Severe pulmonary hypertension and circulatory failure associated with Congenital syphilis. Case report.

BACKGROUND: Congenital syphilis is a vertical infection caused by Treponema pallidum. Despite the implementation of preventive strategies during pregnancy, its incidence is increasing, and it constitutes an important public health problem. Most patients with congenital syphilis are asymptomatic; however, a small group may develop severe disease at birth with the need of advanced resuscitation in the delivery room, acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, and hemodynamic instability. Therefore, awareness is needed. METHODS AND RESULTS: This series describes the clinical course of two late preterm infants with congenital syphilis who developed acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, pulmonary hypertension, and circulatory collapse early after birth. Integrated hemodynamic evaluation with neonatologist-performed echocardiography (NPE) and therapeutic management is provided. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive hemodynamic evaluation including early and serial functional echocardiography in these patients is needed to address the underlying complex pathophysiology and to help to establish accurate treatment.

Low left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral predicts normotensive shock in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

In this study, we found that a low LVOT VTI (<15 cm), a simple bedside point-of-care measurement, predicts normotensive shock in patients with acute intermediate-risk PE.

Early Autocalibrated Arterial Waveform Analysis for the Management of Burn Shock-A Cohort Study.

Adequate fluid therapy is crucial for resuscitation after major burns. To adapt this to individual patient demands, standard is adjustment of volume to laboratory parameters and values of enhanced hemodynamic monitoring. To implement calibrated parameters, patients must have reached the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was, to evaluate the use of an auto-calibrated enhanced hemodynamic monitoring device to improve fluid management before admission to ICU. We used PulsioflexProAqt® (Getinge) during initial treatment and burn shock resuscitation. Analysis was performed regarding time of measurement, volume management, organ dysfunction, and mortality. We conducted a monocentre, prospective cohort study of 20 severely burned patients, >20% total body surface area (TBSA), receiving monitoring immediately after admission. We compared to 57 patients, matched in terms of TBSA, age, sex, and existence of inhalation injury out of a retrospective control group, who received standard care. Hemodynamic measurement with autocalibrated monitoring started significantly earlier: 3.75(2.67-6.0) hours (h) after trauma in the study group versus 13.6(8.1-17.5) h in the control group (P < .001). Study group received less fluid after 6 h: 1.7(1.2-2.2) versus 2.3(1.6-2.8) ml/TBSA%/kg, P = .043 and 12 h: 3.0(2.5-4.0) versus 4.2(3.1-5.0) ml/TBSA%/kg, P = .047. Dosage of norepinephrine was higher after 18 h in the study group: 0.20(0.12-0.3) versus 0.08(0.02-0.18) µg/kg/min, P = .014. The study group showed no adult respiratory distress syndrome versus 21% in the control group, P = .031. There was no difference in other organ failures, organ replacement therapy, and mortality. The use of auto-calibrated enhanced hemodynamic monitoring is a fast and feasible way to guide early fluid therapy after burn trauma. It reduces the time to reach information about patient's volume capacity. Management of fluid application changed to a more restrictive fluid use in the early period of burn shock and led to a reduction of pulmonary complications.

Perioperative Point of Care Ultrasound for Hemodynamic Assessment: A Narrative Review.

While transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has traditionally been used in perioperative care, there is growing evidence supporting point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for the anesthesiologist in guiding patient care. It is a quick way to non-invasively evaluate hemodynamically unstable patients and ascertain their state of shock, determine volume status, and guide resuscitation in cardiac arrest. In addition, through use of POCUS, the anesthesiologist is able to identify signs of chronic heart disease to provide a more tailored and safer approach to perioperative care.

Etiology, Pathophysiology and Mortality of Shock in Children in Low (Middle) Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Shock is a life-threatening condition in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), with several controversies. This systematic review summarizes the etiology, pathophysiology and mortality of shock in children in LMIC. METHODS: We searched for studies reporting on children with shock in LMIC in PubMed, Embase and through snowballing (up to 1 October 2019). Studies conducted in LMIC that reported on shock in children (1 month-18 years) were included. We excluded studies only containing data on neonates, cardiac surgery patients or iatrogenic causes. We presented prevalence data, pooled mortality estimates and conducted subgroup analyses per definition, region and disease. Etiology and pathophysiology data were systematically collected. RESULTS: We identified 959 studies and included 59 studies of which six primarily studied shock. Definitions used for shock were classified into five groups. Prevalence of shock ranged from 1.5% in a pediatric hospital population to 44.3% in critically ill children. Pooled mortality estimates ranged between 3.9-33.3% for the five definition groups. Important etiologies included gastroenteritis, sepsis, malaria and severe anemia, which often coincided. The pathophysiology was poorly studied but suggests that in addition to hypovolemia, dissociative and cardiogenic shock are common in LMIC. CONCLUSIONS: Shock is associated with high mortality in hospitalized children in LMIC. Despite the importance few studies investigated shock and as a consequence limited data on etiology and pathophysiology of shock is available. A uniform bedside definition may help boost future studies unravelling shock etiology and pathophysiology in LMIC.

Utilization and Efficacy of Resuscitation Endpoints in Trauma and Burn Patients: A Review Article.

Shock is a sequelae in trauma and burn patients that substantially increases the risk for morbidity and mortality. The use of resuscitation endpoints allows for improved management of these patients, with the potential to prevent further morbidity/mortality. We conducted a review of the current literature on the efficacy of hemodynamic, metabolic, and regional resuscitation endpoints for use in trauma and burn patients. Hemodynamic endpoints included mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), urinary output (UO), compensatory reserve index (CRI), intrathoracic blood volume, and stroke volume variation (SVV). Metabolic endpoints measure cellular responses to decreased oxygen delivery and include serum lactic acid (LA), base deficit (BD), bicarbonate, anion gap, apparent strong ion difference, and serum pH. Mean arterial pressure, HR, UO, and LA are the most established markers of trauma and burn resuscitation. The evidence suggests LA is a superior metabolic endpoint marker. Newer resuscitation endpoint technologies such as point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS), thromboelastography (TEG), and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) may improve patient outcomes; however, additional research is needed to establish the efficacy in trauma and burn patients. The endpoints discussed have situational strengths and weaknesses and no single universal resuscitation endpoint has yet emerged. This review may increase knowledge and aid in guideline development. We recommend clinicians continue to integrate multiple endpoints with emphasis on MAP, HR, UO, LA, and BD. Future investigation should aim to standardize endpoints for each clinical presentation. The search for universal and novel resuscitation parameters in trauma and burns should also continue.

Shock-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction is Present in Patients With Occult Hypoperfusion After Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Shock-induced endothelial dysfunction, evidenced by elevated soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and syndecan-1 (Syn-1), is associated with poor outcomes after trauma. The association of endothelial dysfunction and overt shock has been demonstrated; it is unknown if hypoperfusion in the setting of normal vital signs (occult hypoperfusion [OH]) is associated with endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that sTM and Syn-1 would be elevated in patients with OH when compared to patients with normal perfusion. METHODS: A single-center study of patients requiring highest-level trauma activation (2012-2016) was performed. Trauma bay arrival plasma Syn-1 and sTM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Shock was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) <90 mm Hg or heart rate (HR) ≥120 bpm. OH was defined as SBP ≥ 90, HR < 120, and base excess (BE) ≤-3. Normal perfusion was assigned to all others. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 520 patients, 35% presented with OH and 26% with shock. Demographics were similar between groups. Patients with normal perfusion had the lowest Syn-1 and sTM, while patients with OH and shock had elevated levels. OH was associated with increased sTM by 0.97 ng/mL (95% CI 0.39-1.57, p = 0.001) and Syn-1 by 14.3 ng/mL (95% CI -1.5 to 30.2, p = 0.08). Furthermore, shock was associated with increased sTM by 0.64 (95% CI 0.02-1.30, p = 0.04) and with increased Syn-1 by 23.6 ng/mL (95% CI 6.2-41.1, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Arrival OH was associated with elevated sTM and Syn-1, indicating endothelial dysfunction. Treatments aiming to stabilize the endothelium may be beneficial for injured patients with evidence of hypoperfusion, regardless of vital signs.

Left ventricular longitudinal strain variations assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography after a passive leg raising maneuver in patients with acute circulatory failure to predict fluid responsiveness: A prospective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: An association was reported between the left ventricular longitudinal strain (LV-LS) and preload. LV-LS reflects the left cardiac function curve as it is the ratio of shortening over diastolic dimension. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of LV-LS variations after a passive leg raising (PLR) maneuver to predict fluid responsiveness in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute circulatory failure (ACF). METHODS: Patients with ACF were prospectively included. Preload-dependency was defined as a velocity time integral (VTI) variation greater than 10% between baseline (T0) and PLR (T1), distinguishing the preload-dependent (PLD+) group and the preload-independent (PLD-) group. A 7-cycles, 4-chamber echocardiography loop was registered at T0 and T1, and strain analysis was performed off-line by a blind clinician. A general linear model for repeated measures was used to compare the LV-LS variation (T0 to T1) between the two groups. RESULTS: From June 2018 to August 2019, 60 patients (PLD+ = 33, PLD- = 27) were consecutively enrolled. The VTI variations after PLR were +21% (±8) in the PLD+ group and -1% (±7) in the PLD- group (p<0.01). Mean baseline LV-LS was -11.3% (±4.2) in the PLD+ group and -13.0% (±4.2) in the PLD- group (p = 0.12). LV-LS increased in the whole population after PLR +16.0% (±4.0) (p = 0.04). The LV-LS variations after PLR were +19.0% (±31) (p = 0.05) in the PLD+ group and +11.0% (±38) (p = 0.25) in the PLD- group, with no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.08). The area under the curve for the LV-LS variations between T0 and T1 was 0.63 [0.48-0.77]. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that LV-LS is load-dependent; however, the variations in LV-LS after PLR is not a discriminating criterion to predict fluid responsiveness of ICU patients with ACF in this cohort.

Hemodynamic Profiles of Shock in Patients With COVID-19.

Patients with serious COVID infections develop shock frequently. To characterize the hemodynamic profile of this cohort, 156 patients with COVID pneumonia and shock requiring vasopressors had interpretable echocardiography with measurement of ejection fraction (EF) by Simpson's rule and stroke volume (SV) by Doppler. RV systolic pressure (RVSP) was estimated from the tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity. Patients were divided into groups with low or preserved EF (EFL or EFP, cutoff ≤45%), and low or normal cardiac index (CIL or CIN, cutoff ≤2.2 L/min/m2). Mean age was 67 ± 12.0, EF 59.5 ± 12.9, and CI 2.40 ± 0.86. A minority of patients had depressed EF (EFLCIL, n = 15, EFLCIN, n = 8); of those with preserved EF, less than half had low CI (EFPCIL, n = 55, EFPCIN, n = 73). Overall hospital mortality was 73%. Mortality was highest in the EFLCIL group (87%), but the difference between groups was not significant (p = 0.68 by ANOVA). High PEEP correlated with low CI in the EFPCIL group (r = 0.44, p = 0.04). In conclusion, this study reports the prevalence of shock characterized by EF and CI in patients with COVID-19. COVID-induced shock had a cardiogenic profile (EFLCIL) in 9.6% of patients, reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on myocardial function. Low CI despite preservation of EF and the correlation with PEEP suggests underfilling of the LV in this subset; these patients might benefit from additional volume. Hemodynamic assessment of COVID patients with shock with definition of subgroups may allow therapy to be tailored to the underlying causes of the hemodynamic abnormalities.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a dangerous pediatric complication of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review article is to provide a summary of the diagnosis and management of MIS-C with a focus on management in the acute care setting. DISCUSSION: MIS-C is an inflammatory syndrome which can affect nearly any organ system. The most common symptoms are fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, though neurologic and dermatologic findings are also well-described. The diagnosis includes a combination of clinical and laboratory testing. Patients with MIS-C will often have elevated inflammatory markers and may have an abnormal electrocardiogram or echocardiogram. Initial treatment involves resuscitation with careful assessment for cardiac versus vasodilatory shock using point-of-care ultrasound. Treatment should include intravenous immunoglobulin, anticoagulation, and consideration of corticosteroids. Interleukin-1 and/or interleukin-6 blockade may be considered for refractory cases. Aspirin is recommended if there is thrombocytosis or Kawasaki disease-like features on echocardiogram. Patients will generally require admission to an intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: MIS-C is a condition associated with morbidity and mortality that is increasingly recognized as a potential complication in pediatric patients with COVID-19. It is important for emergency clinicians to know how to diagnose and treat this disorder.

Outcomes of elderly patients with organophosphate intoxication.

This study analysed the clinical patterns and outcomes of elderly patients with organophosphate intoxication. A total of 71 elderly patients with organophosphate poisoning were seen between 2008 and 2017. Patients were stratified into two subgroups: survivors (n = 57) or nonsurvivors (n = 14). Chlorpyrifos accounted for 33.8% of the cases, followed by methamidophos (12.7%) and mevinphos (11.3%). Mood, adjustment and psychotic disorder were noted in 39.4%, 33.8% and 2.8% of patients, respectively. All patients were treated with atropine and pralidoxime therapies. Acute cholinergic crisis developed in all cases (100.0%). The complications included respiratory failure (52.1%), aspiration pneumonia (50.7%), acute kidney injury (43.7%), severe consciousness disturbance (25.4%), shock (14.1%) and seizures (4.2%). Some patients also developed intermediate syndrome (15.5%) and delayed neuropathy (4.2%). The nonsurvivors suffered higher rates of hypotension (P < 0.001), shock (P < 0.001) and kidney injury (P = 0.001) than survivors did. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with shock suffered lower cumulative survival than did patients without shock (log-rank test, P < 0.001). In a multivariate-Cox-regression model, shock was a significant predictor of mortality after intoxication (odds ratio 18.182, 95% confidence interval 2.045-166.667, P = 0.009). The mortality rate was 19.7%. Acute cholinergic crisis, intermediate syndrome, and delayed neuropathy developed in 100.0%, 15.5%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively.

Hemodynamic Influences on Mesenteric Blood Flow in Shock Conditions.

The gastrointestinal (GI) system, is most vulnerable to hypoperfusion among the splanchnic organs. Disturbed perfusion of the mesenteric area may lead to GI dysfunction, cause further injury to the patients and even vital outcomes. However, due to the limitation of detection methods, the hemodynamic influences on mesenteric blood flow in clinical practice are not fully understood. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms, we may be able to recognize disturbed GI perfusion and eventually GI dysfunction at an early phase. Thus, in this review, we will focus on situations where mesenteric blood flow is disturbed due to hemodynamic causes in shock conditions, and the present research status will be discussed. English language articles published before 2020 were identified through a computerized PubMed search using the terms "mesenteric, gastrointestinal, intestinal, splanchnic, blood flow, perfusion" and the cofactors. Relevant publications were retrieved and scanned for additional sources. There were few clinical trials focusing on mesenteric blood flow in shock patients. Most were animal experiments. Based on the best current evidence from these sources, we described the major influences on mesenteric blood flow in the context of physiologic accommodation, disease-related effects and the consequences of medical interventions related to shock conditions. During circulatory shock, sepsis, and medical interventions related to shock treatment, mesenteric blood flow changes and shows different features. We need to carefully consider these issues when making medical decisions, and more work needs to be done on early detection of GI hypoperfusion and its accurate correlation with GI dysfunction.

Feasibility of non-invasive measurement of central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in shock.

BACKGROUND: Patients in haemodynamic shock are in need for an intensive care treatment. Invasive haemodynamic monitoring is state of the art for these patients. However, evolved, non-invasive blood pressure monitoring devices offer advanced functions like the assessment of central blood pressure and arterial stiffness. We analysed the feasibility of two oscillometric blood pressure devices in patients with shock. METHODS: We performed a monocentre prospective study, enrolling 57 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), due to septic and/or cardiogenic shock. We assessed invasive and non-invasive peripheral and central blood pressure <24 hours and 48 hours after admission on the ICU. Additional haemodynamic parameters such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation pressure and augmentation index were obtained through Mobil-o-Graph PWA (IEM) and SphygmoCor XCEL (AtCor Medical). RESULTS: A complete haemodynamic assessment was successful in all patients (48) with the Mobil-o-Graph 24 hours PWA and in 29 patients with the SphygmoCor XCEL (P = .001), when cases of death or device malfunction were excluded. Reasons for failure were severe peripheral artery disease, haemodynamic instability, oedema and agitation. Invasive blood pressure showed a sufficient correlation with both devices; however, large differences between invasive and non-invasive techniques were recorded in Bland-Altmann analysis (P < .05 for all parameters). PWV differed between the two devices. CONCLUSION: Non-invasive peripheral blood pressure measurement remains a rescue technique. However, non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness and central blood pressure is possible in patients with septic or cardiogenic shock. Further studies are required to assess their clinical significance for patients in shock.

Vasopressor Responsiveness Beyond Arterial Pressure: A Conceptual Systematic Review Using Venous Return Physiology.

ABSTRACT: We performed a systematic review to investigate the effects of vasopressor-induced hemodynamic changes in adults with shock. We applied a physiological approach using the interacting domains of intravascular volume, heart pump performance, and vascular resistance to structure the interpretation of responses to vasopressors. We hypothesized that incorporating changes in determinants of cardiac output and vascular resistance better reflect the vasopressor responsiveness beyond mean arterial pressure alone.We identified 28 studies including 678 subjects in Pubmed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases.All studies demonstrated significant increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and systemic vascular resistance during vasopressor infusion. The calculated mean systemic filling pressure analogue increased (16 ±â€Š3.3 mmHg to 18 ±â€Š3.4 mmHg; P = 0.02) by vasopressors with variable effects on central venous pressure and the pump efficiency of the heart leading to heterogenous changes in cardiac output. Changes in the pressure gradient for venous return and cardiac output, scaled by the change in MAP, were positively correlated (r2 = 0.88, P < 0.001). Changes in the mean systemic filling pressure analogue and heart pump efficiency were negatively correlated (r2 = 0.57, P < 0.001) while no correlation was found between changes in MAP and heart pump efficiency.We conclude that hemodynamic changes induced by vasopressor therapy are inadequately represented by the change in MAP alone despite its common use as a clinical endpoint. The more comprehensive analysis applied in this review illustrates how vasopressor administration may be optimized.