Accidental Ingestion of Nitric Acid in an Agricultural Company: A Case Study and Literature Review

Introduction: Though common in society, caustic accidental ingestion is rare in the agricultural industry. This study describes a case of ingestion of nitric acid used as an agricultural fertilizer by an ordinary worker at the Société de Cultures Légumières. Clinical Case: This is a 33-year-old unschooled woman who ingested a sip of nitric acid from an abandoned labelled acid canister near a farming plot of land. She showed a burn of the oral cavity with a bleeding tablecloth and an intense retrosternal pain. The duodenal oesophagus fibroscopy screening that was carried out 18 hours after the accident, revealed an esophagitis class 2b. The tests revealed no anomalies. Fifteen (15) days after the accident, the FOGD was normal. Following an 8-month-follow up, no signs of stenosis or degeneration were noted. Conclusion: The accidental ingestion of nitric acid is rare in adult. Its treatment is mainly symptomatic and aims at preserving vital functions without directly fighting the ingested substance off. The right actions must be integrated into the 15-minute Health and Safety awarenesssessions for optimum pre-hospital management. The hospital evaluation is mandatory and is carried out thanks to the digestive endoscopy, which is still relevant in this indication, but is completed by the thoraco-abdominal CT. The latter is very sensitive the transmural necrosis diagnosis.

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies/harmful materials in children from Bahrain:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Children like to discover their environment by putting substances in their mouths.This behavior puts them at risk of accidentally ingesting foreign bodies(FBs)or harmful materials,which can cause serious morbidities.AIM To study the clinical characteristics,diagnosis,complications,management,and outcomes of accidental ingestion of FBs,caustics,and medications in children.METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all children admitted for accidental ingestion to the Department of Pediatrics,Salmaniya Medical Complex,Bahrain,between 2011 and 2021.Demographic data,type of FB/harmful material ingested,and investigations used for diagnosis and management were recorded.The patients were divided into three groups based on the type of ingested material(FBs,caustics,and medications).The three groups were compared based on patient demographics,socioeconomic status(SES),symptoms,ingestion scenario,endoscopic and surgical complications,management,and outcomes.The FB anatomical location was categorized as the esophagus,stomach,and bowel and compared with respect to symptoms.The Fisher’s exact,Pearson’s χ^(2),Mann-Whitney U,and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparison.RESULTS A total of 161 accidental ingestion episodes were documented in 153 children.Most children were boys(n=85,55.6%),with a median age of 2.8(interquartile range:1.8-4.4)years.Most participants ingested FBs(n=108,70.6%),31(20.3%)ingested caustics,and the remaining 14(9.2%)ingested medications.Patients with caustic ingestion were younger at the time of presentation(P<0.001)and were more symptomatic(n=26/31,89.7%)than those who ingested medications(n=8/14,57.1%)or FBs(n=52/108,48.6%)(P<0.001).The caustic group had more vomiting(P<0.001)and coughing(P=0.029)than the other groups.Most FB ingestions were asymptomatic(n=55/108,51.4%).In terms of FB location,most esophageal FBs were symptomatic(n=14/16,87.5%),whereas most gastric(n=34/56,60.7%)and intestinal FBs(n=19/32,59.4%)were asymptomatic(P=0.002).Battery ingestion was the most common(n=49,32%).Unsafe toys were the main source of batteries(n=22/43,51.2%).Most episodes occurred while playing(n=49/131,37.4%)or when they were unwitnessed(n=78,57.4%).FBs were ingested more while playing(P<0.001),caustic ingestion was mainly due to unsafe storage(P<0.001),and medication ingestion was mostly due to a missing object(P<0.001).Girls ingested more jewelry items than boys(P=0.006).The stomach was the common location of FB lodgment,both radiologically(n=54/123,43.9%)and endoscopically(n=31/91,34%).Of 107/108(99.1%)patients with FB ingestion,spontaneous passage was noted in 54(35.5%),endoscopic removal in 46(30.3%),laparotomy in 5(3.3%)after magnet ingestion,and direct laryngoscopy in 2(1.3%).Pharmacological therapy was required for 105(70.9%)patients;79/105(75.2%)in the FB group,22/29(75.9%)in the caustic group,and 4/14(28.8%)in the medication group(P=0.001).Omeprazole was the commonly used(n=58;37.9%)and was used more in the caustic group(n=19/28,67.9%)than in the other groups(P=0.001).Endoscopic and surgical complications were detected in 39/148(26.4%)patients.The caustic group had more complications than the other groups(P=0.036).Gastrointestinal perforation developed in the FB group only(n=5,3.4%)and was more with magnet ingestion(n=4)than with other FBs(P<0.001).In patients with FB ingestion,patients aged<1 year(P=0.042),those with middle or low SES(P=0.028),and those with more symptoms at presentation(P=0.027)had more complications.Patients with complications had longer hospital stays(P<0.001)than those without.CONCLUSION Accidental ingestion in children is a serious condition.Symptomatic infants from middle or low SES families have the highest morbidity.Prevention through parental education and government legislation is crucial.

A STAMP-Game model for accident analysis in oil and gas industry

Accidents in engineered systems are usually generated by complex socio-technical factors.It is beneficial to investigate the increasing complexity and coupling of these factors from the perspective of system safety.Based on system and control theories,System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes(STAMP)is a widely recognized approach for accident analysis.In this paper,we propose a STAMP-Game model to analyze accidents in oil and gas storage and transportation systems.Stakeholders in accident analysis by STAMP can be regarded as players of a game.Game theory can,thus,be adopted in accident analysis to depict the competition and cooperation between stakeholders.Subsequently,we established a game model to study the strategies of both supervisory and supervised entities.The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed game model allows for identifying the effectiveness deficiency of the supervisory entity,and the safety and protection altitudes of the supervised entity.The STAMP-Game model can generate quantitative parameters for supporting the behavior and strategy selections of the supervisory and supervised entities.The quantitative data obtained can be used to guide the safety improvement,to reduce the costs of safety regulation violation and accident risk.

Transient Analysis of a Reactor Coolant Pump Rotor Seizure Nuclear Accident

The reactor coolant pump(RCP)rotor seizure accident is defined as a short-time seizure of the RCP rotor.This event typically leads to an abrupt flow decrease in the corresponding loop and an ensuing reactor and turbine trip.The significant reduction of core coolant flow while the reactor is being operated at full load can have very negative consequences.This potentially dangerous event is typically characterized by a complex transient behavior in terms of flow conditions and energy transformation,which need to be analyzed and understood.This study constructed transient flow and rotational speed mathematical models under various degrees of rotor seizure using the test data collected from a dedicated transient rotor seizure test system.Then,bidirectional fluid-solid coupling simulations were conducted to investigate the flow evolution mechanism.It is found that the influence of the impeller structure size and transient braking acceleration on the unsteady head(Hu)is dominant in rotor seizure accident events.Moreover,the present results also show that the rotational acceleration additional head(Hu1)is much higher than the instantaneous head(Hu2).

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of in-vessel phenomena under severe accident mitigation strategy based on ISAA-SAUP program

The phenomenology involved in severe accidents in nuclear reactors is highly complex.Currently,integrated analysis programs used for severe accident analysis heavily rely on custom empirical parameters,which introduce considerable uncertainty.Therefore,in recent years,the field of severe accidents has shifted its focus toward applying uncertainty analysis methods to quantify uncertainty in safety assessment programs,known as“best estimate plus uncertainty(BEPU).”This approach aids in enhancing our comprehension of these programs and their further development and improvement.This study concentrates on a third-generation pressurized water reactor equipped with advanced active and passive mitigation strategies.Through an Integrated Severe Accident Analysis Program(ISAA),numerical modeling and uncertainty analysis were conducted on severe accidents resulting from large break loss of coolant accidents.Seventeen uncertainty parameters of the ISAA program were meticulously screened.Using Wilks'formula,the developed uncertainty program code,SAUP,was employed to carry out Latin hypercube sampling,while ISAA was employed to execute batch calculations.Statistical analysis was then conducted on two figures of merit,namely hydrogen generation and the release of fission products within the pressure vessel.Uncertainty calculations revealed that hydrogen production and the fraction of fission product released exhibited a normal distribution,ranging from 182.784 to 330.664 kg and from 15.6 to 84.3%,respectively.The ratio of hydrogen production to reactor thermal power fell within the range of 0.0578–0.105.A sensitivity analysis was performed for uncertain input parameters,revealing significant correlations between the failure temperature of the cladding oxide layer,maximum melt flow rate,size of the particulate debris,and porosity of the debris with both hydrogen generation and the release of fission products.

Exploring the Factors Associated with 12-Month Non-Return to Work among Motorcyclists Involved in Road Accidents

Introduction: Motorcyclists bear a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality from road accidents. In addition, the consequences of these accidents affect the ability of victims to return to work. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with non-return to work among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents 12 months after the event. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from a cohort of motorcyclists involved in accidents and recruited in five hospitals in Benin from July 2019 to January 2020. The dependent variable was non-return to work 12 months after the accident (yes vs no). The independent variables were categorized into two groups: baseline and 12-month follow-up variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with non-return to work at 12 months among the participants. Results: Among the 362 participants, 55 (15.19%, 95% CI = 11.84 - 19.29) had not returned to work 12 months after the accident. Risk factors for non-return to work identified were: smoking (aOR = 4.41, 95% CI = 1.44 - 13.56, p = 0.010), hospitalization (aOR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.14 - 7.24, p Conclusion: The prevalence of non-return to work at 12 months was high among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents in Benin. Integrated support for patients based on identified risk factors should effectively improve their return to work.

Conceptual Strategy for Mitigating the Risk of Hydrogen as an Internal Hazard in Case of Severe Accidents at Nuclear Power Plant Considering Existing Risks and Uncertainties Associated with the Use of Traditional Strategies

Hydrogen challenge mitigation stands as one of the main objectives in the management of severe accidents at Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Key strategies for hydrogen control include atmospheric inertization and hydrogen removal with Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners (PARs) being a commonly accepted approach. However, an examination of PAR operation specificity reveals potential inefficiencies and reliability issues in certain severe accident scenarios. Moreover, during the in-vessel stage of severe accident development, in some severe accident scenarios PARs can unexpectedly become a source of hydrogen detonation. The effectiveness of hydrogen removal systems depends on various factors, including the chosen strategies, severe accident scenarios, reactor building design, and other influencing factors. Consequently, a comprehensive hydrogen mitigation strategy must effectively incorporate a combination of strategies rather than be based on one strategy, taking into consideration the probabilistic risks and uncertainties associated with the implementation of PARs or other traditional methods. In response to these considerations, within the framework of this research it has been suggested a conceptual strategy to mitigate the hydrogen challenge during the in-vessel stage of severe accident development.

Statistical Analysis of Accident Proneness of Drivers

A mathematical model describing the risks of road accidents has been built on the basis of statistical data of drivers’ accident rate. It has been revealed that drivers can be divided by the degree of their accident proneness into four categories with sharply differing probabilities of road accidents. It has been shown that there is a possibility of classification of drivers in accordance with specified categories.

Child Victims of Road Traffic Accidents: Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects in the Medical and Surgical Emergency Department of the Donka National Hospital

Introduction: Children involved in road accidents most often suffer head or limb injuries. The severity of these injuries varies according to the age of the child, the type of road user and whether or not protective devices are used. The aim of this study was to carry out a census of admissions and to identify the epidemiological and clinical profile of children involved in road traffic accidents at Donka National Hospital. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of children involved in traffic accidents over a 3-month period from September 1 to November 30, 2021. All children admitted to the emergency department for a traffic accident were included in the study. Results: During the study period, 435/530 children (82.1%) were victims of road accidents. Boys accounted for 54.94% of cases, compared with 45.06% for girls. The age group most affected was 12-17 years old (48.97%). October had the highest accident rate (36.4%). Pedestrians are most affected (52.87%). Bicycles and mopeds were involved in 59.77% of accidents. Head injury was the most frequent pathology (33.33%). The study showed that 12.64% of victims were referred to intensive care, pediatric surgery, etc. We recorded 8 cases of death (1.84%). Conclusion: This study highlighted the characteristics, incidence and risk factors for accidents in children admitted to emergency departments. Accident prevention, particularly serious accidents in children, requires more precise knowledge of the factors and circumstances leading to their occurrence.

Analysis of Traffic Accidents in Vietnam

Understanding the causes and solutions of road traffic accidents is important for developing road and action plans in a country. In Vietnam, awareness of traffic participants is the main cause of serious traffic accidents. In recent years, the number of road traffic accidents in Tuyen Quang province with deaths has decreased, but the number of accidents has increased significantly. The article uses data on traffic accidents in Tuyen Quang over the (2016-2023) has been analytically reviewed. From there, analyze accident characteristics and causes of traffic accidents in Tuyen Quang province, and propose solutions to improve traffic safety in Tuyen Quang, Vietnam. The findings can be information for managers and researchers interested in studying the province of Tuyen Quang, Vietnam road traffic safety. Additionally, the findings have led the government to achieve national targets in reducing the number of accidents and serious injuries.

A Workable Solution for Reducing the Large Number of Vehicle and Pedestrian Accidents Occurring on a Yellow Light

Traffic intersections are incredibly dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Statistics from both Canada and the U.S. show a high number of fatalities and serious injuries related to crashes at intersections. In Canada, during 2019, the National Collision Database shows that 28% of traffic fatalities and 42% of serious injuries occurred at intersections. Likewise, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) found that about 40% of the estimated 5,811,000 accidents in the U.S. during the year studied were intersection-related crashes. In fact, a major survey by the car insurance industry found that nearly 85% of drivers could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a yellow traffic light at an intersection. One major reason for these accidents is the “yellow light dilemma,” the ambiguous situation where a driver should stop or proceed forward when unexpectedly faced with a yellow light. This situation is even further exacerbated by the tendency of aggressive drivers to inappropriately speed up on the yellow just to get through the traffic light. A survey of Canadian drivers conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that 9% of drivers admitted to speeding up to get through a traffic light. Another reason for these accidents is the increased danger of making a left-hand turn on yellow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), left turns occur in approximately 22.2% of collisions—as opposed to just 1.2% for right turns. Moreover, a study by CNN found left turns are three times as likely to kill pedestrians than right turns. The reason left turns are so much more likely to cause an accident is because they take a driver against traffic and in the path of oncoming cars. Additionally, most of these left turns occur at the driver’s discretion—as opposed to the distressingly brief left-hand arrow at busy intersections. Drive Safe Now proposes a workable solution for reducing the number of accidents occurring during a yellow light at intersections. We believe this fairly simple solution will save lives, prevent injuries, reduce damage to public and private property, and decrease insurance costs.

Effects of propofol versus urapidil on perioperative hemodynamics and intraocular pressure during anesthesia and extubation in ophthalmic patients

AIM: To compare the effect of propofol versus urapidil on hemodynamics and intraocular pressure during anesthesia and extubation for ophthalmic patients. METHODS: Eighty-two surgical patients (Class: ASA I-II) were randomly assigned to propofol (n = 41) and urapidil groups (n = 41). Their gender, age, body mass, operation time and dosage of anesthetics had no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The patients of propofol and urapidil groups were given propofol (1.5mg/kg) and urapidil (2.5mg/kg) respectively; and two drugs were all diluted with normal saline to 8mL. Then the drugs were given to patients by slow intravenous injection. After treatment, the patients were conducted immediate suction, tracheal extubation, and then patients wore oxygen masks for 10 minutes. By double-blind methods, before the induction medication, at the suction, and 5, 10 minutes after the extubation, we recorded the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), pH, PaO2, PaCO2, SaO(2) and intraocular pressure (TOP) respectively. The complete recovery time of the patients with restlessness (on the command they could open eyes and shaking hands) was also recorded during the extubation. The data were analyzed by using a professional SPSS 15.0 statistical software. RESULTS: The incidence of cough, restlessness and glossocoma was significantly lower in the propofol group than that in the urapidil group after extubation (P < 0.05). There were no episodes of hypotension, laryngospasm, or severe respiratory depression. There was no statistical difference in recovery time between two groups (P > 0.05). In propofol group, the BP and HR during extubation and thereafter had no significant difference compared with those before induction, while they were significantly lower than those before giving propofol (P < 0.05), and had significant difference compared with those in urapidil group (P < 0.05). Compared to preinduction, the BP of urapidil group showed no obvious increase during aspiration and extubation. The HR of urapidil group had little changes after being given urapidil, and it was obviously increased compared with that before induction. The stimulation of aspiration and extubation caused less cough and agitation in propofol group than that in urapidil group (P < 0.05). The IOP of propofol group showed no obvious increase during extubation compared with that in preinduction, while in the urpidil group, extubation caused IOP significantly increased (P < 0.05). The changes in these indicators between the two groups had no significant difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared to urapidil, propofol is superior for preventing the cardiovascular and stress responses and IOP increases during emergence and extubation for the ophthalmic patients. Moreover, it has no effects on patient's recovery.

Clinical practice of early extubation after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: Anesthetic practices such as early tracheal extubation facilitate postoperative recovery. Early extubation after liver transplantation has been adopted by some centers in the recent two decades. No universal clinical guidelines are used and questions remain. This review aimed to address the current status of early extubation after liver transplantation. DATA SOURCES: A literature search of MEDLINE and ISI Web of Knowledge databases was performed using terms such as liver transplantation, early extubation, immediate tracheal extubation fast tracking or fast track anesthesia and postoperative tracheal extubation. Additional papers were identified by a manual search of the references in the key articles. RESULTS: Review of the available literature provided an insight into the definition, evolution, advantages and risks of early extubation, and anesthetic techniques that prompt early extubation in liver transplant patients. Early extubation has proved to be feasible and safe in these patients, but the outcomes are still uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: Early extubation after liver transplantation is feasible, safe and cost-effective in the majority of patients and has been increasingly accepted as an option for conventional postoperative ventilation. Comprehensive and individualized evaluation of the patient’s condition before extubation by an experienced anesthesiologist is the cornerstone of success Understanding of its effect on the outcome remains incomplete In the future, additional trials are required to establish universal early extubation guidelines and to determine its benefits for patients and practitioners.

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy and noninvasive ventilation for preventing extubation failure during weaning from mechanical ventilation assessed by lung ultrasound score: A single-center randomized study

BACKGROUND: We sought to demonstrate the superiority of a targeted therapy strategy involving high-flow nasal cannula oxygen(HFNCO_(2)) therapy and noninvasive ventilation(NIV) using lung ultrasound score(LUS) in comparison with standard care among patients in the intensive care unit(ICU) who undergo successful weaning to decrease the incidence of extubation failure at both 48 hours and seven days.METHODS: During the study period, 98 patients were enrolled in the study, including 49 in the control group and 49 in the treatment group. Patients in the control group and patients with an LUS score <14 points(at low risk of extubation failure) in the treatment group were extubated and received standard preventive care without NIV or HFNCO_(2). Patients with an LUS score ≥14 points(at high risk of extubation failure) in the treatment group were extubated with a second review of the therapeutic optimization to identify and address any persisting risk factors for postextubation respiratory distress;patients received HFNCO2 therapy combined with sessions of preventive NIV(4-8 hours per day for 4-8 sessions total) for the first 48 hours after extubation.RESULTS: In the control group, 13 patients had the LUS scores ≥14 points, while 36 patients had scores <14 points. In the treatment group, 16 patients had the LUS scores ≥14 points, while 33 patients had scores <14 points. Among patients with the LUS score ≥14 points, the extubation failure rate within 48 hours was 30.8% in the control group and 12.5% in the treatment group, constituting a statistically significant difference(P<0.05). Conversely, among patients with an LUS score <14 points, 13.9% in the control group and 9.1% in the treatment group experienced extubation failure(P=0.61). The length of ICU stay(9.4±3.1 days vs. 7.2±2.4 days) was significantly different and the re-intubation rate(at 48 hours: 18.4% vs. 10.2%;seven days: 22.4% vs. 12.2%) significantly varied between the two groups(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality rate(6.1% vs. 8.2%) between the control and treatment groups.CONCLUSIONS: Among high-risk adults being weaned from mechanical ventilation and assessed by LUS, the NIV+HFNCO_(2) protocol does not lessen the mortality rate but reduce the length of ICU stay, the rate of extubation failure at both 48 hours and seven days.

Predictive value of the unplanned extubation risk assessment scale in hospitalized patients with tubes

BACKGROUND Critical patients often had various types of tubes,unplanned extubation of any kind of tube may cause serious injury to the patient,but previous reports mainly focused on endotracheal intubation.The limitations or incorrect use of the unplanned extubation risk assessment tool may lead to improper identification of patients at a high risk of unplanned extubation and cause delay or nonimplementation of unplanned extubation prevention interventions.To effectively identify and manage the risk of unplanned extubation,a comprehensive and universal unplanned extubation risk assessment tool is needed.AIM To assess the predictive value of the Huaxi Unplanned Extubation Risk Assessment Scale in inpatients.METHODS This was a retrospective validation study.In this study,medical records were extracted between October 2020 and September 2021 from a tertiary comprehensive hospital in southwest China.For patients with tubes during hospitalization,the following information was extracted from the hospital information system:age,sex,admission mode,education,marital status,number of tubes,discharge mode,unplanned extubation occurrence,and the Huaxi Unplanned Extubation Risk Assessment Scale(HUERAS)score.Only inpatients were included,and those with indwelling needles were excluded.The best cut-off value and the area under the curve(AUC)of the Huaxi Unplanned Extubation Risk Assessment Scale were been identified.RESULTS A total of 76033 inpatients with indwelling tubes were included in this study,and 26 unplanned extubations occurred.The patients’HUERAS scores were between 11 and 30,with an average score of 17.25±3.73.The scores of patients with or without unplanned extubation were 22.85±3.28 and 17.25±3.73,respectively(P<0.001).The results of the correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between each characteristic and the total score ranged from 0.183 to 0.843.The best cut-off value was 21,and there were 14135 patients with a high risk of unplanned extubation,accounting for 18.59%.The Cronbach’sα,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of the Huaxi Unplanned Extubation Risk Assessment Scale were 0.815,84.62%,81.43%,0.16%,and 99.99%,respectively.The AUC of HUERAS was 0.851(95%CI:0.783-0.919,P<0.001).CONCLUSION The HUERAS has good reliability and predictive validity.It can effectively identify inpatients at a high risk of unplanned extubation and help clinical nurses carry out risk screening and management.

A Comparative Study between Dexmedetomidine Alone versus Combined Low Dose of Dexmedetomidine and Lidocaine for the Hemodynamic Response to Endotracheal Extubation in Patient Undergoing Abdominal Surgery—A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Tracheal extubation is related to many side effects of hemodynamic, especially for patients with comorbid states. The study compared the validity of dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg and low combination dose of dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg plus Lidocaine 1 mg/kg in softening hemodynamic stress response and estimated quality of extubation in study groups. Materials and Methods: The patients in our study, one hundred and fifty of both gender, ASA class I &II patients, aged 20 - 50 years old subject to elective abdominal operations under general anesthesia were allocated into three equal groups. Anesthetic technique was standardized. Before extubation by 10 minutes, the patients in Group N, D, and DL have given 0.9% normal Saline intravenous bolus infusion, dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg and Dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg, respectively within a 10-minute period. Before complete extubation by 90 seconds, in the three groups by syringe ten cc volumes and at time of extubation, Group N and D patients received 0.9% normal Saline intravenous bolus infusion, but in Group DL received Lidocaine 1 mg/kg then extubation completed. Heart rate (HR), Diastolic BP (DBP), Systolic BP (SBP), and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) were noted at baseline, at the reverse, extubation, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 min and at the regular times after that for two hours. Extubation quality was assessed by extubation quality scale. Aldrete’s recovery score and Ramsay sedation score were also recorded and also any complications were noted and recorded. Results: All the hemodynamic parameters significantly elevated extubation and numerous periods of observation in the normal saline group than dexmedetomidine and dexmedetomidine plus Lidocaine group (p-value = 0.001). Response of tachycardia was seen in 41 (82%) in patients of N group, compared to 18 (36%) and 20 (40%) in D & DL group respectively (p = 0.001). Hypertensive response statistically significant noticed in 40 (80%) patients of N group, 9 (18%) of D group and 12 (24%) of DL group (p = 0.001). Tachycardia duration and the response of hypertension were significantly prolonged in the control group. As regards extubation quality, the three groups differed in D Groups (1.93 ± 0.57) and DL (1.51 ± 0.57) had decreased scores compared to group N (2.67 ± 0.48) modulating smoother extubation (p Conclusion: Low combined dose of (Dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg plus Lidocaine 1 mg/kg) IV was useful as much as Dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg IV in softening hemodynamic stress responses during emergence.

Detecting accidental punctures and lacerations during cholecystectomy in large datasets: Two methods of analysis

Background: After the Institute of Medicine(IOM) report To Err Is Human highlighted the impact of medical errors, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(AHRQ) developed Patient-Safety Indicators(PSI) to improve quality by identifying potential inpatient safety problems. PSI-15 was created to study accidental punctures and lacerations(APL), but PSI-15 may underestimate APLs in populations of patients. This study compares PSI-15 with a more inclusive approach using a novel composite of secondary diagnostic and procedural codes. Methods: We used Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS) data(20 0 0–2012) from AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project(H-CUP). We analyzed PSI-15-positive and-negative cholecystectomies. Cross tabulations identified codes that were significantly more frequent among PSI-15-positive cases; these secondary diagnostic and procedural codes were selected as candidate members of a composite marker(CM) of APL. We chose cholecystectomy patients for study because this is one of the most common general operations, and the large size of NIS allows for meaningful analysis of infrequent occurrences such as APL rates. Results: CM identified 1.13 times more APLs than did PSI-15. Patients with CM-detected APLs were significantly older and had worse mortality, comorbidities, lengths of stay, and charges than those detected with PSI-15. Further comparison of these two approaches revealed that time-series analysis for both APL markers revealed parallel trends, with inflections in 2007, and lowest APL rates in July. Conclusions: Although CM may yield more false positives, it appears more inclusive, identifying more clinically significant APLs, than PSI-15. Both measures presented similar trends over time, arguing against inflation in PSI-15 reporting. While arguably less specific, CM may increase sensitivity for detecting APL events during cholecystectomies. These results may inform the interpretation of other large population studies of APLs following abdominal operations.

An alternative approach for computing seismic response with accidental eccentricity

Accidental eccentricity is a non-standard assumption for seismic design of tall buildings. Taking it into consideration requires reanalysis of seismic resistance, which requires either time consuming computation of natural vibration of eccentric structures or finding a static displacement solution by applying an approximated equivalent torsional moment for each eccentric case. This study proposes an alternative modal response spectrum analysis （MRSA） approach to calculate seismic responses with accidental eccentricity. The proposed approach, called the Rayleigh Ritz Projection-MRSA （RRP-MRSA）, is developed based on MRSA and two strategies： （a） a RRf＂ method to obtain a fast calculation of approximate modes of eccentric structures; and （b） an approach to assemble mass matrices of eccentric structures. The efficiency of RRP-MRSA is tested via engineering examples and compared with the standard MRSA （ST-MRSA） and one approximate method, i.e., the equivalent torsional moment hybrid MRSA （ETM-MRSA）. Numerical results show that RRP-MRSA not only achieves almost the same precision as ST-MRSA, and is much better than ETM-MRSA, but is also more economical. Thus, RRP-MRSA can be in place of current accidental eccentricity computations in seismic design.

Fast Track Extubation Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: A Retrospective Review of Predictors of Clinical Outcomes

Introduction: Fast track (FT) cardiac surgery and early extubation (EE) are aimed at safe and effective rapid post-operative progression to discharge, and have been practiced for more than two decades. Their goal is to optimize patient care perioperatively in order to decrease costs without negatively affecting morbidity and mortality. However, the factors that predict successful EE are poorly understood, and patients with significant co-morbidities are frequently excluded from protocols. We hypothesize that independent of disease severity, early extubation leads to shorter hospital stays and can be performed safely without negatively affecting outcomes. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 919 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System medical center over 7 years. We collected pre-operative data regarding patients’ NYHA classification, presence and severity of cerebral vascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes and hypertension. Intra-operative variables were also recorded including ASA scores, ischemic times, and time to extubation. Finally, post-operative variables such as rates of reintubation and tracheotomy, and both length of ICU and total hospital stay were also compared. Results: Prolonged periods of ischemia were found to predict a delayed extubation (HR = 0.992;CI = 0.988 - 0.997, p = 0.0015) while small body surface area (HR = 1.57;CI = 1.13, 2.17, p = 0.007) and higher pre-operative functional status of the patient, such as independent versus dependent status (HR =1.68;CI = 1.30 - 2.16, p = 1.33;CI = 1.03 - 1.70, p = 0.03) were found to be associated with earlier extubation. The early extubation (EE) group (those extubated in less than the median 7.3 hours) had an average hospital stay of 5.1 ± 4.0 days, versus 7.8 ± 8.1 days in the delayed group (>4 hours), p Conclusions: In our study population, pre-operative functional class and total body surface area predicted those patients able to tolerate early extubation after cardiac surgery. Prolonged ischemia resulted in delayed extubation. Patients that were extubated in less than 4 hours had shorter ICU and hospitalization stays, while there was no significant difference between the two groups in rate of reintubation or tracheotomy.

Negative Pressure Pulmonary Edema on Extubation of a 9-Month-Old Baby Boy

Background: Negative Pressure Pulmonary Edema (NPPE) is an uncommon, but well recognized clinical entity that continues to be reported as a complication of upper airway obstructions during induction or emergence. It results from the negative intrathoracic pressure generated with spontaneous ventilation with concurrent upper airway obstruction. Aim: To present an unusual case of NPPE and review the pathophysiology and treatment. Case: It usually occurs in young healthy athletic adults. We are reporting NPPE in a nine-month-old ex-premature baby. We discuss his intraoperative events leading to NPPE, subsequent intraoperative course and treatment. Conclusion: NPPE needs to be promptly recognized and treated. If the edema resolves, the patient can be successfully extubated, but should be observed overnight.