Safety of apixaban and rivaroxaban compared to warfarin after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are frequently prescribed for the management of atrial fibrillation and venous thrombosis. There is a lack of published data on the utilization of DOACs in individuals who have undergone recent cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of apixaban and rivaroxaban compared to warfarin in patients postcardiac surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients were separated into a DOAC cohort or a warfarin cohort based on the agent they received after cardiac surgery. Patients could be included if they were ≥18 years of age and received or were discharged on either rivaroxaban, apixaban, or warfarin within 7 days after cardiac surgery. The primary outcome for the study was the rate of International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding during hospitalization and for 30 days following discharge or until first follow-up appointment. RESULTS: There were a total of 194 patients included in the analysis, 97 in the DOAC cohort and 97 in the warfarin cohort. Four patients (4.1%) in the DOAC group experienced ISTH major bleeding, while 2 patients (2.1%) in the warfarin cohort experienced ISTH major bleeding (p = 0.68). No patients in the DOAC cohort experienced a thrombotic event, whereas 2 patients (2.1%) in the warfarin cohort experienced a thrombotic complication (p = 0.5). CONCLUSION: Apixaban and rivaroxaban demonstrated similar safety when compared to a matched cohort of warfarin patients. Larger prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Clinical Outcomes with Ertapenem for Pneumonia in Obese versus Nonobese Patients.

The objective of this study was to compare the rate of pneumonia resolution in obese (body mass index [BMI], ≥30 kg/m2) and nonobese (BMI, <30 kg/m2) patients treated with 1 gram ertapenem daily. In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated patients treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2020. Patients were included if they were between 18 and 89 years old and received ertapenem for at least 48 hours for pneumonia treatment. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, were incarcerated, had renal impairment, received antibiotics with Gram-negative activity for a significant period prior to or in addition to ertapenem, and had other concomitant deep-seated infections. The primary outcome of clinical resolution was defined as meeting any of the following three criteria in order of evaluations: discontinuation of antibiotics by day 8 of therapy, afebrile while on ertapenem in addition to a decrease in white blood cell count, or improvement on chest radiograph at day 7 of therapy. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between obesity and clinical resolution, while adjusting for proven confounders. There were 76 nonobese and 65 obese patients included. The median patient BMI was 23.7 kg/m2 (21.0 to 26.9) and 35.0 kg/m2 (32.8 to 39.8) for the nonobese and obese cohorts, respectively. Clinical resolution was achieved in 78% (59/76) of nonobese and 75% (49/65) of obese patients (P = 0.75) without an observed difference in the regression model. Outcomes were similar in obese and nonobese patients treated with 1 gram of ertapenem daily for pneumonia.

The Future of Cardiothoracic Surgical Critical Care Medicine as a Medical Science: A Call to Action.

Cardiothoracic surgical critical care medicine (CT-CCM) is a medical discipline centered on the perioperative care of diverse groups of patients. With an aging demographic and an increase in burden of chronic diseases the utilization of cardiothoracic surgical critical care units is likely to escalate in the coming decades. Given these projections, it is important to assess the state of cardiothoracic surgical intensive care, to develop goals and objectives for the future, and to identify knowledge gaps in need of scientific inquiry. This two-part review concentrates on CT-CCM as its own subspeciality of critical care and cardiothoracic surgery and provides aspirational goals for its practitioners and scientists. In part one, a list of guiding principles and a call-to-action agenda geared towards growth and promotion of CT-CCM are offered. In part two, an evaluation of selected scientific data is performed, identifying gaps in CT-CCM knowledge, and recommending direction to future scientific endeavors.

The Safety and Efficacy of Verapamil Versus Diltiazem Continuous Infusion for Acute Rate Control of Atrial Fibrillation at an Academic Medical Center.

PURPOSE: Due to critical shortages of intravenous diltiazem in 2018, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) adopted intravenous verapamil as an alternative. However, there is a paucity of data supporting the use of intravenous verapamil infusions for rate control in the acute treatment of atrial arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous verapamil as compared with diltiazem for the acute treatment of atrial arrhythmias. METHODS: This retrospective, case-control study compared patients who received verapamil infusions between June 1 and September 30, 2018, with patients who received diltiazem infusions between June 1 and September 30, 2017, at OSUWMC. Patients were matched 1:1 based on age, sex, and the presence of comorbid heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (≤40%). RESULTS: A total of 73 patients who received at least 1 verapamil infusion and 73 patients who received at least 1 diltiazem infusion met inclusion criteria. The composite need for inotrope or vasopressor was similar for both groups (5% with verapamil versus 4% with diltiazem, P = .999). The rate of hypotension was similar between groups (37% versus 33% experiencing a systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg, P = .603, and 27% versus 23% experiencing a mean arterial pressure <65 mm Hg, P = .704), as was the rate of bradycardia (19% versus 18%, P = .831). The efficacy outcomes of this study were similar for both groups, with 89% of patients in the verapamil group and 90% of patients in the diltiazem group achieving a heart rate less than 110 beats per minute (P = .785). CONCLUSION: Intravenous verapamil and diltiazem infusions had similar safety and efficacy outcomes when used for acute treatment of atrial arrhythmias in the institutional setting.

Impact of anticoagulation strategy and agents on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mandates balancing the risk of thromboembolic complications with bleeding. We aimed to evaluate pragmatic anticoagulation regimens during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and compare thromboembolic and bleeding outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study reviewed patients on venovenous or venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for a minimum of 24 hours over a 5-year period. The primary outcome was composite thromboembolic events per day of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Secondary outcomes included composite bleeding complications, percent of measured activated partial thromboplastin times in goal range, and comparing events with therapeutic anticoagulation for the majority of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run (>50% of time on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) versus non-therapeutic anticoagulation (therapeutic anticoagulation <50% of time). RESULTS: For the primary analysis, 100 patients received heparin, 10 received bivalirudin, and 43 were transitioned between heparin and bivalirudin. No significant differences were identified comparing the heparin group to the bivalirudin (RR = 0.427, p = 0.156) or transitioned group (RR = 1.274, p = 0.325). There were no differences in the rate of bleeding events when comparing the heparin group to the bivalirudin (RR = 0.626, p = 0.250) or transitioned group (RR = 0.742, p = 0.116). An increased number of adjustments to the anticoagulants was associated with a statistically higher rate of bleeding events per day (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: There were no differences in thromboembolic or bleeding events when comparing different anticoagulant regimens. Adjustments to the anticoagulants are more likely to occur when bleeding is observed. Due to variability in anticoagulation, there is a need to standardize anticoagulation with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Feasibility of a Nurse-Managed Pain, Agitation, and Delirium Protocol in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines recommend the use of pain, agitation, and delirium protocols in the intensive care unit. The feasibility of nurse management of such protocols in the surgical intensive care unit has not been well assessed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the percentage of adherent medication interventions for patients assessed by using a pain, sedation, and delirium protocol. METHODS: Data on all adult patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit from January 2013 through September 2013 who were assessed at least once by using a pain, sedation, and delirium protocol were retrospectively reviewed. Protocol adherence was evaluated for interventions implemented after a nursing assessment. Patients were further divided into 2 groups on the basis of adherence, and achievement of pain and sedation goals was evaluated between groups. RESULTS: Data on 41 patients were included. Of the 603 pain assessments, 422 (70.0%) led to an intervention adherent to the protocol. Of the 249 sedation assessments, 192 (77.1%) led to an adherent intervention. Among patients with 75% or greater adherent pain interventions, all interventions met pain goals with significantly less fentanyl than that used in interventions that did not meet goals. Despite 75% or greater adherence with interventions for sedation assessments, only 8.7% of the interventions met sedation goals. CONCLUSIONS: A nurse-managed pain, agitation, and delirium protocol can be feasibly implemented in a surgical intensive care unit.

Considerations for analgosedation and antithrombotic management during extracorporeal life support.

Despite the immense growth in extracorporeal life support (ECLS) technology and experience, opportunity remains to better characterize the pharmacotherapeutic considerations during ECLS. Analgosedation can be particularly challenging in the ECLS population due to in drug-circuit interactions that may lead to decreased systemic concentrations and pharmacodynamic effect. ECLS also requires the use of antithrombotic agents to mitigate the prothrombotic state created by the artificial surface in the ECLS circuit. There are a number of coagulation monitoring tests available. However, optimal monitoring and management in ECLS has not been established. Heparin continues to be the anticoagulant of choice for most ECLS centers, however, there is growing interest in the use of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) in this population. Advances in understanding pharmacotherapeutic management have not kept up with the technological advances in this population. More investigation is warranted to gain a greater understanding of the pharmacotherapeutic implications, facilitate standardized evidence-based practices, and improve patient centered outcomes.

Impact of intraoperative cefazolin on postoperative seizures after elective repair of unruptured cerebral aneurysm.

PURPOSE: The impact of intraoperative cefazolin on postoperative seizures after elective repair of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm was evaluated. METHODS: Chart review of a prospectively accrued database was performed for patients admitted from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2013. Patients were included in the study if they underwent elective repair of an unruptured aneurysm with surgical clipping or wrapping. The primary objective was to determine if the use of cefazolin increased patients' odds of having a seizure within six hours of surgical intervention. Univariate comparisons were conducted on all variables for patients who received cefazolin and patients who were treated with other antibiotics. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of cefazolin administered intraoperatively on postoperative seizures, while accounting for other covariates. RESULTS: Of the 520 patients included, 53 (10.2%) patients developed seizures within six hours after surgery. A total of 439 (84.4%) patients received cefazolin intraoperatively. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the patients who received cefazolin compared with those who did not. The frequency of seizures did not significantly differ between patients treated with cefazolin versus other antibiotics (11.2% versus 4.9%, respectively; p = 0.08). Multivariable regression revealed that the use of cefazolin did not increase the odds of having a seizure postoperatively compared with patients treated with other antibiotics (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-7.15). CONCLUSION: No relationship was found between the intraoperative use of cefazolin and the development of seizures during the six hours after the repair of unruptured cerebral aneurysms.