Hemodynamics for the Vascular Surgeon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lee Dawson ◽  
Samantha Neureuther Stradleigh

Knowledge of the pathophysiology of peripheral vascular disorders is necessary for vascular surgeons to identify disease and develop appropriate treatment plans. Hemodynamics is the branch of physiology dealing with the forces involved in the circulation of the blood. Principles of hemodynamics and blood flow physiology are the basis for noninvasive vascular testing methods that are used for diagnosis and objective assessment of disease severity. Clinical decision making should incorporate anatomic, functional, and physiologic considerations. This review focuses on understanding clinical applications of fundamental hemodynamic principles as they apply in normal and pathologic states. Key concepts are presented in the context of common clinical scenarios. This review contains 18 figures, and 43 references. Key words: ambulatory venous hypertension; collateral development; fluid energy; Hagen-Poiseuille equation; laminar and nonlaminar (turbulent) flow; newtonian and nonnewtonian fluid characteristics; pressure and flow relationships; pressure, resistance, and regulation of perfusion; pulse wave propagation; venous capacitance; venous pump; wall tension, wall, shear, and the law of LaPlace

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Benrimoh ◽  
Robert Fratila ◽  
Sonia Israel ◽  
Kelly Perlman

Globally, depression affects 300 million people and is projected be the leading cause of disability by 2030. While different patients are known to benefit from different therapies, there is no principled way for clinicians to predict individual patient responses or side effect profiles. A form of machine learning based on artificial neural networks, deep learning, might be useful for generating a predictive model that could aid in clinical decision making. Such a model’s primary outcomes would be to help clinicians select the most effective treatment plans and mitigate adverse side effects, allowing doctors to provide greater personalized care to a larger number of patients. In this commentary, we discuss the need for personalization of depression treatment and how a deep learning model might be used to construct a clinical decision aid.


2021 ◽  
pp. emermed-2019-209211
Author(s):  
Danielle Bartlett ◽  
Sara Hansen ◽  
Travis Cruickshank ◽  
Timothy Rankin ◽  
Pauline Zaenker ◽  
...  

ObjectiveParamedics are at the forefront of emergency healthcare. Quick and careful decision making is required to effectively care for their patients; however, excessive sleepiness has the potential to impact on clinical decision making. Studies investigating the effects of night shift work on sleepiness, cognitive function and clinical performance in the prehospital setting are limited. Here, we aimed to determine the extent to which sleepiness is experienced over the course of a simulation-based 13-hour night shift and how this impacts on clinical performance and reaction time.MethodsTwenty-four second year paramedic students undertook a 13-hour night shift simulation study in August 2017. The study consisted of 10 real-to-life clinical scenarios. Sleepiness, perceived workload and motivation were self-reported, and clinical performance graded for each scenario. Reaction time, visual attention and task switching were also evaluated following each block of two scenarios.ResultsThe accuracy of participants’ clinical decision making declined significantly over the 13-hour night shift simulation. This was accompanied by an increase in sleepiness and a steady decline in motivation. Participants performed significantly better on the cognitive flexibility task across the duration of the simulated night shift and no changes were observed on the reaction time task. Perceived workload varied across the course of the night.ConclusionOverall, increased sleepiness and decreased clinical decision making were noted towards the end of the 13-hour simulated night shift. It is unclear the extent to which these results are reflective of practising paramedics who have endured several years of night shift work, however, this could have serious implications for patient outcomes and warrants further investigation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (05) ◽  
pp. 662-671
Author(s):  
Pedro Póvoa ◽  
Luis Coelho

AbstractThe diagnosis of infection in patients with suspected sepsis is frequently difficult to achieve with a reasonable degree of certainty. Currently, the diagnosis of infection still relies on a combination of systemic manifestations, manifestations of organ dysfunction, and microbiological documentation. In addition, the microbiologic confirmation of infection is obtained only after 2 to 3 days of empiric antibiotic therapy. These criteria are far from perfect being at least in part responsible for the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, in the community and in hospital, and probably the main drive for antibiotic resistance. Biomarkers have been studied and used in several clinical settings as surrogate markers of infection to improve their diagnostic accuracy as well as in the assessment of response to antibiotics and in antibiotic stewardship programs. The aim of this review is to provide a clear overview of the current evidence of usefulness of biomarkers in several clinical scenarios, namely, to diagnose infection to prescribe antibiotics, to exclude infection to withhold antibiotics, and to identify the causative pathogen to target antimicrobial treatment. In recent years, new evidence with “old” biomarkers, like C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, as well as new biomarkers and molecular tests, as breathomics or bacterial DNA identification by polymerase chain reaction, increased markedly in different areas adding useful information for clinical decision making at the bedside when adequately used. The recent evidence shows that the information given by biomarkers can support the suspicion of infection and pathogen identification but also, and not less important, can exclude its diagnosis. Although the ideal biomarker has not yet been found, there are various promising biomarkers that represent true evolutions in the diagnosis of infection in patients with suspected sepsis.


Hematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Sarode

Abstract Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly used in the treatment and prophylaxis of thromboembolism because of several advantages over vitamin K antagonists, including no need for laboratory monitoring. However, it has become increasingly important in certain clinical scenarios to know either actual DOAC concentration (quantitative) or presence of DOAC (qualitative). These clinical conditions include patients presenting with major bleeding or requiring urgent surgery who may need a reversal or hemostatic agent, extremes of body weight, failed therapy, etc. Prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time are variably affected by factor Xa inhibitors (FXaIs) and direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI), respectively, depending on reagents’ sensitivity, and hence, they cannot be relied on confidently. Thrombin time is highly sensitive to very low amounts of DTI; thus, normal value rules out a clinically significant amount. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry accurately measures DOAC levels but is clinically impractical. Dilute thrombin time and ecarin-based assays using appropriate calibrators/controls provide an accurate DTI level. Anti-Xa assay using corresponding FXaI calibrators/controls provides accurate drug levels. However, these assays are not readily available in the United States compared with some other parts of the world. Heparin assays using anti-Xa activity often have a linear relationship with calibrated FXaI assays, especially at the lower end of on-therapy levels, and they may provide rapid assessment of drug activity for clinical decision making. Currently, there is very limited knowledge of DOAC effect on viscoelastic measurements. Although there is uniformity in expression of DOAC concentrations in nanograms per milliliter, a universal FXaI DOAC assay is urgently needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (03) ◽  
pp. 369-376
Author(s):  
Pencilla Lang ◽  
Daniel R. Gomez ◽  
David A. Palma

AbstractThe oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease states have been recently recognized as common clinical scenarios in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As a result, there has been increasing interest in treating these patients with locally ablative therapies including surgery, conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation. This article provides an overview of oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease in the setting of NSCLC and reviews the evidence supporting ablative treatment. Phase II randomized controlled trials and retrospective series suggest that ablative treatment of oligometastases may substantially improve progression-free survival and overall survival, and additional large randomized studies testing this hypothesis in a definitive context are ongoing. However, several challenges remain, including quantifying the possible benefits of ablative therapies for oligoprogressive disease and developing prognostic and predictive models to assist in clinical decision making.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Trapani ◽  
Paola Zagami ◽  
Eleonora Nicolò ◽  
Gabriella Pravettoni ◽  
Giuseppe Curigliano

Cardiotoxicity encompasses a spectrum of adverse cardiological effects experienced by cancer patients during and after receiving antineoplastic treatments. The intersection of cancer care with the management of the multiple comorbid non-communicable diseases carried by patients or related to cancer treatments motivates the need for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to therapeutic clinical decision-making. This present review aimed to provide a perspective and an update of the current pharmacotherapy approaches for the prevention and management of cardiotoxicity from antiblastic chemotherapy; as such, it addresses myocardial, vascular, and arrhythmic disorders associated to chemotherapy, by navigating the current knowledge and clinical indications in support of the medical interventions. Clinical scenarios of pharmacological interventions take place with patients receiving anthracycline and, by extrapolation, other agents with cardiotoxic potentials and non-chemotherapy agents, including various small molecules and immunotherapy agents. Analysis of these scenarios aims to provide practical evidence-based guidance for the management of drug-induced cardiac dysfunctions. The possible role of new biomarkers for the early recognition of cardiotoxicity is mentioned across the clinical studies, with reference to the pharmacological biomarker-driven interventions delivered. To best inform survivorship care, the management and context of cardio-oncology services are discussed within the broader network of providers and settings of care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 2237
Author(s):  
Nicola Galea ◽  
Francesco Bandera ◽  
Chiara Lauri ◽  
Camillo Autore ◽  
Andrea Laghi ◽  
...  

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious cardiac condition, which includes a wide range of clinical presentations, with varying degrees of severity. The diagnosis is multifactorial and a proper characterization of disease requires the identification of the primary site of infection (usually the cardiac valve) and the search of secondary systemic complications. Early depiction of local complications or distant embolization has a great impact on patient management and prognosis, as it may induce to aggressive antibiotic treatment or, in more advanced cases, cardiac surgery. In this setting, the multimodality imaging has assumed a pivotal role in the clinical decision making and it requires the physician to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each imaging technique. Echocardiography is the first imaging test, but it has several limitations. Therefore, the integration with other imaging modalities (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear imaging) becomes often necessary. Different strategies should be applied depending on whether the infection is suspected or already ascertained, whether located in native or prosthetic valves, in the left or right chambers, or if it involves an implanted cardiac device. In addition, detection of extracardiac IE-related lesions is crucial for a correct management and treatment. The aim of this review is to illustrate strengths and weaknesses of the various methods in the most common clinical scenarios.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 792-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. France ◽  
Michael Karsy ◽  
James S. Harrop ◽  
Andrew T. Dailey

Study Design Survey. Objective Sports-related spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a growing proportion of total SCIs but lacks evidence or guidelines to guide clinical decision-making on return to play (RTP). Our objective is to offer the treating physician a consensus analysis of expert opinion regarding RTP that can be incorporated with the unique factors of a case for clinical decision-making. Methods Ten common clinical scenarios involving neurapraxia and stenosis, atlantoaxial injury, subaxial injury, and general cervical spine injury were presented to 25 spine surgeons from level 1 trauma centers for whom spine trauma is a significant component of their practice. We evaluated responses to questions about patient RTP, level of contact, imaging required for a clinical decision, and time to return for each scenario. The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results Evaluation of the surgeons’ responses to these cases showed significant consensus regarding return to high-contact sports in cases of cervical cord neurapraxia without symptoms or stenosis, surgically repaired herniated disks, and nonoperatively healed C1 ring or C2 hangman's fractures. Greater variability was found in recommendations for patients showing persistent clinical symptomatology. Conclusion This survey suggests a consensus among surgeons for allowing patients with relatively normal imaging and resolution of symptoms to return to high-contact activities; however, patients with cervical stenosis or clinical symptoms continue to be a challenge for management. This survey may serve as a basis for future clinical trials and consensus guidelines.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 33-34
Author(s):  
Lauren Willis ◽  
Donna Topping ◽  
Sarah Atwood ◽  
Jonathon B. Cohen

Background: Frontline treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL) yields high response rates, but most patients relapse. In addition, response rates and duration of response have historically declined with subsequent treatments. These factors make management of this disease challenging. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if an online, simulation-based continuing medical education (CME) intervention could improve clinical decision making of hematologists/oncologists (hem/oncs) regarding treatment selection for relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL. Description of Intervention: A CME certified virtual patient simulation (VPS) was made available via a website dedicated to continuous professional development. The VPS consisted of 2 cases of R/R FL presented in a platform that allows hem/oncs to assess the patients and make diagnostic and therapeutic decisions supported by an extensive database of diagnostic and treatment possibilities, matching the scope and depth of actual practice. Case 1: Patient with FL who failed 2 prior lines of therapy (R-CHOP, bendamustine/obinutuzumab), past medical history (PMH) well controlled hypertension and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, presenting with constitutional symptoms and needs 3rd line treatment. Case 2: Patient with FL who failed 2 prior lines of therapy (bendamustine/rituximab, lenalidomide/rituximab), PMH well controlled atrial fibrillation and ulcerative colitis, patient requests intravenous therapy because he has trouble remembering to take oral medications. Methods: Clinical decisions were analyzed using a sophisticated decision engine, and tailored clinical guidance (CG) employing up-to-date evidence-base and faculty recommendations was provided after each decision. Decisions were collected post-CG and compared with each user's baseline (pre-CG) decisions using McNemar's test to determine p-values (P &lt; .05 indicates significance). Data were collected between 11/20/19 and 2/19/20. Results: At the time of assessment, 154 hem/oncs who made clinical decisions were included in the analysis. From pre- to post-CG in the VPS, hem/oncs were more likely to make evidence-based practice decisions in: -Diagnosing patients with relapsed FL: 55% pre-CG and 73% post-CG (P &lt; 0.001) -Starting an appropriate treatment for a patient with R/R FL ----Case 1: Ordering idelalisib: 7% pre-CG and 33% post-CG (P &lt; 0.001) ----Case 1: Ordering lenalidomide + rituximab: 6% pre-CG and 28% post-CG (P &lt; 0.001) ----Case 1: Ordering duvelisib: 2% pre-CG and 9% post-CG (P &lt; 0.001) ----Case 2: Ordering copanlisib: 32% pre-CG and 73% post-CG (P &lt; 0.001) The top rationales for selecting an appropriate treatment option were: recommended by guidelines, convenience of administration route, better efficacy compared to other agents, and best option based on patient comorbidities. Other relevant concomitant therapies ordered were consult for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, consult for stem cell transplant, radiation therapy, refer to a clinical trial, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) prophylaxis (Figure 1). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that VPS that immerses and engages hem/oncs in an authentic and practical learning experience improved evidence-based clinical decisions related to the management of R/R FL. This VPS increased the percentage of heme/oncs who correctly diagnosed R/R FL and selected an appropriate treatment option. This study indicates that unique educational methodologies and platforms, which are available on-demand, can be effective tools for promoting guideline-based therapy selection and clinical decision making. Acknowledgement: This CME activity was supported by an independent educational grant from Bayer, Celgene Corporation, and Verastem Oncology. Jake Cohen contributed to data analysis for this research. Reference: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/915986 Figure Disclosures Cohen: Janssen, Adicet, Astra Zeneca, Genentech, Aptitude Health, Cellectar, Kite/Gilead, Loxo: Consultancy; Genentech, BMS, Novartis, LAM, BioInvent, LRF, ASH, Astra Zeneca, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 5140
Author(s):  
Lucian Geicu ◽  
Olivier Busuttil ◽  
Nicolas D’Ostrevy ◽  
Mathieu Pernot ◽  
Walid Benali ◽  
...  

Over the last twenty years, we marked significant progresses in the field of tissue engineering and the development of new aortic valve structural and delivery systems. These continuous iterations on the field, have completely changed the surgical indications and approaches for AVR. Nowadays, therapeutic decisions are endorsed by international guidelines; however, new technical advances need a new integrated approach. The clinical scenarios issued from the interaction between the Guidelines and the newest approaches and technologies are regularly on debate by the Heart Team. We will present some of our most encountered situations and the pattern of our therapeutic decisions. To easily navigate through Guidelines and clinical scenarios, we reported in this review a simplified and easy to use Clinical decision-making algorithm that may be a valuable tool in our daily practice.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document