Search

Patients undergoing abdominal oncologic surgical procedures require particular surgical and anesthesiologic considerations. Traditional pain management, such as opiate treatment, continuous epidural analgesia, and non-opioid drugs, may have serious side effects in this patient population. We evaluated erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks for postoperative pain management following elective oncologic abdominal surgeries. In this single-center, prospective, and randomized study, we recruited 100 patients who underwent elective oncological abdominal surgery between December 2020 and January 2022 at Soroka University Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel. We compared postoperative pain levels in patients who were treated with a preincisional ESP block in addition to traditional pain management with intravenous opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and acetaminophen, compared to patients who were only given traditional pain management (control). Patients who were treated with a preincisional ESP block demonstrated significantly lower Visual Analog Scale scores at 60 minutes and 4, 8, and 12 hours following the surgery, compared to the control group (p

Critically ill patients with severe hypoxemia are often treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). These patients are at higher risk when they require intrahospital transportation. In this study, we collected clinical and laboratory data from 221 patients who were hospitalized in the general ICU and treated with iNO at Soroka Medical Center, Israel, between January 2010 and December 2019. We retrospectively compared the 65 patients who received iNO during intrahospital transportation to the 156 patients who received iNO without transportation. Among critically ill patients who were transported while being administered iNO, only one patient had an adverse event (atrial fibrillation) on transport. We found that maximal iNO dosage during ICU stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and percent of vasopressor support were the only independent risk factors for ICU mortality in both study groups. No difference in primary outcome of ICU mortality rate was found between the critically ill patients treated with iNO during intrahospital transportation and those who were treated with iNO but not transported during the ICU stay. We anticipate that this study will advise clinical decision-making in the ICU, especially when treating patients who are administered iNO.

Percutaneous bedside tracheostomy (PBT) is a one of the common and safe procedures in intensive care units through the world. In the present paper we published our clinical experience with a performance of PBTs in the regular ward by intensive care physicians’ team. We found it safe and similar outcome in comparison to open surgical tracheostomy method in operation room by ENT team. The performance of PBT in the regular ward showed potential economic advantages in saving medical staff and operating room resources.

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a life-threatening condition in which multiorgan dysfunction manifests 48–72 hours after long bone or pelvis fractures. Right ventricular (RV) failure, especially in the setting of pulmonary hypertension, is a frequent feature of FES. We report our experience treating 2 young, previously healthy trauma patients who developed severe hypoxemia in the setting of FES. Neither patient had evidence of RV dysfunction on echocardiogram. The patients were treated with inhaled nitric oxide (NO), and their oxygenation significantly improved over the subsequent few days. Neither patient developed any cardiovascular compromise. Patients with FES that have severe hypoxemia and evidence of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are likely at risk for developing RV failure. We recommend that these patients with FES and severe refractory hypoxemia should be treated with inhaled NO therapy prior to the onset of RV dysfunction.

Unrecognized severe pseudomembranous colitis may become life threatening. A typical Clostridium difficile infection is associated with involvement of the colon; however, small bowel disease has also been described. Here, we present a case of a 48-year-old man with Clostridium difficile colitis of an isolated segment in the descending colon treated by a novel catheter intraluminal antibiotic irrigation. The intraluminal antibiotic irrigation was performed through a Foley catheter inserted into the isolated mucus fistula. The patient recovered after three weeks of intraluminal vancomycin (250 mg diluted in 150 ml of normal saline x Q6) and metronidazole (500 mg x Q8). Both antibiotics were given into the mucus fistula over 30 min. The patient was discharged from the unit four weeks after admission. This novel technique, in which the antibiotic was administered through an inserted intraluminal Foley urinary catheter, may be an efficient and safe alternative when conventional routes cannot be implemented.

The equation of symmetric equilibrium of an isothermal gas with an unknown boundary in the field of a body force is considered. Conditions for solvability and insolvability of the problem as well as for uniqueness and nonuniqueness of solutions are presented. Examples of finite, countable, or continual sets of solutions are constructed including equipotential ones. Static stability of solutions is analyzed too.

The system of quasilinear equations for symmetric flows of a viscous heat-conducting gas with a free external boundary is considered. For global in time weak solutions having nonstrictly positive density, the linear in time two-sided bounds for the gas volume growth are established.