scholarly journals Patterns in neurosurgical adverse events: open cerebrovascular neurosurgery

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. E15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith M. Wong ◽  
John E. Ziewacz ◽  
Allen L. Ho ◽  
Jaykar R. Panchmatia ◽  
Albert H. Kim ◽  
...  

Object As part of a project to devise evidence-based safety interventions for specialty surgery, we sought to review current evidence concerning the frequency of adverse events in open cerebrovascular neurosurgery and the state of knowledge regarding methods for their reduction. This review represents part of a series of papers written to consolidate information about these events and preventive measures as part of an ongoing effort to ascertain the utility of devising system-wide policies and safety tools to improve neurosurgical practice. Methods The authors performed a PubMed search using search terms “cerebral aneurysm”, “cerebral arteriovenous malformation”, “intracerebral hemorrhage”, “intracranial hemorrhage”, “subarachnoid hemorrhage”, and “complications” or “adverse events.” Only papers that specifically discussed the relevant complication rates were included. Papers were chosen to be included to maximize the range of rates of occurrence for the reported adverse events. Results The review revealed hemorrhage-related hyperglycemia (incidence rates ranging from 27% to 71%) and cerebral salt-wasting syndromes (34%–57%) to be the most common perioperative adverse events related to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Next in terms of frequency was new cerebral infarction associated with SAH, with a rate estimated at 40%. Many techniques are advocated for use during surgery to minimize risk of this development, including intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, but are not universally used due to surgeon preference and variable availability of appropriate staffing and equipment. The comparative effectiveness of using or omitting monitoring technologies has not been evaluated. The incidence of perioperative seizure related to vascular neurosurgery is unknown, but reported seizure rates from observational studies range from 4% to 42%. There are no standard guidelines for the use of seizure prophylaxis in these patients, and there remains a need for prospective studies to support such guidelines. Intraoperative rupture occurs at a rate of 7% to 35% and depends on aneurysm location and morphology, history of rupture, surgical technique, and surgeon experience. Preventive strategies include temporary vascular clipping. Technical adverse events directly involving application of the aneurysm clip include incomplete aneurysm obliteration and parent vessel occlusion. The rates of these events range from 5% to 18% for incomplete obliteration and 3% to 12% for major vessel occlusion. Intraoperative angiography is widely used to confirm clip placement; adjuncts include indocyanine green video angiography and microvascular Doppler ultrasonography. Use of these technologies varies by institution. Discussion A significant proportion of these complications may be avoidable through development and testing of standardized protocols to incorporate monitoring technologies and specific technical practices, teamwork and communication, and concentrated volume and specialization. Collaborative monitoring and evaluation of such protocols are likely necessary for the advancement of open cerebrovascular neurosurgical quality.

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. E13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith M. Wong ◽  
John E. Ziewacz ◽  
Allen L. Ho ◽  
Jaykar R. Panchmatia ◽  
Angela M. Bader ◽  
...  

Object As part of a project to devise evidence-based safety interventions for specialty surgery, the authors sought to review current evidence in CSF shunt surgery concerning the frequency of adverse events in practice, their patterns, and the state of knowledge regarding methods for their reduction. This review may also inform future and ongoing efforts for the advancement of neurosurgical quality. Methods The authors performed a PubMed search using search terms “cerebral shunt,” “cerebrospinal fluid shunt,” “CSF shunt,” “ventriculoperitoneal shunt,” “cerebral shunt AND complications,” “cerebrospinal fluid shunt AND complications,” “CSF shunt AND complications,” and “ventriculoperitoneal shunt AND complications.” Only papers that specifically discussed the relevant complication rates were included. Papers were chosen to be included to maximize the range of rates of occurrence for the adverse events reported. Results In this review of the neurosurgery literature, the reported rate of mechanical malfunction ranged from 8% to 64%. The use of programmable valves has increased but remains of unproven benefit even in randomized trials. Infection was the second most common complication, with the rate ranging from 3% to 12% of shunt operations. A meta-analysis that included 17 randomized controlled trials of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis demonstrated a decrease in shunt infection by half (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.73). Similarly, use of detailed protocols including perioperative antibiotics, skin preparation, and limitation of OR personnel and operative time, among other steps, were shown in uncontrolled studies to decrease shunt infection by more than half. Other adverse events included intraabdominal complications, with a reported incidence of 1% to 24%, intracerebral hemorrhage, reported to occur in 4% of cases, and perioperative epilepsy, with a reported association with shunt procedures ranging from 20% to 32%. Potential management strategies are reported but are largely without formal evaluation. Conclusions Surgery for CSF shunt placement or revision is associated with a high complication risk due primarily to mechanical issues and infection. Concerted efforts aimed at large-scale monitoring of neurosurgical complications and consistent quality improvement within these highlighted realms may significantly improve patient outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Talia Chapman ◽  
Asif M. Ilyas

AbstractPyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) is a common closed-space infection of the flexor tendon sheaths of the hand, which remains one of the most challenging problems facing hand surgeons. PFT goes by several names including septic or suppurative flexor tenosynovitis. Adequate treatment requires timely diagnosis and often prompt surgical treatment. However, despite prompt treatment, and regardless of the protocol used, complication rates as high as 38% have been reported in the literature. Moreover, even with successful eradication of the infection, a significant proportion of patients will suffer from continuing pain, swelling, stiffness, loss of composite flexion, weakness, and recurrence potentially requiring amputation. This review will focus on current evidence-based antimicrobial and surgical treatment strategies to maximize treatment outcomes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. E16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith M. Wong ◽  
Jaykar R. Panchmatia ◽  
John E. Ziewacz ◽  
Angela M. Bader ◽  
Ian F. Dunn ◽  
...  

Object Neurosurgery is a high-risk specialty currently undertaking the pursuit of systematic approaches to measuring and improving outcomes. As part of a project to devise evidence-based safety interventions for specialty surgery, the authors sought to review current evidence in cranial tumor resection concerning the frequency of adverse events in practice, their patterns, and current methods of reducing the occurrence of these events. This review represents part of a series of papers written to consolidate information about these events and preventive measures as part of an ongoing effort to ascertain the utility of devising system-wide policies and safety tools to improve neurosurgical practice. Methods The authors performed a PubMed search using search terms “intracranial neoplasm,” “cerebral tumor,” “cerebral meningioma,” “glioma,” and “complications” or “adverse events.” Only papers that specifically discussed the relevant complication rates were included. Papers were chosen to maximize the range of rates of occurrence for the reported adverse events. Results Review of the tumor neurosurgery literature showed that documented overall complication rates ranged from 9% to 40%, with overall mortality rates of 1.5%–16%. There was a wide range of types of adverse events overall. Deep venous thromboembolism (DVT) was the most common adverse event, with a reported incidence of 3%–26%. The presence of new or worsened neurological deficit was the second most common adverse event found in this review, with reported rates ranging from 0% for the series of meningioma cases with the lowest reported rate to 20% as the highest reported rate for treatment of eloquent glioma. Benign tumor recurrence was found to be a commonly reported adverse event following surgery for intracranial neoplasms. Rates varied depending on tumor type, tumor location, patient demographics, surgical technique, the surgeon's level of experience, degree of specialization, and changes in technology, but these effects remain unmeasured. The incidence on our review ranged from 2% for convexity meningiomas to 36% for basal meningiomas. Other relatively common complications were dural closure–related complications (1%–24%), postoperative peritumoral edema (2%–10%), early postoperative seizure (1%–12%), medical complications (6%–7%), wound infection (0%–4%), surgery-related hematoma (1%–2%), and wrong-site surgery. Strategies to minimize risk of these events were evaluated. Prophylactic techniques for DVT have been widely demonstrated and confirmed, but adherence remains unstudied. The use of image guidance, intraoperative functional mapping, and real-time intraoperative MRI guidance can allow surgeons to maximize resection while preserving neurological function. Whether the extent of resection significantly correlates with improved overall outcomes remains controversial. Discussion A significant proportion of adverse events in intracranial neoplasm surgery may be avoidable by use of practices to encourage use of standardized protocols for DVT, seizure, and infection prophylaxis; intraoperative navigation among other steps; improved teamwork and communication; and concentrated volume and specialization. Systematic efforts to bundle such strategies may significantly improve patient outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balaban Daniel Vasile ◽  
Mariana Jinga

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have become a major focus for gastroenterologists worldwide, with the increasing incidence and complexity of cases, which pose therapeutic challenges. Currently available approaches fail in controlling the disease activity in a significant proportion of patients and some of the therapies are associated with significant adverse events. Although new molecules are on the horizon and treatment strategies have been optimized, novel therapeutic tools are much needed in IBD for patients who fail to attain control of the disease. Apheresis is now a common non-pharmacological therapeutic modality used in several pathologies, IBD also. In the current review, we summarize currently available evidence with respect to selective apheresis in IBD.


2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 83-92
Author(s):  
Mariann Harangi ◽  
Noémi Zsíros ◽  
Lilla Juhász ◽  
György Paragh

Statin therapy is considered to be safe and rarely associated with serious adverse events. However, a significant proportion of patients on statin therapy show some degree of intolerance which can lead to decreased adherence to statin therapy. The authors summarize the symptoms, signs and frequencies of the most common statin-induced adverse effects and their most important risk factors including some single nucleotide polymorphisms and gene mutations. Also, they review the available approaches to detect and manage the statin-intolerant patients. Orv. Hetil., 2013, 154, 83–92.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darryl Lau ◽  
Vedat Deviren ◽  
Christopher P. Ames

OBJECTIVEPosterior-based thoracolumbar 3-column osteotomy (3CO) is a formidable surgical procedure. Surgeon experience and case volume are known factors that influence surgical complication rates, but these factors have not been studied well in cases of adult spinal deformity (ASD). This study examines how surgeon experience affects perioperative complications and operative measures following thoracolumbar 3CO in ASD.METHODSA retrospective study was performed of a consecutive cohort of thoracolumbar ASD patients who underwent 3CO performed by the senior authors from 2006 to 2018. Multivariate analysis was used to assess whether experience (years of experience and/or number of procedures) is associated with perioperative complications, operative duration, and blood loss.RESULTSA total of 362 patients underwent 66 vertebral column resections (VCRs) and 296 pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSOs). The overall complication rate was 29.4%, and the surgical complication rate was 8.0%. The rate of postoperative neurological deficits was 6.2%. There was a trend toward lower overall complication rates with greater operative years of experience (from 44.4% to 28.0%) (p = 0.115). Years of operative experience was associated with a significantly lower rate of neurological deficits (p = 0.027); the incidence dropped from 22.2% to 4.0%. The mean operative time was 310.7 minutes overall. Both increased years of experience and higher case numbers were significantly associated with shorter operative times (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Only operative years of experience was independently associated with operative times (p < 0.001): 358.3 minutes from 2006 to 2008 to 275.5 minutes in 2018 (82.8 minutes shorter). Over time, there was less deviation and more consistency in operative times, despite the implementation of various interventions to promote fusion and prevent construct failure: utilization of multiple-rod constructs (standard, satellite, and nested rods), bone morphogenetic protein, vertebroplasty, and ligament augmentation. Of note, the use of tranexamic acid did not significantly lower blood loss.CONCLUSIONSSurgeon years of experience, rather than number of 3COs performed, was a significant factor in mitigating neurological complications and improving quality measures following thoracolumbar 3CO for ASD. The 3- to 5-year experience mark was when the senior surgeon overcame a learning curve and was able to minimize neurological complication rates. There was a continuous decrease in operative time as the surgeon’s experience increased; this was in concurrence with the implementation of additional preventative surgical interventions. Ongoing practice changes should be implemented and can be done safely, but it is imperative to self-assess the risks and benefits of those practice changes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 204512531988191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Davies ◽  
Sagnik Bhattacharyya

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are heterogeneous and often debilitating conditions that contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. The introduction of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists in the 1950s revolutionised the treatment of psychotic disorders and they remain the mainstay of our treatment arsenal for psychosis. However, traditional antipsychotics are associated with a number of side effects and a significant proportion of patients do not achieve an adequate remission of symptoms. There is therefore a need for novel interventions, particularly those with a non-D2 antagonist mechanism of action. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating constituent of the cannabis plant, has emerged as a potential novel class of antipsychotic with a unique mechanism of action. In this review, we set out the prospects of CBD as a potential novel treatment for psychotic disorders. We first review the evidence from the perspective of preclinical work and human experimental and neuroimaging studies. We then synthesise the current evidence regarding the clinical efficacy of CBD in terms of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms, safety and tolerability, and potential mechanisms by which CBD may have antipsychotic effects.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik J. van Lindert ◽  
Hans Delye ◽  
Jody Leonardo

Object The authors conducted a study to compare the complication rate (CR) of pediatric neurosurgical procedures in a general neurosurgery department to the CRs that are reported in the literature and to establish a baseline of CR for further targeted improvement of quality neurosurgical care. Methods The authors analyzed the prospectively collected data from a complication registration of 1000 consecutive pediatric neurosurgical procedures in 581 patients from the beginning of the registration in January 2004 through August 2008. A pediatric neurosurgeon was involved in 50.5% of the procedures. All adverse events (AEs) from induction of anesthesia until 30 days postoperatively were recorded. Results Overall, 229 complications were counted in 202 procedures. The overall CR was 20.2%, with a 2.7% intraoperative CR and a 17.5% postoperative CR. Tumor surgery was associated with the highest CR (32.7%), followed by CSF disorders (21.8%). The mortality rate was 0.3%. An unplanned return to the operating room in relation to an AE happened in 10.5% of all procedures and in 52% of procedures associated with AEs, the majority of which were related to CSF disorders. Conclusions The CR in pediatric neurosurgical procedures was significant, and more than half of the patients with an AE required a repeat surgical procedure. Analysis of CRs should be a prerequisite for the prevention of complications and for the development of targeted interventions to reduce the CR (for example, infection rates).


Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikito Hayakawa ◽  
Hiroshi Yamagami ◽  
Kazunori Toyoda ◽  
Yuji Matsumaru ◽  
Yukiko Enomoto ◽  
...  

Objective: Although Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions are commonly irreversible, DWI lesion volume reduction (DVR) is occasionally observed. We investigated clinical significance and predictors of DVR in acute stroke patients with major vessel occlusion receiving recanalization therapy (RT). Methods: The Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra-acute Embolism (RESCUE)-Japan registry prospectively registered 1,442 stroke patients with major vessel occlusion who were admitted to 84 Japanese stroke centers within 24 hours after onset from July 2010 to June 2011. We retrospectively analyzed all patients with the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery (M1 or M2 segments occlusions receiving RT and undergoing MRI both on admission and at 24 hours after onset from the registry. We defined DVR as a 1 or more-point reduction of the DWI-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), and CT-DWI mismatch (CTDM) as a 2 or more-point lower DWI-ASPECTS than CT-ASPECTS on admission. Reperfusion was defined as TICI grade 2b-3 on catheter angiography or modified Mori grade 3 on MRA immediately after RT. Dramatic recovery (DR) was defined as a 10 or more-point reduction or a total NIHSS score of 0-1 at 24 hours, and favorable outcome (FO) defined as a mRS score 0-2 at 3 months. Results: A total of 390 patients (215 men, 72 years old,) was included. Median baseline NIHSS score was 16 (IQR 10-19) and median baseline DWI-ASPECTS was 8 (6-9). CTDM was seen in 92 patients (28%) on admission. Intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy were performed in 246 patients (63%) and 223 patients (57%), respectively. Reperfusion was obtained in 170 patients (51%). DVR was seen in 51 patients (13%). Eighty-eight patients (23%) obtained DR and 158 patients (41%) achieved FO. On multivariate analyses, DVR was significantly related to DR (OR 3.8, 95%CI 1.5-10) and FO (4.6, 1.8-12). CTDM was an independent predictor of DVR (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.8). Conclusions: DVR was significantly related to DR and FO. CTDM is a rough predictor of DVR of which area is considered as a “DWI-bright” ischemic penumbra, and might be a useful marker to identify the adequate candidates for RT in spite of relatively large DWI lesions.


EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
GF Romiti ◽  
D Pastori ◽  
JM Rivera-Caravaca ◽  
WY Ding ◽  
YX Gue ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background The ‘Atrial Fibrillation Better Care’ (ABC) pathway has been recently proposed as a holistic approach for the comprehensive management of patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF), standing on three main pillars: ‘A’ Avoid stroke (with Anticoagulants); ‘B’ Better symptom management; ‘C’ Cardiovascular and Comorbidity management. The ABC pathway is now recommended in several clinical guidelines, including the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) AF management guidelines. We performed a systematic review of the current evidence for use of the ABC pathway on clinical outcomes. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA Guidelines. Pubmed and EMBASE were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of ABC pathway adherent management in AF patients, and its impact on clinical outcomes (all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke, and major bleeding). Metanalysis of odds ratio (OR) was performed with random-effect models; subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to account for heterogeneity; a CHA2DS2-VASc-stratified sensitivity analysis was also performed. Results Among 2862 records retrieved from the literature search, 8 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of ABC adherent management was 21% (95% confidence intervals (CI), 13-34%), with a high grade of heterogeneity; in a multivariable meta-regression model, adherence to each criteria of the ABC pathway explained most part of the heterogeneity (R2 = 98.9%). Patients treated according to the ABC pathway showed a lower risk of all-cause death (OR:0.42, 95%CI 0.31-0.56), cardiovascular death (OR:0.37, 95%CI 0.23-0.58), stroke (OR:0.55, 95%CI 0.37-0.82) and major bleeding (OR:0.69, 95%CI 0.51-0.94), with moderate heterogeneity. Meta-regressions showed that the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure and history of stroke were associated with a reduced effectiveness of the ABC pathway for all-cause and cardiovascular death; each comorbidity was able to explain a significant proportion of heterogeneity at univariate meta-regression. Conversely, longer follow-up time was associated with more effectiveness of the ABC pathway for all outcomes. Adherence to ABC pathway was associated with a progressively greater reduction of the all-cause death risk amongst patients with higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores; no difference in ABC pathway effectiveness was found across CHA2DS2-VASc strata for CV death and stroke occurrence. Conclusions Adherence to the ABC pathway was suboptimal, being adopted in 1 in every 5 patients. Adherence to the ABC pathway was associated with a reduction in the risk of major adverse outcomes. Our data supports extensive application of the ABC pathway for the management of AF. Abstract Figure.


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