Intravascular Access Research Articles

Assessment of Nurses Knowledge and Practice about Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters at Neonatal Intensive Care Units

ABSTRACT: The peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs )have become among the most common technologies employed in the intravenous therapy of neonates as they allow safe long-term intravascular access, comfort, and ease of transition to home therapy that contributed to the increased survival of those newborns. Aim: Assess the nurses’ knowledge and practices about peripherally inserted central catheter at neonatal intensive care units Method: Descriptive research was conducted on 45 neonatal nurses working at neonatal intensive care units affiliated to Mansoura University Children Hospital (MUCH). Peripherally inserted central catheter insertion questionnaire sheet and observational checklistwas used to collect data. Results:Most studied nurses had poor knowledge and the minority had average knowledge about PICC line care for neonates. Also, more than half of nurses had competent score regarding PICC line insertion and care.Conclusion: There was variation regrading neonatal nurses' knowledge and practices regarding PICC line insertion and care.Recommendation: A regular educational program about PICC line care should be consistent for neonatal nurse

Single Versus Double Anatomic Site Intraosseous Blood Transfusion in a Swine Model of Hemorrhagic Shock

Blood transfusion via single site intraosseous access is a critical modality when caring for a trauma victim that lacks intravascular access. Flow rates and potential clinical complications when utilizing two sites of intraosseous access are not well known. Anesthetized adult female Yorkshire swine (Sus scrofa; n=48; 76.7 ± 1.75kg; range 66-90kg) were cannulated and then bled approximately 30% total blood volume. Swine were randomly assigned to treatment groups: single sited humerus, single sited sternum, dual sited humerus or dual sited humerus and sternum. Flow rates, hemolysis, physiologic measurements, biochemical variables, and pulmonary histologic inflammation and occlusion were contrasted between groups. Dual sited intraosseous transfusion flow rates (128ml/min, 95% CI 123-132) were double the flow rates of single sites (65ml/min, 95% CI 60-70), P < .0001.Single sited humeral flow rates were greater than sternal flow rates, with respective averages of 74ml/min and 55ml/min, though not reaching statistical significance (P < 0.17). There was no significant elevation of plasma free hemoglobin in any group after transfusion as compared to baseline (P=0.7). Groups did not significantly differ in vitals or biochemical variables. Most pulmonary specimens had some intraparenchymal fat embolism, however no animals had evidence of occlusive intra-arterial fat embolism. Dual anatomic site, pressure bag driven, intraosseous blood transfusion approximately doubles flow rates without evidence of clinical complications or hemolysis. Further research using a survivability model is needed to characterize long-term complications from pressurized IO transfusions.

Subcutaneous Versus Transvenous Implantable Defibrillator in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most prevalent inherited cardiomyopathy. Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is important for prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients at high risk. In recent years the subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) has emerged as a viable alternative to the transvenous ICD (TV-ICD). The S-ICD does not require intravascular access, but cannot provide antitachycardia pacing therapy (ATP). Objective: To assess the real world incidence of ICD therapy in patients with HCM implanted with TV-ICD versus S-ICD.Methods: We compared the incidence of ATP and shock therapies between all HCM patients with S-ICD and TV-ICD enrolled in the Boston Scientific ALTITUDE database. Cumulative Kaplan Meier incidence was used to compare therapy free survival and Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated. We performed an unmatched as well as propensity match analysis. Results: We included 2462 patients with TV-ICD and 716 patients with S-ICD followed for an average of 1348 {plus minus} 989 days. Patients with HCM and TV-ICD had significantly higher rate of device therapy as compared to those with S-ICD (31.1 vs. 14.7 therapies /100 patient year; p<0.001), driven by a high incidence of ATP therapy in the TV-ICD group which accounted for more than 67% of therapies delivered. Shock incidence was similar between groups, both in the general and in the matched cohorts. Conclusions: Patients with HCM and S-ICD had significantly lower therapy rate than patients with TV-ICD without difference in shock therapy, suggesting potentially unnecessary ATP therapy. Empiric ATP programing in patients with HCM may be unbeneficial.

Comparison of intravascular access methods applied by nurses wearing personal protective equipment in simulated COVID-19 resuscitation: A randomized crossover simulation trial.

BackgroundPrehospital emergency care of children is challenging. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, when medical personnel should use personal protective equipment against aerosol-generating procedures, the efficiency of medical procedures may decrease. The study objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of different intravascular access methods applied by nurses wearing biosafety Level-2 suits in simulated paediatric COVID-19 resuscitation.MethodsA prospective, randomized, crossover, single-blinded simulation trial was performed. Nursing staff attending Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support courses accredited by the American Heart Association participated in the study. A total of 65 nurses were recruited and randomly assigned to different study groups. They received standard training on intravascular access methods employing distinct devices. The participants wore biosafety Level-2 suits and performed vascular access with the following intraosseous devices: NIO-P, EZ-IO, and Jamshidi needle; intravenous (IV) access was used as a reference method. Both the order of participants and the access methods were random. Each participant performed intravascular access with each of the four methods tested. The effectiveness of the first attempt to obtain intravascular access and the following time parameters were analysed: the time between grasping the intravascular device out of the original packing until infusion line connection. The ease of the procedure was measured with a visual analogue scale (1 – easy; 10 – difficult).ResultsThe first attempt success rate of intravascular access by using NIO-P and EZ-IO equalled 100% and was statistically significantly higher than that with the Jamshidi needle (80.0%; p = 0.02) and with the IV method (69.2%; p = 0.005). The time required to connect the infusion line varied and amounted to 33 ± 4 s for NIO-P compared to 37 ± 6.7 s for EZ-IO (p<0.001), 43 ± 7 s for Jamshidi (p<0.001), and 98.5 ± 10 s for IV access (p<0.001). The procedure was easiest in the case of NIO-P and EZ-IO (2 ± 1 points; p=1.0) compared with Jamshidi (5 ± 3 points; p<0.001) and IV access (7 ± 2 points; p<0.001).ConclusionThe study provides evidence that nurses wearing biosafety Level-2 suits were able to obtain intraosseous access faster and more effectively as compared with IV access during simulated COVID-19 paediatric resuscitation. The most effective method of intravascular access was the NIO-P intraosseous device. Further clinical trials are necessary to confirm the results.

Neurological Complications Acquired During Pediatric Critical Illness: Exploratory "Mixed Graphical Modeling" Analysis Using Serum Biomarker Levels.

Neurologic complications, consisting of the acute development of a neurologic disorder, that is, not present at admission but develops during the course of illness, can be difficult to detect in the PICU due to sedation, neuromuscular blockade, and young age. We evaluated the direct relationships of serum biomarkers and clinical variables to the development of neurologic complications. Analysis was performed using mixed graphical models, a machine learning approach that allows inference of cause-effect associations from continuous and discrete data. Secondary analysis of a previous prospective observational study. PICU, single quaternary-care center. Individuals admitted to the PICU, younger than18 years old, with intravascular access via an indwelling catheter. None. About 101 patients were included in this analysis. Serum (days 1-7) was analyzed for glial fibrillary acidic protein, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1, and alpha-II spectrin breakdown product 150 utilizing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Serum levels of neuron-specific enolase, myelin basic protein, and S100 calcium binding protein B used in these models were reported previously. Demographic data, use of selected clinical therapies, lengths of stay, and ancillary neurologic testing (head CT, brain MRI, and electroencephalogram) results were recorded. The Mixed Graphical Model-Fast-Causal Inference-Maximum algorithm was applied to the dataset. About 13 of 101 patients developed a neurologic complication during their critical illness. The mixed graphical model identified peak levels of the neuronal biomarker neuron-specific enolase and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1, and the astrocyte biomarker glial fibrillary acidic protein to be the direct causal determinants for the development of a neurologic complication; in contrast, clinical variables including age, sex, length of stay, and primary neurologic diagnosis were not direct causal determinants. Graphical models that include biomarkers in addition to clinical data are promising methods to evaluate direct relationships in the development of neurologic complications in critically ill children. Future work is required to validate and refine these models further, to determine if they can be used to predict which patients are at risk for/or with early neurologic complications.

The Effect of Implementing Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Educational Program on Nurses' Knowledge, Practice, and Neonatal Outcomes: Thesis Abstract

The peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have become among the most common technologies employed in the intravenous therapy of neonates as they allow safe long-term intravascular access, comfort, and ease of transition to home therapy that contributed to the increased survival of those newborns. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing peripherally inserted central catheter educational program on nurses' knowledge, practice, and neonatal outcomes. design: pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was conducted on 45 neonatal nurses working at neonatal intensive care units affiliated to Mansoura University Children Hospital (MUCH) with a purposive sample of (20) neonates admitted to NICU throughout six months and need PICC line insertion was enrolled in the study. Tools of data collection: Data were collected by using three tools: Peripherally inserted central catheter insertion questionnaire sheet, PICC line insertion and care observational checklist and neonatal assessment sheet. Results: Majority of studied nurses had poor knowledge and more than half had competent skills about PICC before program implementation while after program implementation there was more than half had average knowledge and two third had competent practices as well as there is decrease in the prevalence of neonatal complication. Conclusion: There was appositive effect of the educational program on nurse’s knowledge and skills as well as neonatal. Recommendation: Continuing of nursing education and practices about PICC lines.

Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters insertion in patient with difficult vascular access: Short axis/out-of-plane versus long axis/in-plane, a randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of successful peripheral cannulation between short-axis and long-axis ultrasound guided techniques. A single-center, two-arm randomized controlled, intention-to-treat, open-label study was conducted at the Emergency Department, between August and November 2020. Patients requiring a peripheral intravenous catheter insertion and identified as having a difficult intravascular access, were enrolled and followed for up to 96 h.The primary endpoint was the correct placement of the peripheral intravenous catheter. The secondary endpoints were number of venipunctures, intra-procedural pain, local complications, and positive blood return during the follow up. A total of 283 patients were enrolled: 141 subjects were randomized to the short-axis and 142 to the long-axis group. Success rate was 96.45% (135/141; 95% CI, 91.92%-98.84%) in the short-axis group compared with 92.25% (132/142; 95% CI, 86.56%-96.07%) in the long-axis group (p = 0.126). No significant differences were found in terms of intraprocedural pain and local complications. Higher rate of positive blood return at 72 h [3/17 long-axis, 14/17 short-axis (p = 0.005)] and 96 h [1/10 long-axis, 9/10 short-axis 96 h, (p = 0.022)] was found for the short-axis group. No differences were found between short-axis and long-axis techniques in terms of success rate, intraprocedural pain, and local complications. Despite this, a slightly higher success rate, a lower number of venipunctures, and a higher rate of positive blood return at 72 and 96 h together with an easier ultrasound technique could suggest a short-axis approach.

Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Intravascular Access Effectiveness

Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Intravascular Access Effectiveness

CT ANGIOGRAPHY FOR DETECTING THE CAUSE OF INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGE IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Background Intracranial hemorrhage is the most serious manifestation of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the most common clinical and anatomical form. The treatment strategy for SAH varies from conservative to emergency surgical treatment and depends on the source of the hemorrhage. Currently, the search for sources is carried out using various methods of diagnostic radiology. Objective To compare the images of intracranial arteries obtained by computed tomography (CT) angiography with the data of cerebral angiography in the acute period of hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space. Material and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 242 patients with acute SAHs from September 2017 to September 2019, examined in the emergency room of the Research Institute – Ochapovsky Regional Hospital no. 1. Results According to CT angiography, the initially occult vascular lesion was verified in 212 patients (87%), of which in 84.0% of cases (205 patients) the cause of SAH was ruptured cerebral aneurysms. In 3 patients, ruptures of arteriovenous malformations were detected (1.2%). In 4 patients, the “cerebral aneurysms” diagnosis was excluded due to the establishment of a hypertensive nature of intracranial hemorrhage (1.7%). In 30 patients, CT angiography revealed no vascular pathology. According to the results of CT angiography only, 225 patients (93%) were microsurgically operated on, and 12 patients (5%) were operated on using intravascular access. Among 30 patients whose vascular pathology was not detected by CT angiography, 6 patients were found to have single aneurysms according to cerebral angiography: the internal carotid artery – in 3 patients, the middle cerebral artery – in 2, and the pericallous artery – in 1 patient. Conclusion CT angiography is a key tool of non-invasive diagnosis of the source of SAH in emergency departments. The absence of vascular pathology on CT angiography in the presence of massive basal SAH, the detection of multiple and “complex” aneurysms, as well as cerebral arteriovenous malformations of the brain during CT angiography remain indications for cerebral angiography.

Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Intravascular Access Effectiveness

Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Intravascular Access Effectiveness

Evaluation of the difficulty of peripheral venous cannulation during anesthesia induction in children: Is DIVA score sufficient?

The primary objective of the present study was to determine the rate and the independent predictors of the difficult peripheral intravascular access (PIVA) in the operating room (OR). The secondary objective was to validate the ability of the difficult intravenous access (DIVA) scoring system in the detection of difficult PIVA in the operating room. In this prospective observational study, patients between 0 and 18 years old who were operated in the pediatric hospital were evaluated. Peripheral intravenous cannulation performed during inhalation induction in 1008 patients were recorded. The following data were collected: demographic characteristics, the presence of a chronic disease, the DIVA score, operating room temperature, the area of PIVA application, the duration of PIVA and the number of PIVA attempts. The independent determinants of the difficult PIVA were determined with multivariate logistic regression. A total of 1008 patients (82% boys) with a median age of 4 (range 0.04-17 years) were included in the study. The median number of PIVA attempts was 1 whereas the median duration for successful PIVA was 15 s (range 4-2100). PIVA was successful at the first attempt in 75.3% of patients. Among patients who required more than two PIVA attempts, the most common adjunctive method was to seek help from another operator (80.8%). In the multivariable logistic regression model, only the presence of chronic disease, being underweight, and DIVA score ⩾4 (OR 6.355, CI 4.57-9.486) remained to be the significant determinants of difficult PIVA. The success rate of anesthesiologist-performed PIVA at the first attempt in the OR was 75.3%. Having a chronic disease, a DIVA score ⩾4 and being underweight appeared as the independent predictors for difficult PIVA.

Intraosseous versus intravenous access while wearing personal protective equipment: a meta-analysis in the era of COVID-19.

Obtaining vascular access is one of the key procedures performed in patients in emergency settings. The study was conducted as a meta‑analysis and a systematic review and aimed to address the following question: which intravascular access method should be used in patients with COVID‑19 when wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE)? We performed a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases for randomized controlled trials that compared intravascular access methods used by operators wearing full level C PPE. We evaluated procedure duration and the success rate of intraosseous and peripheral intravenous accesses. Eight randomized controlled trials were included in quantitative synthesis. The use of PPE during intravascular access procedures had an impact on procedure duration in the case of intraosseous access (mean difference [MD], 11.69; 95% CI, 6.47-16.92; P <0.001), as well as reduced the success rate of intraosseous access by 0.8% and intravenous access by 10.1%. Under PPE conditions, intraosseous access, compared with peripheral intravenous access, offered a shorter procedure time (MD, -41.43; 95% CI, -62.36 to -24.47; P <0.001). This comprehensive meta‑analysis suggested that the use of PPE significantly extends the duration of intravascular procedures. However, under PPE conditions, operators were able to obtain intraosseous access in a shorter time and with a higher success rate than in the case of intravenous access.

Standard versUs peRForated (SURF) peripheral intravenous catheter trial: a pilot randomised controlled trial protocol

Introduction: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scanning requires a large bore peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) to support the high-flow injection of contrast needed to generate a quality image. Unfortunately, not all patients’ veins will tolerate high-flow injection and this can subsequently lead to complications, procedural delays, use of alternate intravascular access, and potential compromise of scan image. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of perforated catheters compared to standard catheters in reducing PIVC complications and failure during high-flow injection for CECT scans. Methods and analysis: This single-centre, parallel-group, pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be undertaken to test the feasibility of conducting a larger trial comparing a PIVC with a novel perforated design to a standard (non-perforated) PIVC. The study will be conducted at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Australia, and the recruitment target is 60 (30 per group). There are two primary outcomes of interest to test: 1) Feasibility of an adequately powered RCT with pre-established criteria for eligibility, recruitment, protocol adherence and retention; and 2) All cause PIVC failure rate. Secondary outcomes to be collected include first insertion success, subtypes of PIVC failure, PIVC dwell time, contrast delivery, and CECT image quality. Adverse and serious adverse events (i.e., extravasation, allergic reaction to the contrast) also will be monitored. Feasibility outcomes will be reported descriptively and assessed against pre-determined acceptability criteria. Statistical comparison methods will be tested. Regression analysis will assess the effect of patient and treatment differences. Ethics and trial commencement: This pilot trial has ethical approval from Queensland Health (HREC/2019/QRBW/55616) and Queensland University of Technology (QUTHREC/1900001090).

Dialysis access as a source of infective endocarditis in dialysis patients

The incidence of Infective Endocarditis (IE) is higher in dialysis patients compared to the general population. A major risk factor for IE in this group stems from bacterial invasion during repeated vascular access. Previous studies have shown increased risk of bacteremia in patients with indwelling dialysis catheters compared to permanent vascular access. However, association between the development of IE and the type of dialysis access is unclear. We aimed to examine the associated types of intravascular access and route of infection in dialysis patients who were admitted with infective endocarditis at our center.All patients admitted to Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia with a diagnosis of infective endocarditis who were on chronic hemodialysis were identified from the hospital database for the period of 1/1/07 to 12/31/18. Modified Duke criteria was used to confirm the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. A total of 96 cases were identified. Of those, 57 patients had an indwelling dialysis catheter while the other 39 had permanent dialysis access. In 82% of patients with dialysis catheters, their dialysis access site was identified as the primary source of infection compared to 30% in those with permanent dialysis access (p<0.001). The number of dialysis catheters placed in the preceding 6 months was strongly associated with endocarditis resulting from the dialysis access site (OR = 3.202, p=0.025). Dialysis catheters are more likely to serve as the source of infection in dialysis patients developing IE compared to permanent dialysis access. Increased awareness of risk of IE associated with dialysis catheters is warranted.

Comparison of different chest compression positions for use while wearing CBRN-PPE: a randomized crossover simulation trial

Background: The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic forces paramedics to take medical rescue operations using personal protective equipment (PPE) for aerosol-generating procedures (AGP). The use of PPE-AGP may reduce the effectiveness of the procedures performed, including airway management, intravascular access, or chest compression. The goal of the current study was to compare the quality by which a chest compression during simulated COVID-19 resuscitation while wearing PPE-AGP. A secondary goal was to assess provider preferences with standard versus OHD chest compression methods while wearing PPE-AGP. Methods: This is a randomized cross-over single-blinded study involving 37 paramedics performing 2-min continuous chest compression using two methods: the standard chest compression (CC) method during which the rescuer takes a position to the side of the victim (STD) and over-the-head position (OHD). During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, study participants wore Class C PPE-AGP. Both the order of study participants and compression methods were random. The results were blinded before statistical analysis. The compression rate per minute (CPM), CC depth as well as full chest recoil were measured. The analysis was undertaken using STATISTICA (V13.3EN). Results : Mean chest compression depth using distinct CC methods varied and amounted to 42 ± 2mm for STD vs. 46 ± 4mm for OHD (p < 0.001). Chest compressions based on the OHD method were associated with a lower frequency of chest compressions (107 ± 7CPM) compared with STD (114.5 ± 8; p< 0.001). A higher percentage of full chest recoil was observed in the case of STD (42 ± 6%) than in the case of OHD (34 ± 10%). Conclusions: Based on the current simulation trial, it is impossible to clearly determine which method (STD vs. OHD) is more effective in resuscitation with PPE-AGP. Paramedics wearing PPE-AGP achieved better chest compression depth for OHD compared to the STD, however, OHD resuscitation causes a lower degree of full chest relaxation. A further well-designed clinical study looking at efficacy, safety, and outcomes is needed to confirm current results.

Changing patterns in paediatric medical emergency team (MET) activations over 20 years in a single specialist paediatric hospital

BackgroundThe Medical Emergency Team (MET) model was first introduced in the early 1990s and aimed to intervene at an earlier stage of patient clinical deterioration. This study aimed to describe the changes in patient demographics, patterns of activation and clinical outcomes of MET activations at our specialist paediatric hospital across a 20-year period providing the longest duration Medical Emergency Team data set published to date. MethodsThis single-centre observational study prospectively collected data about MET events at a single specialist paediatric hospital in Australia from 1995 to 2014. Patient demographics, activation patterns and clinical outcomes from MET activations were analysed for the 20-year period. Results771 MET events were included in analysis. Most MET events involved children aged <5 years (median age 36 months) with decreased incidence on weekends and night shift. The most frequent reasons stated for MET activation were seizure and respiratory compromise and the most commonly recorded MET interventions were bag-valve-mask ventilation and intravascular access. There was an increase in MET event frequency (MET events per 1000 hospital separations) in the second decade of the service compared to the first (3.25 vs 1.42, p ​< ​0.001) with fewer events for cardiopulmonary arrest but more for respiratory, cardiovascular or neurological compromise. ConclusionsThis study describes the longest duration MET data set published to date. The 20-year span of data demonstrates increased utilisation of the MET system and activation for patients earlier in their deterioration. The data should inform both health service planning and educational requirements for MET providers.

A Comparative Study of Intramuscular Alfaxalone- or Ketamine-Based Anesthetic Mixtures in Gray Squirrels Undergoing Gonadectomy: Clinical and Physiologic Findings.

Simple SummaryThe loss of biodiversity is continuing at an alarming rate worldwide and continuous efforts are required to conserve and protect species and habitats. In 2011, Europe adopted the EU Biodiversity Strategy, aiming to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The increasing number of alien species is one of the leading environmental emergencies. The gray squirrel, introduced to Europe from the USA, is one of the most common and feared invasive species. The introduction of this non-native species is endangering the survival of the smaller native squirrel, called the “common European” or “red” squirrel. The gray squirrel has a devastating impact on native populations of red squirrels as it outcompetes them for food and territory, in addition to carrying diseases. Sterilization is an indirect and humane method for the eradication of gray squirrels; however anesthetic protocols have not yet been standardized. This study describes two anesthetic protocols used to induce chemical immobilization for safe handling, in order to perform the gonadectomy, simultaneously allowing a fast recovery, followed by re-introduction in urban parks. The two anesthetic protocols included a combination of dexmedetomidine and midazolam with either alfaxalone or ketamine. Comparisons of their efficacy and evaluations of their physiologic effects are reported.The gray squirrel is one of the most common invasive species in Europe, whose presence is dangerous for the survival of the European red squirrel. To cope with this biological invasion and to safeguard biodiversity, the LIFE+U-SAVEREDS project aims to protect the red squirrel, by limiting the growth of the current population of gray squirrels and simultaneously promoting their eradication with surgical sterilization. This study compares two different anesthetic protocols, including dexmedetomidine (40 µg/kg) and midazolam (0.3 mg/kg) associated with ketamine (15 mg/kg; n = 25 squirrels) or alfaxalone (5 mg/kg; n = 22 squirrels). A blinded investigator evaluated the quality and onset of sedation, intraoperative anesthesia, and recovery, as well as the physiologic parameters for each animal. Alfaxalone provided a good quality of anesthesia with limited cardiovascular effects (p < 0.05) and good intraoperative myorelaxation. Ketamine induced complete relaxation in a shorter time (p < 0.05) and a rapid (p < 0.001) and excellent (p < 0.05) recovery. Despite the overall superiority of ketamine, alfaxalone appeared to be an adequate alternative anesthetic drug that can be administered without requiring intravascular access. It should be rapidly metabolized and excreted; however, it requires the combination of longer acting sedatives/myorelaxants to prevent a poor recovery quality.

Which intravascular access technique should we use for covid-19 patient resuscitation: a preliminary investigation

Which intravascular access technique should we use for covid-19 patient resuscitation: a preliminary investigation

Tibial Intraosseous Administration of Epinephrine Is Effective in Restoring Return of Spontaneous Circulation in a Pediatric Normovolemic But Not Hypovolemic Cardiac Arrest Model.

We compared the efficacy of tibial intraosseous (TIO) administration of epinephrine in a pediatric normovolemic versus hypovolemic cardiac arrest model to determine the incidence of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and plasma epinephrine concentrations over time. This experimental study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of epinephrine and/or incidence of ROSC after TIO administration in either a normovolemic or hypovolemic pediatric swine model. All subjects in the TIO normovolemia cardiac arrest group experienced ROSC after TIO administration of epinephrine. In contrast, subjects experiencing hypovolemia and cardiac arrest were significantly less likely to experience ROSC when epinephrine was administered TIO versus intravenous (TIO hypovolemia: 14% [1/7] vs IV hypovolemia: 71% [5/7]; P = 0.031). The TIO hypovolemia group exhibited significantly lower plasma epinephrine concentrations versus IV hypovolemia at 60, 90, 120, and 150 seconds (P < 0.05). Although the maximum concentration of plasma epinephrine was similar, the TIO hypovolemia group exhibited significantly slower time to maximum concentration times versus TIO normovolemia subjects (P = 0.004). Tibial intraosseous administration of epinephrine reliably facilitated ROSC among normovolemic cardiac arrest pediatric patients, which is consistent with published reports. However, TIO administration of epinephrine was ineffective in restoring ROSC among subjects experiencing hypovolemia and cardiac arrest. Tibial intraosseous-administered epinephrine during hypovolemia and cardiac arrest may have resulted in a potential sequestration of epinephrine in the tibia. Central or peripheral intravascular access attempts should not be abandoned after successful TIO placement in the resuscitation of patients experiencing concurrent hypovolemia and cardiac arrest.

Simulation and Training of Needle Puncture Procedure with a Patient-Specific 3D Printed Gluteal Artery Model.

The puncture of the gluteal artery (GA) is a rare and difficult procedure. Less experienced clinicians do not always have the opportunity to practice and prepare for it, which creates a need for novel training tools. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of developing a 3D-printed, patient-specific phantom of the GA and its surrounding tissues to determine the extent to which the model can be used as an aid in needle puncture planning, simulation, and training. Computed tomography angiography scans of a patient with an endoleak to an internal iliac artery aneurysm with no intravascular antegrade access were processed. The arterial system, including the superior GA with its division branches, and pelvic area bones were 3D printed. The 3D model was embedded in the buttocks-shaped, patient-specific mold and cast. The manufactured, life-sized phantom was used to simulate the GA puncture procedure and was validated by 13 endovascular specialists. The printed GA was visible in the fluoroscopy, allowing for a needle puncture procedure simulation. The contrast medium was administered, simulating a digital subtraction angiography. Participating doctors suggested that the model could make a significant impact on preprocedural planning and resident training programs. Although the results are promising, we recommend that further studies be used to adjust the design and assess its clinical value.