Pneumoperitoneum following cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a COVID19 patient
Case presentation
An 86-year-old Hispanic lady was brought to the emergency department in acute respiratory distress. She had tested COVID-19 positive a week prior to her presentation. She had a past medical history of chronic hypertension, gastric ulcer, abdominal hernia, anxiety, and arthritis. On arrival blood pressure was 130/72 mmHg, heart rate 85/min, respiratory rate 33/min, temperature 98.8 ºF, with oxygen saturation of 82% while breathing room air. Further testing revealed ground glass opacities and interstitial infiltrates in both lungs on computed tomography. Over the next few hours, the patient deteriorated with her oxygen saturation dropping 40% followed by asystole. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately started. She was intubated on first attempt. CPR continued for 15 minutes and multiple doses of epinephrine were given. Return of spontaneous circulation was obtained with sinus rhythm that required vasopressors to maintain reasonable mean arterial pressures. A post resuscitation chest radiograph depicted sub diaphragmatic free air suggesting spontaneous pneumoperitoneum (Figure 1). All prior imaging tests failed to reveal this new finding. Her abdomen was mildly distended but no signs of tension pneumoperitoneum or inferior vena cava compression were found on physical or ultrasonographical exam. A surgical consultation was obtained. In view of her dismal prognosis, after discussing with her family, limitation of care followed.
Age factor and COVID-19: Are there limits to be admitted in the ICU? An ethical issue
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this article is to clarify different aspects including ethics about the elderly patients during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) scenario in Spain.
Design: Retrospective, observational.
Methods: Description and comparison of all age groups by confirmed cases and hospitalizations, with special emphasis on those elderly admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. Study of the ethical recommendations of different Spanish scientific societies with treatment proposals for the elderly group. Patients were divided into 6 different age groups. Group I (0-14 years), Group 2 (15-29 years), Group 3 (30-49 years), Group 4 (50-69 years), Group 5 (70-79 years), and Group 6 (>80 years).
Results: The number of confirmed cases during the study was 250,273 and 20,534 deaths. The global mortality was 8.2%. Number of hospitalized patients was 37.1% and 18.25% died. Three point one percent were admitted to the ICU with a mortality of 30.4%. ICU admission ratio: Group 4 51.7%, Group 5 28.4%, and Group 6 4.95%. Average age survivors were 58 (44-76 years), 83 (75-89 years) corresponding to Group 5-6. Non-ICU mortality increased to 14.6% in Group 5, while Group 6 achieved the highest mortality (21.7%).
Conclusion: The number of elderly patients admitted to the ICU was exceptionally low.
Ultrasound cardiac output monitor inter-rater agreement in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Abstract
Objective: Although Ultrasound Cardiac Output Measurement (USCOM) is relatively simple to operate, its reliability for novice user needs to be assessed. This study aims to determine inter-rater agreement of USCOM between pediatric residents as novices and pediatric intensivist as experienced operator.
Design: An observational study.
Setting: A single-center study in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Patients and participants: Pediatric residents underwent in-house training and 20 practice scans, followed by blinded trans-aortic USCOM cardiac index (CI) measurements made by one of two randomly selected pediatric residents paired with one pediatric intensivist. CI, its categorization and image quality, were noted.
Measurements and results: Paired measurements were performed on 48 subjects. Median of subjects age were 2 years (1 month to less than 18-year-old). Spearman’s rank showed strong positive correlation of CI (rs=0.77; 95% CI=0.62-0.86). Inter-rater agreement by Cohen’s kappa showed substantial agreement on CI (ĸ=0.78).
Conclusion: Following training, pediatric residents were able to measure CI using USCOM with substantial inter-rater agreement.
Comparison of the resuscitative effects between lactated ringer and lactated ringer/hydroxyethyl starch 6% (200/0.5) combination to serum lactate level in hemorrhagic shock in Lepus nigricollis rabbits
Abstract
Objective: The ideal resuscitative strategy in hemorrhagic shock remains a matter of debate. The standard resuscitation fluid comprises of crystalloid and colloid, such as lactated Ringer’s (LR) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES), respectively. Whether the administration of LR/HES combination can provide better microcirculatory improvements than LR alone is still unknown.
Design: Experimental analytic study comparing the effect between LR and LR/HES (200/0.5) 2:1 combination to serum lactate level in hemorrhagic shock in rabbit (Lepus nigricollis).
Setting: This study was conducted at Hasanuddin University Medical Research Center (HUMRC), Makassar, Indonesia, from July to October 2019.
Patients and participants: A total of 30 Lepus nigricollis rabbits were included in this study. Fifteen animals were allocated in each group.
Interventions: After the initiation of induced hemorrhagic shock, a hypotension period was maintained for 30 minutes using infusion of LR/HES 6% (200/0.5) 1:2 combination if mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased more than 30% from baseline, or if there was continuous bleeding if MAP was decreased less than 20% from baseline. The animals in LR group were then resuscitated with LR, while the animals in combination group were resuscitated with LR/HES 6% (200/0.5) 2:1 30 ml/kg/hour, then continued with 3 ml/kg/hour.
Measurements and results: Serum lactate level was measured at baseline, after the initiation of hemorrhagic shock, and after resuscitation. After hemorrhage was initiated, 19 animals had a <20% decrease in MAP and 11 animals had a ≥20% decrease in MAP. There was a significant decrease in serum lactate level in both LR and combination group with <20% decrease in MAP. LR group had a significant difference in serum lactate level from before and after resuscitation, whereas in combination group, only those with <20% decrease in MAP had a significant difference. There were no significant differences in the changes of serum lactate level between both groups.
Conclusions: Resuscitation in both groups may decrease serum lactate level in hemorrhagic shock, and resuscitation with LR/HES 6% (200/0.5) 2:1 combination provided better improvement than LR alone.
Optic nerve and transcranial doppler ultrasonography for diagnosing increased intracranial pressure in adult traumatic brain injury patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography to assess the increase of intracranial pressure by assessing optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and transcranial Doppler (TCD), consisting of the black box (BB) model, arterial diastolic flow velocity (FVd), critical closing pressure (CrCp), and pulsatility index (PI) as parameters, in adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients.
Methods: A systematic search through the electronic databases including Medline through PubMed and Embase for studies evaluating the use of optic nerve and TCD USG to evaluate increased intracranial pressure (ICP) compared with the invasive method. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool was used to assess the risk of bias.
Results: Ten studies consisting of 727 patients were included in this study. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of elevated ICP by measuring ONSD were 94% (95% CI: 89%-97%) and 88% (95% CI: 81%-95%), respectively. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were 12.7 (95% CI: 6.6-25.3; Cochran Q-statistic =14.6; p=0.04) and 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03-0.10; Cochran Q-statistic =14.1; p=0.05), respectively. All I2 values were >0.50. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.81-0.98) as shown in the summary ROC (sROC) plot. A meta-analysis could not be performed for the TCD subgroup due to several incomplete sensitivity and specificity data and differences in the evaluated parameters. Four studies evaluated the role of TCD with mixed results. In one study, averaging the parameters of TCD displayed favorable results.
Conclusion: ONSD can be used as a parameter to evaluate the increase of ICP in TBI patients. BB model, FVd, and CrCp are potential promising parameters of TCD ultrasonography for noninvasive ICP estimation as opposed to PI. However, more studies with complete accuracy results are required in the future.
Dabigatran-induced hemopericardium with tamponade
Abstract
Background: Rapidly changing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury leads to patients having a high risk of bleeding despite the early cessation of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). Bleeding complications can occur at a rare hidden site, the hemopericardium; this type of complication requires point-of-care ultrasound examinations (POCUS) for early detection and the performance of ultrasound-guided drainage as a lifesaving procedure.
Case presentation: An 84-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation who was taking 110 mg bid dabigatran and who presented with obstructive sleep apnea and deteriorated renal function as well as type 2 respiratory failure. The patient was compliant with the dosage of dabigatran (110 mg twice daily), and the last dose was taken a few hours prior to being transferred to the critical care unit. Within 24 hours, the patient was notably lethargic and oliguric. Laboratory examination demonstrated a deterioration in renal function. Serial transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated new mild pericardial effusion that progressively increased for the next 4 hours with signs of early cardiac tamponade. Idarucizumab was administered. The patient underwent successful echocardiography guided pericardiocentesis without complications. A 500 ml of grossly hemorrhagic fluid was removed. The patient recovered to baseline status over the course of one week, with laboratory and clinical resolution of multiorgan failure and no echocardiographic evidence of hemopericardium.
Conclusion: Life-threatening hidden hemorrhagic complications warrant caution in patients receiving DOAC. Our case highlights both a rare bleeding complication of dabigatran, and the effectiveness of idarucizumab, the approved reversal agent. Clinicians should closely monitor patient renal function in the setting of critical care area. Urgent POCUS detected the complication early, and ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis was followed by improved hemodynamic.