Hanson, Andrew C.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on readmissions after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation have focused on hospital readmissions after dismissal from the index hospitalization. Because few data exist, the purpose of this study was to examine intensive care unit (ICU) readmissions in patients during their initial hospitalization for LVAD implantation to determine reasons for, factors associated with, and incidence of mortality after ICU readmission. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed from February 2007 to March 2015 of patients at our institution receiving first-time LVAD implantation. After LVAD implantation, patients dismissed from the ICU who then required ICU readmission before hospital dismissal were compared to those not requiring ICU readmission before hospital dismissal with respect to preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. RESULTS: Among 287 LVAD patients, 266 survived their initial ICU admission, of which 49 (18.4%) required ICU readmission. The most common reasons for readmission were bleeding and respiratory failure. Factors found to be univariably associated with ICU readmission were preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative aspartate aminotransferase, preoperative atrial fibrillation, preoperative dialysis, longer cardiopulmonary bypass times, and higher intraoperative allogeneic blood transfusion requirements. Multivariable analysis revealed ICU readmission to be independently associated with preoperative dialysis (odds ratio, 12.86; 95% confidence interval, 3.16–52.28; P < .001). Overall mortality at 1 year was 22.6%. Survival after hospital dismissal was worse for patients who required ICU readmission during the index hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–4.81; P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: ICU readmission after LVAD implantation occurred relatively frequently and was significantly associated with 1-year mortality after hospital dismissal. These data can perhaps be used to identify subsets of LVAD patients at risk for ICU readmission and may lead to implementation of practice changes to mitigate ICU readmissions. Future larger and prospective studies are warranted.

BACKGROUND: Noncardiac surgery (NCS) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting is sometimes associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed to decrease the incidence of MACE seen with bare metal and first-generation DES. METHODS: The medical records of all adult patients who underwent second-generation DES placement between July 29, 2008 and July 28, 2011 followed by NCS between September 22, 2008 and July 1, 2013 were reviewed. All episodes of MACE following surgery were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 282 patients (74.8% male) were identified who underwent NCS after PCI with second-generation DES. MACE occurred in 15 patients (5.3%), including 11 deaths. The incidence of MACE changed significantly with time from PCI to NCS: 17.1%, 10.0%, 0.0%, and 3.1% for patients undergoing NCS at 0–90, 91–180, 181–365, and ≥366 days, respectively. Compared with those having NCS ≥366 days after PCI, the odds ratio for MACE (95% confidence interval) was 6.4 (1.9 to 21.3) at 0–90 days and 3.4 (0.8 to 15.3) at 91–180 days. Seven days prior to NCS, 146 (52%) patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), 106 (38%) were on aspirin, and 30 (11%) did not receive antiplatelet therapy. Excessive surgical bleeding occurred in 19 cases (6.7%). While observed bleeding rates were lowest in those not receiving antiplatelet therapy, there were no statistically significant differences based on the presence or absence of antiplatelet therapy (3% [1/30] for no antiplatelet therapy compared to 6% [6/106] for aspirin monotherapy and 8% [12/146] for DAPT; Fisher exact test: P = .655). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of MACE in patients with second-generation DES undergoing NCS was 5.3% and was highest in the first 180 days following DES implantation. The rate of excessive surgical bleeding was 6.7% with the highest observed rate in those on DAPT. However, differences by the presence or absence of antiplatelet therapy were not significant, and future large observational studies will be necessary to further define bleeding risk with continued DAPT.

Abstract Background Few studies of how exposure of children to anesthesia may affect neurodevelopment employ comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. This study tested the hypothesis that exposure to multiple, but not single, procedures requiring anesthesia before age 3 yr is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Methods Unexposed, singly exposed, and multiply exposed children born in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2007 were sampled using a propensity-guided approach and underwent neuropsychological testing at ages 8 to 12 or 15 to 20 yr. The primary outcome was the Full-Scale intelligence quotient standard score of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Secondary outcomes included individual domains from a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and parent reports. Results In total, 997 children completed testing (411, 380, and 206 unexposed, singly exposed, and multiply exposed, respectively). The primary outcome of intelligence quotient did not differ significantly according to exposure status; multiply exposed and singly exposed children scoring 1.3 points (95% CI, −3.8 to 1.2; P = 0.32) and 0.5 points (95% CI, −2.8 to 1.9; P = 0.70) lower than unexposed children, respectively. For secondary outcomes, processing speed and fine motor abilities were decreased in multiply but not singly exposed children; other domains did not differ. The parents of multiply exposed children reported increased problems related to executive function, behavior, and reading. Conclusions Anesthesia exposure before age 3 yr was not associated with deficits in the primary outcome of general intelligence. Although secondary outcomes must be interpreted cautiously, they suggest the hypothesis that multiple, but not single, exposures are associated with a pattern of changes in specific neuropsychological domains that is associated with behavioral and learning difficulties.

BACKGROUND: Plasma transfusion is commonly performed for the correction of abnormal coagulation screening tests. The goal of this investigation was to assess the relationship between the dose of plasma administered and changes in coagulation test results in a large and diverse cohort of patients with varying levels of coagulation abnormalities and comorbid disease and in a variety of clinical settings. METHODS: In this single-center historical cohort study, all plasma transfusion episodes in adult patients with abnormal coagulation screening tests were extracted between 2011 and 2015. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients attaining normal posttransfusion international normalized ratio (INR ≤ 1.1) with secondary outcomes including the proportion of patients attaining partial normalization of INR (INR ≤ 1.5) or at least 50% normalization in pretransfusion values with respect to an INR of 1.1. RESULTS: In total, 6779 unique patients received plasma with a median (quartiles) pretransfusion INR of 1.9 (1.6–2.5) and a median transfusion volume of 2 (2–3) units. The majority (85%) of transfusions occurred perioperatively, with 20% of transfusions administered prophylactically before a procedure. The median decrease in INR was 0.4 (0.2–0.8). Complete INR normalization was obtained in 12%. Reductions in INR were modest with pretransfusion INR values <3. Patients receiving ≥3 units of plasma were more likely to achieve at least 50% normalization in INR than those receiving ≤2 units (68% vs 60%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in INR after plasma transfusion were modest at typically used clinical doses, particularly in those with less severely deranged baseline coagulation screening tests. Further studies are necessary to assess the relationships between plasma-mediated changes in INR and clinical outcomes.

SummaryBackgroundUtilization of general anesthesia in children has important policy, economic, and healthcare delivery implications, yet there is little information regarding the epidemiology of these procedures in the United States.AimsThe primary objective of this study was to describe in a geographically defined population the incidence of procedures requiring general anesthesia up to the child's third birthday, and the patient characteristics associated with receiving these procedures. A secondary objective was to determine the proportion of children in the population who meet the risk criteria promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).MethodsA retrospective cohort of children born from 1994 to 2007 in Olmsted County, MN was established. Birth certificate information and receipt of general anesthesia before age 3 were collected. Proportional hazard regressions were performed to evaluate the association between characteristics of children and incidence of general anesthesia.ResultsAmong the 20 922 children in the cohort, 3120 (14.9%) underwent at least 1 general anesthesia before age 3. In multivariate regression, factors independently associated with receiving at least 1 procedure included prematurity, male sex, lower birth weight, cesarean delivery, a non‐Hispanic mother, and a White mother, controlling for multiple gestation, number of children previously born, age, education, and marital status of the mother. Seven hundred and twenty‐three children (3.5%) had at least 1 subsequent procedure. Estimated gestational age <32 weeks and low birth weight were independently associated with receiving repeated anesthesia. Eight hundred and twenty children (3.9%) had a single prolonged exposure above 3 hours, multiple exposures prior to age 3, or both.ConclusionApproximately 1 in 7 children were exposed to at least 1 episode of general anesthesia before age 3, and approximately 1 in 4 children who received general anesthesia fall within the high‐risk category as defined by the recent FDA warning. The apparent disparities in surgical utilization related to race and ethnicity in this study population deserve further exploration.

Abstract Background Exposure of young animals to general anesthesia causes neurodegeneration and lasting behavioral abnormalities; whether these findings translate to children remains unclear. This study used a population-based birth cohort to test the hypothesis that multiple, but not single, exposures to procedures requiring general anesthesia before age 3 yr are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Methods A retrospective study cohort was assembled from children born in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1996 to 2000 (inclusive). Propensity matching selected children exposed and not exposed to general anesthesia before age 3 yr. Outcomes ascertained via medical and school records included learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and group-administered ability and achievement tests. Analysis methods included proportional hazard regression models and mixed linear models. Results For the 116 multiply exposed, 457 singly exposed, and 463 unexposed children analyzed, multiple, but not single, exposures were associated with an increased frequency of both learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (hazard ratio for learning disabilities = 2.17 [95% CI, 1.32 to 3.59], unexposed as reference). Multiple exposures were associated with decreases in both cognitive ability and academic achievement. Single exposures were associated with modest decreases in reading and language achievement but not cognitive ability. Conclusions These findings in children anesthetized with modern techniques largely confirm those found in an older birth cohort and provide additional evidence that children with multiple exposures are more likely to develop adverse outcomes related to learning and attention. Although a robust association was observed, these data do not determine whether anesthesia per se is causal.

BACKGROUND: To examine whether exposure to general anesthesia for procedures at age ≥40 years is associated with prevalent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly. METHODS: A case–control study nested within a population-based cohort. Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents, aged 70–91 years, underwent baseline evaluations that included the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, a neurologic evaluation, and neuropsychologic testing. Individuals identified with MCI (cases) at enrollment were matched 1:2 on age, sex, education, and apolipoprotein genotype with participants who were cognitively normal at the time of the index visit. Medical records from age 40 years until the index visit were reviewed to determine exposures to general anesthesia. Conditional logistic regression, taking into account the matched set study design and adjusting for MCI risk factors, was used to assess whether exposure to anesthesia after the age of 40 years was associated with prevalent MCI. RESULTS: A total of 387 Mayo Clinic Study of Aging participants (219 males, 168 females) were diagnosed with MCI at enrollment with mean age of 81 ± 5 years. Exposure to general anesthesia after the age of 40 years was not significantly associated with prevalent MCI when analyzed as a dichotomous variable (any versus none, adjusted odds ratio, 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.68–1.40]) or the number of exposures (odds ratio, 1.13 [0.74–1.72], 0.81 [0.53–1.22], and 1.03 [0.67–1.58] for 1, 2–3, and ≥4 exposures, respectively, with no exposure as the reference). Similar results were obtained for exposure to anesthesia after the age of 60 years and during 5, 10, and 20 years before the first visit. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to general anesthesia for procedures at age ≥40 years was not associated with prevalent MCI in the elderly.

BACKGROUNDPlatelet (PLT) transfusion before interventional radiology procedures is commonly performed in patients with thrombocytopenia. However, it is unclear if PLT transfusion is associated with reduced bleeding complications.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSThis is a retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing interventional radiology procedures between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013. Baseline characteristics, coagulation variables, transfusion requirements, and procedural details were evaluated. Propensity‐matched analyses were used to assess relationships between PLT transfusions and the outcomes of interest, including a primary outcome of periprocedural red blood cell (RBC) transfusion during the procedure or within the first 24 hours after procedure.RESULTSA total of 18,204 participants met inclusion criteria, and 2060 (11.3%) had a PLT count of not more than 100 × 109/L before their procedure. Of these, 203 patients (9.9) received preprocedural PLTs. There was no significant difference in RBC requirements between those receiving or not receiving preprocedural PLTs in propensity‐matched analysis (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95‐2.21; p = 0.085). PLT transfusion was associated with increased rates of intensive care unit admission (OR [95% CI], 1.57 [1.07‐2.32]; p = 0.022).CONCLUSIONIn patients with thrombocytopenia undergoing interventional radiology procedures, preprocedural PLT transfusion was not associated with reduced periprocedural RBC requirements. These findings suggest that prophylactic PLT transfusions are not warranted in nonbleeding patients with preprocedural PLT counts exceeding 50 × 109/L. Future clinical trials are needed to further define relationships between prophylactic PLT administration and bleeding complications, especially at more severe levels of thrombocytopenia or in the presence of PLT dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Arthrogryposis syndromes are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by congenital joint contractures often requiring multiple surgeries during childhood to address skeletal and visceral abnormalities. Previous reports suggest that these children have increased perioperative risk, including hypermetabolic events discrete from malignant hyperthermia, difficult airway management, isolated hyperthermia, and difficult IV line placement. We sought to compare children with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) versus the less severe, distal arthrogryposis syndromes (DAS) and to evaluate possible intraoperative hyperthermia of patients with AMC. We hypothesized that children with AMC had a greater incidence of intraoperative hyperthermia and more difficulty with airway management and IV access. METHODS: Children aged 0 to 25 years with arthrogryposis syndromes who underwent anesthesia from 1972 to 2013 were identified. The medical records were reviewed for demographics, arthrogryposis type, and anesthetic complications. AMC subjects were compared with DAS subjects. To evaluate the probability of hyperthermia and hypermetabolic responses of patients with AMC, we performed a post hoc case–control analysis. Patients with AMC were matched in a 1:2 ratio to patients without arthrogryposis to evaluate the primary outcome of maximum intraoperative temperature. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with AMC and 16 patients with DAS underwent 264 and 105 unique anesthetics, respectively. There was no significant difference in intraoperative hyperthermia or hypermetabolic events (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–2.47; P = .90). Children with AMC were more likely to have difficult IV access (OR, 7.1; 95% CI, 1.81–27.90; P = .005). Additional evidence suggested that difficult airway management (OR, 4.06; 95% CI, 1.01–16.39; P = .049) and hemodynamic instability (OR, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.03–17.26; P = .045) were more likely in children with AMC. From post hoc case–control analysis, there was no significant difference in the mean maximum intraoperative temperature (estimated difference +0.04°C; 95% CI, −0.14 to +0.22; P = .64) or odds of intraoperative hyperthermia (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.78–2.82; P = .223) for patients with AMC compared with control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Children with arthrogryposis syndromes present challenges to the anesthesia and surgical teams, including greater neuromuscular disease burden and challenging peripheral IV placement, with additional evidence suggesting difficult airway management and intraoperative hemodynamic instability. Although more definitive studies are warranted, we did not find evidence of increased odds of intraoperative hyperthermia or hypermetabolic responses.