19043 research outputs found
Sort by
Development and Implementation of an Emergency Alteplase Kit for High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism in Cardiac Arrest
No full textRobotic-Assisted Obturator Nerve Repair: A Technical Report
No full textBACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Untreated obturator nerve injury may result in weakness in thigh adduction, decreased medial thigh sensation, and groin pain. A neurosurgeon may be consulted intraoperatively for repair. Although there are reports of obturator nerve injury and repair in the gynecologic surgery literature, there are few reports detailing the specific steps of nerve repair after partial transection and the underlying principles of nerve coaptation, especially in the robotic-assisted setting. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A partial transection of the right obturator nerve was noted in a patient undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and lymph node dissection using the da Vinci robot. Sutures were placed in the epineurium of the cut nerves to realign the fascicles. A porcine wrap was placed around the coaptation site and covered with fibrin glue. The right lower extremity was passively ranged to ensure no tension was present across the repair site. The patient had loss of right leg adduction after surgery, but she recovered full motor function 5 months after surgery with no numbness or pain. CONCLUSION: The current report describes a repair strategy for partial-thickness obturator nerve injury in the setting of a laparoscopic surgery. Working in a multidisciplinary fashion, the tenets of nerve repair may be applied to robotic-assisted cases of obturator nerve injury, resulting in neurologic recovery
Treatment Trends and Clinical Outcomes of Endovascular Embolization for Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in the Pediatric Population
No full textBackground Owing to the relative rarity of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in the pediatric population, evidence regarding treatment modalities and clinical outcomes remains limited. Objective To characterize the use and clinical outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) and microsurgical clipping (MSC) for pediatric UIAs over a two-decade interval using a large national registry. Methods Pediatric (\u3c18 years of age) UIA hospitalizations were identified in the National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2019. Temporal use and clinical outcomes were compared for treatment with EVT and MSC. Results Among 734 UIAs identified, 64.9% (n=476) were treated with EVT. Use of EVT significantly increased during the study period from 54.3% (2002-2004) to 78.6% (2017-2019) (P=0.002 by Cochrane-Armitage test). In comparison with those treated with MSC, pediatric patients treated with EVT demonstrated higher rates of favorable outcomes (discharge to home without services) (96.0% vs 91.1%, P=0.006), shorter durations of hospital stay (4.6 vs 10.0 days, P\u3c0.001), and lower rates of ischemic or hemorrhagic procedural-related complications (1% vs 4%, P=0.010). Conservative management also increased significantly over the study period (P\u3c0.001 by Cochrane-Armitage test). Conclusion A retrospective evaluation of nearly 20 years of population-level data from the United States demonstrates increasing use of EVT for the treatment of pediatric UIAs, with high rates of favorable outcomes and shorter hospital stays in comparison with those treated with microsurgery
Damage Control Orthopedics versus Early Total Care of Femur Fracture in a National Cohort of Pediatric Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury
No full textBackground: Long bone fracture is one of the most common concomitant injuries in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, requiring surgical intervention in the form of intramedullary nailing (IMN), open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), or temporary external fixation, otherwise known as damage control orthopedics (DCO), for transient stabilization before definitive repair. There are no definitive guidelines for femur fracture management in polytrauma TBI pediatric patients. This study investigates the outcomes of patients with TBI and femur fractures who underwent DCO versus early total care (ETC), hypothesizing that delayed fracture fixation is associated with worse outcomes. Methods: Pediatric patients admitted with TBI who underwent femur fracture repair between 2016 and 2020 were investigated using the National Inpatient Sample database. Clinical outcomes, healthcare utilization data, baseline demographics, and comorbidities were collected. All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) severity was defined for each case. The injury severity scale (ISS) was developed using ICD-10-CM codes for injury. High ISS was defined as greater than 75th percentile. DCO patients were compared with ETC patients. Inpatient death, prolonged LOS, and high total charges were the primary outcomes evaluated. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate for independent predictors of primary outcomes. Results: A total of 6,775 pediatric TBI patients under the age of 21 who underwent repair of femur fracture were identified. The average age was 15.5 years (range: 0–21 years) and there were 2,065 (30.5 %) females. DCO to treat femur fractures was employed in 1,010 (14.9 % of patients). Patients undergoing DCO were significantly more likely to have extreme illness severity (OR = 3.049), early trauma complications (OR = 2.273), and respiratory complications (OR = 2.255). DCO was independently associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS) (OR = 1.263), high total charges (OR = 1.786), and inpatient death (OR = 2.796). Conclusion: This study found that DCO is associated with worse outcomes, likely secondary to injury severity and underlying neurologic injury of patients undergoing DCO. These findings suggest it is time to definitively outline the timing and modality of femur fracture repair for the polytrauma pediatric patient with TBI. Level of evidence: III
Cardiac Biomarkers Aid in Differentiation of Kawasaki Disease From Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated With COVID-19
No full textKawasaki disease (KD) and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 show clinical overlap and both lack definitive diagnostic testing, making differentiation challenging. We sought to determine how cardiac biomarkers might differentiate KD from MIS-C. The International Kawasaki Disease Registry enrolled contemporaneous KD and MIS-C pediatric patients from 42 sites from January 2020 through June 2022. The study population included 118 KD patients who met American Heart Association KD criteria and compared them to 946 MIS-C patients who met 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition. All included patients had at least one measurement of amino-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) or cardiac troponin I (TnI), and echocardiography. Regression analyses were used to determine associations between cardiac biomarker levels, diagnosis, and cardiac involvement. Higher NTproBNP (≥ 1500 ng/L) and TnI (≥ 20 ng/L) at presentation were associated with MIS-C versus KD with specificity of 77 and 89%, respectively. Higher biomarker levels were associated with shock and intensive care unit admission; higher NTproBNP was associated with longer hospital length of stay. Lower left ventricular ejection fraction, more pronounced for MIS-C, was also associated with higher biomarker levels. Coronary artery involvement was not associated with either biomarker. Higher NTproBNP and TnI levels are suggestive of MIS-C versus KD and may be clinically useful in their differentiation. Consideration might be given to their inclusion in the routine evaluation of both conditions
Do Gender Differences Persist in ICD Implantation in Patients With Acute on Chronic Heart Failure?
No full textBackground: Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) prolong survival in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite strong data suggesting their benefit, there is concern for disparities related to ICD implantation rates. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 551 patients admitted to a single tertiary institution from June 2020 to May 2023, who met the guideline criteria for ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death, was carried out. Results: Our population constituted of 56% African Americans, 20% Caucasians, 1% Asians and 2% Native Americans. Of those patients, 47% (157/337) of males and 33% (71/213) of females underwent ICD implantation before discharge, creating a statistically significant gender difference at p = 0.007. Patients aged 50 or greater (218/509) were more likely to receive an ICD compared to younger patients (10/41) at p = 0.000. Of those offered an ICD, 46% deferred to outpatient, 30% refused, and 8% of patient had history of noncompliance, were medically unstable, or were undecided. Conclusion: Females and younger patients were less likely to have an ICD at discharge. Despite strong recommendations for ICD implantation in eligible patients, most patients did not receive an ICD. This study showcases the limited access to care and highlights potential avenues of improvement
The Role of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Management
No full textCardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide in patients with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes confers an elevated risk of developing heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Until recently, there have been limited options to prevent and reduce the cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes. However, recent therapeutic advances have led to the adoption of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in cardiovascular management. Though SGLT2i were originally used for antihyperglycemic treatment, a series of landmark trials found that SGLT2i may confer cardio-protective effects in patients with heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, particularly a reduction in cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure. The cardiovascular benefits of SGLT2i were similarly demonstrated in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Though previous trials found SGLT2i to be cardio-protective in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, recent trials demonstrated that SGLT2i may also provide cardiovascular benefits in heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction. These advances have led SGLT2i to become an instrumental component of cardiovascular therapy