Bergquist, Whitney J.

AbstractBackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis in breast surgery remains controversial. In 2012, we instituted a practice change of routine chemoprophylaxis for patients with invasive cancer undergoing mastectomy. Herein, we report the effects of this on rates of VTE and hematoma.MethodsOur 30‐day rates of VTE and hematoma requiring reoperation among patients with mastectomy since the practice change were retrospectively collected from National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). The subsequent 5‐year data (2012‐2017) was compared with historic NSQIP data (2006‐2010). We utilized information from our 30‐day follow‐up databank to assess patients not sampled by NSQIP.ResultsAfter the practice change, the heparin prophylaxis rate rose from 19.5% to 95.6% (P < .001) and the VTE rate fell from 0.8% to 0% (P = .30). There was no significant change in reoperative hematoma rate (P = .39). The majority of the current NSQIP patient population (93.1%) had a Caprini score of 5 or greater. Among 663 patients obtained from 30‐day postoperative follow‐up, there were 2 VTE (0.3%) and 7 (1.1%) reoperations for hematoma.ConclusionsThe practice change resulted in an increase of VTE chemoprophylaxis without significant change in hematoma incidence. Although not statistically significant, VTE incidence decreased. This supports the use of standardized VTE chemoprophylaxis in this population and warrants further study.

AbstractDisruptions in the medication supply chain and consequent drug product shortages, including shortages of parenteral products used for parenteral nutrition (PN) compounding, have become an increasingly common occurrence. The amino acid solution shortage that resulted from the devastating impact of Hurricanes Maria and Irma on manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico in 2017 necessitated a rapid, coordinated shift from use of compounded PN to commercial multichamber‐bag PN (MCB‐PN) at our hospitals. We describe our experience operationalizing this intervention via a framework that may be adapted for addressing other drug product shortages to promote rapid yet safe use of therapeutic alternatives.

BACKGROUND: Excessive perioperative fluid administration likely increases postoperative cardiovascular, infectious, and GI complications. Early administration of diuretics after elective surgery facilitates rapid mobilization of excess fluid, potentially leading to decreased bowel edema, more rapid return of bowel function, and reduced length of hospital stay. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the benefit of early diuresis after elective colon and rectal surgery in the setting of an enhanced recovery after surgery practice. DESIGN: This was a prospective study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted at a quaternary referral center. PATIENTS: A randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial was conducted in patients undergoing elective colon and rectal surgery at a single quaternary referral center. INTERVENTION: The primary intervention was administration of intravenous furosemide plus enhanced recovery after surgery on postoperative day 1 and 2 versus enhanced recovery after surgery alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission rate, time to stool output during hospitalization after surgery, and incidence of various complications within the first 48 hours of hospital stay. RESULTS: In total, 123 patients were randomly assigned to receive either furosemide plus enhanced recovery after surgery (n = 62) or enhanced recovery after surgery alone (n = 61). Groups were evenly matched at baseline. At interim analysis, length of hospital stay was not superior in the intervention group (80.6 vs 99.6 hours, p = 0.564). No significant difference was identified in the rates of nasogastric tube replacement (1.6% vs 9.7%, p = 0.125). Time to return of bowel function was significantly longer in the intervention group (45.4 vs 48.8 hours, p = 0.048). The decision was made to end the study early because the conditional power of the study favored futility. LIMITATIONS: This was a single-center study. CONCLUSIONS: Early administration of furosemide does not significantly reduce the length of hospital stay after elective colon and rectal surgery in the setting of enhanced recovery after surgery practice. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A714.