Venous thromboembolism risk assessments on trauma patients has suboptimal interobserver reliability among inexperienced clinicians (fourth-year medical students)

Akella Chendrasekhar,1,2 Sireesha Aleti2 1State University of New York Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 2Department of Surgery, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, NY, USA Background: Venous thromboembolic disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. The objective of this study is to compare interobserver reliability for qualitative and quantitative venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessments in hospitalized trauma patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 40 randomly selected trauma patients admitted to a 448-bed urban level-I trauma center from January 2013 to January 2014. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated based on a two-way mixed model. The sample was equally distributed between patients admitted to the floor and the intensive care unit (ICU). Eight fourth-year medical students performed the risk assessments by the medical record. Two forms for risk assessment were used: a qualitative screening and a quantitative screening. The composite of intraobserver and interobserver variabilities was determined. Results: The ICC for qualitative VTE risk assessments was 0.845 and for quantitative VTE risk assessment was 0.628. Conclusion: To optimize accuracy of VTE risk stratification and appropriate prophylaxis, medical students and first-year residents should be formally trained to perform quantitative assessments. Keywords: venous thromboembolism, risk assessment, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, prophylaxis, interobserver reliabilit

Pyomyositis in the setting of complicated diverticulitis: case report

James Sun,1 David Leor Kashan,1 Jolita Marie Auguste,1 Akella Chendrasekhar2 1Department of Surgery, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 2Department of Surgery, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, NY, USA Abstract: Pyomyositis is typically thought of as a disease of the tropics. However, it is becoming more prevalent in temperate regions, and may be underdiagnosed. Here, pyomyositis is encountered as a complication of perforated diverticulitis, which has not been previously reported. A 61-year-old Caucasian man initially presented in respiratory distress and was diagnosed with respiratory failure due to COPD exacerbation. The patient was taking high-dose prednisone, 60 mg daily for the past 2 years. Initially, he was afebrile, normotensive, tachycardic to 178 beats/minute and tachypneic to 28 breaths/minute, requiring noninvasive ventilation to maintain oxygenation. Blood tests revealed leukocytosis of 16.7×103/μL, and blood cultures grew Escherichia coli. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were started but leukocytosis and bacteremia persisted on repeated tests. On the seventh hospital day, a CT scan of the abdomen was performed for complaints of abdominal pain, and the patient was diagnosed with Hinchey stage 3 diverticulitis. A Hartmann’s procedure was performed with intraoperative findings of purulent peritonitis. Intraoperative cultures grew E. coli and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. The patient continued to have leukocytosis of 15.1×103/μL despite surgical therapy. He began to complain of left lower extremity pain, and a CT scan on hospital day 24 revealed gluteal intramuscular abscesses, which were percutaneously drained. Persistent symptoms prompted another CT scan on hospital day 28, which revealed additional intramuscular abscesses in the vastus lateralis muscle, which was also drained, with subsequent resolution of pain and normalization of inflammatory markers. This is the first case demonstrating pyomyositis as a complication of diverticulitis. While the mechanism of pyomyositis may not be unique, it is important to recognize the potential complications of frequently encountered diseases. In this critically ill and immunosuppressed patient, there was delayed diagnosis of both diverticulitis and pyomyositis, but the patient quickly improved once the diseases were recognized and treated. Keywords: abscess, immunosuppression, steroid use, COPD, intramuscular infectio

Bullet to the femoral head

Krishna Akella, Nupur Murthy, Phoenix Bell, Akella Chendrasekhar Department of Surgery, Trauma Section, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, NY, USA Abstract: A bullet being lodged in the femoral head is a unique trauma situation, which can be managed either operatively or non-operatively. We present two different scenarios of a bullet being lodged in the femoral head with a discussion of both operative and non-operative management as well as diagnostic considerations. Keywords: penetrating , trauma, extremit

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome and platelet count ≥250×109 are associated with venous thromboembolic disease

Amy Pate, Gerard A Baltazar, Shahniwaz Labana, Trishul Bhagat, Joseph Kim, Akella ChendrasekharRichmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, NY, USAIntroduction: Prior research has demonstrated that platelet count and inflammation are dominant contributors to hypercoagulability. Our objective is to determine whether elevated platelet count and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) have an association with the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients with a high clinical index of suspicion for thromboembolic disease.Methods: We performed a retrospective medical record review of 844 medical and surgical patients with suspected VTE hospitalized from July 2012 to May 2013 who underwent screening by venous duplex and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram. For our purposes, thrombocytosis was arbitrarily defined as platelet count ≥250×109/L.Results: Venous thromboembolic disease was detected in 229 patients (25.9%). Thrombocytosis was present in 389 patients (44%) and SIRS was present in 203 patients (23%) around the time of imaging. Thrombocytosis and SIRS were positively correlated with VTE (P<0.001). There was no correlation between thrombocytosis and SIRS. Multivariate analysis revealed that SIRS (odds ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.36–2.68, P<0.001) and thrombocytosis (odds ration 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.23–2.26, P=0.001) were independently associated with VTE.Conclusion: Patients at high risk for VTE should be routinely assessed for thrombocytosis (≥250×109/L) and SIRS; if either is present, consideration for empiric anticoagulation should be given while diagnostic imaging is undertaken.Keywords: SIRS, thrombocytosis, VTE, platelet coun

Predictive Risk Factors of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes Following Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The primary objective was to identify predictive risk factors of preterm delivery following blunt abdominal trauma. The secondary objective was to identify risk factors of other adverse outcomes, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission, placental abruption, fetal demise, and Cesarean Delivery (CD). METHODS: This retrospective study included pregnant patients with gestational age (GA) ≥23 weeks who presented after blunt abdominal trauma to Richmond University Medical Center from October 2015 to January 2020. Patients were identified using the following diagnostic International diagnostic classification (ICD-10) codes: O9A.212, O9A.213, and 071.89, and excluded if trauma did not involve the abdomen, penetrating, \u3c23 weeks, or incomplete records. Collected data points included maternal demographic factors, clinical laboratory values, maternal clinical findings at presentation, abdominal ultrasound, results of fetal monitoring, Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) for abdomen, and Injury Severity Score (ISS). Univariate analyses were compared using the Student\u27s -test or Mann-Whitney -test. Categorical data were compared using the chi-squared test or Fisher\u27s exact test with -value \u3c .05 as significant. RESULTS: 154 patients were included in the final analysis. The incidence of the primary outcome, preterm delivery before 37 weeks, was 11.0% (17/154). The incidence of secondary outcomes following blunt abdominal trauma were abruption 0% (0/154), fetal demise 0.6% (1/154), CD 44% (68/154), NICU admission 24% (37/154). Maternal demographic factors, presence of uterine contractions, maternal clinical conditions (abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, vaginal bleeding), hematologic and coagulation studies, ultrasound findings, fetal heart rate tracing category, AIS score for abdomen, and ISS score were not predictive of preterm delivery or other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: The incidence of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes is low following blunt abdominal trauma. Extended monitoring of asymptomatic patients including laboratory tests and coagulation profiles were not predictive of preterm labor or secondary adverse perinatal outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care management, Level III