Alteration of fatal 1:1 conducted atrial flutter to less conducted ratio by landiolol infusion.

An 84-year-old male patient with a past history of atrial-flutter-fibrillation and dementia underwent an urgent femoral neck fracture surgery. Preoperative electrocardiography demonstrated atrial flutter (AFL) with ventricular conduction at a ratio of 2:1-4:1, and transthoracic echocardiography showed severe left ventricular dysfunction with Ejection Fraction of 14.6 %. Femoral nerve block and Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block with sedation was planned for the surgery. Upon entry to the operating room, ECG showed 2:1 conducted AFL at the rate of 128 beats min(-1). Due to the stimulation of urethral catheter insertion, it has altered to 1:1 conducted AFL. Loading dose of landiolol hydrochloride 7.5 mg followed by 1.5-3 µg/kg/min continuous administration was given, which had decreased the conduction ratio to 2:1 without causing hypotension. A further episode of 1:1 conducted AFL occurred when the pin was inserted to the thighbone, which caused circulatory collapse. Additional bolus dose of landiolol immediately altered it to 2:1 before operating cardioversion and stabilized the hemodynamics. He maintained AFL with 2:1 conduction thereafter, and 1:1 conduction was never seen postoperatively even after discontinuation of landiolol.

Risk factors associated with intraoperatively acquired pressure ulcers in the park-bench position: a retrospective study.

Patients undergoing surgery in the park-bench position are at high risk of developing intraoperatively acquired pressure ulcers (IAPUs). The purpose was to examine retrospectively risk factors associated with IAPUs in the park-bench position. This study was conducted at a general hospital during the period of September 2010 to September 2012. Twenty-one potential risk factors were evaluated using data obtained from the hospital database. IAPUs developed in 30 of 277 patients (11%). Perspiration was statistically found to be independently associated with IAPUs [OR 3·09, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.07-8·58, P = 0·037]. A length of surgery of more than 6 hours was identified to be likely associated with IAPUs (OR 2·64, 95% Cl 0·84-9·08, P = 0·095) compared with less than 6 hours. Furthermore, there was an interaction between the length of surgery and the core temperature; that is, when the length of surgery was more than 6 hours, a core temperature of more than 38·1°C at the end of surgery had a higher odds ratio (8·45, 95% Cl 3·04-27·46, P < 0·001) than that at a lower core temperature (3·20, 95% Cl 1·23-8·78, P = 0·017). These results suggest that perspiration and core temperature are preventable causative factors of pressure ulcers, even under conditions of prolonged surgery in the park-bench position.

Microclimate is an independent risk factor for the development of intraoperatively acquired pressure ulcers in the park-bench position: A prospective observational study.

Preventing pressure ulcers is important in patients undergoing procedures in the park-bench position. We hypothesized that the microclimate around the skin is a significant risk factor for developing pressure ulcers. This research continuously assessed factors of the microclimate in terms of skin temperature and perspiration as well as the interface pressure in order to determine whether the microclimate is an independent risk factor for the development of park-bench position-related pressure ulcers (PBP-PUs). A prospective observational study was conducted among patients undergoing elective surgery in the park-bench position at a general hospital in the metropolitan area of Japan between April and November 2014. Factors of the microclimate, including skin temperature and perspiration, in addition to the interface pressure were continuously measured throughout surgery. Twenty-nine patients were analyzed (mean age 44.4 ± 13.2 years, male 44.8%). Of these 29 patients, seven (24.1%) developed Category I PBP-PUs. The change in skin temperature from baseline to the end of surgery (2.7 ± 0.3 °C vs. 1.9 ± 0.8 °C) and the average peak pressure (119.1 ± 36.8 mmHg vs. 94.5 ± 23.1 mmHg) were significantly higher in the patients with PBP-PUs than in those without PBP-PUs. There were no significant differences in the amount of perspiration between the two groups. A hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed that the change in skin temperature was significantly related to the development of PBP-PUs (unit = 0.1 °C: odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidential interval 1.09-2.33) when adjusted for the average peak pressure and length of surgery. Our results suggest that a change in skin temperature toward a higher value is an independent risk factor for the development of PBP-PUs. Proper intraoperative management of skin temperature may therefore be a promising candidate as a preventive method against PBP-PU development.