Ninety-day mortality of extremely elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery and its association with preoperative cardiac function: a single-center retrospective study.

PURPOSE: We investigated the 90-day mortality rate in elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery and the association of preoperative cardiac function with mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 133 consecutive patients aged 80 years or older who underwent hip fracture surgery. We obtained information for patient sex, age, comorbidities, medications, anesthesia method, left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions assessed by echocardiography, and preoperative brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The 90-day mortality rate in patients with a mean age of 88.9 years was 7.5% (10/133). More than half of the patients had diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. There were no significant differences in preoperative cardiac systolic and diastolic functions between the mortality group and non-mortality group. The preoperative BNP level in the mortality group was significantly higher than that in the non-mortality group (p = 0.038). Preoperative BNP level was not an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality (p = 0.081) in the primary multivariate logistic regression analysis but was an independent risk factor (p = 0.039) with an odds ratio of 1.004 (95% CI 1.000-1.008) in the sensitivity analysis with different explanatory variables. CONCLUSION: The 90-day mortality rate in patients over 80 years old after hip fracture surgery was 7.5%. There were no significant differences in preoperative cardiac function assessed by echocardiography between the mortality and non-mortality groups. Our results suggest that there is no association or only a weak association of high BNP level with 90-day mortality in this age population.

[Postintubation Tracheal Stenosis in a Lightly Sedated Patient under a 10-day-long Mechanical Ventilation].

We report a case of severe laryngeal edema devel- oped after the trachea intubation for 10 days. A 78- year-old woman presented with pulmonary edema due to fluid administration for acute pancreatitis. Endotra- cheal intubation and mechanical ventilation therapy were required for 10 days. The cuff pressures and endotracheal tube positions were routinely checked. A light level of sedation was maintained during mechani- cal ventilation. Ten days later, her trachea was extu- bated. One hour after extubation, she was observed to have inspiratory stridor and she complained of respira- tory distress. Fiberoptic examination revealed laryngeal edema and ulceration of the tracheal mucosa, consis- tent with the lesion where the endotracheal tube cuff had been attached. To maintain the airway, re-intuba- tion and elective tracheostomy were performed. Light sedation during mechanical ventilation may predispose the patient to tracheal injury.

Postoperative hyperammonemic encephalopathy due to unexpected constipation in a patient with hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive urea cycle disorder associated with a high risk of exacerbation of hyperammonemia during the perioperative period. Here, we describe an adult patient with HHH syndrome who developed hyperammonemic encephalopathy secondary to postoperative constipation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old patient with HHH syndrome underwent intrathecal baclofen pump insertion for lower limb spasticity under general anesthesia. The surgery was uneventful, without any increase in serum ammonia levels. However, after surgery, he was constipated, and on postoperative day (POD) 3, he fell into a coma with an exacerbation of hyperammonemia (894 µg/dL). After administering a glycerin enema, he defecated, leading to a rapid decrease in serum ammonia levels to 165 µg/dL. He regained consciousness, and serum ammonia levels remained stable as long as he defecated. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest strict management of defecation during the perioperative period to prevent hyperammonemia in patients with HHH syndrome.

Outcomes of critically ill patients with liver failure who require mechanical ventilation: A retrospective, single-center study.

Background and Aims: Critically ill patients with liver failure have high mortality. Besides the management of organ-specific complications, liver transplantation constitutes a definitive treatment. However, clinicians may hesitate to introduce mechanical ventilation for patients on liver transplantation waitlists because of poor prognosis. This study investigated the outcomes of intensive care and ventilation support therapy effects in patients with liver failure. Methods: This single-center study retrospectively enrolled 32 consecutive patients with liver failure who were admitted to the intensive care unit from January 2014 to December 2020. The medical records were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively for Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE)-II. The model for end-stage liver disease scores, 90-day mortality, and survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The average patient age was 45.5 ± 20.1 years, and 53% of patients were women. On intensive care unit admission, APACHE-II and model for end-stage liver disease scores were 20 and 28, respectively. Among 13 patients considered for liver transplantation, 4 received transplants. Thirteen patients (40.6%) were intubated and mechanically ventilated in the intensive care unit. The 90-day mortality rate of patients with and without mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (13, 61.5% vs. 19, 47.4%, p = 0.4905) was similar. APACHE-II score >21 was an independent predictor of mechanical ventilation requirement in patients with liver failure during intensive care unit stay. Conclusion: Although critically ill patients with liver failure are at risk of multiorgan failure with poor outcomes, mechanical ventilation did not negatively affect the 90-day mortality or performance rates of liver transplantation. Clinicians should consider mechanical ventilation-based life support in critically ill patients with liver failure who are awaiting liver transplantation.

Improvement of catatonia-induced rapid respiratory failure with electroconvulsive therapy: A case report.

We encountered a case of sudden respiratory failure during treatment of catatonia that required intensive care. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was administered in the intensive care unit while the patient was under systemic control. The catatonia symptom was relieved, and respiratory failure improved. Although a proximal venous thrombus was observed, anticoagulation therapy was continued during ECT, and the patient was successfully treated without causing a pulmonary embolism. It is crucial to monitor the patient's physical and psychological symptoms because respiratory status may deteriorate rapidly in a catatonic state.

[Case of myotonic dystrophy with pulmonary atelectasis and torsade de pointes in the perioperative period].

A 42-year-old woman with myotonic dystrophy (MD) was scheduled for total hysterectomy and left ovariectomy. The patient received intravenous induction of anesthesia with propofol 60 mg and vecuronium 4 mg. Anesthesia was maintained with a minimum dose of propofol, air, oxygen and epidural anesthesia with the catheter at the T12-L1 level. Surgery and anesthesia were uneventful except for transient decreased Sp(O2) during anesthesia induction due to a septum in the left main bronchus. Chest radiographs at the end of surgery showed atelectasis of the whole left lung. Therefore, the patient was kept intubated, sedated with propofol, and mechanically ventilated in the intensive care unit. During the course of its treatment, torsade de pointes (TdP) ventricular tachycardia suddenly occurred but resolved spontaneously within 45 sec. without any medications. Prolonged QT interval by hypokalemia was suspected as the main factor. With the patient of MD, we have to pay attention to weakening of reserve capacity of pulmonary function and lethal arrhythmia in the perioperative period.

Perioperative Characteristics of the Accuracy of Subcutaneous Continuous Glucose Monitoring: Pilot Study in Neurosurgery and Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of accuracy of subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring (SCGM) in the perioperative period for neurosurgical and cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: Forty-five subjects, including healthy volunteers (n = 15), neurosurgical patients (n = 15), and cardiac surgery patients (n = 15), were enrolled. A subcutaneous sensor of the MiniMed™ 620G SCGM system was inserted into the upper arm. On the day after sensor insertion, SCGM data and blood glucose data were collected simultaneously and compared. In cardiac surgery patients, data were continuously collected on postoperative day (POD) 1 and POD 3. Clarke error grid analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were performed to assess the accuracy of SCGM. RESULTS: Clarke error grid analysis showed clinical acceptance of the SCGM system with 82.7% and 86.8% of the data being within zone A for healthy volunteers and neurosurgical patients, respectively. Mean biases were -2.1 mg/dL in healthy volunteers and -8.3 mg/dL in neurosurgical patients. In cardiac surgery, although Clarke error grid analysis showed clinical acceptance, 65.3% of the data were within zone A and mean bias was -23.5 mg/dL. Changes in accuracy of SCGM in individuals occurred during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and SCGM tended to show a lower glucose level. On POD 1 and POD 3, the accuracy improved, and 85.0% and 86.3% of the data were within zone A. CONCLUSIONS: Although the accuracy of the SCGM system was clinically acceptable in the perioperative period, sensor accuracy was affected by CPB and showed lower glucose levels.

A case of sudden onset of thyroid storm just before cesarean section manifesting congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema.

BACKGROUND: Since acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a life-threatening complication, particularly in the gestational period, differential diagnosis and rapid treatment are required. Among the various causes of sudden onset of ARF, thyroid storm is a rare cause in a parturient complicated with well-controlled hyperthyroidism. In this case report, we describe a parturient with hyperthyroidism in whom a thyroid storm manifesting congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema developed just before an emergency ceasarean section, even though hyperthyroidism was well-controlled with antithyroid drugs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed as having clinical chorioamnionitis, and an emergency cesarean section was performed at 25 weeks of pregnancy. She had a complication of hyperthyroidism accompanied by mild mitral regurgitation, and she had been treated with methimazole. She was treated with ritodrine and MgSO4 for the threat of premature delivery. At the preoperative consultation, her percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) was 98% on room air. When she was admitted to the operating room, her heart rate and blood pressure were 130 beats/min and 196/78 mmHg, respectively. SpO2 was 88% on room air without any symptoms; however, just after starting oxygen administration via a facemask, she complained of severe respiratory distress and became agitated. Partial pressure of arterial oxygen was 108 mmHg with an inspiratory oxygen fraction of 1.0. Chest radiography revealed pulmonary congestion, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed normal right ventricular function without an embolus and severe mitral regurgitation with preserved left ventricular function. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography after the operation revealed no pulmonary embolus but revealed a pulmonary effusion, and free triiodothyronine level was increased at the onset of dyspnea. Therefore, we diagnosed the causes of sudden onset of dyspnea as pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure induced by a thyroid storm. CONCLUSION: Sudden onset of a thyroid storm just before a cesarean section occurred in a patient with several risk factors of thyroid storm and pulmonary edema, including pregnancy, treatment with tocolytic agents, and infection. The involvement of these multiple factors was considered to be the cause of the sudden onset of the thyroid storm and the cause of rapidly progressive pulmonary edema.

Severe Re-expansion Pulmonary Edema Induced by One-Lung Ventilation.

We present 2 cases of severe re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) after one-lung ventilation (OLV) for thoracic surgery. A 32-y-old woman with multiple lung metastases developed severe RPE after OLV during lung resection surgery. A 37-y-old man with infective endocarditis also developed severe RPE after OLV for mitral valve plasty with minimally invasive cardiac surgery. In both cases, results of a preoperative pulmonary function test and oxygenation were almost normal, and pleural effusion or pulmonary congestion was not detected in preoperative computed tomography; however, there was a possibility that subclinical lung injury existed before surgery. The levels of interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, which are thought to play important roles in the development of lung injury, in bronchial secretions were extremely high after the onset of RPE. These results suggest that the pathogenesis of RPE shares, at least in part, a common pathophysiology of acute lung injury.