Abstract 266: Cardiac Arrest in the Intensive Care Unit: A Preventable Problem

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ari Moskowitz ◽  
Katherine M Berg ◽  
Anne V Grossestreuer ◽  
Michael N Cocchi ◽  
Jennifer Sarge ◽  
...  

Introduction: Cardiac arrest occurring in the ICU is a relatively common and highly morbid event. Due to continuous monitoring, low nurse-to-patient ratios and close proximity of the physician team, ICU arrests are often considered an inevitable result of the underlying disease process. We sought to explore the preventability of ICU arrests and identify targets for future intervention. Methods: This was a single center, prospective study. For each ICU arrest occurring between 8/2017-3/2018, the clinical team (attending physician, trainee[s] and bedside nurse) were surveyed regarding arrest preventability. An expert team of critical care physicians and nurses also reviewed each arrest, providing a score from 0 (not at all preventable) to 5 (completely preventable). Median preventability scores were calculated and themes of preventability identified. Results: We reviewed 39 ICU arrests. Each was reviewed by a median of 7 (6, 8) expert reviewers and 88/159 (55%) surveys were returned. The median preventability rating was 1 (IQR: 0, 2) in the prospective surveys and 1 (0, 2.5) in the expert review. In the expert review, there were 10 (26%) arrests with a median score of >2. Common themes included inadequate response to worsening shock, delays in intubation, failure to obtain help from the senior physician and use of narcotics/anxiolytics for agitation without recognizing or addressing clinical worsening (see Figure). When asked, ‘did you observe/were you informed of any clinical changes preceding the cardiac arrest?’—nurses and trainees responded affirmatively in 74% and 79% of cases, compared to 46% of cases for attending physicians (p=0.03). Conclusions: Cardiac arrests in the ICU may be preventable. Nurses and trainees indicated awareness of acute deterioration more often than attending physicians, highlighting an opportunity for improvement. Several clinical themes of preventability were identified which may help inform future data-driven interventions.

Author(s):  
Amy Lustig ◽  
Cesar Ruiz

The purpose of this article is to present a general overview of the features of drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs) comprised by Parkinsonism and extrapyramidal symptoms. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with patients presenting with these issues must have a broad understanding of the underlying disease process. This article will provide a brief introduction to the neuropathophysiology of DIMDs, a discussion of the associated symptomatology, the pharmacology implicated in causing DIMDs, and the medical management approaches currently in use.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Cummings

AbstractWe appear to be on the brink of a new epoch of treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Compelling evidence suggests that Aβ42 secretion is the triggering event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and that tau aggregation may be an important secondary event linked to neurodegeneration. Prophylactic administration of anti-amyloid agents designed to prevent Aβ accumulation in persons with subclinical disease is likely to be more effective than therapeutic interventions in established Alzheimer's disease. Drug development programs in Alzheimer's disease focus primarily on agents with anti-amyloid disease-modifying properties, and many different pharmacologic approaches to reducing amyloid pathology and tauopathy are being studied. Classes of therapeutic modalities currently in advanced-stage clinical trial testing include forms of immunotherapy (active β -amyloid immunoconjugate and human intravenous immunoglobulin), a γ-secretase inhibitor, the selective Aβ42-lowering agent R-flurbiprofen, and the anti-aggregation agent tramiprosate. Non-traditional dementia therapies such as the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), valproate, and lithium are now being assessed for clinical benefit as anti-amyloid disease-modifying treatments. Positive findings of efficacy and safety from clinical studies are necessary but not sufficient to demonstrate that a drug has disease-modifying properties. Definitive proof of disease-modification requires evidence from validated animal models of Alzheimer's disease; rigorously controlled clinical trials showing a significantly improved, stabilized, or slowed rate of decline in cognitive and global function compared to placebo; and prospectively obtained evidence from surrogate biomarkers that the treatment resulted in measurable biological changes associated with the underlying disease process.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Payan Schober ◽  
Meghan A. Jobson ◽  
Caroline J. Poulton ◽  
Harsharan K. Singh ◽  
Volker Nickeleit ◽  
...  

Background: Fibrillary glomerulonephritis is characterized by randomly arranged fibrils, approximately 20 nm in diameter by electron microscopy. Patients present with proteinuria, hematuria and kidney insufficiency, and about half of the reported patients progress to end-stage kidney disease within 4 years. The dependence of patient characteristics and outcomes on race has not been explored. In this study, we describe a cohort of patients with fibrillary glomerulonephritis and compare their clinical characteristics and outcomes with those of patients previously described. Methods: The University of North Carolina (UNC) Nephropathology Database was used to retrospectively identify patients diagnosed with fibrillary glomerulonephritis between 1985 and 2015. Of these patients, those treated at UNC were selected. Their demographic and clinical characteristics - including signs and symptoms, comorbidities, laboratory values, treatments and outcomes - were compared with those of patients described earlier. Results: Among the 287 patients identified, 42 were treated at the UNC Kidney Center. When compared to earlier cohorts, a higher frequency of black race, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and use of hemodialysis were noted in both black and HCV-positive patients. Autoimmune diseases, infections and malignancies were frequently observed, present in over half of all cases. Conclusion: According to this study, fibrillary glomerulonephritis represents a secondary glomerular disease process (associated with autoimmune disease, infection or malignancy) in many cases and hence screening is essential. As the screening for comorbidities increased over time, more underlying causes were identified. We noted a high frequency of HCV among black patients, suggesting a possible causative association. Treatment of underlying disease is essential for patients for the best outcome.


DICP ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis M. Hoffman ◽  
Rocco F. Caruso ◽  
Timothy Mirando

Thrombocytopenia has emerged as a major hematological manifestation associated with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. A study of homosexual patients with thrombocytopenia indicates 93 percent had serological evidence of HIV exposure whereas only 33 percent of homosexuals without thrombocytopenia exhibited this finding. Thrombocytopenia in patients with hemophilia has been identified as an increased risk factor for AIDS development and has been observed in about one-third of children with AIDS. The management of thrombocytopenia in HIV-infected patients poses a therapeutic dilemma for clinicians since many of the traditional modalities for treating immune thrombocytopenia may adversely affect the underlying disease process or further compromise the immune system. Splenectomy, corticosteroids, danazol, intravenous immune globulin, vincristine, and RHo(D) immune globulin have all been used with variable results. A new technique that physically removes antibodies and immune complexes associated with thrombocytopenia is under investigation. Due to either toxicity or the high incidence of transient response, asymptomatic patients may not be candidates for treatment.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Gupta ◽  
Hawa Abubakar

The experience of pain is subjective, and treatment modalities should aim at providing the greatest amount of pain relief while minimizing adverse effects. Pharmacologic and technological innovations are making this possible. By taking advantage of new manufacturing processes, the pharmaceutical industry is retooling old and effective drugs. SoluMatrix diclofenac uses nanotechnology to address the need for an effective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug at the lowest possible dose to minimize risks associated with cardiac, renal, and gastrointestinal side effects. Intravenous acetaminophen provides an additional alternative in multimodal analgesia in instances when the oral or rectal route of delivery is not desirable. Liposomal bupivacaine uses liposomal encapsulated, resulting in a local anesthetic with a prolonged duration of action that can be used effectively in the management of postoperative pain. With the recognition that opioid therapy still remains a mainstay in pain management, advances in science have allowed for the development of peripherally acting mu opioid receptor antagonists such as naloxegol, which minimize the bothersome side effect of opioid-induced constipation. In terms of interventional pain management, advances in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) technology have resulted in cooled RFA, which allows for the creation of larger spherical lesions, thereby alleviating pain by interfering with neurotransmission. Advances in stem cell research have led to the application of multipotent cells with the aim of treating the underlying disease process and thereby eliminating pain. Finally, pharmacogenetics testing and smart drugs provide an avenue via which issues surrounding how medication is consumed, determination of effectiveness, and ensuring compliance and adherence can be optimized. Key words: Pain, Pharmacology, Medications, Technology, Innovation, Smart Pills, Personalized Medicine, Biotechnology, Device, Surgery, Multimodal


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda French

Although common, delayed puberty can be distressing to patients and families.   Careful assessment is necessary to ensure appropriate physical and social development in patients that require intervention to reach pubertal milestones and achieve optimal growth.  Most pubertal delay is from lack of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis which then results in a functional or physiologic GnRH deficiency.  The delay may be temporary or permanent.  Constitutional delay (CDGP), also referred to as self-limited delayed puberty (DP), describes children on the extreme end of normal pubertal timing and is the most common cause of delayed puberty, representing about one third of cases.  Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (primary hypogonadism) results from a failure of the gonad itself, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (secondary hypogonadism) results from a failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, which is usually caused by another process, often systemic.  Diagnosis is based on history and examination.  Treatment is based on the underlying cause of pubertal delay and may include hormone replacement.  Involving a pediatric endocrinologist should be considered.  Appropriate counseling and ongoing support are important for all patients and families, regardless of underlying disease process.   This review contains 4 figures, 4 tables, and 32 references. Keywords: puberty, delayed puberty, hypogonadism, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, menarche, thelarche, constitutional delay and growth in puberty, Turner syndrome


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Kin ◽  
Amy Lightner ◽  
Mark Welton

Patients who are immunosuppressed either due to an underlying disease process or medications to treat a disease require important perioperative considerations. Preoperative evaluation mandates a higher index of suspicion for pathology given that peritoneal and systemic markers of illness may be masked. Intraoperatively, consideration should be given for diversion more frequently than in a nonimmunosuppressed patient. Postoperatively, patients should be managed in a multidisciplinary fashion. This review largely focuses on the immunosuppressive mediations used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, benign colorectal disease in an immunosuppressed patient, and colorectal malignancies in immunosuppressed patients to highlight important considerations for this patient population. This review contains 4 figures, 5 tables, and 78 references. Key words: anal squamous cell carcinoma, appendicitis versus typhlitis, biologic therapy, corticosteroids, human papillomavirus, immunosuppression, neutropenic enterocolitis 


Author(s):  
Douglas P. Marx ◽  
Michael T. Yen

Ectropion is defined as an eversion of the upper or lower eyelid away from the globe. Classes of ectropion include involutional, cicatricial, paralytic, and mechanical. Ectropic eyelids develop from horizontal eyelid laxity, medial canthal tendon laxity, vertical skin tightness, neuromuscular dysfunction, and lower eyelid retractor disinsertion. Ocular complications associated with ectropic eyelids include corneal exposure and scarring, conjunctivitis, ocular discomfort, photophobia, epiphora, and decreased vision. The entire face and eye should be carefully examined when a patient presents with ectropion. A systemic approach enables the physician to more fully understand the underlying disease process and best therapeutic approach. Ectropion can be quantified by pulling the central portion of the lid anteriorly and measuring the number of millimeters from the anterior cornea to the apex of the eyelid. Ectropion etiology can be elucidated by evaluating for horizontal eyelid laxity, orbicularis dysfunction, vertical skin tightness, and lower eyelid retractors disinsertion. Horizontal eyelid laxity is typically a result of lateral or medial canthal tendon stretching. Laxity of the canthal tendons produces a redundancy in the eyelid tissues, resulting in ectropion, often referred to as an involutional ectropion. Lateral canthal tendon status can be determined by gently pulling the eyelid nasally. The inferior crus of the tendon can then be palpated to evaluate for dehiscence. The medial canthal tendon can be evaluated by pulling laterally and noting the displacement of the inferior punctum. The severity of canthal tendon laxity should be quantified prior to any surgical intervention. 8-2-1 Lateral Canthal Tendon Laxity and the Lateral Tarsal Strip Procedure. Although a variety of methods have been advocated for treatment of lateral canthal tendon laxity, we prefer the lateral tarsal strip, introduced by Anderson. This procedure corrects the underlying anatomic abnormality, does not require reapproximation of the eyelid margin, and is relatively easy to perform. The lateral canthal region is injected with lidocaine 2% mixed with 1:100,000 epinephrine using a 27- or 30-gauge needle. After ensuring appropriate anesthesia, Stevens scissors are used to create a lateral canthotomy and exposure of the lateral orbital rim.


Author(s):  
Richard Paul

Acid-base homeostasis is vital for the maintenance of normal tissue and organ function, as both acidosis and alkalosis can have harmful and potentially life-threatening effects on the human body. Arterial blood gas analysis, combined with routine clinical history and examination, can provide useful information for the management of the critically ill cardiac patient. Most acid-base derangements are reversed by treatment of the underlying disease process, rather than simple correction of the abnormal pH, and prognosis is determined by the nature of the underlying disease, rather than the extent of pH value deviation. Within this chapter, an approach is presented for prompt and accurate acid-base interpretation. Water and electrolyte disorders are common in the intensive cardiac care unit, particularly in patients with cardiac failure. Prompt recognition and treatment is required to prevent cardiovascular and neurological compromise. Therapeutic strategies range from simple electrolyte substitution and fluid management to extracorporeal filtration of excess fluid and electrolytes. These are discussed within this chapter.


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