The use of intrarenal injection of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in cats

OBJECTIVE To determine whether intrarenal injection of sodium pentobarbital is a viable method for euthanasia in anesthetized client-owned cats and assess potential factors associated with time to cardiopulmonary arrest (TCPA) for such treated cats. ANIMALS 131 client-owned cats. PROCEDURES In this retrospective study, client-owned cats presented for euthanasia between March 1, 2009, and January 15, 2010, were evaluated by veterinarians to determine suitability of intrarenal injection versus other methods of euthanasia. Cats included were anesthetized and then received 6 mL of sodium pentobarbital (390 mg/mL) by intrarenal injection. Results for TCPA were compared for cats grouped on the basis of variables of interest. RESULTS 131 cats were included, of which 74 (79%) had a TCPA < 1 minute and 28 (21%) had a TCPA between 1.5 and 8 minutes after intrarenal injection. Most (124/131 [95%]) cats had no observable reaction to the intrarenal injection other than cardiopulmonary arrest. Median TCPA was longer for cats without (1 min; 25/131 [19%]) versus with (0 min; 106/131 [81%]) palpable kidney swelling upon injection. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The effects of intrarenal injection of sodium pentobarbital in cats of the present study were similar to those typically observed with IV administration of euthanasia solution. When this intrarenal injection method is used, cardiopulmonary arrest with few agonal reactions can be expected to occur quickly in most patients. The intrarenal injection method is suited for euthanasia of anesthetized cats with easily located kidneys when IV access may be difficult.

Combined, Converted, and Prophylactic Use of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for Severe Torso Trauma: A Retrospective Study

Background: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is used as an intra-aortic balloon occlusion method in Japan; however, the protocols for its effective use in different pathological conditions remain unclear. This study aimed to summarise the strategies of REBOA use in severe torso trauma.Methods: Twenty-nine cases of REBOA for torso trauma treated at our hospital over 5 years were divided into the shock (n=12), cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) (n=13), and non-shock (n=4) groups. We retrospectively examined patient characteristics, trauma mechanism, injury site, severity score, intervention, survival rates at 24 hours, and intervention details in each group.Results: In the shock group, 9 and 3 patients survived and died within 24 hours, respectively; time to intervention (56.6 vs 130.7 min, p=0.346) and total occlusion time (40.2 vs 337.7 min, p=0.009) were both shorter in surviving patients than in the casualties. In the CPA group, 10 patients were converted from resuscitative thoracotomy with aortic cross-clamp (RTACC); a single patient survived. Four patients in the non-shock group survived, having received prophylactic REBOA.Conclusions: The efficacy of REBOA for severe torso trauma depends on patient condition. In the shock group, time to intervention and total occlusion time correlated with survival. The use of REBOA with definitive haemostasis and minimum delays to intervention may improve outcomes. Patients with CPA are at a high risk of mortality; however, conversion from RTACC may be effective in some cases. Prophylactic intervention in the non-shock group may help achieve immediate definitive haemostasis.

Title: Pheochromocytoma Crisis Rescued by Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine producing adrenal tumor. Pheochromocytoma crisis is a life-threatening condition inducing multiple organ failure and hemodynamic instability caused by too much catecholamines produced from pheochromocytoma. We report a 59-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma crisis rescued by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and interval tumor resection. In June 2020, the patient was taken to our institution complaining of headache and left lower back pain. The patient developed cardiopulmonary arrest while at the emergency department. After extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the patient required VA-ECMO for hemodynamic support, and subsequently CRRT for catecholamine removal and acute kidney injury. After 1 month of hemodynamic management, the patient underwent left adrenalectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on postoperative day 23. CRRT would be a safe and feasible option for catecholamine control in patients with acute kidney injury in pheochromocytoma crisis.

Perioperative Delirium/Agitation Associated With the Use of Anesthetics and/or Adjunct Agents: A Study of Patient Behaviors, Injuries, and Interventions to Mitigate Risk

Anesthetics and adjunct agents have a long history of being associated with patients engaging in delirious or agitated behavior in a perioperative setting. Prior to this study, few have explored the topic with a focus on safety for both the patient and staff. We explored the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) database for event reports to identify bouts of delirium/ agitation associated with anesthetics and/or adjunct agents that occurred during the pre-, intra-, or postoperative period. We identified 97 event reports from 63 healthcare facilities over a two-year period. Patients’ ages ranged from 1 to 91 years and 66% of the patients were reported as male. Also, 8% of the delirium/agitation occurred preoperatively, 8% intraoperatively, and 84% postoperatively. Across all three operative periods, 62% of the reports described dangerous/nonviolent behavior and 26% described dangerous/violent behavior. Additionally, 40% of the event reports described one or more patient injuries (e.g., cardiopulmonary arrest, asphyxiation, hematoma, prolapse/dehiscence, progressive ischemia) and 36% of the patients required additional healthcare services or monitoring (e.g., intra- or interfacility transfer, additional surgical procedure). Finally, 54% of the event reports described patient behavior that created an immediate and high risk of staff harm. Overall, the current study provides novel insight into how delirium/agitation has varying safety implications depending on the operative period. We encourage readers to review Table 5, which proposes a four-phase intervention package to prevent, treat, and de-escalate bouts of delirium/agitation.

A very rare complication of subacute pericarditis: a case report of spontaneous coronary artery rupture

Background Spontaneous coronary artery rupture (SCAR) is an extremely rare and highly lethal disease. Case Summary A 74-year-old man who had undergone respiratory surgery (robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) presented with exertional dyspnoea since post-operative day (POD) 6. Echocardiography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed diffuse pericardial effusion, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram showed widespread concave ST-segment elevation. The diagnosis of acute pericarditis was made based on the absence of significant elevation of cardiac enzymes and the presence of elevated C-reactive peptide levels. The patient was started on anti-inflammatory medication, including steroids; however, on POD 11, the patient developed a sudden cardiopulmonary arrest due to cardiac tamponade. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, and an emergency coronary angiography showed contrast extravasation from the left anterior descending artery to the epicardium. He was diagnosed with SCAR and underwent transcatheter arterial embolisation (TAE) and pericardial drainage. Discussion In this case, SCAR occurred during the course of acute pericarditis. We speculated that the cause of SCAR was more affected with pericarditis than injury by the respiratory surgery. The clinical course of acute pericarditis generally has a good prognosis, but the rare occurrence of fatal complications should be considered, suggesting the need for careful follow-up. In addition, TAE was a less invasive and feasible treatment for SCAR.

‘Superimposed miracles’ An extremely rare case of a septuagenarian with an unrepaired tetralogy of Fallot: a case report

Background Although the life expectancy of patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is comparable to that of the general population due to advancements in surgical intervention, if untreated, patients with TOF may die during their childhood. However, it has been anecdotally reported that a small number of patients with unrepaired TOF survived into their senescence. Case Summary A 71-year-old man with a history of multiple heart failure admissions was referred to our institute after successful cardiopulmonary arrest resuscitation. Transthoracic echocardiography showed the overriding of the aorta on a large ventricular septal defect and right ventricular hypertrophy, along with severe pulmonary stenosis (PS), all of which indicated unrepaired TOF. Computed tomography revealed a patent Blalock-Taussig shunt, which was constructed at the age of 19 years. Coronary angiography revealed multivessel coronary stenoses. Although radical intracardiac repair was not performed due to his multiple comorbidities, his heart failure symptoms were significantly improved owing to proper medication titration. One year following discharge, the patient was well and enjoyed playing golf. Discussion Specific anatomical, functional and haemodynamic characteristics may be required for the long-term survival of patients with TOF. PS should be initially mild to guarantee pulmonary flow during childhood and adolescence, and gradual PS exacerbation should be paralleled with systemic-to-pulmonary collateral development or an extra-cardiac shunt. Moreover, reduced left ventricular compliance may act as a balancing factor against a right-to-left shunt. The presence of all of these special requirements may have contributed to the unusual survival for this patient.

Structural and functional connectivity of the ascending arousal network for prediction of outcome in patients with acute disorders of consciousness

To determine the role of early acquisition of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for analysis of the connectivity of the ascending arousal network (AAN) in predicting neurological outcomes after acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA), or stroke. A prospective analysis of 50 comatose patients was performed during their ICU stay. Image processing was conducted to assess structural and functional connectivity of the AAN. Outcomes were evaluated after 3 and 6 months. Nineteen patients (38%) had stroke, 18 (36%) CPA, and 13 (26%) TBI. Twenty-three patients were comatose (44%), 11 were in a minimally conscious state (20%), and 16 had unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (32%). Univariate analysis demonstrated that measurements of diffusivity, functional connectivity, and numbers of fibers in the gray matter, white matter, whole brain, midbrain reticular formation, and pontis oralis nucleus may serve as predictive biomarkers of outcome depending on the diagnosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a correlation of the predicted value and the real outcome for each separate diagnosis and for all the etiologies together. Findings suggest that the above imaging biomarkers may have a predictive role for the outcome of comatose patients after acute TBI, CPA, or stroke.