Child-rearing During Postgraduate Medical Training and Its Relation to Stress and Burnout: Results From a Single-institution Multispecialty Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Child-rearing is difficult for medical trainees, but much of the available evidence is limited to individual specialties or lacks an analysis of well-being. In light of this, we sought to examine current perspectives across a wide range of medical specialties, determine associations with stress and burnout, and identify potential supportive solutions. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board approval, a voluntary and anonymous survey was sent to all residents and fellows at a large academic medical center with a U.S. Air Force joint training agreement in 2019. Frequency tables were generated for survey responses, using χ2 test for analysis between groups. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-four physician trainees completed the survey (21.6% response rate), of which 38.0% were parents. Overall, 90.8% of trainees want children but 68.5% plan to wait until after training to start or grow their families, mainly due to insufficient time or inadequate child care. Less than 2% cited lack of program support as the reason. Among trainee parents, 72.0% reported that child care was at least quite stressful. Child care contributes to burnout for 68.6% of trainee parents, and there was no difference between medical and surgical trainees or between military and nonmilitary trainees. Day care was the most common primary child care strategy, and 37.1% of trainee parents reported spending >25% of their household income on child care. Proposed helpful solutions include on-site day care and subsidies. CONCLUSIONS: Most medical trainees in this sample want children, yet many are delaying growing their families due to time and financial constraints. For trainee parents, child care causes stress and family and financial strain and contributes to burnout. Physicians in training, including military members training at civilian medical centers, could benefit from child care assistance in order to relieve stress, reduce burnout, and improve well-being. Furthermore, by expanding existing resources and implementing new creative solutions to the challenges of child-rearing among medical professionals, the U.S. military has an opportunity to improve members' well-being and be a model to civilian graduate medical education programs nationwide.

High Versus Low Volume Fluid Resuscitation Strategies in a Porcine Model (Sus scrofa) of Combined Thermal and Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Combined burn and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment priorities may not align due to opposing fluid resuscitation paradigms used in treating burns and TBI. We developed a porcine model of combined thermal injury/TBI and compared an "aggressive" fluid resuscitation strategy using the Parkland formula and a "restrictive" resuscitation strategy using the modified Brooke formula. METHODS: Twenty-eight swine were deeply anesthetized and received a 40% total body surface area full-thickness burn injury and TBI. Swine were then randomized to receive restrictive or aggressive resuscitation for 8 h after which time animals were euthanized and necropsy was performed. Volume of brain injury was assessed after analyzing segmental slices of brain tissue. RESULTS: There were no differences between the restrictive and aggressive resuscitation groups in blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, intra-cranial pressure (ICP), or serum lactate levels after 8 h of resuscitation. Urine output was higher in the aggressive resuscitation group. The restrictive group had a significantly higher serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) compared with baseline and compared with the aggressive group. There was no significant difference in size of brain injury between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both restrictive and aggressive resuscitation demonstrated adequate resuscitation at 8 h postinjury. Increased serum BUN in the restrictive group may be an indicator of early acute kidney injury, despite adequate urine output. Resuscitation strategy did not appear to affect ICP or the size of brain injury.

Does the pediatric hemodynamic cliff exist in response to hemorrhagic shock?

BACKGROUND: The paradigm that children maintain normal blood pressure during hemorrhagic shock until 30%-45% hemorrhage is widely accepted. There are minimal data supporting when decompensation occurs and how a child's vasculature compensates up to that point. We aimed to observe the arterial response to hemorrhage and when mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased from baseline in pediatric swine. METHODS: Piglets were hemorrhaged in 20% increments of their total blood volume to 60%. MAP and angiograms of the thoracic aorta (TA) and abdominal arteries were obtained. Percent change in area of the vessels from baseline was calculated. RESULTS: Piglets (n = 8) had a differential vasoconstriction starting at 20% hemorrhage (celiac artery 36.3% [31.4-44.6] vs TA 16.7% [10.7-19.1] p = 0.0012). At 40% hemorrhage, the differential vasoconstriction favored shunting blood away from the abdominal visceral branches to the TA (celiac artery 54.7% [36.9-60.6] vs TA 29.5% [23.9-36.2] p = 0.0056 superior mesenteric artery 46.7% [43.9-68.6] vs TA 29.5% [23.9-36.2] p = 0.0100). This was exacerbated at 60% hemorrhage. MAP decreased from baseline at 20% hemorrhage (66.4 ±â€¯6.0 mmHg vs 41.4 ±â€¯10.4 mmHg, p < 0.0001), and worsened at 40% and 60% hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: In piglets, a differential vasocontriction shunting blood proximally occurred in response to hemorrhage. This did not maintain normal MAP at 20%, 40% or 60% hemorrhage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Automated Partial Versus Complete Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for the Management of Hemorrhagic Shock in a Pig Model of Polytrauma: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Endovascular variable aortic control (EVAC) is an automated partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) platform designed to mitigate the deleterious effects of complete REBOA. Long-term experiments are needed to assess potential benefits. The feasibility of a 24-hour experiment in a complex large animal trauma model remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anesthetized swine were subjected to controlled hemorrhage, blunt thoracic trauma, and tibial fractures. Animals were then randomized (N = 3/group) to control (No balloon support), 90 minutes of complete supraceliac REBOA, or 10 minutes of supraceliac REBOA followed by 80 minutes of EVAC. One hundred ten minutes after injury, animals were resuscitated with shed blood, the REBOA catheter was removed. Automated critical care under general anesthesia was maintained for 24 hours. RESULTS: Animals in the control and EVAC groups survived to the end of the experiment. Animals in the REBOA group survived for 120, 130, and 660 minutes, respectively. Animals in the EVAC group displayed similar mean arterial pressure and plasma lactate concentration as the control group by the end of the experiment. Histologic analysis suggested myocardial injury in the REBOA group when compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of intermediate-term experiments in a complex swine model of polytrauma with 90 minutes of REBOA. EVAC may be associated with improved survival at 24 hours when compared with complete REBOA. EVAC resulted in normalized physiology after 24 hours, suggesting that prolonged partial occlusion is possible. Longer studies evaluating partial REBOA strategies are needed.

Esmolol reduces myocardial injury induced by resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in a porcine model of hemorrhagic shock.

PURPOSE: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) causes myocardial injury from increased aortic afterload and supraphysiologic cardiac output. However, pharmacologic methods to attenuate high cardiac output and reduce myocardial injury have not been explored. We hypothesized that the use of esmolol during REBOA would reduce myocardial injury. METHODS: Ten pigs were anesthetized and instrumented. Following 25% total blood volume hemorrhage, animals underwent 45 min of supraceliac (zone 1) REBOA with or without titration of esmolol to maintain heart rate between 80 and 100 beats per minute. Following the REBOA interventions, animals underwent 275 min of standardized critical care. RESULTS: During REBOA, heart rate was significantly lower in the esmolol group compared to control animals (100 [88 - 112] vs 193 [172 - 203] beats/minute, respectively, p < 0.001) and the average mean arterial pressure (MAP) was lower in the esmolol group (88.0 [80.3-94.9] vs 135.1 [131.7-140.4] mmHg, respectively, p = 0.01). During the critical care phase, there were no differences in heart rate or MAP between groups. Animals in the intervention group received 237.9 [218.7-266.5] µg/kg of esmolol. There was a significant increase from baseline in serum troponins for the control group (p = 0.006) and significantly more subendocardial hemorrhage compared to animals treated with esmolol (3 [3 - 3] and 0 [0 - 0], p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: In our porcine model of hemorrhagic shock, zone 1 REBOA was associated with myocardial injury. Pharmacologic heart rate titration with esmolol during occlusion may mitigate the deleterious effects of REBOA on the heart.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in a pediatric swine model: Is 60 minutes too long?

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is recommended in adults with a noncompressible torso hemorrhage with occlusion times of less than 60 minutes. The tolerable duration in children is unknown. We used a pediatric swine controlled hemorrhage model to evaluate the physiologic effects of 30 minutes and 60 minutes of REBOA. METHODS: Pediatric swine weighing 20 kg to 30 kg underwent a splenectomy and a controlled 60% total blood volume hemorrhage over 30 minutes, followed by either zone 1 REBOA for 30 minutes (30R) or 60 minutes (60R). Swine were then resuscitated with shed blood and received critical care for 240 minutes. RESULTS: During critical care, the 30R group's (n = 3) pH, bicarbonate, base excess, and lactate were no different than baseline, while at the end of critical care, these variables continued to differ from baseline in the 60R group (n = 5) and were worsening (7.4 vs. 7.2, p < 0.001, 30.4 mmol/L vs. 18.4 mmol/L, p < 0.0001, 5.6 mmol/L vs. -8.5 mmol/L, p < 0.0001, 2.4 mmol/L vs. 5.7 mmol/L, p < 0.001, respectively). Compared with baseline, end creatinine and creatinine kinase were elevated in 60R swine (1.0 mg/dL vs. 1.7 mg/dL, p < 0.01 and 335.4 U/L vs. 961.0 U/L, p < 0.001, respectively), but not 30R swine (0.9 mg/dL vs. 1.2 mg/dL, p = 0.06 and 423.7 U/L vs. 769.5 U/L, p = 0.15, respectively). There was no difference in survival time between the 30R and 60R pediatric swine, p = 0.99. CONCLUSION: The physiologic effects of 30 minutes of zone 1 REBOA in pediatric swine mostly resolved during the subsequent 4 hours of critical care, whereas the effects of 60 minutes of REBOA persisted and worsened after 4 hours of critical care. Sixty minutes of zone 1 REBOA may create an irreversible physiologic insult in a pediatric population.

Pharmacokinetics of Tranexamic Acid Given as an Intramuscular Injection Compared to Intravenous Infusion in a Swine Model of Ongoing Hemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: Tranexamic acid (TXA) improves survival in traumatic hemorrhage, but difficulty obtaining intravenous (IV) access may limit its use in austere environments, given its incompatibility with blood products. The bioavailability of intramuscular (IM) TXA in a shock state is unknown. We hypothesized that IM and IV administration have similar pharmacokinetics and ability to reverse in vitro hyperfibrinolysis in a swine-controlled hemorrhage model. METHODS: Twelve Yorkshire cross swine were anesthetized, instrumented, and subjected to a 35% controlled hemorrhage, followed by resuscitation. During hemorrhage, they were randomized to receive a 1 g IV TXA infusion over 10 min, 1 g IM TXA in two 5 mL injections, or 10 mL normal saline IM injection as a placebo group to assess model adequacy. Serum TXA concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and plasma samples supplemented with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) were analyzed by rotational thromboelastometry. RESULTS: All animals achieved class III shock. There was no difference in the concentration-time areas under the curve between TXA given by either route. The absolute bioavailability of IM TXA was 97%. IV TXA resulted in a higher peak serum concentration during the infusion, with no subsequent differences. Both IV and IM TXA administration caused complete reversal of in vitro tPA-induced hyperfibrinolysis. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetics of IM TXA were similar to IV TXA during hemorrhagic shock in our swine model. IV administration resulted in a higher serum concentration only during the infusion, but all levels were able to successfully correct in vitro hyperfibrinolysis. There was no difference in total body exposure to equal doses of TXA between the two routes of administration. IM TXA may prove beneficial in scenarios where difficulty establishing dedicated IV access could otherwise limit or delay its use.

Improving Incidental Finding Documentation in Trauma Patients Amidst Poor Access to Follow-up Care.

BACKGROUND: Incidental findings (IFs) are common among injured patients and create a complex problem with no standardized solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center from January to May 2017. IFs from abdominal, chest, and neck imaging were categorized based on previously published guidelines focused on clinically significant IFs. Patient demographics related to access to care were collected. Outcome measures included documentation and patient notification of IFs. A univariate analysis was performed to identify characteristics that were associated with these outcomes. RESULTS: Of 1671 patients, 682 met inclusion criteria, and 418 (61.3%) had any IF based on the a priori categorization scheme. In total, 67 (9.8%) were homeless, 58 (8.5%) had no health insurance, and 115 (16.9%) had no established primary care provider prior to admission. Documentation of IFs was included in discharge summaries and instructions 76.5% and 40.2% of the time, respectively. Physicians were statistically more likely to appropriately document IFs when radiologists provided specific recommendations. Transfer to another hospital service prior to discharge and discharge to another acute care facility were associated with reduced rates of successful documentation. No factors significantly affected documentation of patient notification. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma patients are at risk for poor access to follow-up care of IFs. Expanding IF-specific guidelines, collaborating with radiologists to facilitate their inclusion in reports, and ensuring that IFs are part of patient hand-offs could provide systematic methods of improving their documentation.