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A man in his 40s with a history of coronary artery disease previously treated with a drug-eluting stent presented for elective craniotomy and resection of an asymptomatic but enlarging meningioma. During his craniotomy, he received desmopressin and tranexamic acid for surgical bleeding. Postoperatively, the patient developed chest pain and was found to have an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI). Because of the patient's recent neurosurgery, standard post-MI care was contraindicated and he was instead managed symptomatically in the intensive care unit. Echocardiogram on postoperative day 1 demonstrated no regional wall motion abnormalities and an ejection fraction of 60%. His presentation was consistent with thrombosis of his diagonal stent. He was transferred out of the intensive care unit on postoperative day 1 and discharged home on postoperative day 3., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted variability in intensity of care. We aimed to characterize intensity of care among hospitalized patients with COVID-19., Objectives: Examine the prevalence and predictors of admission code status, palliative care consultation, comfort-measures-only orders, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among patients hospitalized with COVID-19., Methods: This cross-sectional study examined data from an international registry of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. A proportional odds model evaluated predictors of more aggressive code status (i.e., Full Code) vs. less (i.e., Do Not Resuscitate, DNR). Among decedents, logistic regression was used to identify predictors of palliative care consultation, comfort measures only, and CPR at time of death., Results: We included 29,923 patients across 179 sites. Among those with admission code status documented, Full Code was selected by 90% (n = 15,273). Adjusting for site, Full Code was more likely for patients who were of Black or Asian race (ORs 1.82, 95% CIs 1.5-2.19; 1.78, 1.15-3.09 respectively, relative to White race), Hispanic ethnicity (OR 1.89, CI 1.35-2.32), and male sex (OR 1.16, CI 1.0-1.33). Of the 4951 decedents, 29% received palliative care consultation, 59% transitioned to comfort measures only, and 29% received CPR, with non-White racial and ethnic groups less likely to receive comfort measures only and more likely to receive CPR., Conclusion: In this international cohort of patients with COVID-19, Full Code was the initial code status in the majority, and more likely among patients who were Black or Asian race, Hispanic ethnicity or male. These results provide direction for future studies to improve these disparities in care., (Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To describe the prevalence, associated risk factors, and outcomes of serious neurologic manifestations (encephalopathy, stroke, seizure, and meningitis/encephalitis) among patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection., Design: Prospective observational study., Setting: One hundred seventy-nine hospitals in 24 countries within the Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study COVID-19 Registry., Patients: Hospitalized adults with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection., Interventions: None., Results: Of 16,225 patients enrolled in the registry with hospital discharge status available, 2,092 (12.9%) developed serious neurologic manifestations including 1,656 (10.2%) with encephalopathy at admission, 331 (2.0%) with stroke, 243 (1.5%) with seizure, and 73 (0.5%) with meningitis/encephalitis at admission or during hospitalization. Patients with serious neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 were older with median (interquartile range) age 72 years (61.0-81.0 yr) versus 61 years (48.0-72.0 yr) and had higher prevalence of chronic medical conditions, including vascular risk factors. Adjusting for age, sex, and time since the onset of the pandemic, serious neurologic manifestations were associated with more severe disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; p < 0.001) as defined by the World Health Organization ordinal disease severity scale for COVID-19 infection. Patients with neurologic manifestations were more likely to be admitted to the ICU (OR, 1.45; p < 0.001) and require critical care interventions (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: OR, 1.78; p = 0.009 and renal replacement therapy: OR, 1.99; p < 0.001). Hospital, ICU, and 28-day mortality for patients with neurologic manifestations was higher (OR, 1.51, 1.37, and 1.58; p < 0.001), and patients had fewer ICU-free, hospital-free, and ventilator-free days (estimated difference in days, -0.84, -1.34, and -0.84; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Encephalopathy at admission is common in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with worse outcomes. While serious neurologic manifestations including stroke, seizure, and meningitis/encephalitis were less common, all were associated with increased ICU support utilization, more severe disease, and worse outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.)

Objectives: Multicenter data on the characteristics and outcomes of children hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 are limited. Our objective was to describe the characteristics, ICU admissions, and outcomes among children hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 using Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study: Coronavirus Disease 2019 registry., Design: Retrospective study., Setting: Society of Critical Care Medicine Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (Coronavirus Disease 2019) registry., Patients: Children (< 18 yr) hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 at participating hospitals from February 2020 to January 2021., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was ICU admission. Secondary outcomes included hospital and ICU duration of stay and ICU, hospital, and 28-day mortality. A total of 874 children with coronavirus disease 2019 were reported to Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study registry from 51 participating centers, majority in the United States. Median age was 8 years (interquartile range, 1.25-14 yr) with a male:female ratio of 1:2. A majority were non-Hispanic (492/874; 62.9%). Median body mass index (n = 817) was 19.4 kg/m2 (16-25.8 kg/m2), with 110 (13.4%) overweight and 300 (36.6%) obese. A majority (67%) presented with fever, and 43.2% had comorbidities. A total of 238 of 838 (28.2%) met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and 404 of 874 (46.2%) were admitted to the ICU. In multivariate logistic regression, age, fever, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and pre-existing seizure disorder were independently associated with a greater odds of ICU admission. Hospital mortality was 16 of 874 (1.8%). Median (interquartile range) duration of ICU (n = 379) and hospital (n = 857) stay were 3.9 days (2-7.7 d) and 4 days (1.9-7.5 d), respectively. For patients with 28-day data, survival was 679 of 787, 86.3% with 13.4% lost to follow-up, and 0.3% deceased., Conclusions: In this observational, multicenter registry of children with coronavirus disease 2019, ICU admission was common. Older age, fever, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and seizure disorder were independently associated with ICU admission, and mortality was lower among children than mortality reported in adults., Competing Interests: Dr. Bhalala is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Site Principal Investigator [PI] for Stress Hydrocortisone in Pediatric Septic Shock—R01HD096901), The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Site-PI for Pediatric Resuscitation Quality Collaborative – PediResQ), Voelcker Pilot Grant (PI for project on prearrest electrocardiographic changes), The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Endowed Chair Funds for ancillary projects related to Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS) (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) Registry and SCCM VIRUS electronic medical records, automation pilot. Ms. Boman’s institution received funding from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Ms. Boman and Drs. Kumar and Kashyap's institutions received funding from Janssen Research and Development, LLC. Dr. Kumar is currently funded by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation through University of Washington and Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Dr. Chiotos funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(K12-HS026393). Dr. Bjornstad’s institution received funding from the International Society of Nephrology, The NIH-National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/T32, and Bioporto. Dr. Dapul disclosed that the deidentified data of some patients submitted to the VIRUS registry were also used in the Overcoming COVID-19 Virus Registry. Dr. Blatz funded by NIH grant T32GM-075766. Dr. Levy’s institution received funding from the CDC (No. 75D30120C07725) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI 144301); she received funding from SinoUnited Health Shanghai Children’s Hospital. Drs. Kaufman’s, Abdelaty’s, and Briton’s institutions received funding from SCCM. Dr. Kaufman received funding from EngleWood Health for consulting work as medical director. Dr. Khanna’s institution received funding for COVID-19 trials Blood Volume Analyzer-Daxor and Chair Steering Committee for the Siltuximab in Selected Hospitalized Patients With Viral Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome trial. Dr. Khanna is currently funded by a Clinical Translational Science Institute NIH/National Center for Advanced Translational Science KL2 TR001421 award for a trial on continuous postoperative hemodynamic and saturation monitoring and is a site PI (institutional funding) for a randomized trial of cytokine filtration in severe COVID-19 and a prospective observational trial of blood volume assessment in COVID-19. His institution also received funding for the SCCM VIRUS EMR automation pilot. Dr. Stulce received funding from the American Physician Institute. Dr. Anderson III disclosed that he is on the Advisory Board for the Gift of Life Michigan. Dr. Bello disclosed government work. Dr. Walkey currently funded the NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grants R01HL151607, R01HL139751, R01HL136660, Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, R01HS026485, Boston Biomedical Innovation Center/NIH/NHLBI 5U54HL119145-07, and royalties from UptoDate. Dr. Bihorac received support for article research from the NIH. His institution received funding from the NIH (R01 GM110240 R21 EB 027344), Atox Bio, Astute Medical Research, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, and La Jolla Pharmaceuticals; she disclosed three institutional patents (20200161000, WO2020172607A12020, and 20190326013). Dr. Zimmerman’s institution received funding from the NIH-National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Immunexpress; he received funding from Elsevier Publishing. Dr. Kashyap receives funding from the NIH/NHLBI: R01HL 130881, UG3/UH3HL 141722; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Janssen Research & Development, LLC; and royalties from Ambient Clinical Analytics. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Background: Although specific interventions previously demonstrated benefit in patients with ARDS, use of these interventions is inconsistent, and patient mortality remains high. The impact of variability in center management practices on ARDS mortality rates remains unknown., Research Question: What is the impact of treatment variability on mortality in patients with moderate to severe ARDS in the United States?, Study Design and Methods: We conducted a multicenter, observational cohort study of mechanically ventilated adults with ARDS and Pao 2 to Fio 2 ratio of ≤ 150 with positive end-expiratory pressure of ≥ 5 cm H 2 O, who were admitted to 29 US centers between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017. The primary outcome was 28-day in-hospital mortality. Center variation in ventilator management, adjunctive therapy use, and mortality also were assessed., Results: A total of 2,466 patients were enrolled. Median baseline Pao 2 to Fio 2 ratio was 105 (interquartile range, 78.0-129.0). In-hospital 28-day mortality was 40.7%. Initial adherence to lung protective ventilation (LPV; tidal volume, ≤ 6.5 mL/kg predicted body weight; plateau pressure, or when unavailable, peak inspiratory pressure, ≤ 30 mm H 2 O) was 31.4% and varied between centers (0%-65%), as did rates of adjunctive therapy use (27.1%-96.4%), methods used (neuromuscular blockade, prone positioning, systemic steroids, pulmonary vasodilators, and extracorporeal support), and mortality (16.7%-73.3%). Center standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), calculated using baseline patient-level characteristics to derive expected mortality rate, ranged from 0.33 to 1.98. Of the treatment-level factors explored, only center adherence to early LPV was correlated with SMR., Interpretation: Substantial center-to-center variability exists in ARDS management, suggesting that further opportunities for improving ARDS outcomes exist. Early adherence to LPV was associated with lower center mortality and may be a surrogate for overall quality of care processes. Future collaboration is needed to identify additional treatment-level factors influencing center-level outcomes., Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT03021824; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: To describe the outcomes of hospitalized patients in a multicenter, international coronavirus disease 2019 registry., Design: Cross-sectional observational study including coronavirus disease 2019 patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection between February 15, 2020, and November 30, 2020, according to age and type of organ support therapies., Setting: About 168 hospitals in 16 countries within the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness University Study coronavirus disease 2019 registry., Patients: Adult hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients who did and did not require various types and combinations of organ support (mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, vasopressors, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Primary outcome was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were discharge home with or without assistance and hospital length of stay. Risk-adjusted variation in hospital mortality for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation was assessed by using multilevel models with hospitals as a random effect, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, sex, and comorbidities. Among 20,608 patients with coronavirus disease 2019, the mean (± sd) age was 60.5 (±17), 11,1887 (54.3%) were men, 8,745 (42.4%) were admitted to the ICU, and 3,906 (19%) died in the hospital. Hospital mortality was 8.2% for patients receiving no organ support (n = 15,001). The most common organ support therapy was invasive mechanical ventilation (n = 5,005; 24.3%), with a hospital mortality of 49.8%. Mortality ranged from 40.8% among patients receiving only invasive mechanical ventilation (n =1,749) to 71.6% for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and new renal replacement therapy (n = 655). Mortality was 39% for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 389). Rates of discharge home ranged from 73.5% for patients who did not require organ support therapies to 29.8% for patients who only received invasive mechanical ventilation, and 8.8% for invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and renal replacement; 10.8% of patients older than 74 years who received invasive mechanical ventilation were discharged home. Median hospital length of stay for patients on mechanical ventilation was 17.1 days (9.7-28 d). Adjusted interhospital variation in mortality among patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation was large (median odds ratio 1.69)., Conclusions: Coronavirus disease 2019 prognosis varies by age and level of organ support. Interhospital variation in mortality of mechanically ventilated patients was not explained by patient characteristics and requires further evaluation., Competing Interests: Drs. Kumar’s, Denson’s, Walkey’s, and Kashyap’s institutions received funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Drs. Kumar’s and Kashyap’s institutions received funding from Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Drs. Kaufman’s and Denson’s institutions received funding from the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Banner-Goodspeed received partial salary support through her home institution from multiple federal research grants (including from the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and Department of Defense) as key personnel, not the principal investigator. Dr. Anderson III disclosed he is an Advisory Board member for Gift of Life Michigan. Dr. Denson received other support from American Diabetes Association Grant #7-20-COVID-53. Dr. Gajic received support for article research from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Dr. Walkey receives funding from the NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute grants R01HL151607, R01HL139751, and R01HL136660, Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, R01HS026485, Boston Biomedical Innovation Center/NIH/NHLBI 5U54HL119145-07, and royalties from UptoDate. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. Harhay’s institution receives funding from the NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute grant R00 HL141678, and he received support for article research from the NIH. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. Gajic receives funding from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality R18HS 26609-2, NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: R01HL 130881 and UG3/UH3HL 141722; Department of Defense W81XWH; American Heart Association Rapid Response Grant—coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); and royalties from Ambient Clinical Analytics. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. Kashyap receives funding from the NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: R01HL 130881 and UG3/UH3HL 141722; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Janssen Research & Development, LLC; and royalties from Ambient Clinical Analytics. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. St. Hill receives funding from the Minnesota Department of Health. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. Denson receives funding for COVID-19 research from the American Diabetes Association grant #7-20-COVID-053, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BroadAgency Announcement 75D301-20-R-67897, and National Institute of General Medical Sciences/NIH award U54 GM104940, which funds the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. Dr. Martin receives funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and NIH through the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering U54 EB-027690, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: U54 HL-143541-02S2, the National Institute for General Medical Sciences R01 GM-104323, and the Office of the Director OT2 OD-026551; as well as funding from Genentech for clinical trial monitoring. They had no influence on acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of pooled data for this article. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Innovative solutions are required to effectively address the unprecedented surge of demand on our healthcare systems created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Home treatment and monitoring of patients who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic can be readily implemented to ameliorate the health system burden while maintaining safety and effectiveness of care. Such endeavor requires careful triage and coordination, telemedicine and technology support, workforce and education, as well as robust infrastructure. In the understandable paucity of evidence-based, protocolized approaches toward HOT for COVID-19 patients, our group has created the current document based on the cumulative experience of members of the Joint ACAIM-WACEM COVID-19 Clinical Management Taskforce. Utilizing available evidence-based resources and extensive front-line experience, the authors have suggested a pragmatic pathway for providing safe and effective home oxygen therapy in the community setting., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Formal international medical programmes (IMPs) represent an evolution away from traditional medical volunteerism, and are based on the foundation of bidirectional exchange of knowledge, experience and organizational expertise. The intent is to develop multidirectional collaborations and local capacity that is resilient in the face of limited resources. Training and accreditation of surgeons continues to be a challenge to IMPs, including the need for mutual recognition of competencies and professional certification., Methods: MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar™ were searched using the following terms, alone and in combination: 'credentialing', 'education', 'global surgery', 'international medicine', 'international surgery' and 'training'. Secondary references cited by original sources were also included. The authors, all members of the American College of Academic International Medicine group, agreed advice on training and accreditation of international surgeons., Results and Conclusion: The following are key elements of training and accrediting international surgeons: basic framework built upon a bidirectional approach; consideration of both high-income and low- and middle-income country perspectives; sourcing funding from current sources based on existing IMPs and networks of IMPs; emphasis on predetermined cultural competencies and a common set of core surgical skills; a decentralized global system for verification and mutual recognition of medical training and certification. The global medical system of the future will require the assurance of high standards for surgical education, training and accreditation., (© 2019 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Visceral artery revascularisation through a retroperitoneal approach provides an infrequent yet viable, alternative means of managing mesenteric ischaemia in patients with previous abdominal operations. We present a unique case implementing this surgical approach in a 55-year-old man in which we performed a retroperitoneal aortobifemoral bypass with concomitant retrograde jump graft from the aortic prosthesis to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for bilateral lower extremity rest pain and chronic mesenteric ischaemia. Three months previously, the patient had presented with acute mesenteric ischaemia and colonic perforation. He underwent emergent celiac artery stenting followed by an exploratory laparotomy with total abdominal colectomy and diverting loop ileostomy. Given the patient's hostile abdomen, a retroperitoneal approach to SMA revascularisation was elected over a transabdominal approach during concomitant lower extremity revascularisation for critical limb ischaemia. We achieved an excellent technical result with resolution of limb ischaemia and abdominal symptoms., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Strangulated gastric prolapse through a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tract is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication that requires surgical intervention. We describe a case of a 74-year-old woman who was debilitated and ventilator-dependent and who presented with acute gastric prolapse with resultant ischaemic necrosis. The patient underwent an emergent exploratory laparotomy, partial gastrectomy, repair of gastrostomy defect and placement of a gastrojejunostomy feeding tube remote to the previous location. Literature on gastric prolapse in adult patients is sparse, and therefore treatment is not standardised. In this patient with strangulated tissue, the principles of management included the assessment of gastric mucosa viability, resection of ischaemic tissue and closure of the gastrostomy defect., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

A 68-year-old man presented to the emergency department with haematemesis and shock. Upper endoscopy and selective angiography could not identify the source of bleeding. He underwent selective embolisation of the gastroduodenal artery. The patient then had a period of about 24 hours with relative haemodynamic stability before having another episode of massive upper gastrointestinal bleed. A second attempt to embolise the common hepatic artery and distal coeliac axis was unsuccessful. Hence, he was urgently taken to the operating room for exploratory laparotomy. The source of bleeding could not be identified in the operating room. The patient went into cardiac arrest and expired. Autopsy revealed a fistula between proximal jejunum and a previously unknown abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We present an entity that has only been described a few times in the literature while highlighting the importance of having a broad differential with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, especially when the source is not clearly evident., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Background: Unintentionally retained items feature prominently among surgical "never events." Our knowledge of these rare occurrences, including natural history and intraoperative safety omission or variance (SOV) profile, is limited. We sought to bridge existing knowledge gaps by presenting a secondary analysis of a multicenter study focused on these important aspects of retained surgical items (RSIs)., Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of results from a multicenter retrospective study of RSIs between January 2003 and December 2009. After excluding previously reported intravascular RSIs (n = 13), a total of 71 occurrences were analyzed for (1) item location and type; (2) time to presentation and/or discovery; (3) presenting signs and symptoms; (4) procedure and incision characteristics; (5) pathology reports; and (6) patterns of SOVs abstracted from medical and operative records. These SOV were then grouped into individual vs team errors and single- vs multifactorial occurrences., Results: Among 71 cases, there were 48 women and 23 men. Mean patient age was 49.7 ± 17.5 years (range 19 to 83 years). Mortality was 4 of 71 (5.63%, only 1 attributable to RSI). Twelve cases (16.9%) occurred at nonparticipating referring hospitals. Most RSI procedures (62%) occurred on the day of hospital admission. The median time from index RSI case to retained item removal was 2 days (range <1 to >3,600 days, n = 63). Abdominal RSIs predominated, and plain radiography was the most common identification method. Most RSIs removed early (<24 hours, n = 23) were asymptomatic. The most common clinical/diagnostic findings in the remaining group were focal pain (n = 22), abscess/fluid collection (n = 18), and mass (n = 8). Most common pathology findings included exudative reaction (n = 22), fibrosis (n = 17), and purulence/abscess (n = 15). On detailed review of intraprocedural events, most RSI cases were found to involve team/system errors (50 of 71) and 2 or more SOVs (37 of 71). Isolated human error was seen in less than 10% of cases., Conclusions: The finding that most operations complicated by RSIs were found to involve team/system errors and 2 or more SOVs emphasizes the importance of team safety training. The observation that early RSI removal minimizes patient morbidity and symptoms highlights the need for prompt RSI identification and treatment. The incidence of inflammation-related findings increases significantly with longer retention periods., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a serious postoperative complication. Although ARDS prevention is a priority, the inability to identify patients at risk for ARDS remains a barrier to progress. The authors tested and refined the previously reported surgical lung injury prediction (SLIP) model in a multicenter cohort of at-risk surgical patients., Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter, prospective cohort investigation evaluating high-risk patients undergoing surgery. Preoperative ARDS risk factors and risk modifiers were evaluated for inclusion in a parsimonious risk-prediction model. Multiple imputation and domain analysis were used to facilitate development of a refined model, designated SLIP-2. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to assess model performance., Results: Among 1,562 at-risk patients, ARDS developed in 117 (7.5%). Nine independent predictors of ARDS were identified: sepsis, high-risk aortic vascular surgery, high-risk cardiac surgery, emergency surgery, cirrhosis, admission location other than home, increased respiratory rate (20 to 29 and ≥30 breaths/min), FIO2 greater than 35%, and SpO2 less than 95%. The original SLIP score performed poorly in this heterogeneous cohort with baseline risk factors for ARDS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI], 0.56 [0.50 to 0.62]). In contrast, SLIP-2 score performed well (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI], 0.84 [0.81 to 0.88]). Internal validation indicated similar discrimination, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84., Conclusions: In this multicenter cohort of patients at risk for ARDS, the SLIP-2 score outperformed the original SLIP score. If validated in an independent sample, this tool may help identify surgical patients at high risk for ARDS.

Background: Ventilator practices in patients at risk for acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS are unclear. We examined factors associated with choice of set tidal volumes (VT), and whether VT < 8 mL/kg predicted body weight (PBW) relates to the development of ALI/ARDS., Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter cohort of adult subjects at risk of lung injury with and without ALI/ARDS at onset of invasive ventilation. Descriptive statistics were used to describe ventilator practices in specific settings and ALI/ARDS risk groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the use of VT < 8 mL/kg PBW and the relationship of VT to ALI/ARDS development and outcome., Results: Of 829 mechanically ventilated patients, 107 met the criteria for ALI/ARDS at time of intubation, and 161 developed ALI/ARDS after intubation (post-intubation ALI/ARDS). There was significant intercenter variability in initial ventilator settings, and in the incidence of ALI/ARDS and post-intubation ALI/ARDS. The median VT was 7.96 (IQR 7.14-8.94) mL/kg PBW in ALI/ARDS subjects, and 8.45 (IQR 7.50-9.55) mL/kg PBW in subjects without ALI/ARDS (P = .004). VT decreased from 8.40 (IQR 7.38-9.37) mL/kg PBW to 7.97 (IQR 6.90-9.23) mL/kg PBW (P < .001) in those developing post-intubation ALI/ARDS. Among subjects without ALI/ARDS, VT ≥ 8 mL/kg PBW was associated with shorter height and higher body mass index, while subjects with pneumonia were less likely to get ≥ 8 mL/kg PBW. Initial VT ≥ 8 mL/kg PBW was not associated with the post-intubation ALI/ARDS (adjusted odds ratio 1.30, 95% CI 0.74-2.29) or worse outcomes. Post-intubation ALI/ARDS subjects had mortality similar to subjects intubated with ALI/ARDS., Conclusions: Clinicians seem to respond to ALI/ARDS with lower initial VT. Initial VT, however, was not associated with the development of post-intubation ALI/ARDS or other outcomes.

Background: Retained surgical items (RSI) continue to occur. Large RSI studies are few due to low RSI frequency in single institutions and the medicolegal implications. Consequently, RSI risks are not fully defined, with discrepancies persisting among published studies. The goals of this study were to better define risk factors for RSI, to clarify previously discrepant risk factors, and to evaluate other potential contributors to RSI occurrence, such as trainee presence during an operation., Study Design: Multicenter case-match study of RSI risk factors was conducted between January 2003 and December 2009. Cases complicated by RSI were identified at participating centers using clinical quality improvement and adverse event reporting data. Case match controls (non-RSI) were selected from same or similar-type cases performed at each respective institution. Retained surgical item risk factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression., Results: Fifty-nine RSIs and 118 matched controls were analyzed (RSI incidence 1 in 6,975 or 59 in 411,526). Retained surgical items occurred despite use of confirmatory x-rays (13 of 27 instances) and/or radiofrequency tagging (2 of 32 instances). Among previously discrepant results, we confirmed that body mass index, unexpected intraoperative events, and procedure duration were associated with increased RSI risk. The occurrence of any safety variance, and specifically an incorrect count at any time during the procedure, was associated with elevated RSI risk. Trainee presence was associated with 70% lower RSI risk compared with trainee absence., Conclusions: Longer duration of surgery, safety variances, and incorrect counts during the procedure result in elevated RSI risk. The possible positive influence of trainee presence on RSI risk deserves additional study. Our findings highlight the need for zero tolerance for safety omissions, continued study and development of novel approaches to RSI reduction, and establishing anonymous RSI reporting systems to better track both the incidence and risks associated with this problem, which has yet to be solved., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Retained surgical items (RSIs) have been previously studied in patients undergoing major surgical procedures. This is the first study that specifically examines potential risk factors for intravascular RSI (ivRSI)., Methods: Multicenter retrospective review of 83 RSIs was performed. Among these, 13 cases involved ivRSI. Cases in the ivRSI group were compared with a group of similar control cases to determine potential risk factors for ivRSI, including procedural factors (urgency and complicating factors), patient factors (body mass index), equipment failure (structural or functional), and safety variances. Fisher's exact testing was performed., Results: Thirteen ivRSI cases and 14 controls were examined. There were no differences between the two groups with regard to age, gender, or body mass index. ivRSI items included guide wires (8/13), catheter/catheter fragments (4/13), and a coil (1/13). The incidence of unexpected procedural factors was significantly higher among ivRSI cases (10/13) than among controls (3/14) (P < 0.007). Equipment failure occurred in five ivRSI cases, with none among controls (P < 0.016). There were no differences between the two groups with regard to number of urgent procedures, bleeding >500 mL, evening procedures, or trainee involvement. Both groups had a very high proportion of safety variances (8 in ivRSI and 11 in control group, P = not significant). In addition, seven of 13 ivRSIs were missed on initial confirmatory postprocedural imaging., Discussion: Unexpected procedural factors and equipment failure are significantly associated with ivRSI. Of concern, over half of all ivRSIs were missed on confirmatory postprocedural imaging. Strict adherence to established protocols and stringent radiographic review for intravascular procedures is required to prevent ivRSI., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optimizing cerebral oxygenation is advocated to improve outcome in head-injured patients. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes in brain-injured patients treated with 2 types of monitors., Methods: Patients with traumatic brain injury and a Glasgow Coma Scale score<8 were identified on admission. A polarographic cerebral oxygen/pressure monitor (Licox) or fiberoptic intracranial pressure monitor (Camino) was inserted. An evidence-based algorithm for treatment was implemented. Elements from the prehospital and emergency department records and the first 10 days of intensive care unit (ICU) care were collected. Glasgow Outcome Scores (GOS) were determined every 3 months after discharge., Results: Over a 3-year period, 145 patients were entered into the study; 81 patients in the Licox group and 64 patients in the Camino group. Mortality, hospital length of stay, and ICU length of stay were equivalent in the 2 groups. More patients in the Licox group achieved a moderate/recovered GOS at 3 months than in the Camino Group (79% vs 61%; P = .09)., Conclusion: Three-month GOS revealed a clinically meaningful 18% benefit in patients undergoing cerebral oxygen monitoring and optimization. Six-month outcomes were also better. Unfortunately, these important differences did not reach significance. Continued study of the benefits of cerebral oxygen monitoring is warranted.

Background: Blunt Bowel and Mesenteric injuries (BBMI) can present diagnostic difficulties and are occasionally recognized in a delayed fashion. Most studies evaluating these injuries predate multidetector Computerized Tomography (CT) scan technology. We set out to analyze whether the current era of multislice CT scanning has led to changes in the incidence of missed injuries in BBMI or altered the patterns of diagnosis., Methods: All patients with blunt small and large intestinal injury as well as mesenteric lacerations, recognized in the operating room (OR) between November 2000 and December 2006 were identified from the trauma registry. A 4 slice helical multidetector CT scanner was in use for abdominal CT scans during the first portion of the study (November 2000-July 2005) whereas a 16 slice scanner was in use in the second portion (July 2005-December 2006). Rectal injuries and serosal tears were excluded., Results: Eighty-two patients were identified with BBMI. Twenty-five patients went directly to the OR for laparotomy after a positive Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage, a positive Focused Abdominal Sonogram or other injury. Of the 57 patients who underwent CT, findings indicating possible BBMI were present in 46 patients (80.7%). These included free fluid without solid organ injury (50.9%), free air (10.5%), active mesenteric bleeding (10.5%), and bowel swelling (5.3%). Eleven patients (19.3%) had delayed bowel or mesenteric injury recognition with the diagnosis ultimately made by repeat CT or in the OR (range, 1-10 days)., Conclusion: Missed injuries remain common in BBMI even in the current era of multislice CT scanners. Free fluid w/o solid organ injury, though not specific, continues to be an important finding. Adjuncts to CT continue to be necessary for the optimal diagnosis of bowel injuries.

Background: Outcome data on geriatric trauma patients (GTPs) (age >or= 65) focus on mortality and resource use. We examined mortality and outcome in GTPs and octogenarian trauma patients (OTPs) (age >or= 80). We hypothesized that OTPs would have worse functional outcomes than GTPs as defined by functional independence measurement (FIM) scales., Methods: Our study was a 13-year retrospective analysis of a statewide trauma database. Isolated hip fractures and intubation with Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 3 at admission were excluded. Demographic data, preexisting conditions, complications, discharge destination, mortality, and FIM were analyzed., Results: OTPs constituted 17742 (40.9%) of 43297 GTPs admitted to trauma centers. Falls (64.4%) and motor vehicle collisions (24.5%) were predominant. Average Injury Severity Score (ISS) was higher in GTPs (11.5 +/- 9.2 vs. 10.8 +/- 8.3, p = 0.001). Cardiac disease was the most common preexisting condition. Diabetes, obesity, and pulmonary disease were more common in GTPs than in OTPs (p = 0.001). Dementia, congestive heart failure, and hematologic disease were more common in OTPs than in GTPs (p = 0.001). Pulmonary and infectious complications were most common and occurred with equal frequency in OTPs and GTPs. Mortality rates were higher (10.0% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.001) for OTPs overall and when stratified into low (<10), moderate (11-20), and high (>20) ISS subgroups (p = 0.001). Discharge destination was most often home (53.3% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.001) or a rehabilitation facility (20.0% vs. 17.4%, p = 0.001) for GTPs versus OTPs. OTPs were discharged to skilled nursing facilities (37.2% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.001) far more often than GTPs. FIM at discharge was lower in all categories for OTPs. Modified dependence in locomotion and transfer was seen for OTPs but not GTPs overall and when stratified by ISS subgroups (p = 0.001). Some dependence in feeding was seen for OTPs but not GTPs with high injury severity (p = 0.001). Otherwise, feeding, expression, and social independence were preserved for both OTPs and GTPs., Conclusion: Functional outcomes after blunt trauma are worse for OTPs; however, functional independence in feeding and social interaction are preserved in OTPs even with moderate injury severity.

Purpose: To review a statewide experience of adrenal gland trauma (AGT), incidence, demographics, associated injuries, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), mechanisms of injury, and complications, associated with AGT., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to accredited trauma centers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who sustained AGT from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 2000., Results: Adrenal trauma was found in 322 of 210,508 cases (0.15%). There were 76.4% men and 23.6% women. Seventy-one percent of patients had an ISS greater than 20. The overall mortality was 32.6%. The mechanism of injury was blunt in 81.4% of the cases and penetrating in 18.6%. Vehicular accidents constituted 48.8% of the cases. Younger age was associated with male predominance and greater proportion of penetrating injuries. Although exact indications are not known, advanced imaging studies were done in 163 of 322 (50.6%) patients: computed tomography in 133 (41.3%), ultrasound in 26 (8.1%), and angiography in 4 cases (1.2%). Exploratory laparotomy was done in 60 (18.6%), splenectomy in 25 (7.8%), nephrectomy in 14 (4.3%), and adrenalectomy in 8 (2.5%). Penetrating injuries had a 43.8% rate of exploratory laparotomy, whereas it was 12.4% in blunt trauma. Associated injuries included liver injury (57.8%), rib fractures (50.9%), kidney injury (41.3%), and spleen injury (32.9%). Pulmonary complications were most common, followed by infection/sepsis, and cardiovascular. Nearly 45% of patients were discharged home, 17% of patients were discharged to a rehabilitation facility, and 3.4% to nursing homes., Conclusions: Adrenal gland trauma is a rare and largely coincidental finding diagnosed either during an initial radiologic examination or surgical exploration for other injuries. Surgical exploration was carried out in 21.4% of patients, with adrenalectomy in 2.5% of cases and nephrectomy in 4.3% of cases. Adrenal injury is associated with high injury severity, and with mortality rates up to 5 times higher than non-AGT trauma.

Although significant progress has been made in the treatment of patients with acute lung failure in the critical care setting, the mortality rate from acute lung injury and ARDS is unacceptably high, given the numbers of patients treated for these syndromes each year. The improved understanding of the pathophysiology of respiratory failure from basic science and clinical research is reflected in improved survival rates over the years. Advances in the mechanical ventilator (through microprocessor technology); biosurface technology; liquid ventilation; and, in some cases, returning to so-called "antiquated" practices of patient care (e.g., prone positioning) seem to have had an impact nonetheless. As refinement continues to occur in these areas, morbidity and mortality from lung failure will have a lesser impact on patients as physicians treat the consequences of organ failure in the ICU.

Objective: To determine whether the presence of an on-site, organized, supervised critical service improves care and decreases resource utilization., Design: The study compared two patient cohorts admitted to a surgical intensive care unit during the same period of time. The study cohort was cared for by an on-site critical care team supervised by an intensivist. The control cohort was cared for by a team with patient care responsibilities in multiple sites supervised by a general surgeon. The main outcome measures were duration of stay, resource utilization, and complication rate., Setting: Study patients were general surgical patients in an academic medical center., Results: Despite having higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, patients cared for by the critical care service spent less time in the surgical intensive care unit, used fewer resources, had fewer complications and had lower total hospital charges. The difference between the two cohorts was most evident in patients with the worst APACHE II score., Conclusions: Critical care interventions are expensive and have a narrow safety margin. It is essential to develop structured and validated approaches to study the delivery of this resource. In this study, the critical care service model performed favorably both in terms of quality and cost.

We present an interesting case of the first adult reported in the United States to suffer from thermal burns, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to be treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) who survived. Our patient is a 26 year old male who sustained thermal burns (12% TBSA) to his face and anterior trunk and broncoscopically demonstrable inhalation injury. He was transported to our regional burn center for burn wound care and ventilatory support. The patient was treated with silver sulfadiazine 1% to his wounds which healed per primam. Because of low oxygen saturation he required increasing FIO2. The following parameters: FIO2= 1, PEEP = 17, minute ventilation of 15.1 1, peak airway pressure of 45 and mean of 27, along with chest X-rays corroborated the severity of ARDS. The patient failed volume control ventilation. A trial of pressure ventilation was attempted but the patient only reached O2 saturation in the low 80s. At this point, the decision was made to transfer the patient to a hospital capable of ECMO treatment. The patient was subsequently treated with veno venous ECMO. Six weeks later the patient was discharged from the hospital off all ventilatory support.

Acute or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) contributes to mortality and morbidity in the intensive care environment. Appropriate application of microprocessor-controlled mechanical ventilatory support, pathophysiology of the disease, and new pharmacologic modalities are currently being investigated. Mechanical ventilation is usually begun when respiratory failure is caused by alveolar hypoventilation or hypoxia. Primary choices for this therapy are control-mode ventilation, assist-control ventilation, pressure-control ventilation, intermittent mandatory ventilation, and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation with the addition of positive end-expiratory pressure. Patients who deteriorate despite these interventions may require alternative modes of ventilation. Pharmacologic agents in ARDS is important due to the multifactorial pathophysiologic and pharmacodynamic processes that are part of the disease. Clinical studies will continue to determine advantageous agents. Unfortunately, no convincing data exist that any pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic strategy is superior for the support of these patients or results in a better outcome than others.

Objective investigation of new inhibitors of blood protein or cellular systems that are activated during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is impeded by the absence of a satisfactory animal model. Because most baboon hematologic proteins immunologically cross-react with those used for human assays, we developed a robust, reusable baboon model of CPB. Blood samples were obtained from adult baboons at six time intervals before, during, and after 60 minutes of partial CPB at 37 degrees C with peripheral cannulas. Both membrane (n = 7) and bubble oxygenators (n = 7) were investigated. We measured platelet and white blood cell counts; platelet response to adenosine diphosphate and release of beta-thromboglobulin; fibrinopeptide A, prothrombin fragment F1.2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, D-dimer, and plasmin-antiplasmin complex; activated complement (C3b/c and C4b/c); elastase-alpha1 proteinase inhibitor complex; and bleeding times. Adherent glycoprotein IIIa antigen in Triton X-100 washes of the perfusion circuit was also measured. Markers of baboon platelet, complement, and neutrophil activation and thrombosis significantly increased during CPB with bubble oxygenator systems but did not change appreciably in membrane oxygenator circuits. Markers of fibrinolysis, D-dimer, and plasmin-antiplasmin complex did not change with either oxygenator. The baboon model of CPB, when a bubble oxygenator is used, is a robust, reusable animal model for evaluating inhibitors of platelet, complement, and neutrophil activation and thrombosis during and after CPB.

Objective: Tracheostomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the critical care setting. The early use of tracheostomy as a method of primary airway management has been proposed as a means to decrease pulmonary morbidity and to shorten the number of ventilator, intensive care unit, and hospital days. We set out to (1) determine whether hypercarbia occurs during tracheostomy of the critically ill patient and (2) determine the extent to which the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) rises during percutaneous endoscopic, percutaneous Doppler, and standard surgical tracheostomy., Design: Prospective, open clinical trial., Setting: Surgical intensive care unit and operating room in teaching hospitals., Patients: During mechanical ventilation, patients underwent either percutaneous endoscopic (PET), percutaneous Doppler (PDT), or standard surgical tracheostomy (ST), based on surgeon preference. Arterial blood gas readings were obtained approximately every 4 min throughout each procedure., Measurements and Results: All tracheostomies were successfully performed. No serious complications (including hypoxia) occurred during the study. Significant (p < 0.05 vs PDT and ST) hypercarbia (maximum delta PaCO2 24 +/- 3 mmHg) and acidosis (maximum delta pH -0.16 +/- 0.02) developed during PET. The changes in PaCO2 and pH during PDT (maximum delta PaCO2 8 +/- 2 mmHg; maximum delta pH -0.07 +/- 0.02) and ST (maximum delta PaCO2 3 +/- 1 mmHg; maximum delta pH -0.04 +/- 0.01) were markedly less pronounced., Conclusions: Continuous bronchoscopy during percutaneous tracheostomy contributes significantly to early hypoventilation, hypercarbia, and respiratory acidosis during the procedure. Percutaneous tracheostomy, when performed using the Doppler ultrasound method to position the endotracheal tube, significantly reduces CO2 retention when compared to PET. Because of a possible rise in intracranial pressure, the potential for hypercarbia should be considered when choosing the method of tracheostomy in the critically ill and/or head-injured patient, where hypercarbia may be detrimental. If PET is to be performed, steps to minimize occult hypercarbia, such as using the smallest bronchoscope available, minimizing suctioning during bronchoscopy, and minimizing the length of time the bronchoscope is in the endotracheal tube, should be undertaken.

Blood-borne pathogens threaten all individuals involved in emergency health care. Despite recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Emergency Physicians, documented compliance with universal precautions in trauma resuscitation has been poor. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that predispose to noncompliance with barrier precautions at a level I trauma center. Videotapes of trauma resuscitations performed during 1 month (n = 66) were reviewed. Full compliance with barrier precautions was documented in 89.1% of health care workers. Of the noncompliant health care workers, 50.7% were emergency department personnel and 47.8% were first responders to the trauma resuscitation area. Barrier precaution compliance improved from 62.5% to 91.8% with prenotification of patient arrival. Immediate access to barrier equipment is essential for all potential in-hospital first responders. Prehospital communication systems should be optimized to ensure prenotification.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the period of mechanical ventilation before extracorporeal life support and survival in patients with respiratory failure., Design: Retrospective review., Setting: Surgical intensive care unit at a university medical center., Patients: Thirty-six consecutive adult patients with severe respiratory failure managed with extracorporeal life support., Interventions: Extracorporeal life support was utilized in 36 acute respiratory failure adult patients with a variety of diagnoses and an estimated mortality rate of > 90%. Management protocols were followed before and during extracorporeal life support. The 36 patients were physiologically similar before extracorporeal life support was initiated: shunt of 48 +/- 17%; F10(2) of 1.0 +/- 0.1; peak inspiratory pressure of 56 +/- 16 cm H2O; positive end-expiratory pressure of 14 +/- 6 cm H2O; and respiratory rate of 23 +/- 10 breaths/ min. Ventilation was utilized for 1 to 17 days before extracorporeal life support. Typical lung rest settings during extracorporeal life support were F10(2) of 0.40, peak inspiratory pressure of 30 cm H2O, positive end-expiratory pressure of 10 cm H2O, and respiratory rate of 6 breaths/min. Death was almost always secondary to end-stage pulmonary failure., Measurements and Main Results: Survival (hospital discharge) in these 36 patients was inversely associated with the number of days of preextracorporeal life support ventilation, with a 50% mortality rate predicted by logistic regression after 5 days of mechanical ventilation. The overall survival rate was 18 (50.0%) of 36 patients., Conclusions: In severe acute respiratory failure treated with lung rest and extracorporeal life support, a predicted 50% mortality rate was associated with 5 days of preextracorporeal life support mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Tirofiban (Aggrastat) is a reversible, nonpeptide inhibitor of platelet glycoprotein II/IIIa receptors. We tested the hypothesis that tirofiban preserves platelet number and function and shortens postoperative bleeding times in baboons after cardiopulmonary bypass., Methods: Four groups were studied: control, n = 12; low-dose tirofiban (0.1 microg/kg per minute), n = 7; high-dose tirofiban (0.3 microg/kg per minute), n = 7; and bolus tirofiban (15 microg/kg) followed by 0.1 microg/kg per minute during cardiopulmonary bypass, n = 7. After heparin, animals were perfused for 60 minutes at 50 ml/kg per minute and 37 degrees C with a bubble oxygenator, roller pump, and peripheral cannulation. Hemodynamics, platelet count, platelet aggregation to adenosine diphosphate, and release of beta-thromboglobulin were measured before tirofiban infusion, before heparin, after heparin before bypass, after 5 and 55 minutes of bypass, after protamine, and 60 minutes after protamine. Template bleeding times were measured at the same times except during cardiopulmonary bypass and 120 and 180 minutes after protamine administration. Platelet glycoprotein IIIa antigen was measured in Triton X-100 washes (Sigma Chemical Company) of the perfusion circuit after bypass., Results: High-dose tirofiban completely prevents platelet loss during cardiopulmonary bypass. beta-Thromboglobulin release and sensitivity to adenosine diphosphate are significantly less than control at the end of bypass in all tirofiban groups. Template bleeding times return to preoperative values in both the low- and high-dose tirofiban groups 180 minutes after protamine administration and are significantly less than control bleeding times at both 120 and 180 minutes after protamine. Surface glycoprotein IIIa antigen does not significantly differ between groups., Conclusion: High-dose tirofiban completely preserves platelet number and improves platelet function during cardiopulmonary bypass in baboons and significantly accelerates restoration of normal template bleeding times after bypass.

Bronchoscopy has been incorporated as a useful adjunct to increase the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic tracheostomy (PET). Insertion of the bronchoscope, along with the intraluminal dilators of the PET set, into the airway potentially leads to hypoventilation and hypercarbia during the procedure. Using continuous in-line arterial blood gas monitoring, we documented profound hypercarbia in two patients undergoing PET in the surgical ICU. In a third patient, the rise in PaCO2 was accompanied by a marked rise in intracranial pressure (ICP), and a corresponding fall in cerebral perfusion pressure. While transient hypercarbia seems well tolerated by most patients, this phenomenon and its effect on cerebral blood flow should be strongly considered before performing PET on the critically ill patient with evidence of elevated ICP.

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been used in 10 patients after heart (5 patients), lung (3 patients), and heart-lung (2 patients) transplantation. The age range was 7 months to 55 years. Cardiopulmonary failure leading to institution of ECLS was due to acute postoperative organ malfunction in 4 patients (2 survived), subacute organ malfunction in 3 patients (none survived), and late rejection or infection in 3 patients (2 survived). Neurologic complications occurred in 3 patients (1 survived) and bleeding, in 5 patients (2 survived). Six patients (60%) were successfully weaned from ECLS, and 4 (40%) survived to leave the hospital. Survival was associated with younger age, shorter duration of ECLS, and longer interval from operation to initiation of ECLS but not to reason for initiating ECLS. Extracorporeal life support is feasible for sustaining both adults and children after heart, lung, or heart-lung transplantation. Best results were obtained in patients with conditions that, in retrospect, were treatable and reversible within days. More experience is needed to predict preoperatively which patients will benefit most from ECLS.

Respiratory failure may complicate multiple trauma and can add significant morbidity, mortality, and cost to the care of such patients. We used extracorporeal life support (ECLS) to treat 24 patients with multiple trauma who, after their injury, developed respiratory failure refractory to conventional ventilatory management. Injuries in these patients were the result of motor vehicle crashes (16 patients), pedestrian versus car collisions (3 patients), gunshots (2 patients), stabs (1 patient), and a recreational vehicle crash (1 patient). Patients were placed on venovenous or venoarterial ECLS, using continuous systemic anticoagulation with heparin, and percutaneous cannulation where possible. Average time on ECLS was 287 +/- 43 hours (12 +/- 1.8 days). The major complication was bleeding, which occurred in 75% of patients. Fifteen patients survived to be discharged from the hospital (63% survival). Early intervention (mechanical ventilation < or = 5 days prior to ECLS) was associated with good outcome. Despite risks of anticoagulation in patients with multiple injuries, ECLS can be life-saving in cases of respiratory failure refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation.

The efficacy of extracorporeal life support (ECLS, ECMO) in the management of severe adult cardiorespiratory failure remains controversial. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the authors' institutional experience with ECLS in adult patients. Between 1988 and 1993, 65 moribund patients with respiratory (n = 51) and cardiac (n = 14) failure were supported with ECLS. Criteria for initiation of ECLS were: 90% chance of mortality despite maximal conventional respiratory management, good potential for recovery, and age younger than 60 years. Venovenous bypass was used in 40 and venoarterial in 25 patients. Respiratory management included low rate, low pressure ventilation with an inspired oxygen fraction < or = 0.5 and tracheostomy tube placement. Continuous systemic heparinization was used, maintaining whole blood activated clotting time (ACT) between 180 and 200 sec. Survival data are summarized as follows: pneumonia (n = 25) 56%, adult respiratory distress syndrome (n = 24) 58%, airway support (n = 2) 100%, and cardiac support (n = 14) 29%. The most common complication was bleeding (68%), which was managed in most patients by reduction of anticoagulation or local measures such as packing. Data from survivors and nonsurvivors of ECLS in patients with respiratory failure were compared in an attempt to define prognostic indicators of improved survival. The only prognostic indicator of survival that could be identified was the period of time on the ventilator before the initiation of ECLS (survivors = 3.0 +/- 2.4 days, nonsurvivors = 6.1 +/9- 4.0 days, P < 0.005). It is concluded that ECLS can be a life saving modality for the management of severe adult cardiorespiratory failure. Earlier institution of ECLS in the course of cardiopulmonary failure may improve outcome.

A multicenter trial was designed to compare standard venoarterial (VA) access versus single-catheter, venovenous access using the double-lumen catheter (VV-DLC) for newborns with respiratory failure undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Twenty-seven ECMO centers participated, each submitting data from the center's most recent VA cases, and data from VV-DLC cases completed upon entering the study. Data from 135 VA ECMO cases and 108 VV-DLC cases were submitted. All diagnoses resulting in neonatal respiratory failure were submitted, including patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (24 patients VA bypass, 11 patients VV-DLC bypass). Overall survival in patients undergoing VA bypass was 87%, while survival in patients undergoing VV-DLC bypass was 95%. Eleven patients required conversion from VV-DLC bypass to VA bypass because of insufficient support--10 of these patients survived (91% survival). Average bypass time for newborns undergoing VA bypass was 132 +/- 7.4 hours versus 100 +/- 5.1 hours for those undergoing VV-DLC bypass. Neurologic complications were more common in the VA bypass patients, although the VV patients were more stable. Hemorrhagic, cardiopulmonary, and mechanical complications, other than kinking of the DLC, occurred with approximately equal frequency in each group. In conclusion, in newborns with adequate cardiac function, venovenous ECMO using the DLC can provide the same level of support as conventional VA ECMO, without ligation of the carotid artery.

After being placed on extracorporeal life support (ECLS), newborn patients typically weight 5% to 30% more than their birthweight. Recovery and eventual decannulation from ECLS is associated with a return to baseline weight or birthweight values after a pronounced diuresis. It has been assumed that the increases in weight in these patients are due to increases in extracellular fluid (ECF) and total body water (TBW). This study was undertaken to prove or disprove this hypothesis. ECF space was measured using the compound sodium bromide and TBW was determined with the use of deuterium oxide (nonradioactive heavy water). Fluid compartment measurements were made prior to the institution of ECLS, immediately after placement on bypass, approximately every other day while on bypass, and a final measurement was made once the patient was off bypass. Sodium bromide concentration was analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography, and deuterium oxide concentration was measured by the falling drop method. Eight newborns with respiratory failure were placed on either venoarterial (4 patients) or venovenous (4 patients) ECLS for an average of 106 hours (range, 71 to 219 hours). Pre-ECLS TBW was high in the neonates (87% of total body weight v the normal of 75% to 80%). Mean values for each fluid compartment were corrected for the additional volume of the bypass circuit when the patient was on bypass. ECF increased immediately after the institution of ECLS; however, both ECF and TBW decreased during the bypass run, and post-ECLS levels of ECF and TBW were similar to those found prior to ECLS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In 1980 we stopped using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for adults because only 1 of 20 patients treated between 1973 and 1979 survived. In October 1988 we returned to adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) with a modified protocol including venovenous access when possible, large oxygenators for CO2 clearance, activated clotting time of 180 to 200 seconds, and case selection based on 90% mortality (30% transpulmonary shunt). Of 19 patients referred, 14 met criteria for ECLS. Three of these 14 patients with isolated respiratory failure died before ECLS could be started, and 1 patient refused ECLS and died. Ten were placed on ECLS for 2 to 24 days. Indications were pneumonia (3), post-cardiac operation (2), and adult respiratory distress syndrome (5). Five recovered and 5 died. The cause of early death was progressive pulmonary injury (3), hemorrhage (1), and ventricular arrhythmia (1). One late death occurred at 3 months secondary to intraabdominal complications related to liver transplantation. In conclusion, 10 adult patients with severe respiratory failure were treated with extracorporeal life support; 5 patients recovered lung function and 4 of these patients survived and were discharged to home. Surviving patients were typically younger and were placed on ECLS early in their disease process, emphasizing that early intervention is one key factor to a successful outcome.

Percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy is a safe, efficient procedure for elective tracheostomy placement. It is not a technique for emergency tracheotomy. It should be performed only by surgeons experienced in conventional tracheotomy. The advantages of placement at the bedside, speed, and relative inexpense make it attractive in the care of critically ill patients.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is now standard treatment of severe respiratory failure in newborn infants in our center (200 cases) and worldwide (over 2500 cases), but there are few reports of such trials in older children. We reviewed our experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in 33 children aged 1 week to 18 years between 1971 and 1989. The modality was used when all other treatment failed. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation provided excellent cardiopulmonary support for 1 to 25 days (average 7 1/2 days). The survival rate was 25% for cardiac support patients and 47% for respiratory failure patients (36% overall survival). Mechanical complications included membrane lung failure, tubing rupture, and pump failure, all managed without mortality. Physiologic complications included bleeding, pneumothorax, cardiac arrest, renal failure, hepatic failure, and brain injury. The major cause of death was irreversible injury to lung, heart, or brain. Extracorporeal life support is a reasonable approach for children with serious but reversible cardiopulmonary failure.

After satisfactory development and testing of a polyurethane 14 Fr double lumen catheter, we used this device for venovenous extracorporeal life support in neonates who had respiratory failure. This catheter was designed for single site cannulation of the internal jugular vein, thereby sparing the carotid artery from ligation. Cannulation was successful in 17 of 21 neonates, with 15 successful venovenous runs, whereas 2 of the 17 patients were converted to venoarterial bypass because of inadequate support. Oxygenation and CO2 removal were adequate in the remaining patients. Average time on bypass was 111 hours. All 15 patients survived, and exploration of the cannulation site for bleeding was required in three patients. Preoxygenator pressure, recirculation of oxygenated blood, and hemolysis were all within acceptable levels during each run. Venovenous extracorporeal life support with the double lumen catheter can replace venoarterial access in most cases of neonatal respiratory failure.

The authors designed and tested a 14F outside diameter thin-walled double lumen catheter (DLC) for neonatal venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In vitro tests with water and dye solution showed capacity of the drainage lumen was 1,096 ml/min at 100 cm siphon, and pressure drop across the perfusion lumen was 300 mmHg at 500 ml/min flow. Recirculation at 500 ml/min flow ranged from 5 to 29%, depending upon simulated cardiac output. The highest serum hemoglobin during 12 hour 400 ml/min flow VV bypass in five dogs was 49 mg/dl. Typical oxygen transport in four dogs was 25 cc/min at 400 ml/min flow. This catheter is well suited for clinical VV ECMO in neonates.