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BACKGROUNDIntraoperative plasma transfusion is common, yet little is known regarding its effects on perioperative coagulation tests or clinical outcomes.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSThis is a retrospective cohort study of adults receiving intraoperative plasma transfusion at a single center from 2011 to 2015. Relationships between plasma transfusion volume, changes in coagulation test values, and clinical outcomes, including a primary outcome of early postoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, were assessed with multivariable regression analyses. Secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU)‐ and hospital‐free days, intraoperative RBC transfusions, and estimated blood loss.RESULTSA total of 3393 unique patients were included, with median (IQR) transfusion of 2 (2‐4) units. In multivariable analyses, higher plasma volumes were associated with worse outcomes, with each 1 mL/kg increase associated with increased odds for postoperative (1.02 [1.01‐1.03], p < 0.001) and intraoperative RBCs (1.17 [1.16‐1.19], p < 0.001) and fewer ICU‐ and hospital‐free days (mean difference [95% CI], –0.08 [−0.12 to −0.05], p < 0.001; and −0.09 [−0.13 to −0.06], p < 0.001, respectively). Greater decreases in international normalized ratio (INR) following plasma transfusion were associated with decreased odds of postoperative RBCs (0.35 [0.25‐0.47], p < 0.001), decreased mortality (0.50 [0.31‐0.83], p = 0.007), and increased mean ICU‐ (1.31 [0.41‐2.21], p = 0.004) and hospital‐free days (1.15 [0.19‐2.10], p = 0.018).CONCLUSIONIn patients receiving intraoperative plasma transfusion, higher transfusion volumes were associated with inferior clinical outcomes; however, greater improvements in INR were associated with improved outcomes. Future prospective studies are necessary to better define these relationships and to explore plasma transfusion triggers beyond the limitations of INR.

Celiac plexus neurolysis has been shown to be an effective analgesic option for patients with visceral pain related to intraabdominal malignancies. In the setting of significant tumor burden, the celiac plexus may be inaccessible, limiting the efficacy of the transcrural approach. This case report describes a novel single-needle approach to retrocrural celiac plexus blockade, allowing for rapid blockade with a needle trajectory contralateral to the aorta in a 73-year-old woman with altered anatomy secondary to advanced metastatic colorectal cancer.

Objectives: We examined recommendations within critical care guidelines to describe the pairing patterns for strength of recommendation and quality of evidence. We further identified recommendations where the reported strength of recommendation was strong while the reported quality of evidence was not high/moderate and then assessed whether such pairings were within five paradigmatic situations offered by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology to justify such pairings. Data Sources and Extraction: We identified all clinical critical care guidelines published online from 2011 to 2017 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine along with individual guidelines published by Surviving Sepsis Campaign, Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society. Data Synthesis: In all, 15 documents specifying 681 eligible recommendations demonstrated variation in strength of recommendation (strong n = 215 [31.6%], weak n = 345 [50.7%], none n = 121 [17.8%]) and in quality of evidence (high n = 41 [6.0%], moderate n = 151 [22.2%], low/very low n = 298 [43.8%], and Expert Consensus/none n = 191 [28.1%]). Strength of recommendation and quality of evidence were positively correlated ( ρ = 0.66; p < 0.0001). Of 215 strong recommendations, 69 (32.1%) were discordantly paired with evidence other than high/moderate. Twenty-two of 69 (31.9%) involved Strong/Expert Consensus recommendations, a category discouraged by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Forty-seven of 69 recommendations (68.1%) were comprised of Strong/Low or Strong/Very Low variation requiring justification within five paradigmatic scenarios. Among distribution in the five paradigmatic scenarios of Strong/Low and Strong/Very Low recommendations, the most common paradigmatic scenario was life threatening situation ( n = 20/47; 42.6%). Four Strong/Low or Strong/Very Low recommendations (4/47; 8.5%) were outside Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Conclusions: Among a large, diverse assembly of critical care guideline recommendations using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology, the strength of evidence of a recommendation was generally associated with the quality of evidence. However, strong recommendations were not infrequently made in the absence of high/moderate quality of evidence. To improve clarity and uptake, future guideline statements may specify why such pairings were made, avoid such pairings when outside of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria, and consider separate language for Expert Consensus recommendations (good practice statements).

The efficacy of ceftriaxone or penicillin alone or combined with gentamicin at different dosing intervals was evaluated in experimental endocarditis due to a penicillin-susceptible, ceftriaxone-tolerant strain of Streptococcus sanguis I. The difference between monotherapy with ceftriaxone and procaine penicillin approached statistical significance (P = 0.052). Ceftriaxone combined with gentamicin administered as a single daily dose was less effective than was procaine penicillin combined with gentamicin administered in a single daily dose or in three divided doses.

* Massive rotator cuff tears that are treated nonoperatively demonstrate increases in tear size, fatty infiltration, muscular atrophy, and arthritis. * The pooled retear rate following complete repair of massive rotator cuff tears is 79%. * Absorbable and nonabsorbable graft augmentation following rotator cuff repair can reduce the retear rate and improve functional outcomes. * Irreparable tears can be predicted preoperatively by evaluating the degree of fatty infiltration, muscular atrophy, and tendon length. * Latissimus dorsi transfer, lower trapezius transfer, and superior capsular reconstruction provide improvements in terms of pain, range of motion, and function in patients with irreparable tears.