Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Extremities and Paraspinal Muscles

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when the pressure within the closed osteo-fascial compartment raises above perfusion pressure leading to irreversible tissue ischemia and necrosis. Any closed compartment in the body can be affected by ACS. The leg is the commonest site. Trauma is the common cause of compartment syndrome in young patients. In older patients, medical causes can cause it. The diagnosis in a conscious patient can be made based on clinical features. Pain out of proportion to the injury is the most important symptom. Exacerbation of pain on stretching the affected muscles and paresthesia are the common signs. Compartment pressure measurement is important for the diagnosis in unconscious and uncooperative patients. The treatment of established ACS is emergency fasciotomy. Untreated compartment syndrome can lead to neurovascular injuries and muscle contractures. In this chapter, we will see the etiologies, clinical features, investigations, and management of acute compartment syndrome of the extremities and the paraspinal region.

Severe Neuroleptic Induced Ischemic Colitis: A Case Report

Ischemic colitis (IC) is a rare adverse effect of antipsychotic medications and is most commonly associated with the phenothiazine class of neuroleptics. Different cases reported in patients without other obvious risk factors led to the link between taking neuroleptics and acute ischemic colitis. The severe form is acute necrotizing colitis. This entity is characterized by sudden onset of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, progressing rapidly to produce severe illness with general peritonitis and shock.We report a case of a 26 years old Moroccan man, treated for four years for chronic psychosis, admitted to the emergency for abdominal pain and diarrhea. Clinical examination showed a conscious patient, tachycardia at 120 beats/min, febrile to 38.5 ° C, with generalized abdominal defense. Laboratory tests revealed: GB 33400, CRP 290 mg/l, abdominal tomography revealed colonic distension. The patient was prepared and admitted to the operating room. During the intervention, a colonoscopy was performed and shown ulcerated lesions with a purplish background without interval healthy mucosa. A subtotal colectomy with ileostomy and sigmoidostomy were performed. The histological examination of the surgical specimen showed superficial and extended ulcerations without interval healthy mucosa. Thus, no factors for IC were detected by appropriate workup other than the long-time use of neuroleptics. The restoration of continuity by ileorectal anastomosis was achieved two months later with a good clinical outcome, and the patient was recommended for psychiatry to reevaluate his antipsychotic regimen given the association with IC.Our case supports that neuroleptics can promote IC in patients under antipsychotic medications. It should alert physicians who prescribe neuroleptics and colorectal surgeons to the possibility of intestinal ischemia. Although the clinical presentation is non-specific, abdominal pain and distension should be headed, and endoscopy carried out. A better knowledge of this condition should promote earlier diagnosis and improve management.

Ultrasonically Detected Subpleural Lung Consolidations in The Emergency Room: A Case Report

We report the clinical case of a 76- year-old patient who was admitted to the emergency department due to respiratory distress. He had a history of Systemic arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism. The patient reports symptoms that began three days prior to admission, including dyspnea, fever, myalgia, arthralgia, headache and respiratory distress that was exacerbated 1 day prior to admission. Physical examination revealed a conscious patient with the following vital signs: blood pressure 120/62mmHg, heart rate 109bpm, respiratory rate 28rpm, temperature 38.8°C, arterial oxygen saturation 76%, dyspnea, use of accessory muscles, tachycardia, tachypnea, which met the operational definition for Covid-19. Upon admission to the service, a pulmonary ultrasound was performed in which subpleural consolidations were identified, predominantly in the right hemithorax, as well as an air bronchogram and little pleural effusion. Based on these observations, the patient was admitted to the unit, where management with supplemental oxygen was started using a face mask with a reservoir bag. A chest X-ray was performed in which a diffuse interstitial alveolar pattern was identified in both hemithoraxes. Later a simple chest tomography was performed in which changes compatible with CO-RADS 5 were identified. He continued with established management and during his stay in the service, he evolved to deterioration to need advanced management via air. This study suggests that pulmonary ultrasound may be an effective and reliable tool in the initial evaluation of patients with respiratory distress in the context of Covid-19 pneumonia and that the identification of subpleural consolidations represent a prognostic factor of the disease: identifying them quickly after admission suggests a worse evolution of the disease, thus prompting us to make correct and concrete decisions regarding the management and treatment of these patients, without having to wait for complementary studies such as chest radiography and even tomography.

Case Report: Virtual Reality Analgesia in an Opioid Sparing Orthopedic Outpatient Clinic Setting: A Case Study

Immersive virtual reality is proving effective as a non-pharmacologic analgesic for a growing number of painful medical procedures. External fixator surgical pins provide adjunctive stability to a broken pelvic bone until the bones heal back together, then pins are removed. The purpose of the present case study was to measure for the first time, whether immersive virtual reality could be used to help reduce pain and anxiety during the orthopedic process of removing external fixator pins from a conscious patient in the orthopedic outpatient clinic, and whether it is feasible to use VR in this context. Using a within-subject within wound care design with treatment order randomized, the patient had his first ex-fix pin unscrewed and removed from his healing pelvic bone while he wore a VR helmet and explored an immersive snowy 3D computer generated world, adjunctive VR. He then had his second pin removed during no VR, standard of care pain medications. The patient reported having 43% less pain intensity, 67% less time spent thinking about pain, and 43% lower anxiety during VR vs. during No VR. In addition, the patient reported that his satisfaction with pain management was improved with the use of VR. Conducting simple orthopedic procedures using oral pain pills in an outpatient setting instead of anesthesia in the operating room greatly reduces the amount of opioids used, lowers medical costs and reduces rare but real risks of expensive complications from anesthesia including oversedation, death, and post-surgical dementia. These preliminary results suggest that immersive VR merits more attention as a potentially viable adjunctive non-pharmacologic form of treatment for acute pain and anxiety during medical procedures in the orthopedic outpatient clinic. Recent multi-billion dollar investments into R and D and mass production have made inexpensive immersive virtual reality products commercially available and cost effective for medical applications. We speculate that in the future, patients may be more willing to have minor surgery procedures in the outpatient clinic, with much lower opioid doses, while fully awake, if offered adjunctive virtual reality as a non-pharmacologic analgesic during the procedure. Additional research and development is recommended.

Prevention of Fascial Retraction in the Open Abdomen with a Novel Device

The open abdomen requires intensive and specific treatment efforts. Long hospital admissions, treatment duration, high mortality rates, deferred and delayed wound closures with alloplastic materials or elaborate closure techniques, and the need for subsequent surgical procedures justify and call for implementation of new therapy options. The case presented here demonstrates the use of a new product (Fasciotens Abdomen) to prevent fascial retraction in the open abdomen of an extubated, conscious patient with four-quadrant peritonitis after perforated appendicitis. Controlled, anteriorly directed fascial traction of 50-60 Newtons prevented fascial retraction during open treatment of the abdomen. Once edema was reduced, abdominal closure was completed without difficulty. This new form of therapy was well tolerated by the patient and led to a markedly more rapid abdominal closure without mesh or abdominal wall reconstruction.

Dignity in perioperative practice

Any human, healthy, sick, fully conscious or unconscious must be treated with dignity. This is a lesson to be taught to all health professionals, especially those who work in operating rooms and intensive care units. The recognition of human dignity is an important principle in the whole of society, but it is particularly relevant in health, where patients are very vulnerable. Although it may seem easy and natural to behave properly in the presence of a conscious patient, the unconscious or anaesthetized patient should not be expected to give up their rights, beliefs and choices along with their loss of consciousness. Key words: Dignity, human; Respect; Personhood; Privacy; Perioperative practice. Citation: Oliveira CRD. Dignity in perioperative practice. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2020;24(5): Received: 8 September 2020, Reviewed: - September 2020, Accepted: _ September 2020

Reducing the Risk and Impact of Brachial Plexus Injury Sustained From Prone Positioning—A Clinical Commentary

Introduction: Prone positioning is deployed as a critical treatment for improving oxygenation in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This regimen is currently highly prevalent in the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has brought about increased concern about how best to safely avoid brachial plexus injuries when caring for unconscious proned patients. Methods: A review of the published literature on brachial plexus injuries secondary to proning ventilated patients was performed. This was combined with a review of available international critical care guidelines in order to produce a succinct set of guidelines to aid critical care departments in reducing brachial plexus injuries during these challenging times. Discussion: There is no one manner in which prone positioning an unconscious patient can be made universally safe. This paper provides 6 key steps to reducing the incidence of brachial plexus injuries while proning and suggests a safe and sensible management and referral pathway for the conscious patient in which a brachial plexus injury is identified. Conclusion: There is in truth no completely safe position for every patient and certainly there will be anomalies in anatomy that will predispose certain individuals to nerve injury. Thus the injury rate cannot be reduced to zero but an understanding of the principles of protection will inform those undertaking positioning.

A New Method of Eliciting Pyramidal Tract Impairment in Adults

Background: To suggest a new way of eliciting pyramidal tract dysfunction in adults since the most widely utilized plantar reflex, which is the Babinski reflex, has limitations with different reliability and consistency among different examiners.    Materials and methods: 168 adult subjects were examined for the new sign in addition. It consists of just an observation of the patient’s feet and toes in a conscious patient looking for the extension of the great toe along with fanning, spreading and plantar flexion of the small toes either at rest or when patient elevates one leg up at a time.   Results: We were able to observe the extension of the great toe along with fanning, spreading and plantar flexion of the small toes in patients with impairment of pyramidal tract. The specificity was 94% while the sensitivity was 96%.   Conclusion: Pyramidal tract lesion in adults can be elicited by this new test that observes the extension of the great toe along with fanning, spreading and plantar flexion of the small toes in patients. We suggest this sign as a complement to established signs like Babinski reflex.