The use of Modified Early Warning Score may help anesthesists in postoperative level of care selection in emergency abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) was proposed for early identification of patients deterioration. The purpose of this study was to determine if MEWS calculation can help the anaesthesist select the correct level of care to avoid inappropriate admission to the ICU and to enhance the use of the High Dependency Unit (HDU) after emergency surgical procedures. METHODS: Emergency surgical patients admitted before MEWS application (Jan 2008-Mar 2009) were included in the control group, whereas emergency surgical patients after MEWS introduction constituted the intervention group (Apr 2009-Jan 2010). Admission diagnosis was included into three groups for data analysis: acute abdomen (intestinal occlusion, bowel perforation, intestinal ischemia), non-complicated surgery (hernia recurrence, cholecystitis, appendicitis), and blunt abdominal trauma. In intervention group, MEWS was calculated by the anaesthesists on duty before and after surgical procedure. Patients with a MEWS of 3 or 4 were transferred to the HDU, whereas a MEWS score of 5 or more was considered criteria for ICU admission. RESULTS: A total of 1082 patients were enrolled in this study. The control group was made up of 604 patients, whereas the MEWS group included 478 patients. Baseline and clinical status were comparable between groups. After MEWS introduction, HDU admissions significantly increased from 14% to 21% (P=0.0008), with a significant decrease of ICU admissions (from 11% to 5%; P=0.0010). Mortality rate analysis did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the use of a simple and reproducible score system may help in reducing ICU admissions after emergency surgery.

Comparison between single-step and balloon dilatational tracheostomy in intensive care unit: a single-centre, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Balloon dilatational tracheostomy using the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin device has recently been introduced as a modification of the Ciaglia technique. The aim of this study was to compare the new Dolphin system with the single-step dilatational tracheostomy (Ciaglia Blue Rhino) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted to the ICU of the Emergency Department (Careggi Teaching Hospital, Florence, Italy) from January 2009 to October 2009, aged >18 years and with an indication for percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT), were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were infection/injury/malignancy of the neck, thyroid gland hypertrophy, severe head injury with uncontrolled intracranial hypertension, and coagulopathy. Patients were randomly assigned to undergo PDT using either the Ciaglia Blue Rhino (n=35) or the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin technique (n=35). Groups were compared according to tracheal puncture, tracheal tube placement time, procedure-related complications, and bleeding. RESULTS: Baseline clinical data were comparable between the two groups. Median procedure time was significantly shorter in the Rhino group compared with the Dolphin group (1.5 vs 4 min, P = 0.035). The presence of limited intra-tracheal bleeding at bronchoscopy examination after 6 h from PDT was more frequent in the Dolphin group than in the Rhino group patients (68.6% vs 34.3%, respectively, P = 0.008). No major bleeding occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: PDT using the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin technique is a feasible and viable option in ICU patients, but the Rhino technique had a shorter execution time and seemed to be associated with fewer tracheal injuries.

Intraoperative positive fluid balance improves tissue diffusion of ceftizoxime.

AIM OF STUDY: To demonstrate that administration of fluids and the consequent improvement of fluid balance during a surgical procedure can modify the tissue diffusion of ceftizoxime. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (30-79 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery of the colon were administered ceftizoxime 30 mg/kg i.v. at induction of anesthesia. A sample of arterial blood was taken before administration of the drug (t0) and then again at the time of vascular occlusion of the colon segment to be removed (t1). A sample of the segment of removed colon was taken. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the fluid balance between t0 and t1: group A (n = 17) with a fluid balance <1,000 ml and group B (n = 11) with a fluid balance >1,000 ml. The parameters evaluated in each group were: weight, height and age of the patients, serum and tissue antibiotic concentration, percent ratio of serum and tissue concentration, time elapsed between t0 and t1, volume of administered fluids between t0 and t1, diuresis and hourly diuresis between t0 and t1 and body fluid distribution, obtained using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. The mean results obtained in the two groups were then compared using Student's t test. RESULTS: The balance of fluids calculated up to t1 was 675 +/- 308 ml for group A and 1,411 +/- 405 ml for group B (p < 0.01). The means of the recorded values that showed statistically significant differences were: mean percent concentration ratio (43.6 +/- 8.4 vs. 84 +/- 16%; p < 0.05), concentration in the colonic segment (16.3 +/- 7.9 vs. 37.2 +/- 25.9 mg/ml; p < 0.05), urinary volume gathered up to t1 (538 +/- 557 vs. 169 +/- 104 ml; p < 0.05), hourly urinary volume up to t1 (311.1 +/- 296 vs. 97.6 +/- 77.9 ml/h; p < 0.05), percent variation of resistance (95.1 +/- 5.1 vs. 89.7 +/- 8.6; p < 0.05). The other means did not show any significant statistical differences. CONCLUSIONS: A higher tissue water level seems to facilitate the penetration of the antibiotic into the tissue according to the pharmacokinetic characteristics of ceftizoxime: high amount of free drug (not bound to plasma proteins) and high hydrosolubility.