The Journal of surgical research
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Comparative Study
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation with Right Ventricular Assist Device for COVID-19 ARDS.
Right ventricular failure is an underrecognized consequence of COVID-19 pneumonia. Those with severe disease are treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but with poor outcomes. Concomitant right ventricular assist device (RVAD) may be beneficial. ⋯ RVAD support at the time of ECMO initiation resulted in the no secondary end-organ damage and higher in-hospital and 30-d survival versus IMV in specially selected patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS. Management of severe COVID-19 ARDS should prioritize right ventricular support.
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Larger opioid prescriptions are associated with increased consumption without improvements in pain, and the majority of opioids prescribed go unused. We examined postoperative opioid prescription and use in patients undergoing vascular access surgery, where preoperative opioid exposure is common. ⋯ Regardless of preoperative opioid exposure, CKD patients undergoing vascular access surgery consumed fewer opioids than prescribed, with a median of <10% of opioids used. Therefore, we've reduced our institutional prescribing recommendations to 4 and 6 oxycodone 5mg pills for short and long surgical incision procedures, respectively.
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Comparative Study
COVID-19 Pandemic and the Cholecystitis Experience at a Major Urban Safety-Net Hospital.
Acute cholecystitis is a common reason for emergency general surgery admission. The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in treatment delays and corresponding increases in severity of disease. This study compared cholecystitis admissions and disease severity pre- and postdeclaration of pandemic. ⋯ Postpandemic declaration we experienced a significant decrease in cholecystitis admissions without corresponding increases in disease severity. The pandemic impacted healthcare-seeking behaviors, with fewer mild presentations. Given that the pandemic did not increase odds of presenting with increased severity of disease, our data suggests that not all mild cases of cholecystitis progress to worsening disease and some may resolve without medical or surgical intervention.