A multicenter review of deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis practice patterns for blunt hepatic trauma.

BACKGROUND: Non-operative management of blunt hepatic trauma is successful in the majority of hemodynamically stable patients. Due to the risk of recurrent hemorrhage, pharmacologic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis is often delayed. The optimal timing of prophylaxis is unclear. A multi-centre, retrospective review of patients with blunt hepatic injuries presenting between 2000 and 2004 was performed. All patients had an ISS >/= 12 and a CT scan confirming hepatic trauma. Patients were categorized into: (1) early DVT prophylaxis (48 hrs), and (3) no prophylaxis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-seven (25%) and 45 (42%) patients received early and delayed DVT prophylaxis respectively. The remainder (32%) received none. Mean hepatic injury grades were lower in the early prophylaxis group (II) compared to the delayed and no prophylaxis cohorts (III)(p = 0.002). The number of patients requiring post-admission blood transfusions was highest in the delayed group (44%) compared to the early (26%) and no prophylaxis (6%) groups (p = 0.03). No patient in the early prophylaxis cohort developed a DVT or required delayed angiographic or operative intervention. Two patients in the delayed group failed non-operative management. Eight (18%) patients in the delayed group developed a clinically significant DVT; 1 (2%) progressed to a PE. CONCLUSION: Practice patterns indicate that chemical DVT prophylaxis initiated within 48 hours of admission may be safe in patients with significant blunt hepatic trauma. Delays in prevention result in venothromboembolic events, but not in fewer blood transfusions or a decreased need for subsequent angiographic or operative therapies.

Surface anatomy as a guide to vertebral level for thoracic epidural placement.

BACKGROUND: Precise placement of thoracic epidural catheters is required to optimize postoperative analgesia and minimize adverse effects. Previous research demonstrated that anesthesiologists are inaccurate when using surface anatomy to locate vertebral levels. In this study, we compared the accuracy of two different landmarks to identify the seventh thoracic (T7) spinous process. METHODS: Two-hundred-ten patients referred for chest radiography were randomized to two groups. With patients in the anatomic (upright) position, one investigator identified and placed a radioopaque marker over the presumed T7 spinous process using either the vertebra prominens (C7) or the inferior scapular tip as a surface landmark. A radiologist, blinded to the identification technique, reported the spinous process corresponding to the radioopaque label. Marker positions were then compared using the Fisher's exact test. The influence of patient characteristics (age, gender, Body Mass Index [BMI], and height and weight) on accuracy was also examined. RESULTS: Patient characteristics were similar between groups. The T7 spinous process was identified correctly 29% of the time with the C7 landmark and 10% of the time with the scapular landmark (P < 0.001). Accuracy improved for T7 +/- 1 level to 78% and 42%, respectively (P = 5.84 x 10(-8)). Errors were more common in the caudal direction (i.e., T8 or T9 identified). The C7 landmark was more accurate among those with a BMI <25 (P = 6.51 x 10(-5)). In those with a BMI >or=25, both landmarking methods were frequently inaccurate (P = 0.312). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with a BMI <25, the T7 spinous process can be reliably identified to within one interspace in 78% of patients using the C7 (vertebra prominens) surface landmark. Neither the vertebra prominens nor the tip of scapula is a reliable landmark to identify T7 in patients with a BMI >or=25.

Portal vein thrombi after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: its incidence and association with pouchitis.

PURPOSE: Portal vein thrombi (PVT) have recently been linked to ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). We assessed the rate of PVT in patients who underwent IPAA and attempted to identify the associated features. METHODS: We reviewed all patients who underwent IPAA at our hospital between 1997 and 2002, noting demographic, operative, and clinical data. Computed tomography (CT) scans were independently re-reviewed by two radiologists blinded to patient data. Scans were designated as positive, negative, or indeterminate for PVT. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients underwent IPAA for ulcerative colitis, 28 (25%) of whom had a CT scan done within 8 weeks postoperatively. The indications for CT included prolonged ileus (32.1%), abdominal pain (28.6%), and fever (17.9%). On examining the CT scans, 39% were positive, 14% were indeterminate, and 46% were negative for PVT. There was no association between PVT and pelvic sepsis. Within a mean follow-up of 36.2 months, 15.4% patients without PVT had suffered pouchitis compared with 25% of those with indeterminate scans and 45.5% of those with PVT. CONCLUSIONS: Portal vein thrombi are a common finding in the subset of patients who require a CT scan after IPAA. Patients who suffer PVT have a higher incidence of postoperative pouchitis. Thus a prospective evaluation of the risk of PVT and its association with pouchitis is warranted.