Dysphagia in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective study

To investigate dysphagia after extubation in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We retrospectively examined patients with severe COVID-19 treated in our hospital between August 2021 and March 2022. Feeding outcomes were categorized into two groups-(1) total oral intake, and (2) difficulty in oral intake. To assess the feeding outcome, we used modified water-swallowing test (MWST) for all patients. However, in cases where aspiration or recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was suspected, we conducted the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing after MWST. Patient data were collected from medical records. Forty-six patients with severe COVID-19 were included. Among the 46 patients, 14 (30.4%) experienced difficulties with oral intake. Older age, longer length of hospitalization, duration of mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, diabetes, and higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) at the time of intubation were associated with difficulty in oral intake. The rate of difficulty with oral intake in patients with severe COVID-19 was 30.4%, which is not as high as reported in previous studies. Older age, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, diabetes, and higher levels of CRP and PCT were associated with the prevalence of oral intake difficulty, suggesting that early attention should be paid to high-risk patients who have preexisting deterioration of swallowing function due to aging and comorbidities, or who have prolonged intubation or tracheostomy to prevent aspiration pneumonia.

Circulating Syndecan-1 Levels Are Associated with Chronological Coagulofibrinolytic Responses and the Development of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) after Trauma: A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between endotheliopathy represented by high levels of circulating syndecan-1 (SDC-1) and coagulofibrinolytic responses due to trauma, which can lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 48 eligible trauma patients immediately admitted to our hospital and assessed SDC-1 and coagulofibrinolytic parameters for 7 days after admission. We compared the longitudinal changes of coagulofibrinolytic parameters and SDC-1 levels between two groups (high and low SDC-1) according to median SDC-1 value on admission.

RESULTS

The median circulating SDC-1 level was 99.6 (61.1-214.3) ng/mL on admission, and levels remained high until 7 days after admission. Coagulofibrinolytic responses assessed by biomarkers immediately after trauma were correlated with SDC-1 elevation (thrombin-antithrombin complex, TAT: r = 0.352, p = 0.001; antithrombin, AT: r = -0.301, p < 0.001; plasmin-α₂-plasmin inhibitor complex, PIC: r = 0.503, p = 0.035; tissue plasminogen activator, tPA: r = 0.630, p < 0.001). Sustained SDC-1 elevation was associated with intense and prolonged coagulation activation, impairment of anticoagulation, and fibrinolytic activation followed by inhibition of fibrinolysis, which are the primary responses associated with development of DIC in the acute phase of trauma. Elevation of circulating SDC-1 level was also associated with consumption coagulopathy and the need for transfusion, which revealed a significant association between high SDC-1 levels and the development of DIC after trauma (area under the curve, AUC = 0.845, cut-off value = 130.38 ng/mL, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High circulating levels of syndecan-1 were associated with intense and prolonged coagulation activation, impairment of anticoagulation, fibrinolytic activation, and consumption coagulopathy after trauma. Endotheliopathy represented by SDC-1 elevation was associated with trauma induced coagulopathy, which can lead to the development of DIC.

Dynamic coagulofibrinolytic responses under long-term VV-ECMO management without anticoagulation in a COVID-19-ARDS patient: A case report

RATIONALE

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is recommended for the treatment of critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, ECMO management can cause both bleeding and thrombotic complications. There are insufficient coagulofibrinolytic data for appropriate ECMO management in patients with COVID-19.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 48-year-old man with severe COVID-19-acute respiratory distress syndrome underwent long-term venovenous ECMO management for 48 days. Refractory oronasal bleeding developed on day 13, so the administration of unfractionated heparin was ceased for 29 days.

DIAGNOSIS

The patient showed dynamic coagulofibrinolytic responses associated with ECMO management, as shown by fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products, soluble fibrin, thrombin-antithrombin complex, and plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complex elevations, suggesting the development of ECMO-induced coagulopathy.

INTERVENTIONS

We assessed coagulofibrinolytic markers to decide the appropriate timing for controlling excessive activation of coagulation by exchanging ECMO circuits. Moreover, viscoelastic hemostatic assays were used for adequate transfusion of blood products.

OUTCOMES

Safe long-term ECMO management was completed, which was withdrawn on day 48. The patient was weaned off mechanical ventilation on day 57 and was transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation.

LESSONS

Monitoring the coagulofibrinolytic status using markers and viscoelastic hemostatic assays may be effective for safe long-term ECMO management even without anticoagulant therapy.

Cricotracheostomy for patients with severe COVID-19: A case control study

Background

Tracheostomy is an important procedure for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Older age and obesity have been reported to be associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and prolonged intubation, and anticoagulants are often administered in patients with severe COVID-19; these factors are also related to a higher risk of tracheostomy. Cricotracheostomy, a modified procedure for opening the airway through intentional partial cricoid cartilage resection, was recently reported to be useful in cases with low-lying larynx, obesity, stiff neck, and bleeding tendency. Here, we investigated the usefulness and safety of cricotracheostomy for severe COVID-19 patients.

Materials and methods

Fifteen patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent cricotracheostomy between January 2021 and April 2022 with a follow-up period of ≥ 14 days were included in this study. Forty patients with respiratory failure not related to COVID-19 who underwent traditional tracheostomy between January 2015 and April 2022 comprised the control group. Data were collected from medical records and comprised age, sex, body mass index, interval from intubation to tracheostomy, use of anticoagulants, complications of tracheostomy, and decannulation.

Results

Age, sex, and days from intubation to tracheostomy were not significantly different between the COVID-19/cricotracheostomy and control/traditional tracheostomy groups. Body mass index was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group than that in the control group (P = 0.02). The rate of use of anticoagulants was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Peri-operative bleeding, subcutaneous emphysema, and stomal infection rates were not different between the groups, while stomal granulation was significantly less in the COVID-19 group (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

These results suggest that cricotracheostomy is a safe procedure in patients with severe COVID-19.

Laryngeal complications after endotracheal intubation and prone positioning in patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Objectives

Laryngeal complications have been reported after endotracheal intubation and prone positioning in patients with critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but their association is unclear. In this study, we investigated the rate of laryngeal complications in patients with COVID-19 compared to an alternative condition (control group).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 40 patients who underwent endotracheal intubation for either COVID-19 or an alternative condition (control group). Data on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, use of prone therapy, duration of endotracheal intubation, and duration from extubation/tracheostomy to laryngeal evaluation were collected from medical records.

Results

There were no significant differences in BMI, frequency of CVD risk factors, duration of endotracheal intubation, or duration from extubation/tracheostomy to laryngeal evaluation between the two groups. In the COVID-19 group, all patients adopted the prone position. In comparison, only one patient in the control group adopted the prone position. Significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding the incidence of vocal fold immobility and laryngeal granuloma.

Conclusion

Laryngeal complications were more common in the COVID-19 group than in the control group. Prone positioning may be a risk factor for these complications.

Level of Evidence

4.

ADAMTS13 activity decreases in the early phase of trauma associated with coagulopathy and systemic inflammation: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

We conducted a prospective observational study for investigating the changes in the 13th member of a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif (ADAMTS13) and its association with the coagulofibrinolytic response in adult trauma patients.

METHODS

In 39 trauma patients hospitalized for longer than 7 days, time-course changes in biomarkers of coagulofibrinolysis and systemic inflammation along with ADAMTS13 activity were examined. The patients were stratified into three groups based on ADAMTS13 activities on admission (day 0): normal group (≥70%), mildly decreased group (≥50 and < 70%) and moderately decreased group (< 50%).

RESULTS

Among 39 patients with a median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 20, 11 patients developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and 16 patients required transfusion. Six of 39 patients (15.4%) showed moderate decreased ADAMTS13 activity to < 50%, and 20 patients (51.3%) showed mild drops (≥50 and < 70%). These changes in ADAMTS13 activity on day 0 were significantly correlated with changes in IL-6 and other coagulofibrinolytic markers such as platelet counts, prothrombin time and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product (FDP). Antithrombin activity (AT) and serum albumin (Alb) level showed significantly positive linear correlations with ADAMTS13 activity (AT: r = 0.513, p < 0.001; Alb: r = 0.647, p < 0.001). Simple logistic regression analyses showed that ADAMTS13 activity, if less than 50%, was significantly correlated with the development of DIC (OR 7.499, 95%CI 1.121-49.242, p = 0.038) and the need for transfusion of fresh frozen plasma (OR 9.000, 95%CI 1.327-61.025, p = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

ADAMTS13 activity decreased even in the early phase of trauma, which was complicated by coagulopathy and systemic inflammation. Furthermore, the decrease in ADAMTS13 activity was correlated with DIC and plasma transfusion.

Successful treatment for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) corresponding to phenotype changes in a heat stroke patient

BACKGROUND

Heat stroke induces coagulofibrinolytic activation, which leads to life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). However, treatment strategies for DIC in heat stroke have not yet been established, and also, the time course changes in coagulofibrinolytic markers have not been thoroughly evaluated. We report a severe heat stroke case with DIC who was eventually saved by anti-DIC treatments in accordance with changes in coagulofibrinolytic markers.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 45-year-old man was found unconscious outside, and his body temperature was elevated to 41.9 °C. For heat stroke, we performed an immediate tracheal intubation under the general anesthesia along with cooling by iced gastric lavage, cold fluid administration, and an intravascular cooling using Thermogard™. About 4 h after admission, his core temperature fell to 37 °C. We assessed coagulofibrinolytic biomarkers and treated in accordance with changes in these parameters. This case exhibited a biphasic change varying from an enhanced to a suppressed fibrinolytic type of DIC depending on the relative balance between fibrinolytic activation and the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). In the early phase with consumption coagulopathy and enhanced fibrinolysis, we transfused a large amount of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets with tranexamic acid, an antifibrinolytic agent, possibly providing relief for the bleeding tendency. Anticoagulant therapy using recombinant human thrombomodulin-α (rh-TM-α) and antithrombin III (ATIII) concentrate was especially effective for DIC with a suppressed fibrinolytic phenotype in the later phase, after which organ failure that included severe hepatic failure was remarkably improved.

CONCLUSION

The present case may indicate the clinical significance of monitoring coagulifibrinolytic changes and the potential benefits of anticoagulants for heat stroke-induced DIC.

Decreased antithrombin activity in the early phase of trauma is strongly associated with extravascular leakage, but not with antithrombin consumption: a prospective observational study

Background

We conducted a prospective observational study for investigating coagulofibrinolytic changes and mechanisms of antithrombin (AT) alternations in trauma.

Methods

Trauma patients hospitalized for more than seven days were analyzed for coagulofibrinolytic biomarkers. The patients were stratified into two groups according to AT activity level on admission (day 0), comprising normal AT and low AT patients.

Results

Thirty-nine patients (median Injury Severity Score 20) exhibited initial coagulatory activation and triphasic fibrinolytic changes. AT activity did not show a negative linear correlation with levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), a marker of coagulation activity and AT consumption, but was strongly correlated with levels of albumin (Alb), an index of vascular permeability, on day 0 (r = 0.702, p <  0.001). Furthermore, Alb was one of the independent predictors for AT on day 0. IL-6 on day 0 and thrombomodulin (TM) levels during the study period, reflecting systemic inflammation and endothelial cell injury, respectively, were significantly higher in the lower AT group (n = 10) than in the normal group (n = 29) (IL-6, p = 0.004; TM, p = 0.017). On days 2 and 4, TAT levels in the lower AT group were significantly higher than in the normal group.

Conclusions

Trauma caused clear triphasic coagulofibrinolytic changes. Decreased AT in the later phase might lead to a prolonged hypercoagulation. AT reduction in the initial phase of trauma is strongly associated with extravascular leakage as suggested by the association of Alb depletion with IL-6 and TM elevation, but not with AT consumption.

Accuracy of screw fixation using the O-arm® and StealthStation® navigation system for unstable pelvic ring fractures

PURPOSE

Screw fixation for unstable pelvic ring fractures is generally performed using the C-arm. However, some studies reported erroneous piercing with screws, nerve injuries, and vessel injuries. Recent studies have reported the efficacy of screw fixations using navigation systems. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the accuracy of screw fixation using the O-arm^® imaging system and StealthStation^® navigation system for unstable pelvic ring fractures.

METHODS

The participants were 10 patients with unstable pelvic ring fractures, who underwent screw fixations using the O-arm StealthStation navigation system (nine cases with iliosacral screw and one case with lateral compression screw). We investigated operation duration, bleeding during operation, the presence of complications during operation, and the presence of cortical bone perforation by the screws based on postoperative CT scan images. We also measured the difference in screw tip positions between intraoperative navigation screen shot images and postoperative CT scan images.

RESULTS

The average operation duration was 71 min, average bleeding was 12 ml, and there were no nerve or vessel injuries during the operation. There was no cortical bone perforation by the screws. The average difference between intraoperative navigation images and postoperative CT images was 2.5 ± 0.9 mm, for all 18 screws used in this study.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the O-arm StealthStation navigation system provides accurate screw fixation for unstable pelvic ring fractures.

Sudden cerebral depression detected by bispectral index monitoring in cryptococcal meningitis with elevated near-fatal cerebrospinal fluid pressure

Case

An increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) is usually prominent in cryptococcal meningitis, which has a high mortality rate, so aggressive management to control CSFP is crucial. In this case, a 40‐year‐old‐man survived cryptococcal meningitis treated with continuous spinal drainage under bispectral index (BIS) monitoring. He unexpectedly showed hypertension, went into a coma, and even loss his light reflexes due to CSFP elevation. His BIS values had abruptly dropped before developing these symptoms, but dramatically recovered after lumbar puncture drainage, suggesting that BIS monitoring could reflect cerebral function changes due to CSFP alternations.

Outcome

Inducing continuous spinal drainage to control CSFP provided stable control of blood pressure and brain activity, which was continuously monitored by BIS, enabling us to provide prompt treatment.

Conclusion

Cerebral depressions due to elevated CSFP may suddenly develop, so continuous spinal drainage is needed for preventing catastrophic events. Bispectral index could be useful for detecting early changes from CSFP elevation in meningitis cases with intracranial hypertension.

The tarsal tunnel syndrome: evaluation of surgical results using multivariate analysis

Thirty-four patients with the tarsal tunnel syndrome were treated by decompression of the posterior tibial nerve. The condition was bilateral in 3 cases. There were 9 men and 25 women with an average age at operation of 41 years. The average follow up was for 3.8 years. Multivariate analysis showed that the outcome is influenced, in order of importance, by fibrosis around the nerve, the preoperative severity of the condition, a history of sprained ankle, worker's compensation, a long history, and heavy work. The results were favourable when there was a short history, the presence of a ganglion, no sprains, and light work. Measurement of the terminal latency of the medial plantar nerve was valuable in assessing recovery. The precise cause of the syndrome and its effect on treatment should be considered before operation.

Development of hydrocephalus after cervical laminoplasty for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: case report

We report a 69-year-old woman who developed serious hydrocephalus after cervical laminoplasty for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The patient presented with approximately 50% spinal canal compromise pertaining to ossified lesion at C5 and C6 levels and subsequently underwent a C3-C7 open-door laminoplasty, followed by uneventful neurological recovery until 2 weeks postoperatively. Despite a favourable postoperative course, she presented with serious symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension about 3 weeks after surgery. Computed tomography demonstrated the appearance of marked hydrocephalus, with no explainable cause. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt followed by removal of subdural fluid in the suboccipital fossa resulted in resolution of the clinical symptoms and of the hydrocephalus. It is important to be aware of the very rare occurrence of such intracranial neurological compromise after a cervical laminoplasty operation for long-standing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.

Posterior limbus vertebral lesions causing lumbosacral radiculopathy and the cauda equina syndrome

This report reviews our experience with spinal decompression for posterior limbus vertebral lesions or osteocartilaginous vertebral corner defects in the lumbar spine in 29 children and young adults. There were 19 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 16.5 years (range, 9 to 24 years). Twenty-four patients were involved with various athletic activities. Clinical presentation included low back pain with a variable degree of radiculopathy in 25 patients and a cauda equina syndrome in four. The level of the affected spinal area was L1-2 in one patient, L2-3 in one, L3-4 in seven, L4-5 in 17, and L5-S1 in three. The preoperative imaging workup showed lateralised "non-calcified' or 'calcified' limbus vertebral defects in 13 patients and centrally displaced lesions in 16 patients. All patients underwent posterior spinal decompression with a slightly extended laminotomy, except for three patients who had a subsequent posterolateral fusion. All of the patients consequently returned to practice their favourite preoperative sport and lifestyle, but five discontinued their previous sports. We suggest that patients with posterior limbus vertebral lesions require careful diagnosis and therapy that are different from those with an ordinary lumbar disc herniation.