Less use of rescue morphine when a combined PSP/IPP-block is used for postoperative analgesia in breast cancer surgery: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Surgery for breast cancer is common, and intravenous opioids are often used to control postoperative pain. Recently, pectoralis-2 (PECS-2) block has emerged as a promising regional anaesthetic alternative. With nomenclature recently proposed, this block is termed combined PSP/IPP-block (pectoserratus plane block/interpectoral plane block). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the need for postoperative rescue morphine between the intervention group that received a pre-operative combined PSP/IPP-block and a control group that received peri-operative long-acting opioids for postoperative analgesia. DESIGN: A randomised controlled study. SETTING: Operating theatres of two Swedish hospitals. The patients were recruited between May 2017 and October 2020. PATIENTS: Among the 199 women scheduled to undergo breast cancer surgery (sector resection or radical mastectomy) who were enrolled in the study, 185 were available for follow up. INTERVENTION: All patients received general anaesthesia. The intervention group received a combined PSP/IPP-block before surgery. The control group received intravenous morphine 30 min before emergence from anaesthesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The primary endpoint was the cumulative need for intravenous rescue morphine to reach a predefined level of pain control (visual analogue scale score <40 mm) during the first 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: Data from 92 and 93 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, were analysed. The amount of rescue morphine administered in the 48 h after surgery was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (median: 2.25 vs 3.0 mg, P  = 0.021). The first measured pain score was lower in the intervention group than in the control group (35 vs. 40 mm, P  = 0.035). There was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea between the groups (8.7 vs. 12.9%, P  = 0.357). CONCLUSION: The use of a combined PSP/IPP-block block before breast cancer surgery reduces the need for postoperative rescue morphine, even when compared with the use of intra-operative morphine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03117894.

Environmental potential of shredder fines valorisation.

Millions of tonnes of shredder fines are disposed of annually across the world. In Sweden, fines are primarily utilised in landfill covering. Given the decreasing landfilling and the increasing environmental concerns, the valorisation of this residue is becoming ever important. In order to guide sustainable investment decisions and governance of fines valorisation, this study aimed to assess the environmental potential of different valorisation alternatives. In doing so, three conceptual valorisation process schemes were formulated together with the shredding industry, each based on principally different resource recovery strategies: 1) maximising copper recovery, 2) maximising construction aggregates recovery, and 3) optimising full resource recovery. A streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) of these valorisation alternatives was performed in relation to the impact categories of climate change, ozone depletion, acidification, and resource depletion. The results of this study generally suggest that in the context of Sweden, Alternatives 1 and 3 are preferable over Alternative 2 regarding all the impact categories. There, Alternative 3 is more preferable regarding climate change, while Alternative 1 is preferable regarding the other impact categories. Several environmental hot spots occur along the different life cycle stages of the fines-derived secondary raw materials. The Monte Carlo simulation of the parameter uncertainties generally confirms the overall LCA findings.

A Comparison between Endostatin and Conventional Biomarkers on 30-Day Mortality and Renal Replacement Therapy in Unselected Intensive Care Patients.

Endostatin may predict mortality and kidney impairment in general populations as well as in critically ill patients. We decided to explore the possible role of endostatin as a predictor of 30-day mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), and renal replacement therapy (RRT) in a cohort of unselected intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Endostatin and creatinine in plasma were analyzed and SAPS3 was determined in 278 patients on ICU arrival at admission to a Swedish medium-sized hospital. SAPS3 had the highest predictive value, 0.85 (95% C.I.: 0.8-0.90), for 30-day mortality. Endostatin, in combination with age, predicted 30-day mortality by 0.76 (95% C.I.: 0.70-0.82). Endostatin, together with age and creatinine, predicted AKI with 0.87 (95% C.I.: 0.83-0.91). Endostatin predicted AKI with [0.68 (0.62-0.74)]. Endostatin predicted RRT, either alone [0.82 (95% C.I.: 0.72-0.91)] or together with age [0.81 (95% C.I.: 0.71-0.91)]. The predicted risk for 30-day mortality, AKI, or RRT during the ICU stay, predicted by plasma endostatin, was not influenced by age. Compared to the complex severity score SAPS3, circulating endostatin, combined with age, offers an easily managed option to predict 30-day mortality. Additionally, circulating endostatin combined with creatinine was closely associated with AKI development.

Large variations of oxygen delivery in self-inflating resuscitation bags used for preoxygenation - a mechanical simulation.

BACKGROUND: Self-Inflating Resuscitation Bags (SIRB) are common and essential tools in airway management and ventilation. They are often used in resuscitation and emergency anaesthesia outside the operating theatre. There is a common notion that all SIRBs applied with a tight sealed mask will deliver close to 100 % oxygen during spontaneous breathing. The aim of the study was to measure the oxygen delivery of six commonly used SIRBs in a mechanical spontaneous breathing adult in vitro model. METHODS: Three SIRBs of each of the six models were evaluated for oxygen delivery during simulated breathing with an adult mechanical lung. The test was repeated three times per device (54 tests in total). The breathing profile was fixed to a minute volume of 10 L/min, a tidal volume of 500 mL and the SIRBs supplied with an oxygen fresh gas flow of 15 L/min. The fraction of delivered oxygen (FDO2) was measured over a three-minute period. Average FDO2 was calculated and compared at 30, 60 and 90 s. RESULTS: At 90 s all models had reached a stable FDO2. Average FDO2 at 90 s; Ambu Oval Plus 99,5 %; Ambu Spur II 99,8 %; Intersurgical BVM Resuscitator 76,7 %; Laerdal Silicone 97,3 %; Laerdal The Bag II 94,5 % and the O-Two Smart Bag 39,0 %. All differences in FDO2 were significant apart from the two Ambu models. CONCLUSIONS: In simulated spontaneous breathing, four out of six (by Ambu and Laerdal) Self-Inflating Resuscitation Bags delivered a high fraction of oxygen while two (Intersurgical and O-two) underperformed in oxygen delivery. These large variations confirm results reported in other studies. It is our opinion that underperforming Self-Inflating Resuscitation Bags might pose a serious threat to patients' health if used in resuscitation and anaesthesia. Manufacturers of Self-Inflating Resuscitation Bags rarely provide information on performance for spontaneous breathing. This poses a challenge to all organizations that need their devices to deliver adequate oxygen during spontaneous breathing.

TNFR1, TNFR2, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and heparin binding protein in identifying sepsis and predicting outcome in an intensive care cohort.

To date no biomarkers can aid diagnosing sepsis with adequate accuracy. We set out to assess the ability of Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) 1 and 2, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Heparin binding protein (HBP) to discriminate sepsis from non-infected critically ill patients in a large ICU cohort, and to evaluate their value to predict mortality at 30 days. Adult patients admitted to the ICU with an arterial catheter were included. Clinical data and blood samples were prospectively recorded daily. Diagnoses were set retrospectively. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used. NGAL, TNFR1 and TNFR2 were higher in sepsis patients compared to other diagnoses, as well as in non-survivors compared to survivors. In addition, these biomarkers increased with increasing stages of acute kidney injury. TNFR1 and TNFR2 performed similarly to NGAL and CRP in identifying sepsis patients, but they performed better than CRP in predicting 30-day mortality in this ICU cohort. Thus, TNFR1 and TNFR2 may be particularly useful in identifying high risk sepsis patients and facilitate relevant health care actions in this group of sepsis patients.

Calprotectin is superior to procalcitonin as a sepsis marker and predictor of 30-day mortality in intensive care patients.

Sepsis is the most frequent cause of death in the intensive care unit (ICU). A rapid and correct diagnosis and initiation of therapy is crucial for improving patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of calprotectin with the more widely used sepsis biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) in ICU patients. The performance of calprotectin and PCT as sepsis and prognostic markers for 30-d mortality was compared in a prospective, observational study in an eight-bed ICU. We investigated concentrations of the biomarkers in plasma collected at admission from all ICU patients admitted during a year (2012-2013, n = 271) together with simplified acute physiology 3 scores (SAPS3) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed a higher area under the curve (AUC) value for calprotectin (0.79) than for PCT (0.49) when used as a sepsis marker. The calprotectin concentrations at admission were higher in non-survivors than in survivors at day 30. In our study, calprotectin was superior to PCT for distinguishing between ICU patients with sepsis and non-sepsis patients. Calprotectin also had higher predictive ability regarding 30-d mortality.

Renal clearance of heparin-binding protein and elimination during renal replacement therapy: Studies in ICU patients and healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is released by neutrophils upon activation, and elevated plasma levels are seen in inflammatory states like sepsis, shock, cardiac arrest, and burns. However, little is known about the elimination of HBP. We wanted to study renal clearance of HBP in healthy individuals and in burn patients in intensive care units (ICUs). We also wished to examine the levels of HBP in the effluent of renal replacement circuits in ICU patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). METHODS: We measured plasma and urine levels of HBP and urine flow rate in 8 healthy individuals and 20 patients in a burn ICU. In 32 patients on CRRT, we measured levels of HBP in plasma and in the effluent of the CRRT circuit. RESULTS: Renal clearance of HBP (median (IQR) ml/min) was 0.19 (0.08-0.33) in healthy individuals and 0.30 (0.01-1.04) in burn ICU patients. In ICU patients with cystatin C levels exceeding 1.44 mg/l, clearance was 0.45 (0.15-2.81), and in patients with cystatin C below 1.44 mg/l clearance was lower 0.28 (0.14-0.55) (p = 0.04). Starting CRRT did not significantly alter plasma levels of HBP (p = 0.14), and the median HBP level in the effluent on CRRT was 9.1 ng/ml (IQR 7.8-14.4 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: In healthy individuals and critically ill burn patients, renal clearance of HBP is low. It is increased when renal function is impaired. Starting CRRT in critically ill patients does not alter plasma levels of HBP significantly, but HBP can be found in the effluent. It seems unlikely that impaired kidney function needs to be considered when interpreting concentrations of HBP in previous studies. Starting CRRT does not appear to be an effective way of reducing HBP concentrations.

Circulating syndecans during critical illness.

Circulating syndecans are proposed to be markers of glycocalyx degradation and previous investigations have found higher plasma levels of syndecan-1 among patients with different pathological conditions. We wanted to investigate if levels of other syndecans (-2,-3 and -4) are altered during critical illness and compare the levels to syndecan-1. In 137 consecutive intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis, cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal bleeding, intoxication or trauma, plasma levels of syndecan-1, -2, -3 and -4 were measured using ELISA. Syndecan-1 and syndecan-3 levels were similar among the different ICU patient groups but higher than controls. No differences in plasma levels of syndecan-2 or syndecan-4 were found neither among the different ICU patient groups nor compared to controls. All syndecans showed an association with mortality and the levels of syndecan-1 and -3 and correlated with each other. The results indicate that syndecan release is triggered by the physiological stress of critical illness in general and involves several subtypes such as syndecan-1 and syndecan-3.

Regional Anaesthesia Is Associated with Shorter Postanaesthetic Care and Less Pain Than General Anaesthesia after Upper Extremity Surgery.

Introduction. For surgery on the upper extremity, the anaesthetist often has a choice between regional anaesthesia (RA) and general anaesthesia (GA). We sought to investigate the possible differences between RA and GA after upper extremity surgery with regard to postoperative patient comfort. Methods. This is a retrospective observational study that was performed at an acute care secondary referral centre. One hundred and eighty-seven procedures involving orthopaedic surgery on the upper extremity were included. The different groups (RA and GA) were compared regarding the primary outcome variable, length of stay in Postanaesthesia Unit, and secondary outcome variables, opioid consumption and nausea treatment. Results. RA was associated with significantly shorter median length of stay (99 versus 171 minutes). In the GA group, 32% of the patients received opioid analgesics and 21% received antiemetics. In the RA group, none received opioid analgesics and 3% received antiemetics. Conclusion. In this observational study, RA was superior to GA for surgery of the upper extremity regarding Postanaesthesia Care Unit length of stay, number of doses of analgesic, and number of doses of antiemetic administered.

Blood Lactate Is a Useful Indicator for the Medical Emergency Team.

Lactate has been thoroughly studied and found useful for stratification of patients with sepsis, in the Intensive Care Unit, and trauma care. However, little is known about lactate as a risk-stratification marker in the Medical Emergency Team- (MET-) call setting. We aimed to determine whether the arterial blood lactate level at the time of a MET-call is associated with increased 30-day mortality. This is an observational study on a prospectively gathered cohort at a regional secondary referral hospital. All MET-calls during the two-year study period were eligible. Beside blood lactate, age and vital signs were registered at the call. Among the 211 calls included, there were 64 deaths (30.3%). Median lactate concentration at the time of the MET-call was 1.82 mmol/L (IQR 1.16-2.7). We found differences between survivors and nonsurvivors for lactate and oxygen saturation, a trend for age, but no significant correlations between mortality and systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and heart rate. As compared to normal lactate (<2.44 mmol/L), OR for 30-day mortality was 3.54 (p < 0.0006) for lactate 2.44-5.0 mmol/L and 4.45 (p < 0.0016) for lactate > 5.0 mmol/L. The present results support that immediate measurement of blood lactate in MET call patients is a useful tool in the judgment of illness severity.

Increased Plasma Levels of Heparin-Binding Protein on Admission to Intensive Care Are Associated with Respiratory and Circulatory Failure.

PURPOSE: Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is released by granulocytes and has been shown to increase vascular permeability in experimental investigations. Increased vascular permeability in the lungs can lead to fluid accumulation in alveoli and respiratory failure. A generalized increase in vascular permeability leads to loss of circulating blood volume and circulatory failure. We hypothesized that plasma concentrations of HBP on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) would be associated with decreased oxygenation or circulatory failure. METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study in a mixed 8-bed ICU. We investigated concentrations of HBP in plasma at admission to the ICU from 278 patients. Simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) 3 was recorded on admission. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were recorded daily for three days. RESULTS: Median SAPS 3 was 58.8 (48-70) and 30-day mortality 64/278 (23%). There was an association between high plasma concentrations of HBP on admission with decreased oxygenation (p<0.001) as well as with circulatory failure (p<0.001), after 48-72 hours in the ICU. There was an association between concentrations of HBP on admission and 30-day mortality (p = 0.002). ROC curves showed areas under the curve of 0,62 for decreased oxygenation, 0,65 for circulatory failure and 0,64 for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A high concentration of HBP in plasma on admission to the ICU is associated with respiratory and circulatory failure later during the ICU care period. It is also associated with increased 30-day mortality. Despite being an interesting biomarker for the composite ICU population it's predictive value at the individual patient level is low.

Alteration of Leukocyte Count Correlates With Increased Pulmonary Vascular Permeability and Decreased PaO2:FiO2 Ratio Early After Major Burns.

Leukocytes are activated systemically and their numbers increase soon after a burn followed by a rapid decline to low normal or subnormal levels, possibly by increased extravasation. Experimental data support that an important target for such extravasation is the lungs and that leukocytes when they adhere to endothelial cells cause an increase in vascular permeability. The authors investigated a possible relation between early increased pulmonary vascular permeability or a decreased PaO2:FiO2 ratio and the dynamic change in concentration of blood leukocytes after a burn. This is a prospective, exploratory, single-center study. The authors measured the dynamic changes of leukocytes in blood starting early after the burn, pulmonary vascular permeability index by thermodilution, and PaO2:FiO2-ratios in 20 patients during the first 21 days after a major burn (>20% TBSA%). Median TBSA was 40% interquartile range (IQR, 25-52) and full thickness burn 28% (IQR, 2-39). There was a correlation between the early (<24 hours) alteration in white blood cell count and both early increased pulmonary vascular permeability (r = .63, P = .004) and the decreased oxygenation index defined as PaO2:FiO2 < 27 kPa (P = .004). The authors have documented a correlation between dynamic change of blood leukocytes and pulmonary failure early after burns.

Prehospital analgesia using nasal administration of S-ketamine--a case series.

Pain is a problem that often has to be addressed in the prehospital setting. The delivery of analgesia may sometimes prove challenging due to problems establishing intravenous access or a harsh winter environment. To solve the problem of intravenous access, intranasal administration of drugs is used in some settings. In cases where vascular access was foreseen or proved hard to establish (one or two missed attempts) on the scene of the accident we use nasally administered S-Ketamine for prehospital analgesia. Here we describe the use of nasally administered S-Ketamine in 9 cases. The doses used were in the range of 0,45-1,25 mg/kg. 8 patients were treated in outdoor winter-conditions in Sweden. 1 patient was treated indoor. VAS-score decreased from a median of 10 (interquartile range 8-10) to 3 (interquartile range 2-4). Nasally administered S-Ketamine offers a possible last resource to be used in cases where establishing vascular access is difficult or impossible. Side-effects in these 9 cases were few and non serious. Nasally administered drugs offer a needleless approach that is advantageous for the patient as well as for health personnel in especially challenging selected cases. Nasal as opposed to intravenous analgesia may reduce the time spent on the scene of the accident and most likely reduces the need to expose the patient to the environment in especially challenging cases of prehospital analgesia. Nasal administration of S-ketamine is off label and as such we only use it as a last resource and propose that the effect and safety of the treatment should be further studied.

Urinary excretion of histamine and methylhistamine after burns.

BACKGROUND: The increased vascular permeability seen after burn contribute to morbidity and mortality as it interferes with organ function and the healing process. Large efforts have been made to explore underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that generate increased vascular permeability after burns. Many different substances have been proposed as mediators of which histamine, serotonin and oxygen radicals are claimed most important. However, no specific blocker has convincingly been shown to be clinically effective. Early work has claimed increased histamine plasma-concentrations in humans after burn and data from animal models pointed at histamine as an important mediator. Modern human clinical studies investigating the role of histamine as a mediator of the generalized post burn increase in vascular permeability are lacking. METHOD: We examined histamine turnover by measuring the urinary excretion of histamine and methyl histamine for 48 h after burns in 8 patients (mean total burn surface area 24%). RESULTS: Over time, in this time frame and compared to healthy controls we found a small increase in the excretion of histamine, but no increase of its metabolite methylhistamine. CONCLUSION: Our findings do not support that histamine is an important mediator of the increased systemic vascular permeability seen after burn.

Dynamics of leukocyte receptors after severe burns: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with burns are susceptible to organ failure, and there is indirect evidence that leukocytes may contribute to this process. They may change the expression of cell-surface receptors after certain stimuli, for example, the burn. We therefore aimed to assess the changes induced by the burn in the expression of leukocyte cell-surface receptors CD11b, CD14, CD16, and CD62L on the surface of PMNs and monocytes. We also wanted to examine the dynamics of this activation during the first week after the burn, and to relate it to the size of the injury. METHODS: Ten patients with burns of >15% (TBSA) were included in the study. Blood samples were collected on arrival and every consecutive morning during the first week. Healthy volunteers acted as controls. RESULTS: PMN CD11b expression was increased. The extent of PMN CD11b expression correlated negatively to the size of the full thickness burn. Monocyte CD14 expression increased initially but there was no relation to the size of the burn. PMN CD16 expression decreased initially during the first days and the decrease was related to burn size. CD62L did not vary depending on the burn in either PMN or monocytes during the first week after the burn. CONCLUSION: This study showed that specific receptors on the surface of leukocytes (PMN CD11b, monocyte CD14 and PMN CD16) are affected by the burn. Expression of PMN CD11b and CD16 are related to burn size. Burn-induced effects on the expression of PMN receptors, such as PMN CD11b and CD16, may contribute to burn-induced infection susceptibility.

Neutrophil-derived heparin binding protein--a mediator of increased vascular permeability after burns?

Increased vascular permeability and oedema formation constitute a major clinical challenge following burns. Several clinical studies show that leukocytes are systemically activated following burns. Neutrophils have the capability to increase vascular permeability via mechanisms thought to involve the release of heparin binding protein (HBP). We hypothesised that HBP is elevated in plasma after major burns due to a systemic inflammatory response and investigated plasma-HBP concentrations in 10 severely burned patients daily for 1 week following the burn. Five-fold higher levels in plasma-HBP concentration compared to a control group were detected on the first day after injury, followed by a steep reduction in the time-period that corresponds to the last part of the hyperpermeability phase. These data are in accordance with the hypothesis that HBP may function as a mediator of the early burn-induced increase in vascular permeability, and call for further studies to confirm a possible cause-and-effect relationship between HBP and oedema formation following burns.

Aiding planning in air traffic control: an experimental investigation of the effects of perceptual information integration.

Prior research examined how controllers plan in their traditional environment and identified various information uncertainties as detriments to planning. A planning aid was designed to reduce this uncertainty by perceptually representing important constraints. This included integrating spatial information on the radar screen with discrete information (planned sequences of air traffic). Previous research reported improved planning performance and decreased workload in the planning aid condition. The purpose of this paper was to determine the source of these performance improvements. Analysis of computer interactions using log-linear modeling showed that the planning interface led to less repetitive--but more integrated--information retrieval compared with the traditional planning environment. Ecological interface design principles helped explain how the integrated information retrieval gave rise to the performance improvements. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design and evaluation of interface automation that keeps users in active control by modification of perceptual task characteristics.