Therapeutic Hypothermia May Improve Neurological Outcomes in Extracorporeal Life Support for Adult Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exists on patients receiving therapeutic hypothermia during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). We investigated outcomes and prognostic factors in these patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted for 225 consecutive adult patients treated with ECLS between July 2003 and January 2016. Extracorporeal life support was initiated for refractory cardiac arrest (>10 mins) in 79 patients (35.1%). Patient demographics, ECLS-related complications, in-hospital mortality and neurological outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: The mean age was 49.9±12.4 years. Sixty-two patients (78.5%) were male. The mean duration of CPR and ECLS were respectively, 32.0±23.3 mins and 5.4±4.0 days. Therapeutic hypothermia (34oC) was maintained for 24hours in 14 patients (17.7%). Thirty-five patients (44.3%) were weaned off ECLS. Twenty-one patients (26.6%) survived to hospital discharge with 16 (20.3%) recovering good neurological function. Compared to ECLS at normothermia, neurologically favourable survival was higher in the hypothermia group (42.9% vs 15.4%, p=0.020). Multivariable analysis identified a non-shockable rhythm [odds ratio (OR) 5.1, confidence interval (CI) 1.5-16.8], ischaemic hepatitis (OR 6.2, CI 1.1-33.6) and hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (OR 5.1, CI 1.5-17.1) as predictors of in-hospital mortality. Therapeutic hypothermia (OR 4.9, CI 1.2-20.4) and acute renal failure (OR 0.19, CI 0.05-0.70) were predictors of neurologically favourable survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this report of patients treated with ECLS, in-hospital survival and survival with good neurological performance were 26.6% and 20.3% respectively. A non-shockable rhythm, ischaemic hepatitis and hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy were predictors of in-hospital mortality. Therapeutic hypothermia during ECLS was associated with improved neurological outcomes.

Chordal Reconstruction versus Leaflet Resection for Repair of Degenerative Posterior Mitral Leaflet Prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience of mitral valve repair for degenerative posterior mitral leaflet prolapse, comparing the outcomes of chordal reconstruction and leaflet resection. METHODS: From 2000 to 2014, 205 patients underwent successful repair for degenerative posterior mitral leaflet prolapse. One hundred and four (51.5%) underwent leaflet resection (group R) and 98 (48.5%) underwent chordal reconstruction (group C). Follow-up was 96.5% complete with a mean follow-up of 6.1 ± 4.0 years. RESULTS: Mean age was 57.0 ± 11.0 years. Males accounted for 73.8%. Ring annuloplasty was performed in 195 (96.5%). There were no operative mortalities within 30 days. Overall survival was 97.8% ± 1.3% at 7 years. Outcomes at 6 years: freedom from severe mitral regurgitation (group R 97.1% ± 2.0%, group C 100%, P = 0.288), freedom from moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (group R 97.1% ± 2.0%, group C 94.4% ± 5.4%, P = 0.541). Group C patients received larger annuloplasty rings and had significantly lower postoperative transmitral gradients. CONCLUSIONS: Leaflet resection and chordal reconstruction are effective techniques for repair of degenerative posterior mitral leaflet prolapse. Both techniques result in a low incidence of recurrent mitral regurgitation. Chordal reconstruction accommodates larger annuloplasty rings and is associated with lower transmitral gradients.

Risk factors for lower extremity amputation among patients with diabetes in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: Among other risk factors, renal disease and ethnicity have been associated with diabetic lower extremity amputation (LEA) in Western populations. However, little is known about risk factors for LEA among Asian patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the proportion of hospitalized patients with diabetes who have a LEA among all hospital patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and to investigate risk factors for diabetic LEA (especially renal disease and ethnicity) using hospital discharge database. METHOD: A retrospective study of hospital discharge database (2004-2009) was performed to identify patients with DM, LEA and renal disease using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Ninth Revision, Australian Modification codes. RESULTS: Of 44 917 hospitalized patients with DM during the 6 years, 7312 (16.3%) patients had renal disease, and 1457 (3.2%) patients had LEA. DM patients with renal disease had significant higher rates of LEA (7.1%) compared to DM patients without renal disease (2.5%, P < .001). The differences were present for foot (2.7% vs. 1.2%), ankle or leg (2.8% vs. 0.9%), and knee or above amputation (1.6% vs. 0.4%, all P<.001). Malays had the highest rate of diabetic LEA (5.1%), followed by Indians (3.0%), Chinese (3.0%), and others (2.3%, P < .001). In logistic regression analyses, renal disease and ethnicity were significant predictors of diabetic LEA (renal disease: odds ratio 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.8-3.6; ethnicity: odds ratio, 1.6, Malays vs. Chinese, P < .001; 1.0, Indians vs. Chinese, P = .784) after adjustment for age, gender, and year of discharge. CONCLUSION: DM patients with renal disease and Malay ethnicity had higher rates of LEA in this Asian patient population. Malay patients with DM and diabetic patients with renal disease should be considered as high-risk groups for LEA and therefore screened and monitored systematically.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza in a large acute care tertiary hospital, Singapore.

This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza in a large, acute care, tertiary hospital in Singapore. Of the 265 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed 2009 influenza A (H1N1) during the height of the H1N1 flu pandemic, 13% (35) suffered severe outcomes including a mortality rate of 4.5% (12). Severe outcomes were associated with patients aged 40 years or more, underlying comorbidities, and complicated by pneumonia.

The impact of portable high-efficiency particulate air filters on the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in a large acute tertiary-care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, the frequency of invasive fungal infections has been increasing, with a corresponding increase in the numbers of high-risk patients. Exposure reduction through the use of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters has been the preferred primary preventive strategy for these high-risk patients. Although the efficiency and benefits of fixed HEPA filters is well proven, the benefits of portable HEPA filters are still inconclusive. METHODS: This was a retrospective study to assess the impact of 48 portable HEPA filter units deployed in selected wards in Singapore General Hospital, an acute tertiary-care hospital in Singapore. Data were extracted between December 2005 and June 2008 on the diagnoses at discharge and microbiological and histological laboratory findings. All patients with possible, probable, or proven invasive aspergillosis (IA) were included. RESULTS: In wards with portable HEPA filters, the incidence rate of IA of 34.61/100,000 patient-days in the pre-installation period was reduced to 17.51/100,000 patient-days in the post-installation period (P = .01), for an incidence rate ratio of 1.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-2.97). In wards with no HEPA filters, there was no significant change in the incidence rate during the study period. Portable HEPA filters were associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.28-0.85; P = .01), adjusted for diagnosis and length of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Portable HEPA filters are effective in the prevention of IA. The cost of widespread portable HEPA filtration in hospitals will be more than offset by the decreases in nosocomial infections in general and in IA in particular.