Pramod Guru

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support in Postcardiotomy Elderly Patients: The Mayo Clinic Experience

BACKGROUND We conducted a retrospective study to assess whether providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support to elderly patients (aged 70 years or more) who failed separation from cardiopulmonary bypass after cardiac surgery was a viable option. METHODS From 2003 to 2013, 45 patients aged 70 years or more underwent 47 runs of ECMO postoperatively. RESULTS There were 31 men (68.9%). The mean age was 76.8 years. Five patients were in cardiogenic shock preoperatively. Forty-four patients required venoarterial ECMO support for cardiogenic shock. Mean duration of support was 103.8 ± 74.3 hours. Twenty-one patients (46.6%) died while on ECMO support. Twenty-four patients (53.3%) were weaned off ECMO initially, and 11 patients were discharged from hospital. Inhospital mortality was 75.6%. Postoperative complications included acute kidney injury in 30 patients (44.4%), pneumonia in 12 (26.7%), and sepsis in 11 (24.4%). There were 30 deaths (88.2%) attributable to cardiac causes. Preoperative atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney injury, lactic acidosis on ECMO support, and persistent coagulopathy were associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS Postcardiotomy ECMO support in elderly patients is associated with high postoperative morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, it often provides the last line of therapy for these critically ill patients and may provide positive outcomes in selected subgroups.

Mechanical circulatory assist devices: a primer for critical care and emergency physicians

Mechanical circulatory assist devices are now commonly used in the treatment of severe heart failure as bridges to cardiac transplant, as destination therapy for patients who are not transplant candidates, and as bridges to recovery and “decision-making”. These devices, which can be used to support the left or right ventricles or both, restore circulation to the tissues, thereby improving organ function. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are the most common support devices. To care for patients with these devices, health care providers in emergency departments (EDs) and intensive care units (ICUs) need to understand the physiology of the devices, the vocabulary of mechanical support, the types of complications patients may have, diagnostic techniques, and decision-making regarding treatment. Patients with LVADs who come to the ED or are admitted to the ICU usually have nonspecific clinical symptoms, most commonly shortness of breath, hypotension, anemia, chest pain, syncope, hemoptysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice, fever, oliguria and hematuria, altered mental status, headache, seizure, and back pain. Other patients are seen for cardiac arrest, psychiatric issues, sequelae of noncardiac surgery, and trauma. Although most patients have LVADs, some may have biventricular support devices or total artificial hearts. Involving a team of cardiac surgeons, perfusion experts, and heart-failure physicians, as well as ED and ICU physicians and nurses, is critical for managing treatment for these patients and for successful outcomes. This review is designed for critical care providers who may be the first to see these patients in the ED or ICU.

Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury After IVIG for Myasthenic Crisis

BackgroundA 26-year-old female with myasthenic crisis developed transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) after she was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin.MethodsCase report.ResultsRespiratory status markedly worsened with each intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration and progressing from a need to use bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) to intubation. Pulmonary function tests improved during this episode.ConclusionsIVIG may cause TRALI and due to subtle clinical findings can be mistaken for neuromuscular respiratory failure.

Association of Thrombocytopenia and Mortality in Critically Ill Patients on Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

Background: Both acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis and thrombocytopenia are very common and have been independently associated with mortality and morbidity in critically ill patients. Thrombocytopenia is an independent risk factor for AKI and also a marker of disease severity. There is a paucity of literature on the prevalence, incidence, and outcome of thrombocytopenia in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We aimed at identifying the impact of thrombocytopenia on patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with AKI requiring CRRT. Methods: We retrospectively studied consecutive adult patients admitted to the ICU from December 9, 2006 through December 31, 2009, with follow-up for 12 months who received CRRT. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelet counts of <150,000/µl and severe thrombocytopenia as platelet counts of <50,000/µl. Outcomes were mortality and length of stay, both in ICU and hospital. Descriptive summary and multivariable regression model were used for data analyses. Results: Out of the 541 patients studied, thrombocytopenia was observed in 350 (65%) prior to the initiation of CRRT, and 107 (20%) developed it after CRRT was started. The average age of patients was 61 ± 15; 328 (61%) were men. Sepsis was present in more than half of the patients requiring CRRT. We found a graded increase (p = 0.01) in ICU mortality with worsening platelet counts; 33, 40, and 51% of patients died in ICU with platelet counts ≥150,000/μl, 50,000-149,000/μl, and ≤50,000/µl, respectively. Thrombocytopenia prior to the initiation of CRRT and severe thrombocytopenia prior to and following the initiation of CRRT were associated with increased ICU mortality (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Thrombocytopenia is very common in ICU patients who are on CRRT, and both thrombocytopenia prior to the start of CRRT and severe thrombocytopenia developing after the initiation of CRRT significantly impact patient survival. Future large-scale prospective studies will help to explore the role of platelet in prognostication of outcome among CRRT patients.

Identification of acute brain failure using electronic medical records.

PURPOSE Up to 80% of critically ill patients have acute neurologic dysfunction syndromes. We evaluated interrater reliability between the examination by the investigator and the charted assessment by the nurse because the accuracy and reliability of detailed data sets extracted from the electronic medical records represents a keystone for creating EMR-based definitions. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a prospective observational study of intensive care unit (ICU) patients to assess the reliability of charted Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU, Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC), Full Outline of Unresponsiveness, and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores, and a composite measure of ABF defined as new-onset coma or delirium. Trained investigator blinded to nursing assessments performed the neurologic evaluations that were compared with nursing documentation. RESULTS A total of 202 observations were performed in 55 ICU patients. Excellent correlation was noted for GCS and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness scores on Bland-Altman plots (Pearson correlation 0.87 and 0.92, respectively). Correlation for Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU was also high (κ= 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.01). Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale had good agreement when scores were dichotomized as oversedated (less than -2) vs not oversedated, with κ= 0.76 (95% CI, 0.54-0.98). Investigator assessment and nurse charting were highly concordant (κ= 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-0.99). CONCLUSION Neurologic assessments documented on the EMR are reliable.

Severe Acute Cardiopulmonary Failure Related to Gadobutrol Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Reaction: Successful Resuscitation with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Nonanaphylactic noncardiogenic pulmonary edema leading to cardiorespiratory arrest related to the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent gadobutrol has rarely been reported in the literature. Rarer is the association of hypokalemia with acidosis. We report 2 patients who had severe pulmonary edema associated with the use of gadobutrol contrast in the absence of other inciting agents or events. These cases were unique not only for their rare and severe presentations but also because they exemplified the increasing role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in resuscitation. Emergency extracorporeal membrane oxygenation resuscitation can be rapidly initiated and successful in the setting of a well-organized workflow, and it is a viable alternative and helps improve patient outcome in cases refractory to conventional resuscitative measures.

Normal carboxyhaemoglobin level in carbon monoxide poisoning treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Throughout the world both intentional and inadvertent exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) remains an important public health issue. While CO poisoning can be lethal, the morbidity is predominantly due to nervous system injury. A previously healthy 22-year-old woman was found unconscious at home by her sister. Her parents were found dead in the house with a recent history of a dysfunctional furnace. She was presumed to have CO poisoning despite an initial carboxyhaemoglobin level of 2.5%. Patient had both clinical and radiological evidence of neurological damage. However, with multiple sessions of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy she recovered to a near normal functional status. There is no consensus that exists among treating physicians about the role of hyperbaric oxygen in management of neurological injury. The case described here has significant neurological damage related to CO exposure but improved after HBO therapy.

Non-atherosclerotic aortic mural thrombus: a rare source of embolism

A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute left-sided chest pain and left upper quadrant abdominal pain. He had a significant history of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung previously treated with right pneumonectomy who ; is currently receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin. Physical examination was remarkable for tachycardia, hypertension and mild abdominal tenderness. CT angiography revealed an aortic mural thrombus in the ascending aorta and aortic arch without dissection, aneurysm or tortuosity of the aorta. In addition, an infarction of the inferior spleen was reported. Given the high risk of surgery for this patient, he was treated conservatively with esmolol and heparin infusion. His subsequent hospital course was uneventful, and he was successfully discharged on enoxaparin therapy that was successively bridged to rivaroxaban treatment. Follow-up transesophageal echocardiography and CT angiography at one month showed no thrombus in the aorta.

Fatal right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension after protamine administration during cardiac transplantation

Protamine sulfate is the only Food and Drug administration approved medication for reversal of intraoperative heparin-induced anticoagulation during cardiac and vascular surgeries. One of the rare side effects of protamine sulfate is an idiosyncratic reaction resulting in acute pulmonary hypertension (APH) and right ventricular (RV) failure occurring after protamine administration. These reactions are rare but catastrophic with high mortality. A 36-year-old female with severe congestive heart failure was undergoing cardiac transplant surgery. After successful implantation of the donor heart, the patient was weaned off cardiopulmonary bypass. Protamine was then administered to reverse the heparin anticoagulation. She immediately developed APH and RV failure immediately after protamine infusion. The patient required immediate administration of inotropic agents, nitric oxide (NO), and subsequently required a number of mechanical support devices including an RV assist device (RVAD) and ultimately full veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Despite heroic efforts, the patient developed refractory multi-organ failure in the Intensive Care Unit and died after family requested discontinuation of resuscitative efforts. This case probably represents the first reported occurrence of fatal protamine-induced APH and ventricular failure in the setting of cardiac transplantation surgery. A number of interventions including inhaled NO, systemic vasopressors, RVAD, and ultimately VA-ECMO failed to reverse the situation, and the patient died of multi-organ failure.

Diffuse cholangiocarcinoma presenting with hepatic failure and extensive portal and mesenteric vein thrombosis

A 64-year-old previously healthy man presented with a 4-week history of vague right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Imaging studies revealed extensive portal, splenic, superior and inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis with mosaic perfusion and wedge-shaped areas of liver perfusion abnormalities. An extensive thrombophilia workup including tests for factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A, lupus anticoagulant, paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria, protein C and S, homocysteine and antinuclear antibody titres were all negative. Other laboratory testing revealed an elevated alkaline phosphatase (340 IU/L). Surgical exploration and catheter-directed thrombolysis were not felt to be feasible given the extensive clot burden. He was started on anticoagulation therapy. Over the next 10 days, he required intensive care unit admission due to progressive hepatic encephalopathy and fulminant liver failure. He continued to decline and eventually died of multiorgan failure. Autopsy revealed extensive, diffuse intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma that had almost entirely replaced his normal liver parenchyma.