The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic restricted movement of individuals and altered provision of health care, abruptly transforming health care-use behaviors. It serves as a natural experiment to ...explore changes in presentations for surgical diseases including acute appendicitis. The objective was to determine if the pandemic was associated with changes in incidence of acute appendicitis compared to a historical control and to determine if there were associated changes in disease severity.
The study is a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of adults (N = 956) presenting with appendicitis in nonpandemic versus pandemic time periods (December 1, 2019–March 10, 2020 versus March 11, 2020–May 16, 2020). Corresponding time periods in 2018 and 2019 composed the historical control. Primary outcome was mean biweekly counts of all appendicitis presentations, then stratified by complicated (n = 209) and uncomplicated (n = 747) disease. Trends in presentations were compared using difference-in-differences methodology. Changes in odds of presenting with complicated disease were assessed via clustered multivariable logistic regression.
There was a 29% decrease in mean biweekly appendicitis presentations from 5.4 to 3.8 (rate ratio = 0.71 0.51, 0.98) after the pandemic declaration, with a significant difference in differences compared with historical control (P = .003). Stratified by severity, the decrease was significant for uncomplicated appendicitis (rate ratio = 0.65 95% confidence interval 0.47–0.91) when compared with historical control (P = .03) but not for complicated appendicitis (rate ratio = 0.89 95% confidence interval 0.52–1.52); (P = .49). The odds of presenting with complicated disease did not change (adjusted odds ratio 1.36 95% confidence interval 0.83–2.25).
The pandemic was associated with decreased incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis without an accompanying increase in complicated disease. Changes in individual health care–use behaviors may underlie these differences, suggesting that some cases of uncomplicated appendicitis may resolve without progression to complicated disease.
The ideal conduit for traumatic arterial repair is controversial. Autologous vein was compared with synthetic interposition grafts in the acute setting. The primary outcome was in-hospital ...reoperation or endovascular intervention.
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma PROspective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment registry from November 2013 to January 2019 was queried for arterial injuries requiring interposition vein or graft repair. Patients with no recorded Injury Severity Score were excluded, and multiple imputation was used for other missing data. Patients treated with synthetic grafts (SGs) were propensity matched to patients with vein grafts (VGs) to account for preoperative differences.
Four hundred sixty from 19 institutions were identified, with 402 undergoing VG and 58 SG. In the SG group, 45 were PTFE grafts, 5 were Dacron, and 8 had other conduits. The SG group was more severely injured at admission with more gunshot wounds and higher mean Injury Severity Score, lactate, and first-24-hour transfusion requirement. In addition, the SG cohort had significantly lower admission systolic blood pressure, pH, and hemoglobin. After propensity matching, 51 patients with SG were matched with 87 patients with VG. There were no differences in demographics, clinical parameters, or diagnostic evaluation techniques postmatch. The need for reoperation or endovascular intervention between the matched groups was equivalent (18%; p = 0.8). There was no difference in any secondary outcome including thrombosis, stenosis, pseudoaneurysm, infection, or embolic event, and hospital and intensive care unit length of stay were the same.
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma PROspective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment registry data demonstrate that SGs are used in more critically ill patients. After controlling for relevant clinical factors and propensity matching, there is no in-hospital difference in rate of reoperation or endovascular intervention, or any secondary outcome between VG and SG.
Prognostic and Epidemiolgic, Level III.
Introduction
Injuries to the inferior vena cava (IVC), while uncommon, have a high mortality despite modern advances. The goal of this study is to describe the diagnosis and management in the largest ...available prospective data set of vascular injuries across anatomic levels of IVC injury.
Methods
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma PROspective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment (PROOVIT) registry was queried from November 2013 to January 2019. Demographics, diagnostic modalities, injury patterns, and management strategies were recorded and analyzed. Comparisons between anatomic levels were made using non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum statistics.
Results
140 patients from 19 institutions were identified; median age was 30 years old (IQR 23-41), 75% were male, and 62% had penetrating mechanism. The suprarenal IVC group was associated with blunt mechanism (53% vs 32%, P = .02), had lower admission systolic blood pressure, pH, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and higher ISS and thorax and abdomen AIS than the infrarenal injury group. Injuries were managed with open repair (70%) and ligation (30% overall; infrarenal 37% vs suprarenal 13%, P = .01). Endovascular therapy was used in 2% of cases. Overall mortality was 42% (infrarenal 33% vs suprarenal 66%, P<.001). Among survivors, there was no difference in first 24-hour PRBC transfusion requirement, or hospital or ICU length of stay.
Conclusions
Current PROOVIT registry data demonstrate continued use of ligation extending to the suprarenal IVC, limited adoption of endovascular management, and no dramatic increase in overall survival compared to previously published studies. Survival is likely related to IVC injury location and total injury burden.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma is uncommon but accounts for approximately 4 to 5 per cent of all thyroid cancers. Although most cases are sporadic, close to one-fourth of cases result from germline ...mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. These mutations are clinically important because they predict the earliest age of medullary thyroid cancer diagnosis and clinical aggressiveness, which guide individualized management. This review covers the presentation, diagnosis, workup, current management, and future directions of the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Today's chance for cure depends on early and appropriate surgical resection. Further investigation of the cellular signaling pathways shown to be essential for the growth and spread of medullary thyroid carcinoma remains an active field with hope for providing targeted systemic therapy for patients with progressive disease.
The use of antiplatelet (AP) and anticoagulation (AC) therapy after autogenous vein repair of traumatic arterial injury is controversial. The hypothesis in this study was that there is no difference ...in early postoperative outcomes regardless of whether AC, AP, both, or neither are used.
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) PROspective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment (PROOVIT) registry was queried from November, 2013, to January, 2019, for arterial injuries repaired with a vein graft. Demographics and injury characteristics were compared. Need for in-hospital reoperation was the primary outcome in this four-arm study, assessed with two ordinal logistic regression models (1. no therapy vs. AC only vs. AC and AP; 2. no therapy vs. AP only vs. AC and AP).
373 patients (52 no therapy, 88 AP only, 77 AC only, 156 both) from 19 centers with recorded Injury Severity Scores (ISS) were identified. Patients who received no therapy were younger than those who received AP (27.0 vs. 34.2,
= 0.02), had higher transfusion requirement (
< 0.01 between all groups) and a different distribution of anatomic injury (
< 0.01). After controlling for age, sex, ISS, platelet count, hemoglobin, pH, lactate, INR, transfusion requirement and anatomic location, there was no association with postoperative medical therapy and in-hospital operative reintervention, or any secondary outcome, including thrombosis (
= 0.67,
= 0.22).
Neither AC nor AP alone, nor in combination, impact complication rate after arterial repair with autologous vein. These patients can be safely treated with or without antithrombotics, recognizing that this study did not demonstrate a beneficial effect.
The current morbidity of rib plating is due to the size of the incision required to perform an open procedure. We describe a minimally invasive laparoscopic approach to rib plating. A cadaver model ...was used to develop the surgical technique by performing both left and right posterior-lateral rib plating. A small incision was made over the auscultatory triangle. The potential working space is developed under the posterior shoulder girdle and the scapula. A table-based retractor was used to elevate the scapula and the muscles. Two separate ports were placed: one camera port and one working port. In three cadaver models, 12 rib fractures were plated and the surgical technique is described. This novel technique will likely allow for faster recovery and was especially useful in the subscapular space.Level of evidence II.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma is uncommon but accounts for approximately 4 to 5 per cent of all thyroid cancers. Although most cases are sporadic, close to one-fourth of cases result from germline ...mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. These mutations are clinically important because they predict the earliest age of medullary thyroid cancer diagnosis and clinical aggressiveness, which guide individualized management. This review covers the presentation, diagnosis, workup, current management, and future directions of the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Today's chance for cure depends on early and appropriate surgical resection. Further investigation of the cellular signaling pathways shown to be essential for the growth and spread of medullary thyroid carcinoma remains an active field with hope for providing targeted systemic therapy for patients with progressive disease.
Purpose of Review
Hemorrhagic shock remains the leading cause of potentially preventable death following traumatic injuries. Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) has ...demonstrated promising results in the control of non-compressible torso hemorrhage. The purpose of this review is to summarize the indications, procedural techniques, and complications of REBOA in order to help define practice management guidelines.
Recent Findings
Recent studies suggest that REBOA is advantageous in aiding hemodynamic stabilization as a bridge to definitive hemorrhage control. REBOA is a feasible option for non-compressible torso hemorrhage as well as traumatic cardiac arrest and has the potential to improve morbidity and mortality in select patient populations.
Summary
Despite favorable emerging data, varying results in the literature indicate the need for further high-quality reproducible data and multicenter trials to identify the ideal clinical scenarios for REBOA. This review discusses special considerations and future directions for next generation REBOA use.
Background There are limited data on the safety of anesthesia-assisted endoscopy by using propofol-mediated sedation in obese individuals undergoing advanced endoscopic procedures (AEPs). Objective ...To study the association between obesity (as measured by body mass index BMI) and the frequency of sedation-related complications (SRCs) in patients undergoing AEPs. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients A total of 1016 consecutive patients undergoing AEPs (BMI <30, 730 72%; 30-35, 159 16%; >35, 127 12%). Intervention Monitored anesthesia sedation with propofol alone or in combination with benzodiazepines and/or opioids. Main Outcome Measurements SRCs, airway maneuvers (AMs), hypoxemia, hypotension requiring vasopressors, and early procedure termination were compared across 3 groups. Results There were 203 AMs in 13.9% of patients, hypoxemia in 7.3%, need for vasopressors in 0.8%, and premature termination in 0.6% of patients. Increasing BMI was associated with an increased frequency of AMs (BMI <30, 10.5%; 30-35, 18.9%; >35–26.8%; P < .001) and hypoxemia (BMI <30, 5.3%; 30-35, 9.4%; >35, 13.4%; P = .001); there was no difference in the frequency of need for vasopressors ( P = .254) and premature termination of procedures ( P = .401). On multivariable analysis, BMI (odds ratio OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-3.1), age (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0-1.1), and American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 or higher (OR 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.0) were independent predictors of SRCs. In obese individuals (n = 286), there was no difference in the frequency of SRCs in patients receiving propofol alone or in combination ( P = .48). Limitations Single tertiary center study. Conclusions Although obesity was associated with an increased frequency of SRCs, propofol sedation can be used safely in obese patients undergoing AEPs when administered by trained professionals.
PDF
