Frontiers in medicine
-
Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2018
Epidural Analgesia With Surgical Stabilization of Flail Chest Following Blunt Thoracic Trauma in Patients With Multiple Trauma.
Flail chest, often defined as the fracture of three or more ribs in two or more places, represents the most severe form of rib fractures. Conservative treatment, consisting of respiratory assistance with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (internal pneumatic stabilization) and pain control, are the current treatments of choice in the majority of patients with multiple rib fractures. However, the use of mechanical ventilation may create complications. ⋯ Tracheotomy was performed in 33.3% of study patients. Mortality in the observed group was 44.4%. This study shows that surgical stabilization and epidural analgesia reduced ventilator support, shortened trauma intensive care unit stay, and reduced medical costs vs internal pneumatic stabilization.
-
Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2018
A Survey of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols for Cesarean Delivery in Serbia.
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been described for patients undergoing colon surgery. Similar protocols for cesarean delivery (CD) have been developed recently. CD is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures, and adoption of ERAS protocols following CD might benefit patients and the health-care system. ⋯ Thirty-six percentage of ERAS patients are discharged within 3 days vs. none in the non-ERAS group. Few elements of ERAS protocols reported from other centers outside Serbia are employed in Serbian hospitals performing CD. Despite significant changes that have been made recently in CD care, enhanced recovery after CD could be significantly improved in Serbian hospitals.
-
Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2018
Severe Dyspnea Is an Independent Predictor of Readmission or Death in COPD Patients Surviving Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure in the ICU.
Background: Predicting outcome after index admission in the ICU for COPD-related acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF) is difficult. Simple tools to stratify this risk and to promote interventions to mitigate it are needed. Aim: To prospectively evaluate the ability of severe dyspnea (NYHAIII-IV) to predict hospital readmission or death in COPD patients surviving AHRF in the ICU. ⋯ NYHA III-IV was associated with risk of readmission or death (univariate HR: 2.73, IC95: 1.11-6.69, p = 0.028). After controlling for age, FEV1, heart failure and BMI, NYHA III-IV remained associated with readmission or death (multivariate HR: 2.71, IC95: 1.06-6.93, p = 0.038). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that severe dyspnea measured upon hospital discharge in COPD patients surviving AHRF can stratify patient's risk of 3-month readmission or death.
-
Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2018
Effect of Bronchoscopy on Gas Exchange and Respiratory Mechanics in Critically Ill Patients With Atelectasis: An Observational Cohort Study.
Background: Atelectasis frequently develops in critically ill patients and may result in impaired gas exchange among other complications. The long-term effects of bronchoscopy on gas exchange and the effects on respiratory mechanics are largely unknown. Objective: To evaluate the effect of bronchoscopy on gas exchange and respiratory mechanics in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with atelectasis. ⋯ In addition, in intubated and pressure control ventilated patients, respiratory mechanics improved after bronchoscopy for up to 24 h. Mild complications, and in particular desaturation between 80 and 90%, were reported in 13% of the patients. Conclusions: In selected critically ill patients with atelectasis, bronchoscopy improves oxygenation, ventilation, and respiratory mechanics for at least 24 h.
-
Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2018
Increased Pathogen Identification in Vascular Graft Infections by the Combined Use of Tissue Cultures and 16S rRNA Gene Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Background: Vascular graft infections (VGI) are difficult to diagnose and treat, and despite redo surgery combined with antimicrobial treatment, outcomes are often poor. VGI diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical, radiological, laboratory and microbiological criteria. However, as many of the VGI patients are already under antimicrobial treatment at the time of redo surgery, microbiological identification is often difficult and bacterial cultures often remain negative rendering targeted treatment impossible. ⋯ Conclusions: Combined cultures and broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR from periprosthetic tissue and/or explanted vascular grafts increased the diagnostic accuracy in VGI, particularly in patients already under antimicrobial treatment at the time of redo surgery. Ideally, antimicrobial treatment should be withheld until surgical sampling in order to optimize microbiological diagnostics. Clinical trials.gov identifier: NCT01821664.