The incidence of airway haemorrhage in manual versus mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of airway haemorrhage between participants who received manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and those who had received mechanical CPR using the LUCAS device. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by means of a medical chart review. All non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients that presented to the ED, from May 2014 to February 2018, were recruited. The groups were stratified according to those who had the majority of CPR performed using the LUCAS and those who had the majority of CPR performed manually. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with airway haemorrhage, defined as blood observed in the endotracheal tube, pharynx, trachea or mouth, and documented in the doctor or nursing notes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: 12 of 54 (22%) participants in the majority LUCAS CPR group had airway haemorrhage, compared with 20 of 215 (9%) participants in the majority manual CPR group, a difference of 13% (95% CI 3% to 26%, p=0.02). The unadjusted odds for developing airway haemorrhage in the majority LUCAS CPR group was 2.8 (95% CI 1.3 to 6.1). After adjusting for confounders, the odds for developing airway haemorrhage in the majority LUCAS CPR group was 2.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 5.7). CONCLUSIONS: The LUCAS mechanical CPR device is associated with a higher incidence of airway haemorrhage compared with manual CPR. Limitations in the study design mean this conclusion is not robust.

Contemporary management of carotid blowout syndrome utilizing endovascular techniques.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To illustrate complex interdisciplinary decision making and the utility of modern endovascular techniques in the management of patients with carotid blowout syndrome (CBS). STUDY DESIGNS: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Patients treated with endovascular strategies and/or surgical modalities were included. Control of hemorrhage, neurological, and survival outcomes were studied. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2014, 33 patients had 38 hemorrhagic events related to head and neck cancer that were managed with endovascular means. Of these, 23 were localized to the external carotid artery (ECA) branches and five localized to the ECA main trunk; nine were related to the common carotid artery (CCA) or internal carotid artery (ICA), and one event was related to the innominate artery. Seven events related to the CCA/ICA or innominate artery were managed with endovascular sacrifice, whereas three cases were managed with a flow-preserving approach (covered stent). Only one patient developed permanent hemiparesis. In two of the three cases where the flow-preserving approach was used, the covered stent eventually became exposed via the overlying soft tissue defect, and definitive management using carotid revascularization or resection was employed to prevent further hemorrhage. In cases of soft tissue necrosis, vascularized tissues were used to cover the great vessels as applicable. CONCLUSIONS: The use of modern endovascular approaches for management of acute CBS yields optimal results and should be employed in a coordinated manner by the head and neck surgeon and the neurointerventionalist. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 2016 127:383-390, 2017.

Fatality from central hemangioma of the mandible.

Fatalities from central hemangiomas, including a new case, are reviewed. The importance of a thorough examination of young patients with suspicious gingival bleeding and mobile teeth before extraction is emphasized. The nature of the lesion and the methods of treatment are discussed. In the case reported, there were arteriovenous malformations in the soft tissues surrounding the mandible and a seemingly separate central mandibular lesion. The latter showed rapid growth throughout the mandible, ending fatally after spontaneous bleeding and extraction of the mandibular third molar. During the preceding three years, bilateral external carotid ligation had been performed and numerous conservative measures had been taken, including corticosteroid therapy, injections of Sotradecol, and telecobalt irradiation, all with little benefit.