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Ultrasound-guided arterial catheterization: a narrative review.

Intensive Care Med. 2010 Feb;36(2):214-21

Authors: Shiloh AL, Eisen LA

Arterial catheterization is the second most common invasive procedure performed in the intensive care unit. Despite the ubiquity of the procedure, complications including failure to place the catheter occur. While many clinicians are familiar with the use of ultrasound (US) guidance to decrease complication rates of central venous catheter insertion, fewer are familiar with the use of ultrasound to guide arterial catheterization. This manuscript reviews the evidence for the utility of ultrasound for this indication. Technical aspects of the procedure and limitations of the existing evidence are reviewed. A description of the procedure is provided, along with an online supplemental video. Most studies indicate that first-pass success will be improved with US-guided (USG) arterial catheterization. The technique is easy to learn, particularly if one is already familiar with USG for central venous catheter placement. More research, including formal analyses of cost effectiveness, is needed.

PMID: 19882140 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Computed tomographic coronary artery calcium assessment for evaluating chest pain in the emergency department: long-term outcome of a prospective blind study.

Mayo Clin Proc. 2010 Apr;85(4):314-22

Authors: Laudon DA, Behrenbeck TR, Wood CM, Bailey KR, Callahan CM, Breen JF, Vukov LF

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term outcome of computed tomographic (CT) quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC) used as a triage tool for patients presenting with chest pain to an emergency department (ED). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (men aged 30-62 years and women aged 30-65 years) with chest pain and low-to-moderate probability of coronary artery disease underwent both conventional ED chest pain evaluation and CT CAC assessment prospectively. Patients' physicians were blinded to the CAC results. The results of the conventional evaluation were compared with CAC findings on CT, and the long-term outcome in patients undergoing CT CAC assessment was established. Primary end points (acute coronary syndrome, death, fatal or nonfatal non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, fatal or nonfatal ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) and secondary outcomes (coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary stenting, or a combination thereof) were obtained when the patient was dismissed from the ED or hospital and then at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years. RESULTS: Of the 263 study patients, 133 (51%) had a CAC score of zero. This absence of CAC correlated strongly with the likelihood of noncardiac chest pain. Among 133 patients with a CAC score of zero, only 1 (<1%) had cardiac chest pain. Conversely, of the 31 patients shown to have cardiac chest pain, 30 (97%) had evidence of CAC on CT. When a CAC cutoff score of 36 was used, as suggested by receiver operating characteristic analysis, sensitivity was 90%; specificity, 85%; positive predictive value, 44%; and negative predictive value, 99%. During long-term follow-up, patients without CAC experienced no cardiac events at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that CT CAC assessment is a powerful adjunct in chest pain evaluation for the population at low-to-intermediate risk. Absent or minimal CAC in this population makes cardiac chest pain extremely unlikely. The absence of CAC suggests an excellent long-term (5-year) prognosis, with no primary or secondary cardiac outcomes occurring in study patients at 5-year follow-up.

PMID: 20360291 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Statins for acutely hospitalized patients: randomized controlled trials are long overdue.

Crit Care. 2010 Apr 19;14(2):141

Authors: Bernard GR

ABSTRACT: From the earliest studies of statins for control of plasma cholesterol, observations have been made that the reductions in mortality observed occurred in a manner seemingly independent from what could be anticipated from cholesterol lowering alone. Over the last decade, the pleiotropic effects of statins have been increasingly elucidated. Perhaps most intriguing are the effects statins appear to have on the immune system, especially the modulation of diffuse or systemic inflammation. There is a growing body of observational literature suggesting that statins can actually reduce hospital mortality through mechanisms far beyond those that can be explained by reductions in cardiovascular events.

PMID: 20416118 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Reducing patient financial liability for hospitalizations: the physician role.

J Hosp Med. 2010 Mar;5(3):160-2

Authors: Ross EA, Bellamy FB

With increasingly strict guidelines for insurance coverage, hospitals have adopted meticulous resource utilization review and management processes. It is important for physicians to appreciate that careful documentation of certain patient parameters may not only optimize the facility’s reimbursement but have profound impact on the patient’s out-of-pocket expenses. Hospital utilization teams have access to the frequently changing national payor guidelines for policy benefits, usually revolving around whether the patient meets medical necessity criteria for being classified as an “inpatient” vs. an “observation” outpatient. Those statuses are not merely time-based, and lead to marked differences in patient deductibles and coverage for medication, room, procedure, laboratory, and ancillary charges. There are nationally-recognized guidelines for classification, based on severity of illness and intensity of services provided. By participating in case management activities, physicians can have an important patient advocate role, and thereby minimize the financial burden to these individuals and their families.

PMID: 20419756 [PubMed - in process]

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Prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent venous thromboembolism in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage: A decision analysis.

Crit Care. 2010 Apr 20;14(2):R72

Authors: Scales DC, Riva-Cambrin J, Wells D, Athaide V, Granton JT, Detsky AS

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Patients with intracranial hemorrhage due to traumatic brain injury are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Thus, there is a trade-off between the risks of progression of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) versus reduction of DVT/PE with the use of prophylactic anticoagulation. Using decision analysis modeling techniques, we developed a model for examining this trade-off for trauma patients with documented ICH. METHODS: The decision node involved the choice to administer or to withhold low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) anticoagulation prophylaxis at 24 hours. Advantages of withholding therapy were decreased risk of ICH progression (death, disabling neurologic deficit, non-disabling neurologic deficit), and decreased risk of systemic bleeding complications (death, massive bleed). The associated disadvantage was greater risk of developing DVT/PE or death. Probabilities for each outcome were derived from natural history studies and randomized controlled trials when available. Utililities were obtained from accepted databases and previous studies. RESULTS: The expected value associated with withholding anticoagulation prophylaxis was similar (0.90) to that associated with the LMWH strategy (0.89). Only two threshold values were encountered in one-way sensitivity analyses. If the effectiveness of LMWH at preventing DVT exceeded 80% (range from literature 33% to 82%) our model favoured this therapy. Similarly, our model favoured use of LMWH if this therapy increased the risk of ICH progression by no more than 5% above the baseline risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our model showed no clear advantage to providing or withholding anticoagulant prophylaxis for DVT/PE prevention at 24 hours after traumatic brain injury associated with ICH. Therefore randomized controlled trials are justifiable and needed to guide clinicians.

PMID: 20406444 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Chylothorax: diagnostic approach.

Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2010 Apr 20;

Authors: Skouras V, Kalomenidis I

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review evaluates recent research findings and proposes an up-to-date diagnostic approach for patients with suspected chylothorax. RECENT FINDINGS: Typically, chylothorax is a milky exudate with high triglyceride content (>110 mg/dl). However, milky appearance is not always the case and triglyceride levels can be less than 110 mg/dl, especially in fasting or malnourished patients. Transudative chylothoraces have been reported when cirrhosis, nephrosis or heart failure co-exist. In addition, although the vast majority of the white blood cells in chyle are lymphocytes, chylothoraces can be neutrophilic, especially the postsurgical ones. SUMMARY: Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle into the pleural cavity usually due to thoracic duct leak and should be suspected not only in patients with milky effusions but also in the presence of certain co-morbidities or history of chest/neck trauma. Fluid triglycerides more than 110 mg/dl or less than 50 mg/dl virtually establish or exclude the diagnosis, respectively; ambiguous cases with values 50-110 mg/dl require lipoprotein analysis for the demonstration of chylomicrons. In fasting or malnourished patients lipoprotein analysis is suggested even with triglycerides less than 50 mg/dl. Typical pleural fluid in chylothorax is a lymphocytic exudate with low lactate dehydrogenase; atypical fluid characteristics (i.e. transudative nature, neutrophil-predominance or high lactate dehydrogenase) may be a sign of additional causes of pleural fluid accumulation.

PMID: 20410823 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Some doctors left in charge of 400 patients at night, study shows.

BMJ. 2010;340:c2206

Authors: O’Dowd A

PMID: 20410176 [PubMed - in process]

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Infiltrative cardiovascular diseases: cardiomyopathies that look alike.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Apr 27;55(17):1769-79

Authors: Seward JB, Casaclang-Verzosa G

Infiltrative cardiomyopathies are characterized by the deposition of abnormal substances that cause the ventricular walls to become progressively rigid, thereby impeding ventricular filling. Some infiltrative cardiac diseases increase ventricular wall thickness, while others cause chamber enlargement with secondary wall thinning. Increased wall thickness, small ventricular volume, and occasional dynamic left ventricular outflow obstruction (e.g., amyloidosis) can outwardly appear similar to conditions with true myocyte hypertrophy (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease). Likewise, infiltrative disease that presents with a dilated left ventricle with global or regional wall motion abnormalities and aneurysm formation (e.g., sarcoidosis) may mimic ischemic cardiomyopathy. Low-voltage QRS complex was the sine qua non of infiltrative cardiomyopathy (i.e., cardiac amyloid). However, low-voltage QRS complex is not a uniform finding with the infiltrative cardiomyopathies. The clinical presentation, along with functional and morphologic features, often provides enough insight to establish a working diagnosis. In most circumstances, however, tissue or serologic evaluation is needed to validate or clarify the cardiac diagnosis and institute appropriate therapy.

PMID: 20413025 [PubMed - in process]

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Differences between beta-blockers in patients with chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized crossover trial.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Apr 27;55(17):1780-7

Authors: Jabbour A, Macdonald PS, Keogh AM, Kotlyar E, Mellemkjaer S, Coleman CF, Elsik M, Krum H, Hayward CS

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the respiratory, hemodynamic, and clinical effects of switching between beta1-selective and nonselective beta-blockers in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). BACKGROUND: Carvedilol, metoprolol succinate, and bisoprolol are established beta-blockers for treating CHF. Whether differences in beta-receptor specificities affect lung or vascular function in CHF patients, particularly those with coexistent COPD, remains incompletely characterized. METHODS: A randomized, open label, triple-crossover trial involving 51 subjects receiving optimal therapy for CHF was conducted in 2 Australian teaching hospitals. Subjects received each beta-blocker, dose-matched, for 6 weeks before resuming their original beta-blocker. Echocardiography, N-terminal pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide, central augmented pressure from pulse waveform analysis, respiratory function testing, 6-min walk distance, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class were assessed at each visit. RESULTS: Of 51 subjects with a mean age of 66 +/- 12 years, NYHA functional class I (n = 6), II (n = 29), or III (n = 16), and left ventricular ejection fraction mean of 37 +/- 10%, 35 had coexistent COPD. N-terminal pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide was significantly lower with carvedilol than with metoprolol or bisoprolol (mean: carvedilol 1,001 [95% confidence interval (CI): 633 to 1,367] ng/l; metoprolol 1,371 [95% CI: 778 to 1,964] ng/l; bisoprolol 1,349 [95% CI: 782 to 1,916] ng/l; p < 0.01), and returned to baseline level on resumption of the initial beta-blocker. Central augmented pressure, a measure of pulsatile afterload, was lowest with carvedilol (carvedilol 9.9 [95% CI: 7.7 to 12.2] mm Hg; metoprolol 11.5 [95% CI: 9.3 to 13.8] mm Hg; bisoprolol 12.2 [95% CI: 9.6 to 14.7] mm Hg; p < 0.05). In subjects with COPD, forced expiratory volume in 1 s was lowest with carvedilol and highest with bisoprolol (carvedilol 1.85 [95% CI: 1.67 to 2.03] l/s; metoprolol 1.94 [95% CI: 1.73 to 2.14] l/s; bisoprolol 2.0 [95% CI: 1.79 to 2.22] l/s; p < 0.001). The NYHA functional class, 6-min walk distance, and left ventricular ejection fraction did not change. The beta-blocker switches were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Switching between beta1-selective beta-blockers and the nonselective beta-blocker carvedilol is well tolerated but results in demonstrable changes in airway function, most marked in patients with COPD. Switching from beta1-selective beta-blockers to carvedilol causes short-term reduction of central augmented pressure and N-terminal pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide. (Comparison of Nonselective and Beta1-Selective Beta-Blockers on Respiratory and Arterial Function and Cardiac Chamber Dynamics in Patients With Chronic Stable Congestive Cardiac Failure; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12605000504617).

PMID: 20413026 [PubMed - in process]

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Maintenance of sinus rhythm and survival in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Apr 27;55(17):1796-802

Authors: Talajic M, Khairy P, Levesque S, Connolly SJ, Dorian P, Dubuc M, Guerra PG, Hohnloser SH, Lee KL, Macle L, Nattel S, Pedersen OD, Stevenson LW, Thibault B, Waldo AL, Wyse DG, Roy D

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of sinus rhythm and outcomes in patients with a history of congestive heart failure (CHF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). BACKGROUND: The value of sinus rhythm maintenance in patients with AF and heart failure (HF) is uncertain. METHODS: A total of 1,376 patients with AF, ejection fraction < or =35%, and heart failure symptoms were randomized to a rhythm- or rate-control strategy. Detailed efficacy analyses were used to evaluate the independent effects of treatment strategy and the presence of sinus rhythm on cardiovascular outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 445 (32%) patients died and 402 (29%) experienced worsening HF. The rhythm-control strategy was not predictive of cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70 to 1.16; p = 0.41), all-cause death (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.08; p = 0.19), or worsening HF (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.10; p = 0.23). In analyses devised to isolate the effect of underlying rhythm, sinus rhythm was not associated with cardiovascular mortality [HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.80 to 1.87; p = 0.35), total mortality [HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.78 to 1.58; p = 0.57), or worsening HF [HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.37 to 1.02; p = 0.059). CONCLUSIONS: A rhythm-control strategy or the presence of sinus rhythm are not associated with better outcomes in patients with AF and CHF.

PMID: 20413028 [PubMed - in process]

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Combined heart failure device diagnostics identify patients at higher risk of subsequent heart failure hospitalizations: results from PARTNERS HF (Program to Access and Review Trending Information and Evaluate Correlation to Symptoms in Patients With Heart Failure) study.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Apr 27;55(17):1803-10

Authors: Whellan DJ, Ousdigian KT, Al-Khatib SM, Pu W, Sarkar S, Porter CB, Pavri BB, O’Connor CM,

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the utility of combined heart failure (HF) device diagnostic information to predict clinical deterioration of HF in patients with systolic left ventricular dysfunction. BACKGROUND: Some implantable devices continuously monitor HF device diagnostic information, but data are limited on the ability of combined HF device diagnostics to predict HF events. METHODS: The PARTNERS HF (Program to Access and Review Trending Information and Evaluate Correlation to Symptoms in Patients With Heart Failure) was a prospective, multicenter observational study in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. HF events were independently adjudicated. A combined HF device diagnostic algorithm was developed on an independent dataset. The algorithm was considered positive if a patient had 2 of the following abnormal criteria during a 1-month period: long atrial fibrillation duration, rapid ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation, high (> or =60) fluid index, low patient activity, abnormal autonomics (high night heart rate or low heart rate variability), or notable device therapy (low CRT pacing or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks), or if they only had a very high (> or =100) fluid index. We used univariate and multivariable analyses to determine predictors of subsequent HF events within a month. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 694 CRT defibrillator patients who were followed for 11.7 +/- 2 months. Ninety patients had 141 adjudicated HF hospitalizations with pulmonary congestion at least 60 days after implantation. Patients with a positive combined HF device diagnostics had a 5.5-fold increased risk of HF hospitalization with pulmonary signs or symptoms within the next month (hazard ratio: 5.5, 95% confidence interval: 3.4 to 8.8, p < 0.0001), and the risk remained high after adjusting for clinical variables (hazard ratio: 4.8, 95% confidence interval: 2.9 to 8.1, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Monthly review of HF device diagnostic data identifies patients at a higher risk of HF hospitalizations within the subsequent month. (PARTNERS HF: Program to Access and Review Trending Information and Evaluate Correlation to Symptoms in Patients With Heart Failure; NCT00279955).

PMID: 20413029 [PubMed - in process]

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Differential effects of antihypertensive treatment on left ventricular diastolic function: an ASCOT (Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) substudy.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Apr 27;55(17):1875-81

Authors: Tapp RJ, Sharp A, Stanton AV, O’Brien E, Chaturvedi N, Poulter NR, Sever PS, Thom SA, Hughes AD, Mayet J,

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that an amlodipine-based regimen would have more favorable effects on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. BACKGROUND: Different antihypertensive therapies may vary in their effect on LV diastolic function. METHODS: The HACVD (Hypertension Associated Cardiovascular Disease) substudy of ASCOT (Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) collected detailed cardiovascular phenotypic data on a subset of 1,006 participants recruited from 2 centers (St. Mary’s Hospital, London, and Beaumont Hospital, Dublin). Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography and measurement of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were performed approximately 1 year after randomization to atenolol-based or amlodipine-based antihypertensive treatment to assess LV diastolic function. RESULTS: On-treatment blood pressure (BP) (mean +/- SD) was similar in both groups: atenolol-based regimen, systolic BP of 137 +/- 17 mm Hg, diastolic BP of 82 +/- 9 mm Hg; amlodipine-based regimen, systolic BP of 136 +/- 15 mm Hg, diastolic BP of 80 +/- 9 mm Hg. Ejection fraction did not differ between groups, but early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E’), a measure of diastolic relaxation, was lower in patients on the atenolol-based regimen: atenolol-based regimen, 7.9 +/- 1.8; amlodipine-based regimen, 8.8 +/- 2.0. A measure of left ventricular filling pressure, E/E’, and BNP were significantly higher in patients on the atenolol-based regimen. Differences in E’, E/E’, and BNP remained significant after adjustment for age and sex. Further adjustment for systolic BP, LV mass index, and heart rate had no impact on differences in mean E’ or BNP. The difference in E/E’ was attenuated. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving treatment with an amlodipine-based regimen had better diastolic function than patients treated with the atenolol-based regimen. Treatment-related differences in diastolic function were independent of BP reduction and other factors that are known to affect diastolic function.

PMID: 20413040 [PubMed - in process]

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Sitagliptin: review of preclinical and clinical data regarding incidence of pancreatitis.

Int J Clin Pract. 2010 Apr 14;

Authors: Engel SS, Williams-Herman DE, Golm GT, Clay RJ, Machotka SV, Kaufman KD, Goldstein BJ

Summary Recent case reports of acute pancreatitis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) treated with incretin-based therapies have triggered interest regarding the possibility of a mechanism-based association between pancreatitis and glucagon-like peptide-1 mimetics or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The objective of this review was to describe the controlled preclinical and clinical trial data regarding the incidence of pancreatitis with sitagliptin, the first DPP-4 inhibitor approved for use in patients with T2DM. Tissue samples from multiple animal species treated with sitagliptin for up to 2 years at plasma exposures substantially in excess of human exposure were evaluated to determine whether any potential gross or histomorphological changes suggestive of pancreatitis occurred. Sections were prepared by routine methods, stained with haematoxylin and eosin and examined microscopically. A pooled analysis of 19 controlled clinical trials, comprising 10,246 patients with T2DM treated for up to 2 years, was performed using patient-level data from each study for the evaluation of clinical and laboratory adverse events. Adverse events were encoded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) version 12.0 system. Incidences of adverse events were adjusted for patient exposure. Tissue samples from preclinical studies in multiple animal species did not reveal any evidence of treatment-related pancreatitis. The pooled analysis of controlled clinical trials revealed similar incidence rates of pancreatitis in patients treated with sitagliptin compared with those not treated with sitagliptin (0.08 events per 100 patient-years vs. 0.10 events per 100 patient-years, respectively). Preclinical and clinical trial data with sitagliptin to date do not indicate an increased risk of pancreatitis in patients with T2DM treated with sitagliptin.

PMID: 20412332 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Head, neck and ophthalmologic manifestations of HIV in the emergency department.

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2010 May;28(2):265-71

Authors: Moayedi S

Emergency medicine physicians are uniquely positioned to detect manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease in the head and neck region. Awareness of the myriad of opportunistic infections and malignancies that involve the head, neck, and eyes is paramount to their diagnosis and treatment. On occasion some of these manifestations are a direct result of HIV and represent the initial signs of primary HIV infection. In some cases, prompt diagnosis and therapy will lead to preservation of function and prevention of significant morbidity.

PMID: 20413010 [PubMed - in process]

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Cardiac emergencies in patients with HIV.

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2010 May;28(2):273-82, Table of Contents

Authors: Mishra RK

The aspects of cardiovascular disease in the patient infected with HIV that are of particular relevance to the emergency physician, including coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes, pericardial disease, and dilated cardiomyopathy are discussed in this review.

PMID: 20413011 [PubMed - in process]

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