Improving Compliance With Protocol-Driven Care in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury Patients by Implementing an Electronic Clinical Compliance Monitoring Tool.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major cause of death and disability each year in the United States. Implementation of preestablished evidence-based guidelines has been associated with a decrease in overall TBI mortality and disability. OBJECTIVES: An electronic clinical monitoring tool was developed for monitoring compliance with evidence-based TBI treatment protocols to improve the overall care and outcomes in this patient population. METHODS: This project was designed as a process improvement project. For the preimplementation cohort of TBI patients, aggregate compliance data (by patient) were obtained from the Brain Trauma Foundation Trial patient registry maintained at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for the time between 2011 and 2012. The postimplementation cohort includes all patients older than 18 years who have sustained a TBI requiring clinical monitoring devices. RESULTS: There was a statistical significance between groups; the TBI-2017 group demonstrated better compliance with anticonvulsant use and cerebral perfusion pressure maintenance. In addition, overall compliance was better in the TBI-2017 cohort compared with the TBI-2012 cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic brain injury-specific education and frequent assessments improved compliance between TBI-2012 and TBI-2017, resulting in a higher percentage in overall survivors in the latter group.

Ultraportable Oxygen Concentrator Use in U.S. Army Special Operations Forward Area Surgery: A Proof of Concept in Multiple Environments.

INTRODUCTION: A limitation to surgical care in an austere environment is the supply of oxygen to support mechanical ventilation and general anesthesia. Portable oxygen concentrators (OCs) offer an alternative to traditional compressed oxygen tanks. OBJECTIVES: We set out to demonstrate that a low-pressure OC system could supply the mechanical ventilation needs in an austere operating environment. METHODS: An ultraportable OC (SAROS Model 3000, SeQual Technologies, Ball Ground, Georgia) was paired with an Impact 754 ventilator (Impact Instrumentation, West Caldwell, New Jersey) to evaluate the delivered fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) to a test lung across a range of minute ventilations and at altitudes of 1,200 and 6,500 feet above sea level. RESULTS: The compressor-driven Impact ventilator was able to deliver FiO2 at close to 0.9 for minute ventilations equal to oxygen flow. Pairing two OCs expanded the range of minute ventilations supported. OCs were less effective at concentrating oxygen at higher altitudes. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that low-pressure, ultraportable OCs are capable of delivering high FiO2 during mechanical ventilation in austere locations at both low and high altitudes. Ultraportable OCs could therefore be sufficient to support forward area surgical procedures and positively impact logistics.

Self-induced bleeding diathesis in soldiers at a FOB in south eastern Afghanistan.

Modern warfare necessitates that the physician recognize risk factors and clinical scenarios that contribute to the development of acute coagulopathy of trauma and the need for massive transfusion. To date, this is the only prospective study done in an active war zone that specifically looks at a self-induced bleeding diathesis problem among soldiers. If correct, then large numbers of soldiers are exposed to bleeding abnormalities well before sustaining injury.

Static measures of preload assessment.

This article focuses on static methods for determining preload, specifically pressure and volumetric indices measured at the bedside. The underlying ventricular function will determine where the patient is located on Frank-Starling ventricular function curve and the patient's response to a fluid challenge. The proper interpretation and use of such measures, coupled with an understanding of their limitations and knowledge of alternative methods, is necessary to guide properly volume resuscitation in the critically ill.

Laparoscopic splenectomy: a selected retrospective review.

Previous investigators have suggested that laparoscopic splenectomy should be the procedure of choice for the treatment of benign hematologic disorders unresponsive to medical therapy. To evaluate the safety and utility of laparoscopic splenectomy for a variety of splenic disorders, we reviewed our collective experience at 2 institutions. We studied our 8-year experience by retrospective chart review. Patient demographic data, splenic pathology, intraoperative events, concomitant procedures, and all adverse perioperative events were recorded. A total of 131 patients had laparoscopic splenectomy, and there were 8 conversions to open surgery. Pathology included 63 with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), 23 malignancies, 12 thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), 10 autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), and 23 others. Accessory spleens were noted in 21 patients (16%). Concomitant surgical procedures included 12 hepatic biopsies, 4 distal pancreatectomies, 4 cholecystectomies, and 7 others. Mean operative time was 170 minutes. There were 16 major complications in 16 patients and 2 deaths. Median postoperative length of stay was 3 days. Conversions, due mostly to bleeding, are related to splenic pathology and medical comorbidity and are not temporally related to surgical experience (learning curve). The morbidity, mortality, and conversion rates were low. Laparoscopic splenectomy permits an appropriate abdominal exploration and is associated with a short hospital stay. It is the procedure of choice for most indications for splenectomy.

Subcutaneous endoscopic fasciotomy in a porcine model of abdominal compartment syndrome: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE: Treatment of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) involves abdominal decompression via a laparotomy, which can result in significant wound-related morbidity. Our aim was to determine if subcutaneous endoscopic abdominal fasciotomy in a porcine model of ACS is feasible and what effect it may have on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 6 female pigs weighing 50 kg each were used for the study. Each animal underwent placement of an arterial line, pulmonary artery catheter, SMA blood flow probe, IAP catheter, and intra-abdominal saline infusion line. After endoscopic dissection of a subcutaneous pocket overlying the rectus muscles, saline was infused into the abdomen to a pressure of 40 mm Hg. Physiologic parameters were measured before and after bilateral endoscopic anterior rectus fasciotomies were performed, and analyzed with a paired t-test. RESULTS: Mean subcutaneous dissection time was 42.5 +/- 11.3 minutes, and mean fasciotomy time was 5.5 +/- 2.3 minutes. There were no significant changes in heart rate, cardiac output, pO(2), or pH during the experiment. IAP increased exponentially as fluid was instilled into the abdomen. SMA blood flow decreased reliably and linearly with increasing IAP. Mean baseline IAP was 4.0 +/- 1.7 mm Hg. IAP decreased from 37 mm Hg to 25 mm Hg after fasciotomy (P < 0.001). Mean baseline SMA blood flow was 629 +/-164 mL/min. SMA blood flow improved from 265 mL/min to 389 mL/min after fasciotomy (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous endoscopic abdominal fasciotomy is feasible and appears to lower IAP and raise SMA blood flow in a porcine model of ACS.