Survival of severely shocked patients who present with absent radial pulse and unrecordable blood pressure in the pre-hospital phase

OBJECTIVES: To determine the mortality and clinical features of patients presenting with severe hypotension in the pre-hospital phase of care. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. The medical records of patients attended by a physician-led pre-hospital medical service were examined prospectively. Inclusion criteria were severe shock characterized by a non-palpable radial pulse and unrecordable blood pressure at clinical presentation. All consecutive records between September 2002 and September 2003 were included. SETTING: Seine Saint-Denis, an urban area with a population of 1.5 million located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty one patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall mortality was 50% (66/131). Of the deaths, 20% (13/66) occurred in the pre-hospital phase and 80% (53/66) after arrival in hospital. Clinical features significantly associated with increased mortality were: more than one pre-existing co-morbidity, increased age, high Knaus score, a low Glasgow Coma Score, vasopressor administration, pre-hospital cardiac arrest and hypotension on arrival at hospital. The presence of anaphylactic shock was associated with low mortality. In multivariate analysis, occurrence of cardiac arrest (OR=13.5 [2.8; 64.5]), age (OR=1.03 [1.01; 1.05]) and low Glasgow Coma Scale score value (OR=1.15 [1.05; 1.29]) were independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients presenting with profound hypotension in the pre-hospital phase have a high mortality. Patients who recover their blood pressure with interventions before hospital admission and those with anaphylactic shock have a better outcome than other patient sub-groups.     

Improved survival after resuscitation with norepinephrine in a murine model of uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have challenged current guidelines on fluid resuscitation. However, studies on resuscitation using norepinephrine in uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock are lacking. The authors examined the effects of norepinephrine in combination with saline infusion in uncontrolled hemorrhage in rats. METHODS: Rats subjected to a 15-min controlled hemorrhage (withdrawal of 3 ml blood/100 g body mass) followed by a 60-min uncontrolled hemorrhage (75% tail amputation) were randomly assigned to one of several treatment groups (10 rats/group) receiving different doses of norepinephrine (0 [NE0], 5 [NE5], 50 [NE50], or 500 [NE500] microg.100 g(-1).h(-1)). In the four hypotensive resuscitation groups (n = 40), mean arterial pressure was not allowed to fall below 40 mmHg by titrated infusion of normal saline. In the four normotensive resuscitation groups (n = 40), it was not allowed to fall below 80 mmHg. The endpoint was survival at 210 min. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in survival rate among groups. Among the hypotensive rats, 6 (60%) survived in the NE0 and NE5 dose groups, 9 (90%) survived in the NE50 dose group, and none survived in the NE500 dose group. Among the normotensive rats, none survived in the NE0 group, 4 (40%) survived in the NE5 dose group, all 10 (100%) survived in the NE50 group, and none survived in the NE500 group. CONCLUSIONS: The early use of norepinephrine in uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock in rats significantly improved survival when infused at a rate of 50 microg.100 g(-1).h(-1) in normotensive and hypotensive resuscitation strategies.     

Improved Survival after Resuscitation with Norepinephrine in a Murine Model of Uncontrolled Hemorrhagic Shock

Background: Recent studies have challenged current guidelines on fluid resuscitation. However, studies on resuscitation using norepinephrine in uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock are lacking. The authors examined the effects of norepinephrine in combination with saline infusion in uncontrolled hemorrhage in rats.

Methods: Rats subjected to a 15-min controlled hemorrhage (withdrawal of 3 ml blood/100 g body mass) followed by a 60-min uncontrolled hemorrhage (75% tail amputation) were randomly assigned to one of several treatment groups (10 rats/group) receiving different doses of norepinephrine (0 [NE0], 5 [NE5], 50 [NE50], or 500 [NE500] [mu]g [middle dot] 100 g-1 [middle dot] h-1). In the four hypotensive resuscitation groups (n = 40), mean arterial pressure was not allowed to fall below 40 mmHg by titrated infusion of normal saline. In the four normotensive resuscitation groups (n = 40), it was not allowed to fall below 80 mmHg. The endpoint was survival at 210 min.

Results: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in survival rate among groups. Among the hypotensive rats, 6 (60%) survived in the NE0 and NE5 dose groups, 9 (90%) survived in the NE50 dose group, and none survived in the NE500 dose group. Among the normotensive rats, none survived in the NE0 group, 4 (40%) survived in the NE5 dose group, all 10 (100%) survived in the NE50 group, and none survived in the NE500 group.     

Post operative infections of the spine: technique,indications and results of the surgical treatment - A retrospective study of 90 cases

Post operative infection in spine surgery is a well known complication. The authors studied a series of 90 patients in accordance with an homogenous strategy based on the excision of necrotic and infected tissues, associated with appropriate antibiotics.The results are analyzed according to the degree of infection (which is based on the type of germs and their associations), and type of patients, the delay in diagnosis and the anatomical extension of the infected lesions.Making a difference between superficial and deep infection is of no therapeutic value and may lead to wrong and inadequate treatment.One must separate the common infections (which are due to germs as staphylococcus aureus or others from the urinary or digestive tract), and severe infections (which are either due to a per operative massive and deep contamination, or associated with patient's poor general condition).This series is mainly about posterior approaches to the spine, with or without osteosynthesis. Technical problems for treatment depend on the site of infection, particularly at the thoracic kyphosis level, or at the lumbar level where the muscle necrosis can be extensive. At the cervical level, the infection of an anterior approach mandates a check on the respiratory and digestive tracts.Removing the osteosynthesis is not mandatory in post operative spinal infections, as it may induce severe mechanical destabilization. An anterior approach is not necessarily required in the case of a posterior infection, except with massive contamination of an anterior graft. In some cases, posterior lumbar interbody fusion can lead to the indication for anterior cage removal.Pseudarthrosis of an infected spine, initially treated to obtain fusion, is still the worst complication. In case of previous posterior infection, even a severe one, fusion can still be obtained through a secondary anterior or posterior approach for grafting, with or without osteosynthesis.In this series, there was no neurological complication due to infection.However, eight diceases occured in weak patients with neurological involvement. This points out the importance of the general treatment associated with the surgery, and the necessity of a thorough assessment. a thorough assessment.Résumé Les infections post-opératoires représentent une complication largement documentée dans le domaine de la chirurgie du rachis. Les auteurs étudient une série de 90 patients traités selon une stratégie homogène basée sur l'excision des tissus nécrosés et infectés associée à l'utilisation d'un traitement antibiotique adapté. Les résultats sont analysés en fonction du degré d'infection (basé sur le type de germe et leurs associations) de l'état des patients, du délai pour le diagnostic et de l'étendue anatomique des lésions infectieuses. L'opposition entre infection superficielle et profonde semble sans intérêt sur le plan thérapeutique et peut conduire à un traitement insuffisant ou mal adapté.Il est important de séparer les infections classiques (qui sont dûes à des germes comme le staphylocoque doré ou d'autres germes provenant de la sphère urinaire ou digestive) et les infections sévères (qui sont soit dûes à une contamination per-opératoire massive et profonde ou associées à des patients dont létat général est déficient).Cette série est principalement basée sur les abord postérieurs du rachis avec ou sans ostéosynthèse. Les problèmes techniques pour le traitement dépendent du site de l'infection: aux niveaux thoracique et lombaire, la nécrose musculaire peut être très extensive. Au niveau cervical, l'infection d'un abord antérieur impose de vérifier l'intégrité du tractus aéro-digestif.L'ablation initiale du matériel n'est pas nécessaire dans beaucoup de cas d'infections post-opératoires car elle peut induire des destabilisations sévères et des complications mécaniques supplémentaires. Un abord antérieur n'est pas forcément nécessaire en cas d'infection postérieure mises à part les contaminations massives d'une greffe antérieure ou une infection d'une cage intervertébrale réalisée pour une fusion intersomatique par voie postérieure.La pseudarthrose des greffes sur un rachis infecté qui a été traité initialement pour obtenir une fusion reste encore la plus sévère des complications. Dans les cas d'infections postérieures même sévères, la fusion peut être encore obtenue secondairement grâce à un abord antérieur ultérieur ou même un abord postérieur pour des greffes complémentaires avec ou sans ostéosynthèse.Dans cette série, les auteurs ne signalent aucune complication neurologique dûe à l'infection. Néanmoins, 8 décès sont à déplorer chez des patients fragiles avec signes neurologiques initiaux. Ceci souligne l'importance du traitement général associé à la chirurgie et la nécessité d'un bilan complet de ces malades.EBJIS Congress, Leuven     

Difficult intubation in thyroid surgery: myth or reality?

Thyroid surgery is considered to be a risk factor for difficult airway management. We prospectively studied 324 consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery to investigate the incidence of difficult intubation as evaluated by the intubation difficulty scale as well as other specific predictive factors. The overall incidence of difficult intubation was 11.1% (95% CI: 7.6-14.5). Median intubation difficulty scale was 0 (25th-75th percentile: 0; 2.7). In three predefined groups (no echographic goiter, clinically palpable goiter, and impalpable goiter), difficult intubation occurred in 10% (95% CI: 4.8-17.4), 13% (95% CI: 6.5-18.4), and 11% (95% CI: 4.7-16.8) of patients, respectively, with no statistical difference among the groups. Specific predictive criteria (palpable goiter, endothoracic goiter, airway deformation, airway compression, or thyroid malignancy) were not associated with an increased rate of difficult intubation. Classical predictive criteria (mouth opening <35 mm, Mallampati III or IV, short neck, neck mobility <80 degrees , thyromental distance <65 mm, and a retrognathic mandible) were significantly reliable in the univariate analysis as risk factors for difficult intubation.     

Interest of prehospital use of cardiac output monitoring with partial CO2 rebreathing technique: a case report

We report the case of a 68-year-old man with severe hypoxemic pneumopathy having cardiac output monitoring with the NICO system in prehospital medicine. This monitoring permitted the diagnosis of a compressive pneumothorax during the transfer to the intensive care unit. This ease of use technique based on partial carbon dioxide rebreathing, allows non-invasive, continuous and reliable cardiac output monitoring. We discuss the interest of this device in prehospital medicine.     

Cervical post-traumatic pneumomyelogram: do not ignore this entity

We report the case of a post-traumatic pneumomyelogram in a 51-year-old woman. The pneumomyelogram associated with a skull base fracture was revealed by systematic total body scan. The discovery of a traumatic pneumomyelogram will be probably more frequently discovered with the largest use of modern helical CT-scan in traumatized patients. We discuss the etiologies and the implications for the anesthesiologist and the intensivist of this entity.