Search

Study Objective: To characterize respiratory dynamics during emergence from propofol-remifentanil anesthesia using noninvasive respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP). Design: Observational pilot study. Setting: Operating room in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Patients: 50 ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients scheduled for microdirect laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with high-frequency jet ventilation. Interventions: Patients were fitted with plethysmography bands around the chest and abdomen prior to induction. Following completion of surgery in patients undergoing brief airway procedures using propofol-remifentanil general anesthesia, the anesthetic infusions were stopped and ventilation suspended until resumption of spontaneous ventilation or desaturation below 90%. During this period of apnea, abdominal and thoracic girth was assessed with noninvasive RIP. Measurements: Cross-sectional area of the thorax and abdomen during emergence were measured. Main Results: Useful data were obtained from 41 patients, with stable apnea lasting 404 ± 193.1 seconds; of these, 34 exhibited a slow and significant decrease in abdominal girth over a period of 267.8 ± 128.5 seconds. Resumption of spontaneous ventilation generally coincided with the end of this abdominal relaxation. Conclusion: Slow expiration is the initial step in the resumption of spontaneous ventilation during apnea induced with TIVA using propofol-remifentanil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a unique, practical, and safe approach to the clinical management of a young male with a large tongue hemangioma who presented for serial surgical treatment of the lesion. Laser ablation was undertaken in the operating room under topical anesthesia with remifentanil analgosedation without the use of supplemental oxygen. Significant involution of the hemangioma was achieved without complication while the patient was awake, cooperative, and able to protect his airway. The application of remifentanil infusion for analgosedation during airway surgery is described. The utility of pharmacokinetic modeling in these applications is discussed along with the use of non-invasive respiratory inductance plethysmography to monitor ventilation during opioid sedation. The concept of analgosedation for airway surgery is introduced and relative risk versus benefit considerations of the approach in comparison to general anesthesia are discussed. This approach can be conceived of as an ORL endoscopy suite model for limited airway procedures. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laypersons, researchers and clinicians alike speak of the biotechnology revolution with excitement. Media coverage of new breakthroughs in medicine often have the public and the investment community on the edge of their seats, eager for the next blockbuster drug to cure everything from high cholesterol levels to cancer. In this perspective, we examine some of the more popularized and influential new technologies in drug discovery and assess their relative impact on the actual attainment of new therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laypersons, researchers and clinicians alike speak of the biotechnology revolution with excitement. Media coverage of new breakthroughs in medicine often have the public and the investment community on the edge of their seats, eager for the next blockbuster drug to cure everything from high cholesterol levels to cancer. In this perspective, we examine some of the more popularized and influential new technologies in drug discovery and assess their relative impact on the actual attainment of new therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWe describe a 61-year-old female who underwent KTP laser ablation and CRE balloon dilatation of symptomatic idiopathic subglottic stenosis (50 obstruction). The procedure was conducted, using our standard approach for such cases, under total intravenous general anesthesia with subglottic high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) via Lindholm laryngoscope. The patient was enrolled in an ongoing investigational protocol in which respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP; Ambulatory Monitoring Inc., Ardsley, N.Y., USA) bands were used to monitor ventilation in addition to pulse oximetry and visual inspection. HFJV instituted with an Acutronic Monsoon jet ventilator (Acutronic Medical, Hirzel, Switzerland) resulted in a rapid increase in RIP signal amplitude consistent with breath stacking and inadequate expiratory flow around the tight stenosis. High pressure alarms sounded and automatic cessation of jet ventilation ensued. After successful tracheal dilation under intermittent apnea, subsequent jet ventilation produced only modest RIP amplitude changes. RIP may be an important safety monitor during jet ventilation for patients with obstructive tracheal lesions to lessen the risk of both barotrauma and hypoventilation. RIP remains under active study by our group for this purpose.Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are adverse effects after surgery, which may increase the risk of complications. Aprepitant is a neurokinin‐1 receptor blocker and has been shown to reduce chemotherapy‐related nausea and vomiting and PONV. However, its role in endoscopic skull base surgery remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of aprepitant in reducing PONV in endoscopic transsphenoidal (TSA) pituitary surgery. Methods: A retrospective chart review between July 2021 and January 2023 of 127 consecutive patients who underwent TSA was performed at a tertiary academic institution. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on preoperative aprepitant use. Two groups were matched based on known risk factors of PONV (age, sex, nonsmoking, and history of PONV). The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV. Secondary outcome measures included the number of anti‐emetic use, length of stay, and postoperative cererebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Results: After matching, 48 patients were included in each group. The aprepitant group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of vomiting than the non‐aprepitant group (2.1% vs 22.9%, p = 0.002). The number of nausea episodes and anti‐emetic use decreased with aprepitant use (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of nausea, length of stay, or postoperative CSF leak. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that aprepitant decreased the incidence of postoperative vomiting with odds ratio of 0.107. Conclusion: Aprepitant may serve as a useful preoperative treatment to reduce PONV in patients undergoing TSA. Further studies are needed to evaluate its impact in other arenas of endoscopic skull base surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the discovery of anticancer drugs in the U.S. DNA synthesis and cell division; Targeted specificity and side effects of anticancer drugs; Use of Glivec for treating chronic myelogenous leukemia; Incidence and mortality of cancers.

Focuses on the development of drugs to treat cancer. Identification of underlying molecular defects in chronic myelogenous leukemia; Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor drugs; Signal-transduction inhibitors.

Communication failure is a common root cause of adverse clinical events. Problematic communication domains are difficult to decipher, and communication improvement strategies are scarce. This study compared perioperative incident reports (IR) identifying potential communication failures with the results of a contemporaneous peri-operative Relational Coordination (RC) survey. We hypothesised that IR-prevalent themes would map to areas-of-weakness identified in the RC survey. Perioperative IRs filed between 2018 and 2020 (n = 6,236) were manually reviewed to identify communication failures (n = 1049). The IRs were disaggregated into seven RC theory domains and compared with the RC survey. Report disaggregation ratings demonstrated a three-way inter-rater agreement of 91.2%. Of the 1,049 communication failure-related IRs, shared knowledge deficits (n = 479, 46%) or accurate communication (n = 465, 44%) were most frequently identified. Communication frequency failures (n = 3, 0.3%) were rarely coded. Comparatively, shared knowledge was the weakest domain in the RC survey, while communication frequency was the strongest, correlating well with our IR data. Linking IR with RC domains offers a novel approach to assessing the specific elements of communication failures with an acute care facility. This approach provides a deployable mechanism to trend intra- and inter-domain progress in communication success, and develop targeted interventions to mitigate against communication failure-related adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with COVID-19 ARDS require significant amounts of sedation and analgesic medications which can lead to longer hospital/ICU length of stay, delirium, and has been associated with increased mortality. Tracheostomy has been shown to decrease the amount of sedative, anxiolytic and analgesic medications given to patients. The goal of this study was to assess whether tracheostomy decreased sedation and analgesic medication usage, improved markers of activity level and cognitive function, and clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 ARDS. Study Design and Methods: A retrospective registry of patients with COVID-19 ARDS who underwent tracheostomy creation at the University of Pennsylvania Health System or the Johns Hopkins Hospital from 3/2020 to 12/2020. Patients were grouped into the early (≤14 days, n=31) or late (15+days, n=97) tracheostomy groups and outcome data collected. Results: 128 patients had tracheostomies performed at a mean of 19.4 days, with 66% performed percutaneously at bedside. Mean hourly dose of fentanyl, midazolam, and propofol were all significantly reduced 48-h after tracheostomy: fentanyl (48-h pre-tracheostomy: 94.0 mcg/h, 48-h post-tracheostomy: 64.9 mcg/h, P =.000), midazolam (1.9 mg/h pre vs. 1.2 mg/h post, P= .0012), and propofol (23.3 mcg/kg/h pre vs. 8.4 mcg/kg/h post, P =.0121). There was a significant improvement in mobility score and Glasgow Coma Scale in the 48-h pre- and post-tracheostomy. Comparing the early and late groups, the mean fentanyl dose in the 48-h pre-tracheostomy was significantly higher in the late group than the early group (116.1 mcg/h vs. 35.6 mcg/h, P = .03). ICU length of stay was also shorter in the early group (37.0 vs. 46.2 days, P =.012). Interpretation: This data supports a reduction in sedative and analgesic medications administered and improvement in cognitive and physical activity in the 48-h period post-tracheostomy in COVID-19 ARDS. Further, early tracheostomy may lead to significant reductions in intravenous opiate medication administration, and ICU LOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to surge in the United States and globally.Objective: To describe the epidemiology of COVID-19-related critical illness, including trends in outcomes and care delivery.Design: Single-health system, multihospital retrospective cohort study.Setting: 5 hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Health System.Patients: Adults with COVID-19-related critical illness who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with acute respiratory failure or shock during the initial surge of the pandemic.Measurements: The primary exposure for outcomes and care delivery trend analyses was longitudinal time during the pandemic. The primary outcome was all-cause 28-day in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were all-cause death at any time, receipt of mechanical ventilation (MV), and readmissions.Results: Among 468 patients with COVID-19-related critical illness, 319 (68.2%) were treated with MV and 121 (25.9%) with vasopressors. Outcomes were notable for an all-cause 28-day in-hospital mortality rate of 29.9%, a median ICU stay of 8 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3 to 17 days), a median hospital stay of 13 days (IQR, 7 to 25 days), and an all-cause 30-day readmission rate (among nonhospice survivors) of 10.8%. Mortality decreased over time, from 43.5% (95% CI, 31.3% to 53.8%) to 19.2% (CI, 11.6% to 26.7%) between the first and last 15-day periods in the core adjusted model, whereas patient acuity and other factors did not change.Limitations: Single-health system study; use of, or highly dynamic trends in, other clinical interventions were not evaluated, nor were complications.Conclusion: Among patients with COVID-19-related critical illness admitted to ICUs of a learning health system in the United States, mortality seemed to decrease over time despite stable patient characteristics. Further studies are necessary to confirm this result and to investigate causal mechanisms.Primary Funding Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: Wrong-site nerve blocks (WSBs) are a significant, though rare, source of perioperative morbidity. WSBs constitute the most common type of perioperative wrong-site procedure reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. This systematic literature review aggregates information about the incidence, patient consequences, and conditions that contribute to WSBs, as well as evidence-based methods to prevent them.Design: A systematic search of English-language publications was performed, using the PRISMA process.Main Results: Seventy English-language publications were identified. Analysis of four publications reporting on at least 10,000 blocks provides a rate of 0.52 to 5.07 WSB per 10,000 blocks, unilateral blocks, or "at risk" procedures. The most commonly mentioned potential consequence was local anesthetic toxicity. The most commonly mentioned contributory factors were time pressure, personnel factors, and lack of site-mark visibility (including no site mark placed). Components of the block process that were addressed include preoperative nerve-block verification, nerve-block site marking, time-outs, and the healthcare facility's structure and culture of safety.Discussion: A lack of uniform reporting criteria and divergence in the data and theories presented may reflect the variety of circumstances affecting when and how nerve blocks are performed, as well as the infrequency of a WSB. However, multiple authors suggest three procedural steps that may help to prevent WSBs: (1) verify the nerve-block procedure using multiple sources of information, including the patient; (2) identify the nerve-block site with a visible mark; and (3) perform time-outs immediately prior to injection or instillation of the anesthetic. Hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and anesthesiology practices should consider creating site-verification processes with clinician input and support to develop sustainable WSB-prevention practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Management of early superficial lesions in the head and neck remains complex. We performed a phase 1 trial for high-grade premalignant and early superficial lesions of the head and neck using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Levulan (ALA).Materials and Methods: Thirty-five subjects with high grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, or microinvasive (⩽1.5mm depth) squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. Cohorts of 3-6 patients were given escalating intraoperative light doses of 50-200J/cm(2) 4-6h after oral administration of 60mg/kg ALA. Light at 629-635nm was delivered in a continuous (unfractionated) or fractionated (two-part) schema.Results: PDT was delivered to 30/35 subjects, with 29 evaluable. There was one death possibly due to the treatment. The regimen was otherwise tolerable, with a 52% rate of grade 3 mucositis which healed within several weeks. Other toxicities were generally grade 1 or 2, including odynophagia (one grade 4), voice alteration (one grade 3), and photosensitivity reactions. One patient developed grade 5 sepsis. With a median follow-up of 42months, 10 patients (34%) developed local recurrence; 4 of these received 50J/cm(2) and two each received 100, 150, and 200J/cm(2). Ten (34%) patients developed recurrence adjacent to the treated field. There was a 69% complete response rate at 3months.Conclusions: ALA-PDT is well tolerated. Maximum Tolerated Dose appears to be higher than the highest dose used in this study. Longer followup is required to analyze effect of light dose on local recurrence. High marginal recurrence rates suggest use of larger treatment fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Study Objective: To assess the interest in and barriers to pursuing global health outreach (GHO) experiences for anesthesiology residents in the United States. Design: Survey instrument. Setting: Academic department of anesthesiology. Subjects: Anesthesiology residents who were members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Measurements: An online survey was administered to residents in anesthesiology via the ASA membership database. Descriptive statistics, including means, frequencies, and percentages were calculated. Main Results: 91% of participants indicated an interest in GHO, of whom fewer than half (44%) had done a GHO medical mission. Seventy-nine percent reported that GHO affected their current practice or education; 33% commented they were now less wasteful with supplies and resources. Permission from work or obtaining work coverage were the primary barriers for both those with and without previous GHO participation. Of all respondents, 78% agreed that the availability of a GHO residency track would influence their ranking of that program for training, and 71% would pursue a GHO fellowship if available. Conclusions: Anesthesiology residents have an interest in residency and fellowship GHO programs. Formalization of GHO programs during training may reduce work-related barriers associated with GHO participation and broaden academic program recruitment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 47-year-old obese woman with GERD and COPD presents for CO2-laser excision of bilateral vocal fold masses. She had a history of progressive hoarseness and difficulty in breathing. Nasopharyngeal laryngoscopy revealed large, mobile, bilateral vocal cord polyps that demonstrated dynamic occlusion of the glottis. We describe the airway and anesthetic management of this patient with a topicalized C-MAC video laryngoscopic intubation using a 4.5 mm Xomed Laser Shield II endotracheal tube. We examine the challenges of anesthetic management unique to the combined circumstances of a ball-valve lesion and the need for a narrow-bore laser compatible endotracheal tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]