Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of Aaorta Use in Nontrauma Emergency General Surgery: A Multi-institutional Experience

Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for Nontraumatic Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in the US

This cohort study describes the use of and outcomes for resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for managing nontraumatic gastrointestinal bleeding.

Focused Ultrasonography in Cardiac Arrest

Rapid diagnostic tools available to the emergency physician caring for cardiac arrest patients are limited. Focused ultrasound (US), and in particular, focused echocardiography, is a useful tool in the evaluation of patients in cardiac arrest. It can help identify possible causes of cardiac arrest like tamponade and pulmonary embolism, which can guide therapy. US can also yield prognostic information, with lack of cardiac activity being highly specific for failure to achieve return of spontaneous circulation. US may also be used to aid in procedural guidance. Recently, focused transesophageal echocardiography has been used in the emergency department setting.

Editor's Choice - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Lower Extremity Vascular Complications after Arterial Access for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA): An Inevitable Concern?

OBJECTIVE

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is used to temporise non-compressible torso haemorrhage. Recent data have suggested that vascular access complications secondary to REBOA placement are higher than initially anticipated. This updated systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled incidence rate of lower extremity arterial complications after REBOA.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, Embase, conference abstract listings, and clinical trial registries.

REVIEW METHODS

Studies including more than five adults undergoing emergency REBOA for exsanguinating haemorrhage that reported access site complications were eligible for inclusion. A pooled meta-analysis of vascular complications was performed using the DerSimonian-Laird weights for the random effects model, presented as a Forest plot. Further meta-analyses compared the relative risk of access complications between different sheath sizes, percutaneous access techniques, and indications for REBOA. Risk of bias was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies (MINORS) tool.

RESULTS

No randomised controlled trials were identified, and the overall study quality was poor. Twenty-eight studies including 887 adults were identified. REBOA was performed for trauma in 713 cases. The pooled proportion rate of vascular access complications was 8.6% (95% confidence interval 4.97 - 12.97), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 67.6%). There was no significant difference in the relative risk of access complications between 7 and > 10 F sheaths (p = .54), or between ultrasound guided and landmark guided access (p = .081). However, traumatic haemorrhage was associated with a significantly higher risk of complications compared with non-traumatic haemorrhage (p = .034).

CONCLUSION

This updated meta-analysis aimed to be as comprehensive as possible considering the poor quality of source data and high risk of bias. It suggested that lower extremity vascular complications were higher than originally suspected after REBOA. While the technical aspects did not appear to impact the safety profile, a cautious association could be drawn between REBOA use for traumatic haemorrhage and a higher risk of arterial complications.

Massive Transfusion Activations in Non-Trauma Patients

Introduction

Massive transfusion activations (MTAs) are commonly used in the care of the trauma patient. However, MTA for trauma patients constitutes only a small fraction of MpTA at our institution. The aim of this study was to characterize MTA in non-trauma patients to better understand how this strategy is employed at a larger tertiary hospital.

Methods

All MTA involving non-trauma patients from January 2017 to April 2019 were reviewed. Patients with unclear indications for MTA were excluded. Data collected included patient demographics, reason for MTA, transfusion ratios, use of adjunctive antifibrinolytics, use of viscoelastic testing, and vasopressor administration at the time of MTA.

Results

There were 328 patients and 353 MTA identified over the study period. The mean age was 52.0 years and 40.9% were male. Patients were most commonly under the care of a medical service (55.2%), while 25.3% were obstetric patients and 19.5% were surgical patients. Compliance with 1:1:1 transfusion ratios was low. Concomitant vasopressor use was high (70.8%), while antifibrinolytic agents (13.0%) and viscoelastic testing (19.0%) were used less commonly. The overall mortality of the study population was 56.1%.

Conclusions

Massive transfusion activations are frequently used in non-trauma patients. There was a low rate of adherence to 1:1:1 transfusion ratios as well as utilization of adjuncts and tools that could allow for targeted resuscitation. Understanding practice patterns relating to MTA may allow for an opportunity for improvement.

Case Report: Lifesaving Hemostasis With Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta in a Patient With Cardiac Arrest Caused by Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is performed to treat hemorrhagic shock, whose cause is located below the diaphragm. However, its use in patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage is relatively rare. The 45-year-old man with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy had experienced epigastric discomfort and had an episode of presyncope. On his presentation, the patient's blood pressure was 82/64 mmHg, heart rate 140/min, and consciousness level GCS E4V5M6. Hemodynamics stabilized rapidly with a transfusion that was administered on an emergency basis, and a blood sample only showed mild anemia (Hb, 11.5 g/dL). The patient was admitted to investigating the presyncope episode, and the planned endoscopy was scheduled the following day. The patient had an episode of presyncope soon and was found in hemorrhagic shock resulting from a duodenal ulcer rapidly deteriorated to cardiac arrest. Although a spontaneous heartbeat was restored with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the patient's hemodynamics were unstable despite the emergency blood transfusion administered by pumping. Consequently, a REBOA device was placed, resuscitation was continued, and hemostasis was achieved by vascular embolization for the gastroduodenal artery. The patient was subsequently discharged without complications. However, there is no established evidence regarding the REBOA use in upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and the investigations that have been reported have been limited. Further, one recent research suggests that appropriate patient selection and early use may improve survival in these life-threatening cases. As was seen in the present case, REBOA can effectively treat upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage by temporarily stabilizing hemodynamics and enabling a hemostatic procedure to be quickly performed during that time. This report also demonstrated the hemodynamics during the combination of intermittent and partial REBOA to avoid the complications of ischemic or reperfusion injury of the intestines or lower extremities.

Quantifying the need for pediatric REBOA: A gap analysis

BACKGROUND

Trauma is the leading cause of death in children. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) provides temporary hemorrhage control, but its potential benefit has not been assessed in children. We hypothesized that there are pediatric patients who may benefit from REBOA.

METHODS

Trauma patients <18 years old at a level 1 pediatric trauma center between 2009 and 2019 were queried for deaths, pre-hospital cardiac arrest, massive transfusion protocol activation, transfusion requirement, or hemorrhage control surgery. These patients defined the cohort of severely injured patients. From this cohort, patients with intraabdominal injuries for which REBOA may provide temporary hemorrhage control were identified, including solid organ injury necessitating intervention, vascular injury, or pelvic hemorrhage.

RESULTS

There were 239 severely injured patients out of 6538 pediatric traumas. Of these, 38 had REBOA-amenable injuries (15.9%) with 34.2% mortality, accounting for 10.2% of all pediatric trauma deaths at one center. Eleven patients with REBOA-amenable injuries had TBI (28.9%). Patients with REBOA-amenable injuries represented 0.6% of all pediatric traumas.

CONCLUSION

Nearly 20% of severely injured pediatric patients could potentially benefit from REBOA. The overall proportion of pediatric patients with REBOA-amenable injuries is similar to adult studies.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective comparative study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

[Aortoesophageal fistula-A rare differential diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding]

Approximately 1% of all patients are admitted to an emergency room for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Differential diagnostics reveal an aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) as the cause of the bleeding in very few cases. Despite increasing means of diagnostics and treatment, mortality is high in patients with AEF even under maximum medical care. These are often fulminant situations with fatal outcome for the patient. We report a case that supports this observation described from previous cases and give a closer look at this rare emergency situation. A 54-year-old patient was taken to a maximum care hospital with the clinical diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding after receiving emergency medical treatment. The source of bleeding was quickly identified as an AEF following lobectomy for bronchial cancer. Despite maximum interventional intensive treatment, the patient died a few hours after hospital admission in hemorrhagic shock due to fulminant hemorrhage from the fistula.