Predicting feeding-tube dependence in patients following endotracheal extubation: a two-item swallowing screen

Background To meet the surging demands for intubation and invasive ventilation as more COVID-19 patients begin their recovery, clinicians are challenged to find an ultra-brief and minimally invasive screen for postextubation dysphagia predicting feeding-tube dependence persisting for 72 h after extubation. Methods This study examined the predictive validity of a two-item swallowing screen on feeding-tube dependence over 72 h in patients following endotracheal extubation. Intensive-care-unit (ICU) patients (≥ 20 years) successfully extubated after ≥ 48 h endotracheal intubation were screened by trained nurses using the swallowing screen (comprising oral stereognosis and cough-reflex tests) 24 h postextubation. Feeding-tube dependence persisting for 72 h postextubation was abstracted from the medical record by an independent rater. To verify the results and cross-check whether the screen predicted penetration and/or aspiration during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), participants agreeing to receive FEES were analyzed within 30 min of screening. Results The results showed that 95/123 participants (77.2%) failed the screen, which predicted ICU patients’ prolonged (> 72 h) feeding-tube dependence, yielding sensitivity of 0.83, specificity of 0.35, and accuracy of 0.68. Failed-screen participants had 2.96-fold higher odds of feeding-tube dependence (95% CI, 1.13–7.76). For the 38 participants receiving FEES, the swallowing screen had 0.89 sensitivity to detect feeding-tube dependence and 0.86 sensitivity to predict penetration/aspiration, although specificity had room for improvement (0.36 and 0.21, respectively). Conclusion This ultra-brief swallowing screen is sufficiently sensitive to identify high-risk patients for feeding-tube dependence persisting over 72 h after extubation. Once identified, a further assessment and care are indicated to ensure the prompt return of patients’ oral feeding. Trial registration NCT03284892, registered on September 15, 2017.

Safety and Efficacy of Neostigmine Against Residual Neuromuscular Blockade in Pediatric Patients During Recovery From General Anesthesia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: with the wide application of muscle relaxants in clinic, the anesthesiologists pay more and more attention to the residual neuromuscular block. While the pediatric patients have poor tolerance to hypoxia, compared to adult patients, the residual neuromuscular block do more harm to them in recovery period of anesthesia, such as respiratory failure, hypoxia, asphyxia and even death. In order to reduce the risk of the residual neuromuscular block complications, we design the following regression cohort study to conform the safety and effectiveness of routine use of neostigmine after operation.Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study (ChiCTR1900028048), approved by the ethics committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. We reviewed pediatric patients who received surgical treatment in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.The exposure factor was the use of neostigmine during the period of anesthesia recovery. Inclusion criteria: the pediatric surgery department patients who underwent general anesthesia in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Exclusion criteria: cases without medical electronic records; Cases with missing outcome data; No muscle relaxants were used during general anesthesia. The outcomes included: lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation; incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation; in-hospital mortality; length of hospital stay; medical expenses. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.1:1 propensity score matching was used to eliminate the influence of confounding factors. For continuous variables, student t test was used . For categorical variables, the chi-square test was used. The results were considered statistically significant, if p value < 0.05. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the age (<2 years / 3-5 years or >6 years) and the dose of neostigmine (low dose group <=0.02mg/kg or high dose group >0.02mg/kg).Results: A total of 4358 pediatric patients were included. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 1820 pediatric patients were included for statistical analysis. In-hospital mortality (1/910 vs 0/910, p = 0.32), lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation (98.90±3.05 vs 98.78±3.48, p = 0.43), incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation (23/910 vs 21/910, p=0.76), length of hospital stay (5.66±6.11 vs 5.88±6.59, p= 0.46), and medical expenses (17967.04±21325.86 vs 17406.96±18358.17, p=0.55) showed no significantly statistical differences between the pediatric patients with or without neostigmine application to reverse the neuromuscular blockade during anesthesia recovery. Subgroup analysis found no significant associations between the outcomes and age of the patients or the dose of neostigmine.Conclusion: For pediatric patients, neostigmine application to reverse the neuromuscular blockade was not significantly associated with in hospital mortality, lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation, incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation, medical expenses, or length of hospital stay. However, as some confounding factors cannot be eliminated in this retrospective study, the results of this study are needed to be confirmed by future prospective studies.Trial registration: Medical records based study for the recovery effect of antagonitst of muscle relaxant in pediatric patients, ChiCTR1900028048, Registered 8 September 2019, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=46686

Effect of Licorice and Green Tea Gargle on Post-Extubation Sore Throat, Cough, and Hoarseness: A Triple-blind Clinical Trial

Background Endotracheal extubation is associated with a high prevalence of complications such as sore throat, cough, and hoarseness. This study aimed to compare the effect of green tea and licorice gargle on sore throat, cough, and hoarseness after endotracheal extubation. Method: The study was designed as a randomized, triple-blind, controlled clinical trial. 102 patients who were candidates for elective surgery in two specialized hospitals in Tehran, Iran in 2020–2021, were randomly divided into licorice, green tea, and control (placebo) groups. The scores of sore throat, cough, and hoarseness of patients were assessed one hour after endotracheal extubation. After the gag reflex returned, patients were given 100 cc of the prepared solutions to gargle for 30 seconds. The intervention was repeated two hours later. The scores of sore throat, cough, and hoarseness were assessed in the three groups, immediately after the first intervention and two hours after the second intervention. Result There was a significant difference between three groups, in posttest1 and posttest 2 in terms of three variables (P < 0.0001). In addition, both licorice and green tea interventions had a high effect size on the decrease of the studied variables and there was no significant difference between these solutions (P < 0.0167). Conclusion Both green tea and licorice solutions greatly reduced post-extubation complications. These results can be clinical evidence for the use of these two plants to prevent complications of endotracheal extubation. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the code “IRCT20190729044373N1” on 2019-12-27.

Post-anesthesia care unit desaturation in adult deep extubation patients

Objective Deep extubation refers to endotracheal extubation performed while a patient is deeply anesthetized and without airway reflexes. After deep extubation, patients are sent to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) to recover, an area with notably different management and staffing than the operating room (OR). One of the most frequent and concerning complications to occur in the PACU is hypoxemia. As such, this study seeks to evaluate the incidence of desaturation, defined by SpO2 < 90% for longer than 10 s, in the PACU following deep extubation. Additionally, we hope to assess the consequence of desaturation on perioperative workflow by comparing PACU recovery times. Results Following deep extubation, 4.3% of patients (13/300) experienced desaturation in the PACU. Every episode was notably minor, with patients reverting to normal saturation levels within a minute. Of the 26 case factors assessed, 24 had no significant association desaturation in the PACU, including the amount of time spent in the PACU. History of asthma was the only statistically significant factor found to be positively associated with desaturation. We find that PACU desaturation episodes following deep extubation are rare. Our findings suggest that deep extubation is a viable and safe option for patients without significant respiratory tract pathology.

Factors Facilitating the Success of Fast Endotracheal Extubation after Cardiac Surgery

Objective: To study factors influencing fast endotracheal extubation after cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: A one-year retrospective cohort study conducted via hospital medical informatics, included patients aged over 15 years old that underwent elective valvular heart surgery by means of cardiopulmonary bypass under general anesthesia. Results: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in the present study including nine (15.8%) as fast endotracheal extubation in the operating theatre, 18 (31.6%) within eight hours postoperatively, and 30 (52.6%) non-fast endotracheal extubation eight hours after surgery. The preoperative and intraoperative factors were a younger age (p=0.018), high % left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) (p=0.023), and low creatinine level (p=0.026), as well as post cardiopulmonary bypass dexmedetomidine (p=0.01), reversal of muscle relaxant (p=0.004), and low dose dobutamine (p=0.003), respectively. However, multiple logistic regression analyses showed only two favorable factors, which were preoperative % LVEF of 60 or more (adjusted OR 11.266, 95% CI 1.700 to 74.664, p=0.012), and the intraoperative low dose dobutamine of 3 μg/kg/minute or less (adjusted OR 6.896, 95% CI 1.463 to 32.510, p=0.015). In addition, there were no significant complications. Conclusion: The factors influencing fast endotracheal extubation were preoperative% LVEF of 60 or more and intraoperative low dose dobutamine of 3 μg/kg/minute or less. Keywords: Cardiac surgery, Fast endotracheal extubation, Valvular heart disease

Emergency rigid bronchoscopy in two lower social class patients with mirror like complete pulmonary malignant atelectasis

Several factors as cultural factors and social class other than biological and genetic factor can affect symptom perception in patients with malignant airway obstruction. Poor perception of dyspnoea can result in the delayed seeking of medical care so increase access to intensive care due to impeding respiratory failure. In patients issued from malignant airway obstruction, therapeutic bronchoscopy procedure can not affect the endotracheal extubation although immediate airway patency can be obtained. We reported the outcome of two patients from lower social classes admitted in intensive care and underwent emergency rigid bronchoscopy for malignant complete pulmonary atelectasis.

Comparative study of hemodynamic effects, quality of extubation and emergence - agitation response of the patients with dexmedetomidine versus lignocaine during and following the endotracheal extubation

Background: Endotracheal extubation is the translaryngeal removal of a tube from the trachea via the nose or mouth. It is associated with hemodynamic changes because of reflex sympathetic discharge caused by epipharyngeal and laryngopharyngeal stimulation. Various drugs and techniques have been tried to attenuate the airway and stress responses during tracheal extubation. In present study, we have compared the effects of dexmedetomidine and intravenous lignocaine on the hemodynamic and recovery profiles during endotracheal extubation. Material and Methods: Present study was prospective randomised comparative study, conducted in patients from age group of 18-45 years, ASA grade I/II, scheduled for elective abdominal surgeries. The patients were categorised into two different groups using the sealed envelope method as Group D and group L. Results: In present study, patients were divided in following 2 groups with 50 patients in each group as group D (Dexmedetomidine) and group L (Lignocaine). Age, gender, mean BMI were comparable in both groups and difference was not significant statistically. The difference between mean heart rate, systolic BP, diastolic BP and mean arterial BP during extubation, after extubation at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes in dexmedetomidine group and lignocaine group was statistically significant. In Dexmedetomidine group, 12% of the patients had no cough during extubation, 72% of the patients had smooth extubation with minimal cough while in Lignocaine group, 22% of the patients had smooth extubation with minimal cough, 74 % of the patients had moderate cough during extubation. Statistical analysis of the Emergence agitation score shows better results in group D. Conclusion: Administration of Dexmedetomidine before tracheal extubation was more effective in maintaining the hemodynamic stability, facilitated smooth tracheal extubation and had a better quality of recovery as compared to Lignocaine.