Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies Evaluating Point-of-Care Tests of Coagulopathy in Cardiac Surgery

Treatment guidelines recommend the routine use of point-of-care diagnostic tests for coagulopathy in the management of cardiac surgery patients at risk of severe bleeding despite uncertainty as to their diagnostic accuracy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of viscoelastometry, platelet function tests, and modified thromboelastography (TEG) tests, for coagulopathy in cardiac surgery patients. The reference standard included resternotomy for bleeding, transfusion of non-red cell components, or massive transfusion. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Clinical Trials.gov, from inception to June 2019. Study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2. Bivariate models were used to estimate summary sensitivity and specificity with (95% confidence intervals). All 29 studies (7440 participants) included in the data synthesis evaluated the tests as predictors of bleeding. No study evaluated their role in the management of bleeding. None was at low risk of bias. Four were judged as low concern regarding applicability. Pooled estimates of diagnostic accuracy were; Viscoelastic tests, 12 studies, sensitivity 0.61 (0.44, 0.76), specificity 0.83 (0.70, 0.91) with significant heterogeneity. Platelet function tests, 12 studies, sensitivity 0.63 (0.53, 0.72), specificity 0.75 (0.64, 0.84) with significant heterogeneity. TEG modification tests, 3 studies, sensitivity 0.80 (0.67, 0.89), specificity 0.76 (0.69, 0.82) with no evidence of heterogeneity. Studies reporting the highest values for sensitivity and specificity had important methodological limitations. In conclusion, we did not demonstrate predictive accuracy for commonly used point-of-care devices for coagulopathic bleeding in cardiac surgery. However, the certainty of the evidence was low.     

The role of regional anaesthesia and multimodal analgesia in the prevention of chronic postoperative pain: a narrative review

Effective prevention of chronic postoperative pain is an important clinical goal, informed by a growing body of studies. Peri-operative regional anaesthesia remains one of the most important tools in the multimodal analgesic toolbox, blocking injury-induced activation and sensitisation of both the peripheral and central nervous system. We review the definition and taxonomy of chronic postoperative pain, its mechanistic basis and the most recent evidence for the preventative potential of multimodal analgesia, with a special focus on regional anaesthesia. While regional anaesthesia targets several important aspects of the mechanistic pathway leading to chronic postoperative pain, evidence for its efficacy is still mixed, possibly owing to the heterogeneity of risk profiles within the surgical patient, but also to variation in techniques and medications reported in the literature.     

Mechanism of olfactory deficit in neurotrauma and its related affective distress: A narrative review

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the leading causes of death and disability all over the globe. TBI is also commonly associated with clinical sequelae of posttraumatic depression, and reports of other subsequent affective distress are common. Similarly, posttraumatic changes in chemoreceptive sensory functions, primarily due to coup-contrecoup injury induced shearing of the olfactory nerve fibers, leading to anosmia and ageusia are also well documented in the literature. However, the current literature is limited in addressing the intersections between said variables. The aim of this study was to provide a focused narrative review of the literature, to address these intersections found in clinical sequelae of TBI. As chemoreceptive sensory deficits are also linked to significant affective distress of their own, this review addresses the bidirectionality between sensory deficit and affective distress. Prevalence, demographics, mechanisms, and clinical implications are presented. Previous research is presented and discussed, in an effort to highlight the importance of consideration for all factors in TBI patient care and future research.