The role of routine pre-operative bedside echocardiography in detecting aortic stenosis in patients with a hip fracture

Intraoperative haemodynamic monitoring and management of adults having non-cardiac surgery: Guidelines of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine in collaboration with the German Association of the Scientific Medical Societies

Haemodynamic monitoring and management are cornerstones of perioperative care. The goal of haemodynamic management is to maintain organ function by ensuring adequate perfusion pressure, blood flow, and oxygen delivery. We here present guidelines on "Intraoperative haemodynamic monitoring and management of adults having non-cardiac surgery" that were prepared by 18 experts on behalf of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und lntensivmedizin; DGAI).

Preoperative Echocardiographic Unknown Valvopathy Evaluation in Elderly Patients Undergoing Neuraxial Anesthesia during Major Orthopedic Surgery: A Mono-Centric Retrospective Study

Background: The assessment of cardiac risk is challenging for elderly patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery with preoperative functional limitations. Currently, no specific cardiac risk scores are available for these critical patients. Echocardiography may be a reliable and safe instrument for assessing cardiac risks in this population. This study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of echocardiography in elderly orthopedic patients, its impact on anesthesiologic management, and postoperative Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACEs). Methods: This is a retrospective, one-arm, monocentric study conducted at ''Federico II'' Hospital-University of Naples-from January to December 2023, where 59 patients undergoing hip or knee revision surgery under neuraxial anesthesia were selected. The demographic data, the clinical history, and the results of preoperative Echocardiography screening (pEco-s) were collected. After extensive descriptive statistics, the χ2 test was used to compare the valvopathies and impaired Left Ventricular Function (iLVEF) prevalence before and after echocardiography screening and the incidence of postoperative MACE; a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 72.5 ± 6.9, and the prevalence of cardiac risk factors was about 90%. The cumulative prevalence of iLVEF and valvopathy was higher after the screening (p < 0.001). The pEco-s diagnosed 25 new valvopathies: three of them were moderate-severe. No patients had MACE. Conclusions: pEco-s evaluation could discover unknown heart valve pathology; more studies are needed to understand if pEco-s could affect the anesthetic management of patients with functional limitations, preventing the incidence of MACE, and assessing its cost-effectiveness.

Aortic Stenosis Management in Patients With Acute Hip Fracture

The treatment of severe aortic stenosis (SAS) has evolved rapidly with the advent of minimally invasive structural heart interventions. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has allowed patients to undergo definitive SAS treatment achieving faster recovery rates compared to valve surgery. Not infrequently, patients are admitted/diagnosed with SAS after a fall associated with a hip fracture (HFx). While urgent orthopedic surgery is key to reduce disability and mortality, untreated SAS increases the perioperative risk and precludes physical recovery. There is no consensus on what the best strategy is either hip correction under hemodynamic monitoring followed by valve replacement or preoperative balloon aortic valvuloplasty to allow HFx surgery followed by valve replacement. However, preoperative minimalist transcatheter aortic valve replacement may represent an attractive strategy for selected patients. We provide a management pathway that emphasizes an early multidisciplinary approach to optimize time for hip surgery to improve orthopedic and cardiovascular outcomes in patients presenting with HFx-SAS.

Preoperative evaluation of systolic murmur with point-of-care echocardiography before an elective thoracic surgery - A case report

BACKGROUND

Systolic murmur suggesting the association of aortic valve (AV) stenosis or obstructive pathology in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) usually requires preoperative echocardiographic evaluation for elective surgery.

CASE

In a 63-year-old female patient undergoing elective thoracic surgery, the systolic murmur was auscultated on the right sternal border of the second intercostal space in the preoperative patient holding area. Point-of-care (POC) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) demonstrated a systolic jet flow in the LVOT area. The peak systolic velocity of the continuous wave Doppler tracing, aligned to the LVOT and the AV, was approximately 1.5 m/s. The peak/mean pressure gradient was 11/6 mmHg for the AV and 9/5 mmHg for the LVOT. Anesthesia was induced under continuous TTE imaging. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography also confirmed the absence of any cardiac pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

POC echocardiography offered a thorough preoperative evaluation of an unexpectedly identified systolic murmur, avoiding a potential delay in the operation schedule for conventional preoperative echocardiographic evaluation.

Preoperative echocardiography in patients with hip fracture: a prospective cohort study

Introduction

Although clinical guidelines suggest echocardiography before surgery in patients with hip fracture, no prospective studies exist in the literature. The aim of the present investigation was to assess whether preoperative echocardiography affects time to surgery, length of hospital stay (LOS), and in hospital mortality in high-risk patients who need surgery for a hip fracture.

Material and methods

In the study entered 255 consecutive patients with hip fracture referred to a multidisciplinary hip fracture unit. Seven hundred seventeen patients referred before the implementation of routine echocardiographic examination were considered as control group. Echocardiography was performed in patients with systolic murmurs, unstable clinical conditions, recent decompensation of heart failure or hospital admission for coronary disease. Time to surgery, LOS, and in hospital mortality in patients who underwent preoperative echocardiography (high-risk group) were compared with patients who did not undergo echo (low-risk group) and with the control group.

Results

122/255 patients underwent echocardiography. The two groups did not differ for age, sex, type or fracture, and notably time to surgery and LOS. Coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and two or more comorbidities were more frequent in the echo group. Overall clinical characteristics were not different from group of patients referred before the implementation of the echocardiographic protocol but in these last patients time to surgery and LOS were significantly longer. As well in hospital mortality was not significantly different in the two groups (1.9 in echo vs. 1.7% in nonecho) but lower than in the control group (4.1% ).

Conclusions

An echocardiographic guide may be useful in a high-risk group with a hip fracture to choose the proper anesthetic setting, referral for intensive care observation after surgery and, optimal medical treatment, including fluid management without delay in time to surgery.

Preoperative echocardiography for patients with hip fractures undergoing surgery in a low-resource setting: Asset or obstacle?

The aim of this study was to determine the rate of preoperative transthoracic echocardiography in hip fracture patients and to evaluate its effects on time to surgery and length of stay. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with hip fractures treated at a tertiary referral hospital. Data examined included age, sex, comorbidities, time to surgery, length of stay, fracture type and transthoracic echocardiography findings. Forty-eight patients with hip fractures underwent surgery (men 41.7%; mean age 77.2 (49-95)). Nine patients (18.7%) had a preoperative transthoracic echocardiography. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography was associated with a significantly longer time to surgery an abbreviation for days e.g dys should be added after the values to indicate what time frame is being measured (14.7 versus 6.8, p = 0.0051) and length of stay (23.6 versus 10.4, p = 0.0002). This study demonstrates a high rate of preoperative transthoracic echocardiography in hip fracture patients. The role of transthoracic echocardiography should be reassessed in view of its association with significant surgical delays.

Hip Fracture Surgery in Severe Aortic Stenosis: A Study of Factors Affecting Mortality

Background

Purpose

Patients and Methods

Results

Conclusion

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine expert panel recommendations on point-of-care ultrasound education and training for regional anesthesiologists and pain physicians-part I: clinical indications

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a critical skill for all regional anesthesiologists and pain physicians to help diagnose relevant complications related to routine practice and guide perioperative management. In an effort to inform the regional anesthesia and pain community as well as address a need for structured education and training, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) commissioned this narrative review to provide recommendations for POCUS. The guidelines were written by content and educational experts and approved by the Guidelines Committee and the Board of Directors of the ASRA. In part I of this two-part series, clinical indications for POCUS in the perioperative and chronic pain setting are described. The clinical review addresses airway ultrasound, lung ultrasound, gastric ultrasound, the focus assessment with sonography for trauma examination and focused cardiac ultrasound for the regional anesthesiologist and pain physician. It also provides foundational knowledge regarding ultrasound physics, discusses the impact of handheld devices and finally, offers insight into the role of POCUS in the pediatric population.

Guideline for the management of hip fractures 2020: Guideline by the Association of Anaesthetists

We convened a multidisciplinary Working Party on behalf of the Association of Anaesthetists to update the 2011 guidance on the peri-operative management of people with hip fracture. Importantly, these guidelines describe the core aims and principles of peri-operative management, recommending greater standardisation of anaesthetic practice as a component of multidisciplinary care. Although much of the 2011 guidance remains applicable to contemporary practice, new evidence and consensus inform the additional recommendations made in this document. Specific changes to the 2011 guidance relate to analgesia, medicolegal practice, risk assessment, bone cement implantation syndrome and regional review networks. Areas of controversy remain, and we discuss these in further detail, relating to the mode of anaesthesia, surgical delay, blood management and transfusion thresholds, echocardiography, anticoagulant and antiplatelet management and postoperative discharge destination. Finally, these guidelines provide links to supplemental online material that can be used at readers' institutions, key references and UK national guidance about the peri-operative care of people with hip and periprosthetic fractures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severe aortic stenosis is associated with perioperative mortality in proximal femur fracture patients

Objectives:

Evaluate the correlation between aortic stenosis and perioperative mortality in patients following surgical fixation of proximal femur fractures.

Design:

Retrospectively reviewed case series.

Setting:

Two Academic, Level 1 Trauma Centers.

Patients/Participants:

One hundred fifty-eight patients, definitively diagnosed with aortic stenosis by means of echocardiogram, who underwent surgical fixation for an isolated proximal femur fracture (OTA/AO 31-A, 31-B, 32-A, 32-B, and 32-C fractures) between January 2000 and June 2015. The severity of the aortic stenosis was based upon accepted echocardiographic hemodynamic parameters designated by the 2014 American Heart Association guidelines.

Main Outcome Measures:

Post Injury mortality, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Postoperative mortality stratified by severity of aortic stenosis based on aortic valve area (AVA) and ejection fracture (EF) as determined by preoperative echocardiography.

Results:

One hundred fifty-eight patients were available for final analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly longer time to mortality among Non-severe aortic stenosis patients compared to Severe aortic stenosis patients, P value .006. Twenty-three percent of patients with Severe aortic stenosis and 10% of patients with Non-severe aortic stenosis died within 30 days of surgery. No significant difference was observed in mean survival among AS patients who underwent surgery within 48 hours of injury (34.5 months) and those delayed more than 48 hours after injury (25.0 months), P value .116. Among the commonly measured hemodynamic parameters of aortic stenosis, only AVA and EF were significantly associated with mortality, P value .015, and P value < .001, respectively. There were no significant effects for Aortic Vmax, Peak ΔP, and Mean ΔP. An AVA of 0.8 cm² or less is associated with a significantly shorter (22 months) postinjury mortality than patients with an AVA > 0.8 cm^2. (37 months), P value .009.

Conclusions:

Severe aortic stenosis is associated with a shorter postoperative time to mortality after surgical fixation of hip fractures compared to patients with Non-severe stenosis. Aortic valve area and Ejection Fraction are the only hemodynamic parameters significantly associated with postoperative mortality.

Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III

Surgical Critical Care for the Trauma Patient with Cardiac Disease

The elderly population is rapidly increasing in number. Therefore, geriatric trauma is becoming more prevalent. All practitioners caring for geriatric trauma patients should be familiar with the structural and functional changes naturally occurring in the aging heart, as well as common preexisting cardiac diseases in the geriatric population. Identification of the shock state related to cardiac dysfunction and targeted assessment of perfusion and resuscitation are important when managing elderly patients. Finally, management of cardiac dysfunction in the trauma patient includes an appreciation of the inherent effects of trauma on cardiac function.

The Preoperative Patient With a Systolic Murmur

Context:

Patients with undifferentiated systolic murmurs present commonly during the perioperative period. Traditional bedside assessment and auscultation has not changed significantly in almost 200 years and relies on interpreting indirect acoustic events as a means of evaluating underlying cardiac pathology. This is notoriously inaccurate, even in expert cardiology hands, since many different valvular and cardiac diseases present with a similar auditory signal.

Evidence Acquisition:

The data on systolic murmurs, physical examination, perioperative valvular disease in the setting of non-cardiac surgery is reviewed.

Results:

Significant valvular heart disease increases perioperative risk in major non-cardiac surgery and increases long term patient morbidity and mortality. We propose a more modern approach to physical examination that incorporates the use of focused echocardiography to allow direct visualization of cardiac structure and function. This improves the diagnostic accuracy of clinical assessment, allows rational planning of surgery and anaesthesia technique, risk stratification, postoperative monitoring and appropriate referral to physicians and cardiologists.

Conclusions:

With a thorough preoperative assessment incorporating focused echocardiography, anaesthetists are in the unique position to enhance their role as perioperative physicians and influence short and long term outcomes of their patients.

Decreased left ventricular (LV) function is associated with hip-fractures

BACKGROUND

Several risk factors for falls and hip-fractures have been recognized, but controversy still exists toward the importance of structural cardiac abnormalities as a potentially modifiable risk factor for recurrent falls. Aim of this study was to determine the association between echocardiographic abnormalities and hip-fractures.

METHODS

Design case-control study within consecutive patients undergoing hip-surgery in an academic hospital.

CASES

patients with traumatic hip-fractures.

CONTROLS

patients undergoing planned hip surgery (non-traumatic).

INCLUSION CRITERIA

age≥50 years, presence of pre-operative echocardiogram.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

high energy trauma, pathological and/or previous hip-fracture.

OUTCOME

echocardiographic abnormalities (ventricular function, atrial enlargement, valve stenosis and/or regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ≥35mmHg)). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and to correct for confounders.

RESULTS

We included 197 patients (141 cases). Mean age was 77 years (SD), 65% female. After adjustment for potential confounders, decreased LV systolic function was associated with hip-fractures (OR 3.2 [95%CI 1.1-9.1]). Increasing severity of LV dysfunction was also associated with hip-fractures (p for trend=0.012).

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, patients with traumatic hip-fracture had greater risk of decreased LV function than patients who underwent planned hip-surgery. Possibly, decreased LV function is an underestimated risk factor for injurious falls.

Echocardiography and the non-cardiac anaesthetist

Echocardiography is destined to revolutionize perioperative and intensive care medicine, as it has already in cardiac anaesthesia. This article reviews the evidence underlining why now is the time for general anaesthetists to get involved in this rapidly evolving field.

[Continuous spinal anesthesia and pulmonary arterial hypertension]

We report the use of continuous spinal anesthesia for hip fracture surgery in a patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Preoperative evaluation, anesthetic technique and preoperative monitoring are discussed.