Socioeconomic effects of establishing a new stroke center in Central Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Establishment of dedicated Stroke Centers has shown to be effective on the outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke, as well as mechanical thrombectomy (MTE) in acute large vessel occlusion. The cost-effectiveness of this treatment has also been proven in several countries, but so far not in Switzerland. METHODS: We compare the pathways and economic impact of patients with acute large vessel occlusions causing acute ischemic stroke before the establishment of the stroke center and MTE in 2016 with the time afterwards in the years 2016-2020. Local data from the Swiss Stroke Registry and hospital accounting as well as economic data from a healthcare insurance company was used for evaluation in an economic model. Both payer and societal perspectives were considered, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis was undertaken to explore uncertainty. RESULTS: Establishment of a new Stroke Center in Central Switzerland increased the absolute number of thrombectomies from 0 in 2015 to 55 in 2016 to 83 in 2020, as well as the percentage of MTE in large vessel occlusions (LVO) from 50.9% in 2016 to 58.2% in 2020. Over a 15-year horizon, predicted average additional costs of CHF 7,978 were associated with the establishment of a new stroke center, as well as 0.60 quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) per patient and an additional survival of 0.59 years per patient. The calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was therefore CHF 13,297 per QALY gained. When societal costs were included, the new stroke care model was predicted to dominate the old care model. Robustness of model results was confirmed via probabilistic sensitivity analysis. LIMITATIONS: The results rely on data from a single stroke center and, therefore, cannot be generalized. CONCLUSIONS: Establishment of a new Stroke Center can be cost-effective and provide better outcomes in terms of functional independence as well as quality-adjusted life-years.

Minigammacámara portátil para el diagnóstico de muerte encefálica / Portable gamma-camera for the diagnosis of brain death diagnosis

Objetivo: Evaluar la factibilidad del empleo de la minigammacámara portátil Sentinella(R), para el diagnóstico de muerte encefálica (ME). Diseño: Estudio observacional, prospectivo, de factibilidad. Ámbito: Unidad de cuidados intensivos de un hospital de tercer nivel. Pacientes: Desde enero a diciembre de 2017 se registraron de forma consecutiva los pacientes mayores de edad que tras su ingreso en unidad de cuidados intensivos fueron diagnosticados de ME según criterios clínicos. Intervenciones: El procedimiento se realizó a la cabecera del paciente tras la administración intravenosa de tecnecio 99 metaestable-hexametil-propilen-amino-oxima. La ausencia de perfusión a nivel de hemisferios cerebrales y fosa posterior se describía como patrón compatible con ME. Se correlacionó el diagnóstico con doppler transcraneal y/o electroencefalograma. Resultados: Cincuenta y seis pacientes presentaron exploración física compatible con ME. Un 66,1% fueron hombres con una mediana de edad de 60 (RIQ: 51-72) años. La causa más frecuente que precipitó la ME fue el ictus hemorrágico en el 48,2% (27) seguido por traumatismo craneoencefálico grave en el 30,4% (17), ictus isquémico en el 10,7% (6) y encefalopatía anóxica tras parada cardiorrespiratoria en el 7,1% (4). En todos los casos se realizó el diagnóstico clínico de ME y posteriormente una gammagrafía portátil que confirmó dicho diagnóstico en el 100% de los pacientes. Se contrastó el resultado con doppler transcraneal en 46 de ellos que confirmaba la presencia de reverberación diastólica y/o picos sistólicos. En 10 casos se registró el electroencefalograma, con aparición de silencio eléctrico, debido a la ausencia de ventana acústica en el doppler transcraneal. Conclusiones: El uso de minigammacámara portátil puede resultar una herramienta útil y factible para el diagnóstico de ME

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of using the Sentinella(R) portable gamma-camera for the diagnosis of brain death (BD). Design: A prospective, observational feasibility study was carried out. Setting: Intensive Care Unit of a third level hospital. Patients: Consecutive recording was made of the adults diagnosed with brain death based on clinical criteria following admission to the Intensive Care Unit in the period from January to December 2017. Interventions: The procedure was performed at the patient bedside with the intravenous administration of technetium 99 metastable hexamethylpropylene amine oxime. The absence of perfusion in the cerebral hemispheres and brainstem was described as a pattern consistent with BD. The diagnosis was correlated to the transcranial Doppler and / or electroencephalographic findings. Results: A total of 66.1% of the patients were men with an average age of 60 years [IQR: 51-72]. The most frequent causes resulting in BD were hemorrhagic stroke (48.2%, n=27), followed by traumatic brain injury (30.4%, n=17), ischemic stroke (10.7%, n=6) and post-cardiac arrest anoxic encephalopathy (7.1%, n=4). A clinical diagnosis of BD was made in all cases, and the portable gamma-camera confirmed the diagnosis in 100% of the patients with a pattern characterized by the absence of brain perfusion. In addition, the results were compared with the transcranial Doppler findings in 46 patients, confirming the presence of diastolic reverberation and / or systolic peaks. The electroencephalographic tracing was obtained in 10 cases, with the appearance of electrical silence, due to the absence of an acoustic window in the transcranial Doppler study. Conclusions: A portable gamma-camera could be a useful and feasible tool for the diagnosis of BD

Portable gamma-camera for the diagnosis of brain death diagnosis. / Minigammacámara portátil para el diagnóstico de muerte encefálica.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of using the Sentinella® portable gamma-camera for the diagnosis of brain death (BD). DESIGN: A prospective, observational feasibility study was carried out. SETTING: Intensive Care Unit of a third level hospital. PATIENTS: Consecutive recording was made of the adults diagnosed with brain death based on clinical criteria following admission to the Intensive Care Unit in the period from January to December 2017. INTERVENTIONS: The procedure was performed at the patient bedside with the intravenous administration of technetium 99 metastable hexamethylpropylene amine oxime. The absence of perfusion in the cerebral hemispheres and brainstem was described as a pattern consistent with BD. The diagnosis was correlated to the transcranial Doppler and / or electroencephalographic findings. RESULTS: A total of 66.1% of the patients were men with an average age of 60 years [IQR: 51-72]. The most frequent causes resulting in BD were hemorrhagic stroke (48.2%, n=27), followed by traumatic brain injury (30.4%, n=17), ischemic stroke (10.7%, n=6) and post-cardiac arrest anoxic encephalopathy (7.1%, n=4). A clinical diagnosis of BD was made in all cases, and the portable gamma-camera confirmed the diagnosis in 100% of the patients with a pattern characterized by the absence of brain perfusion. In addition, the results were compared with the transcranial Doppler findings in 46 patients, confirming the presence of diastolic reverberation and / or systolic peaks. The electroencephalographic tracing was obtained in 10 cases, with the appearance of electrical silence, due to the absence of an acoustic window in the transcranial Doppler study. CONCLUSIONS: A portable gamma-camera could be a useful and feasible tool for the diagnosis of BD.

[Effectiveness of the GlideScope video laryngoscope in a case of unexpected difficult airway due to lingual tonsil hypertrophy]. / Eficacia del videolaringoscopio GlideScope en un caso de vía aérea difícil imprevista por hipertrofia de la amígdala lingual.

Lingual tonsil hypertrophy can cause varying degrees of airway obstruction and is considered a risk factor for difficult mask ventilation and tracheal intubation. We report a case of unexpected difficult airway in a patient with unknown lingual tonsil hypertrophy that was solved with the use of the GlideScope video laryngoscope.

Punción accidental de la arteria ilíaca durante retirada de Catéter Doble J por ureteroscopia, una complicación nodescrita / Accidental puncture of the iliac artery when pulling back a double J by ureteroscopy, an undescribed complication

La punción de la arteria iliaca durante ureteroscopia es una complicación rara pocas veces descrita en la literatura pero potencialmente grave. La ureteroscopia es un procedimiento seguro para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la patología del tracto urinario superior. Presentamos por tanto, un caso clínico no muy frecuente como llamada de atención para todos a no subestimar ningún tipo de acto quirúrgico, y que demuestra la importancia de la comunicación entre todos los profesionales que cuidamos del paciente durante una cirugía. Por último queremos llamar la atención sobre la mascarilla laríngea que permitió una ventilación eficaz de la paciente durante todo el procedimiento (AU)

SUMMARY: the puncture of the iliac artery during an ureteroscopy is a rare complication seldom described in the literature but potentiallyserious. Ureteroscopy is a safe procedure for diagnosis and treatment of the pathology of the higher urinary tract. We present a clinical case as a warning not to underestimate any surgical procedure. This case emphasizes the importance of communication among all medical personnelwho participate in a surgical procedure. Finally we wish to draw attention to the laryngeal mask that allowed the efficient ventilation of the patient during the whole procedure (AU)

In vitro study of magnetic resonance imaging artefacts of six supraglottic airway devices.

We investigated the artefacts created during magnetic resonance imaging by five different laryngeal mask airways: the Classic (cLMA); the LMA ProSeal; the LMA Unique; the Ambu Disposable Laryngeal Mask; the LMA Supreme; and one other supraglottic airway device, the i-gel supraglottic airway. The devices were placed on top of and inside a phantom simulator to resemble the position in vivo. The artefacts with the cLMA, Unique and Supreme were similar and related to ferromagnetic material in the pilot balloon valve. Artefacts were more prominent with the ProSeal. There were no artefacts with the Ambu Disposable Laryngeal Mask or the i-gel.

Trisomy 10 in acute myeloid leukemia: report of a new case.

We report a case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with trisomy 10 as the sole abnormality. We have observed this case among 202 de novo and untreated AML examined cytogenetically in our laboratory during the last 10 years. The patient was an adult man diagnosed with AML-M2. An interesting morphologic finding was the presence in light microscopy and ultrastructural studies of prominent giant "Chediak-Higashi-like" granules in some of the leukemic cells. Cell marker studies showed positivity for CD7 and CD33, as seen in the six previously reported cases. The prognosis has been moderate-good, with a survival of 33 months. Trisomy 10 in AML appears to be a rare recurring numeric chromosomal abnormality and probably linked to a myeloblast subset with a CD33+ and CD7+ phenotype.

[Adequacy of blood component transfusion according to previously established criteria]. / Adecuación de la transfusión de hemoderivados a criterios previamente establecidos.

PURPOSE: Transfusion is not devoid of adverse effects; therefore every transfusional procedure must be indicated correctly. With this in mind in 1991 transfusion guidelines were published by our Hospital Transfusion Committee. Four years later, a retrospective audit was performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have evaluated all blood component orders (order is a transfusion request) during one month, classifying them as appropriate or inappropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. The evaluation was performed 24 hours after transfusion. The results obtained were compared with the ones obtained before the published transfusion guidelines. RESULTS: 481 transfusion orders were studied. 87 percent (420/481) were considered appropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. These 481 orders referred to the transfusion of 1178 units to 293 patients. 12 percent of the transfused units was considered as inappropriate. 16 percent of the patients (48/239) had at least on inappropriate transfusion procedure. The comparison with the data obtained in 1991 showed a significant increase of the appropriate transfusion orders (74 versus 87 percent). The use of fresh frozen plasma showed the greatest incidence in inappropriate use, mainly in haemorrhagic disorders without factor deficit. The patients with haemoglobin levels between 70 and 100 g/L without signs of hypoxia were the most important cause of inappropriate use of red cell concentrates. And the patients with platelet levels > 20 x 10(9)/L were the major cause of inappropriate use of platelet concentrates. CONCLUSION: Transfusion guidelines knowledge improves the use of blood components.