Anaphylaxis in a Patient Undergoing FESS for Nasal Polyposis: Revisting Samter’s Triad

Patients with nasal polyposis frequently have associated bronchial asthma and hypersensitivity to NSAIDs. When the three conditions co-exist, it is referred to as the Samter’s triad. Patients with Samter’s triad are an important subset of those with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). We present a case of a young female patient undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyps, who although did not show any other features of AERD, went on to develop florid anaphylaxis to diclofenac administration intra-operatively. After adequate resuscitation and intensive care stay, the patient made a complete recovery. NSAIDs must be avoided in patients with nasal polyps, despite showing no other features of this syndrome. Other analgesic agents that can be used include IV paracetamol and opioids like tramadol.

Maximizing acceptance of clinical pharmacy recommendations to reduce length of hospital stay in a private hospital from Amman, Jordan

Background Clinical pharmacy interventions (CPI) usually require prior medical authorization. Physicians approve 80% of CPI and reject 20%. If pharmacists show that physicians should authorize all 100% CPI, the profession will step closer to a fully independent prescriber status. This study used an artificial neural network (ANN) model to determine whether clinical pharmacy (CP) may improve outcomes associated with rejected CPI. Method This is a non-interventional, retrospective analysis of documented CPI in a 100-bed, acute-care private hospital in Amman, Jordan. Study consisted of 542 patients, 574 admissions, and 1694 CPI. Team collected demographic and clinical data using a standardized tool. Input consisted of 54 variables with some taking merely repetitive values for each CPI in each patient whereas others varying with every CPI. Therefore, CPI was consolidated to one rejected and/or one accepted per patient per admission. Groups of accepted and rejected CPI were compared in terms of matched and unmatched variables. ANN were, subsequently, trained and internally as well as cross validated for outcomes of interest. Outcomes were length of hospital and intensive care stay after the index CPI (LOSTA & LOSICUA, respectively), readmissions, mortality, and cost of hospitalization. Best models were finally used to compare the two scenarios of approving 80% versus 100% of CPI. Variable impacts (VI) automatically generated by the ANN were compared to evaluate the effect of rejecting CPI. Main outcome measure was Lengths of hospital stay after the index CPI (LOSTA). Results ANN configurations converged within 18 s and 300 trials. All models showed a significant reduction in LOSTA with 100% versus 80% accepted CPI of about 0.4 days (2.6 ± 3.4, median (range) of 2 (0–28) versus 3.0 ± 3.8, 2 (0–30), P-value = 0.022). Average savings with acceptance of those rejected CPI was 55 JD (~ 78 US dollars) and could help hire about 1.3 extra clinical pharmacist full-time equivalents. Conclusions Maximizing acceptance of CPI reduced the length of hospital stay in this model. Practicing Clinical Pharmacists may qualify for further privileges including promotion to a fully independent prescriber status.

Peri-operative myocardial performance in infants with Down syndrome undergoing CHD repair

Background: We aimed to characterise the impact of Down syndrome on myocardial performance and loading conditions in infants with Down syndrome and CHD over the peri-operative period by comparing them with infants matched for cardiac lesion with a normal microarray. Methods: Left ventricular global longitudinal strain, right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain, left ventricular end-systolic wall stress, and right ventricular systolic pressure were measured in the two groups over the peri-operative period. Results: Fifty-five infants had a diagnosis of Down syndrome and these were compared with 29 control infants. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain decreased in both groups post-operatively with the Down syndrome group demonstrating some recovery pre-discharge (18 ± 3 versus 16 ± 3 %, p = 0.01). Right ventricular longitudinal strain significantly decreased in both groups post-operatively with the control group demonstrating better recovery by hospital discharge (14 ± 4 versus 18 ± 6 %, p < 0.01). End-systolic wall stress was lower and right ventricular systolic pressure was higher in the Down syndrome group throughout the study period (all p < 0.05). Down syndrome was an independent predictor of the duration of ventilation, post-operative use of inotropes, and intensive care stay. Right ventricular longitudinal strain was an independent predictor of duration of intensive care stay. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the difference between the two groups in relation to left and right ventricular function, particularly prior to discharge, and outlines the additional impact a diagnosis of Down syndrome has on myocardial performance during the peri-operative period.

All that attaches to atrial septum is not myxoma: deception is everywhere!

Preterm neonates – especially those with prolonged duration of intensive care stay – are prone to develop fungal endocarditis. Majority of these children have a stormy course, however, a few may be relatively asymptomatic. Occasionally these vegetations may be large and pedunculated, originating from the atrial septum, mimicking a cardiac myxoma on echocardiography.

Prognostic Value of GDF-15 in Predicting Prolonged Intensive Care Stay following Cardiac Surgery: A Pilot Study

Introduction. Predicting intensive care unit length of stay and outcome following cardiac surgery is currently based on clinical parameters. Novel biomarkers could be employed to improve the prediction models. Materials and Methods. We performed a qualitative cytokine screening array to identify highly expressed biomarkers in preoperative blood samples of cardiac surgery patients. After identification of one highly expressed biomarker, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a quantitative ELISA was undertaken. Preoperative levels of GDF-15 were compared in regard to duration of intensive care stay, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and indicators of organ dysfunction. Results. Preoperatively, GDF-15 was highly expressed in addition to several less highly expressed other biomarkers. After qualitative analysis, we could show that preoperatively raised levels of GDF-15 were positively associated with prolonged ICU stay exceeding 48 h (median 713 versus 1041 pg/ml, p = 0.003 ). It was also associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and rates of severe sepsis but not with dialysis rates or cardiopulmonary bypass time. In univariate regression, raised GDF-15 levels were predictive of a prolonged ICU stay (OR 1.01, 95% confidence interval 1–1.02, and p = 0.029 ). On ROC curves, GDF-15 was found to predict prolonged ICU stay ( AUC = 0.86 , 95% confidence interval 0.71–0.99, and p = 0.003 ). Conclusion. GDF-15 showed potential as predictor of prolonged intensive care stay following cardiac surgery, which might be valuable for risk stratification models.

186 Acute Kidney Injury in Skeletal Trauma Admissions to Intensive Care: An Under-Estimated Complication

Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with prolonged admission and 3.5 times increased mortality for trauma patients requiring intensive care (ICU) treatment. Blunt trauma confers greater risk of AKI than penetrating trauma, potentially related to long bone fracture. The relationship between skeletal trauma and AKI in ICU has not previously been investigated. Method Retrospective data was analysed from 202 consecutive adult patients admitted to ICU with skeletal trauma from 01/06/2018 to 01/06/2019. AKI was defined by creatinine rise &gt;1.5 times baseline. Results AKI was found in 70/202 (34.65%) patients aged 16-99 years, 138 males and 64 females. Mean limb Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) was significantly higher in AKI (AIS= 2.57 (SD 0.53) versus non-AKI AIS=2.38 (SD 0.61), p = 0.027). Other body regions and total Injury Severity Score (ISS) were non-significant. AKI was associated with a significantly worse Glasgow Outcome Score (AKI 3.28 (SD 1.52) versus 4.02 (SD 1.08) p &lt; 0.001), increased intensive care stay (AKI 7.03 (SD 8.30) days versus non-AKI 3.8 (SD 4.1) days p &lt; 0.001) and increased 30-day mortality (AKI 18/70 (25.71%) versus non-AKI 10/132 (7.58%) p &lt; 0.001) Conclusions Skeletal trauma patients have a high incidence of AKI, which was significantly correlated with severity of skeletal limb trauma but not overall ISS.