Rapid-Onset Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in a Patient Undergoing Metastatic Liver Resection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Metastatic liver resection following cytoreductive chemotherapy is an accepted treatment for oligometastatic tumor diseases. Although pulmonary complications are frequently reported in patients undergoing liver surgery including liver transplantation, life-threatening acute respiratory failures in the absence of aspiration, embolism, transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), pulmonary infection, or an obvious source of systemic sepsis are rare. We performed an extensive clinical review of a patient undergoing metastatic liver resection who had a clinical course compatible to an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) without an obvious cause except for the surgical procedure and multiple preoperative chemotherapies. We hypothesize that either the surgical procedure mediated by cytokines and tumor necrosis factor or possible toxic effects of oxygen applied during general anesthesia were associated with life-threatening respiratory failure in the patient. Discrete and subclinical inflammated alveoli (probably due to multiple preoperative chemotherapies with substances at potential risk for interstitial pneumonitis as well as chest radiation) might therefore be considered as risk factors

1028-63 Cardiac Troponin T as a Marker for Perioperative Myocardial Ischemia in Noncardiac Surgical Patients

Episodes of perioperative myocardial ischemia (PMI) occur in 18 to 74% of noncardiac surgical patients with or at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). PMls correlate with adverse postoperative cardiac outcome. To determine the diagnostic value of cardiac troponin T(TnT) in PMI, we studied 28 patients (63.9±8.9 years) undergoing peripheral vascular surgery (n=16) or carotid endarterectomy (n=12). Patients included had either documented CAD (n=16) or two (n=7) or more (n=5) risk factors (age >65 years, smoking. diabetes mellitus. hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia >240 mg/dL). Patients with uninterpretable ECG for PMI were excluded. 12-lead ECG recordings and blood sampling for measurement of CK-MB activity and TnT levels (ELISA troponin 1. Boehringer Mannheim, Germany) were carried out preoperatively, and immediately, 20 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 84 h postoperatively. ECG recordings were analysed by an independent blinded cardiologist for signs of PMI (new ST segment depression >0.1 mV 60 ms after the J point, new T inversion). We found an overall incidence of ECG documented PMI of 54% (n=15), 93% occuring immediately postoperatively. Patients undergoing peripheral vascular surgery developed significantly less PMI than carotid surgical patients (38% vs. 75%; p<0.05, Fisher's Exact test). TnT levels >0.1 μg/L were found in 80% (n=12) of patients with PMI (ECG). Only one patient without ECG-documented PMI had TnT levels >0.1 μg/L. Thus, comparing a TnT cut off level of 0.1 μg/L with intermittent 12-lead ECG recording, we found a sensitivity of 80% and a specifity of 92%. We were unable to detect elevated levels of CK-MB in any patient (tab.).overall (n=28)per. vase. surg. (n=16)carotid surg. (n=12)CK-MB >6 U/L000ECG(PMI)15(54%)6 (38%)9(75%)TnT >0.1 μg/L13(46%)5(31%)8(67%)ConclusionIn contrast to CK-MB, TnT is a specific and sensitive marker of PMI in patients with or at risk for CAD undergoing noncardiac surgery

La précision ďun nouveau thermomètre auriculaire infrarouge chez des patients de cardiochirurgie

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Postsurgical pain outcome of vertical and transverse abdominal incision: Design of a randomized controlled equivalence trial [ISRCTN60734227]

BACKGROUND: There are two ways to open the abdominal cavity in elective general surgery: vertically or transversely. Various clinical studies and a meta-analysis have postulated that the transverse approach is superior to other approaches as regards complications. However, in a recent survey it was shown that 90 % of all abdominal incisions in visceral surgery are still vertical incisions. This discrepancy between existing recommendations of clinical trials and clinical practice could be explained by the lack of acceptance of these results due to a number of deficits in the study design and analysis, subsequent low internal validity, and therefore limited external generalisability. The objective of this study is to address the issue from the patient's perspective. METHODS: This is an intraoperatively randomized controlled observer and patient-blinded two-group parallel equivalence trial. The study setting is the Department of General-, Visceral-, Trauma Surgery and Outpatient Clinic of the University of Heidelberg, Medical School. A total of 172 patients of both genders, aged over 18 years who are scheduled for an elective abdominal operation and are eligible for either a transverse or vertical incision. To show equivalence of the two approaches or the superiority of one of them from the perspective of the patient, a primary endpoint is defined: the pain experienced by the patient (VAS 0–100) on day two after surgery and the amount of analgesic required (piritramide [mg/h]). A confidence interval approach will be used for analysis. A global α-Level of 0.05 and a power of 0.8 is guaranteed, resulting in a size of 86 patients for each group. Secondary endpoints are: time interval to open and close the abdomen, early-onset complications (frequency of burst abdomen, postoperative pulmonary complications, and wound infection) and late complications (frequency of incisional hernias). Different outcome variables will be ranked by patients and surgeons to assess the relevance of possible endpoints from the patients' and surgeons' perspective. CONCLUSION: This is a randomized controlled observer and patient-blinded two-group parallel trial to answer the question if the transverse abdominal incision is equivalent to the vertical one due to the described endpoints

RESTORE-IMI 1: A Multicenter, Randomized, Doubleblind Trial Comparing Efficacy and Safety of Imipenem/Relebactam vs Colistin Plus Imipenem in Patients With Imipenem-nonsusceptible Bacterial Infections

Background. The β-lactamase inhibitor relebactam can restore imipenem activity against imipenem-nonsusceptible gram-negative pathogens. We evaluated imipenem/relebactam for treating imipenem-nonsusceptible infections. Methods. Randomized, controlled, double-blind, phase 3 trial. Hospitalized patients with hospital-acquired/ventilatorassociated pneumonia, complicated intraabdominal infection, or complicated urinary tract infection caused by imipenemnonsusceptible (but colistin- and imipenem/relebactam-susceptible) pathogens were randomized 2:1 to 5–21 days imipenem/ relebactam or colistin+imipenem. Primary endpoint: favorable overall response (defined by relevant endpoints for each infection type) in the modified microbiologic intent-to-treat (mMITT) population (qualifying baseline pathogen and ≥1 dose study treatment). Secondary endpoints: clinical response, all-cause mortality, and treatment-emergent nephrotoxicity. Safety analyses included patients with ≥1 dose study treatment. Results. Thirty-one patients received imipenem/relebactam and 16 colistin+imipenem. Among mITT patients (n = 21 imipenem/relebactam, n = 10 colistin+imipenem), 29% had Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores >15, 23% had creatinine clearance <60 mL/min, and 35% were aged ≥65 years. Qualifying baseline pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (77%), Klebsiella spp. (16%), other Enterobacteriaceae (6%). Favorable overall response was observed in 71% imipenem/relebactam and 70% colistin+imipenem patients (90% confidence interval [CI] for difference, –27.5, 21.4), day 28 favorable clinical response in 71% and 40% (90% CI, 1.3, 51.5), and 28-day mortality in 10% and 30% (90% CI, –46.4, 6.7), respectively. Serious adverse events (AEs) occurred in 10% of imipenem/relebactam and 31% of colistin+imipenem patients, drug-related AEs in 16% and 31% (no drugrelated deaths), and treatment-emergent nephrotoxicity in 10% and 56% (P = .002), respectively. Conclusions. Imipenem/relebactam is an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option for carbapenem-nonsusceptible infection

(1 → 3)-β-d-Glucan-guided antifungal therapy in adults with sepsis: the CandiSep randomized clinical trial

Purpose To investigate whether (1 → 3)-β-d-Glucan (BDG)-guidance shortens time to antifungal therapy and thereby reduces mortality of sepsis patients with high risk of invasive Candida infection (ICI). Methods Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial carried out between September 2016 and September 2019 in 18 intensive care units enrolling adult sepsis patients at high risk for ICI. Patients in the control group received targeted antifungal therapy driven by culture results. In addition to targeted therapy, patients in the BDG group received antifungals if at least one of two consecutive BDG samples taken during the first two study days was ≥ 80 pg/mL. Empirical antifungal therapy was discouraged in both groups. The primary endpoint was 28-day-mortality. Results 339 patients were enrolled. ICI was diagnosed in 48 patients (14.2%) within the first 96 h after enrollment. In the BDG-group, 48.8% (84/172) patients received antifungals during the first 96 h after enrollment and 6% (10/167) patients in the control group. Death until day 28 occurred in 58 of 172 patients (33.7%) in the BDG group and 51 of 167 patients (30.5%) in the control group (relative risk 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.80–1.51; p  = 0.53). Median time to antifungal therapy was 1.1 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.0–2.2] days in the BDG group and 4.4 (IQR 2.0–9.1, p  < 0.01) days in the control group. Conclusions Serum BDG guided antifungal treatment did not improve 28-day mortality among sepsis patients with risk factors for but unexpected low rate of IC. This study cannot comment on the potential benefit of BDG-guidance in a more selected at-risk population.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Universitätsklinikum Jena (8979

“wenn sie sonst jetzt zum eingriff keine fragen mehr haben dann unterschreiben (.) sie noch mal hier”. Verständigungssicherung in anästhesiologischen Aufklärungsgesprächen – Arztangebote und Patientenfragen

Anästhesiologische Aufklärungsgespräche sind obligatorischer, rechtlich vorgeschriebener Bestandteil der Operationsvorbereitung. Ärzte sind dabei verpflichtet, eine Reihe von Formalia einzuhalten, um die Einwilligung der Patienten rechtlich abzusichern. Ziele solcher Gespräche sind, narkoserelevante Informationen zum Gesundheitszustand zu ermitteln, ausreichend zu informieren und Verständnis zu sichern, eine Entscheidung über das Narkoseverfahren zu treffen und schließlich die wirksame Zustimmung einzuholen. Zur Sicherung des Verständnisses sind die aufklärenden Anästhesisten gehalten, Patienten Fragerechte anzubieten. Im Beitrag wird zunächst das Handlungsschema dieses Interaktionstyps rekonstruiert, um auf dieser Grundlage zu analysieren, wie Ärzte durch Platzierung, Sequenzierung und Formulierungsweise die Patienten er- oder entmutigen, Frageangebote wahrzunehmen. Es zeigt sich, dass Ärzte den Patienten zwar regelmäßig die Möglichkeit zu Fragen anbieten, dies aber oft gesprächsstrukturell ungünstig platzieren und durch ihre Formulierungsweise und andere Eigenschaften konterkarieren. Grundlage der Untersuchung bilden 18 Gespräche, die im Prämedikationszentrum einer großen Universitätsklinik geführt wurden.Anaesthesiological counselling sessions are a mandatory, legally prescribed part of preparation for surgery. Doctors are required to comply with a number of formalities in order to give legal force to the patient’s consent. The objectives of such sessions are to identify anaesthetically relevant information about the medical condition, to inform and to make sure the patient has a sufficient understanding of the treatment, to make a decision about the anaesthetic process and finally to obtain effective consent. To ensure the patients’ understanding of the counselling sessions, anaesthetists are required to give the patients the opportunity to ask questions. This article first reconstructs the action scheme underlying this type of interaction in order to analyse how doctors encourage or discourage patients’ questions by the placement, sequencing and wording of what they say. It turns out that doctors regularly provide patients with the opportunity to ask questions, but frequently place this offer unfavourably in the structure of the conversation and counteract it by the formulations they use and other means. The investigation is based on 18 counselling sessions which were conducted in the premedication centre of a large university hospital

Long-Term Inhalative Sedation in Children With Pulmonary Diseases

Objectives: To describe safety and feasibility of long-term inhalative sedation (LTIS) in children with severe respiratory diseases compared to patients with normal lung function with respect to recent studies that showed beneficial effects in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Design: Single-center retrospective study. Setting: 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a tertiary-care academic medical center in Germany. Patients: All patients treated in our PICU with LTIS using the AnaConDa® device between July 2011 and July 2019. Measurements and Main Results: Thirty-seven courses of LTIS in 29 patients were analyzed. LTIS was feasible in both groups, but concomitant intravenous sedatives could be reduced more rapidly in children with lung diseases. Cardiocirculatory depression requiring vasopressors was observed in all patients. However, severe side effects only rarely occured. Conclusions: In this largest cohort of children treated with LTIS reported so far, LTIS was feasible even in children with severely impaired lung function. From our data, a prospective trial on the use of LTIS in children with ARDS seems justified. However, a thorough monitoring of cardiocirculatory side effects is mandatory