with NSCs. METHODS: Delayed type cross-sectional diagnostic study with a 30-day follow-up period, registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00920491). This study took place in 2 EDs in Northwestern Switzerland. Patients were enrolled in the study if they were over 18years of age, gave informed consent, and if they presented with NSCs such as generalized weakness. D-dimer levels were determined at ED presentation. RESULTS: The final study population consisted of 524 patients. Median age was 82years (IQR=75 to 87years); 40.5% were men. There were 489 survivors and 35 non-survivors at 30-day follow-up. Twenty-one (60%) of the non-survivors were males. D-dimer levels were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors (p<0.001). Univariate Cox regression models for D-dimer resulted in a C-index of 0.77 for prediction of mortality. A model including sex, age, Katz ADL and D-dimer in a multivariate Cox regression lead to a C-Index of 0.80. CONCLUSION: D-dimer testing might be an effective risk stratification tool in patients with NSC by helping to identify patients at low risk of short-term mortality with a sensitivity of 0.97 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.121. The use of D-dimers for risk stratification in patients with NSC should be confirmed with prospective studies.

Epidemiología de la infección cervical por virus Papiloma humano en Ushuaia: Argentina / Cervical infection epidemiology of human papillomavirus in Ushuaia: Argentina

El virus Papiloma humano (HPV) es un factor necesario para el desarrollo del cáncer cervical. El objetivo del estudio fue conocer la epidemiología de dicha infección en Ushuaia, Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Se realizó un estudio de caso-control de 132 cepillados endocervicales. La detección y tipificación del genoma viral fue realizada por la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa, con posterior análisis de polimorfismos de fragmentos de restricción o hibridación. La prevalencia general de la infección fue 41%, correspondiendo 26% a los controles y 71% a los casos. El grupo etario con mayor prevalencia de HPV fue el de 14 a 24 años. Los tipos virales más frecuentes en la población infectada fueron HPV16 (23%), HPV18 (11%) y HPV33/35 (8% cada uno), resultando infectados con tipos virales de alto riesgo el 30% de las muestras, 16% de los controles y 60% de los casos. El trabajo aporta los primeros datos sobre los tipos virales predominantes en Ushuaia. Los resultados demostraron una prevalencia menor que en regiones con alta incidencia de cáncer cervical, siendo el HPV16 el más frecuente. La información obtenida permitiría estimar la efectividad de las vacunas en vías de aprobación, en la población estudiada.

Genital infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is decisive in the causation of cervical cancer. In order to evaluate the epidemiology of HPV infection in Ushuaia, Province of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, 132 endocervical cytobrushes from preneoplastic and neoplastic cases and controls were studied. Detection and typing of the viral genome was performed by polymerase chain reaction, combined with a restriction fragment length polymorphism assay or hybridization. The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 41% in the population examined, with a frequency of 26% in the controls and 71% in the cases under study. The 14-24 age group showed the highest HPV prevalence. The most common viral types in the infected population were HPV 16 (23%), HPV 18 (11%), HPV 33 (8%) and HPV 35 (8%), while high risk viral types were detected in 30% of the samples, 16% of the controls and 60% of the cases. This study provides the first data on the predominant viral types in Ushuaia. Our results show lower levels of infection than in regions with a high incidence of cervical cancer, HPV 16 being the most prevalent viral type. This research may be useful for selecting a specific vaccine targeting the population examined.