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Infection by SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a high risk of thrombosis. The laboratory documentation of hypercoagulability and impaired fibrinolysis remains a challenge. Our aim was to assess the potential usefulness of viscoelastometric testing (VET) to predict thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients according to the literature. We also (i) analyzed the impact of anticoagulation and the methods used to neutralize heparin, (ii) analyzed whether maximal clot mechanical strength brings more information than Clauss fibrinogen, and (iii) critically scrutinized the diagnosis of hypofibrinolysis. We performed a systematic search in PubMed and Scopus databases until 31st December 2020. VET methods and parameters, and patients’ features and outcomes were extracted. VET was performed for 1063 patients (893 intensive care unit (ICU) and 170 non-ICU, 44 studies). There was extensive heterogeneity concerning study design, VET device used (ROTEM, TEG, Quantra and ClotPro) and reagents (with non-systematic use of heparin neutralization), timing of assay, and definition of hypercoagulable state. Notably, only 4 out of 25 studies using ROTEM reported data with heparinase (HEPTEM). The common findings were increased clot mechanical strength mainly due to excessive fibrinogen component and impaired to absent fibrinolysis, more conspicuous in the presence of an added plasminogen activator. Only 4 studies out of the 16 that addressed the point found an association of VETs with thrombotic events. So-called functional fibrinogen assessed by VETs showed a variable correlation with Clauss fibrinogen. Abnormal VET pattern, often evidenced despite standard prophylactic anticoagulation, tended to normalize after increased dosing. VET studies reported heterogeneity, and small sample sizes do not support an association between the poorly defined prothrombotic phenotype of COVID-19 and thrombotic events.

Our objective was to develop a clinical scale (the VENSCORE) to predict pre-operative peripheral intravenous cannula (PIVC) insertion failure at the first attempt in adults. This was a prospective multicenter cohort study that included internal validation with bootstrapping. The operating rooms of 14 hospitals in southern France from June 2016 to June 2018. Consecutive adult patients aged 18 years or older were recruited upon arrival to the operating room, regardless of American Society of Anaesthesiology (ASA) physical status. PIVC insertion on arrival to the OR. PIVC insertion failure at the first attempt was the outcome of interest. Data collected included the number of PIVC insertion attempts and potential predictors of the risk of failure (including pre-operative patient characteristics and data relative to the procedure). Uni- and multivariable logistic analyses were performed. Based on these results, the VENSCORE scale was developed to predict the risk of failure of the first PIVC insertion. In total, 3394 patients were included, and 27 were excluded because of protocol violations. The PIVC insertion failure rate at the first attempt was 20.3%. Based on multivariable analysis, a history of difficult PIVC insertions, high-risk surgery, poor vein visibility, and moderate to poor vein palpability were identified as risk factors for insertion failure at the first attempt. The area under the curve of the predictive model was 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.80–0.84). A VENSCORE value of 0 points was associated with a failure rate of 7%, versus 97% for a score of 6. The four-item VENSCORE scale could be useful for prospectively identifying adults at risk of first PIVC insertion attempt failure. •Peripheral intravenous cannula insertion failure rate at the first attempt was 20.3%•A VENSCORE of 6 points was associated with a failure rate of 97% at the first attempt.•Pain after intravenous cannula insertion failure was described in 16.8% of patients.•VENSCORE is useful for identifying adults at risk of cannula insertion failure

An issue in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the diagnosis of hyperfibrinolysis. The Thrombodynamics-4D assay (TD4D) is a videomicroscopy system allowing the dynamic analysis of fibrin clot. Fibrinolysis is highlighted by a change in clot intensity. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the TD4D as a tool to diagnose fibrinolysis during OLT. Thirty consecutive patients were included. We studied a subset of 41 samples from 13 patients who demonstrated hyperfibrinolysis during OLT by global fibrinolytic capacity studied by the Lysis Timer (GFC/LT) and/or euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) and/or EXTEM maximum lysis (EXTEM ML) on ROTEM. Three samples exhibited fibrinolysis. They exhibited significantly shorter ECLT, higher lysis on EXTEM graphs, shorter GFC/LT clot lysis time and higher t-PA activity values. After adding urokinase, 13 samples exhibited fibrinolysis. In conclusion, TD4D allows the dynamic analysis of fibrin clot formation and lysis. It only recognises the most severe forms of hyperfibrinolysis during OLT.

Purpose : Continuous capnography should be used on patients admitted to post-anaesthesia care units (PACUs) with endotracheal tubes, but this monitoring is not always performed. Optimized ventilation in the PACU could be part of the global standards of practice to maintain the benefits of perioperative ventilation. The main objective was to study the rate of patients with alveolar hypoventilation before tracheal extubation or Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) removal upon the measurement of continuous capnography. Methods : In this prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled study, we enrolled adult patients admitted to the PACU after general anaesthesia with an endotracheal tube or LMA in place. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: in the Capno + group, nurses managed the patients with access to the capnometer and end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PETCO 2 ) measurements; in the Capno- group, nurses monitored the patients without seeing PETCO 2 measurements. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with PETCO 2 measurements above 45 mm Hg during the minute before extubation. Secondary endpoints included the delay in recovering spontaneous breathing, rate of hypoxemia, delay before extubation, and length of stay in the PACU. Results : Forty-eight patients were randomized into the two groups. The percentage of patients with PETCO 2  > 45 mm Hg the minute before extubation was significantly decreased in the Capno + group (83.3% versus 54,1% in the Capno- and Capno + groups respectively, p = 0.029). There were no significant differences concerning secondary endpoints. Conclusions : The use of PETCO 2 monitoring improves patient safety by decreasing the incidence of CO 2 retention during recovery from general anaesthesia. This study suggests that this monitoring should be integrated in the PACU. The risk of hypoxemia can also be prevented through the early recognition of apnoea. Clinical Trial registry : clinicaltrial.gov. identifier: NCT03370081

PurposeRobotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) is a minimally-invasive technique used to treat renal tumors. A clinical pathway and prospective research protocol (AMBU-REIN) were specifically set up to establish and assess the routine use of day-case RPN. MethodsThe AMBU-REIN study was conducted in the framework of the French research network on kidney cancer UroCCR (NCT03293563). We present our initial experience of patients treated using day-case RPN and released from our hospital on the same day, focusing on patient selection, safety and patient satisfaction using the EVAN-G validated questionnaire.ResultsBetween September 2016 and September 2019, 429 RPN were performed and 82 patients were consecutively selected for day-case RPN. Patients were managed using transperitoneal RPN with off-clamp tumorectomy for 66/82 cases. Mean tumor size was 2.7 ± 1.2 cm. There were no immediate severe postoperative complications; 7/82 patients were kept under observation overnight and discharged the following day. The follow-up at day 30 indicated postoperative complications, readmissions, and mortality rates of 1.2, 1.2, and 0%, respectively. Next-day patient satisfaction questionnaires indicated that patients were generally highly satisfied, with a mean ± standard deviation global score of 83.6 ± 10.3%. “Attention” was rated the highest overall (mean 94.8 ± 10.5%), while “pain management” scored the lowest (61.2 ± 20.5%).ConclusionsThis prospective case series is the first to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of day-case RPN. For selected patients and through a dedicated, nurse-led clinical pathway, it provided a high level of patient satisfaction. Expected benefits on healthcare cost savings warrant further investigation.

With the advent of new viscoelastometric hemostatic assay (VHA) devices, with ready-to-use cartridge reagents allowing for their use by people without special laboratory skills, the appreciation of the actual clinical value of VHAs in settings such as severe trauma, post-partum hemorrhage, cardiac surgery and liver transplantation still needs to be fully validated. While two of the newest versions remain based on a ‘cup and pin’ system (ROTEM® sigma, ClotPro®), two other new devices (TEG® 6s, Quantra®) rely on very different technologies: clotting blood is no longer in contact with the probe and challenged by oscillation of one of the components but explored with ultrasound exposure. A systematic literature search (including Sonoclot®) retrieved 20 observational studies (19 prospective). Most studies pointed to imperfect agreements, highlighting the non-interchangeability of devices. Only a few studies, often with a limited number of patients enrolled, used a clinical outcome. No study compared VHA results with conventional laboratory assays obtained through a rapid tests panel. Clinical evidence of the utility of the new VHAs largely remains to be proven through randomized clinical trials, with clinically relevant outcomes, and compared to rapid panel hemostasis testing. The availability of new, improved VHA devices provides an impetus and an opportunity to do so.

AimsDiagnosis of hyperfibrinolysis in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains challenging. Euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) is not adapted to clinical situations. ROTEM is specific but seldom sensitive to hyperfibrinolysis. The Lysis Timer assesses ‘Global Fibrinolytic Capacity’ in citrated plasma (GFC/LT). GFC/LT associates reagents for in vitro triggering of the clot (thrombin and calcium) and its lysis (tissue-plasminogenactivator (t-PA)), turbidity signal acquisition by the Lysis Timer, and dedicated software converting the digital signal into an optical curve. A visual check of the curves was systematic to ascertain the lysis time values calculated by the software. The primary aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the ability of GFC/LT to recognise hyperfibrinolysis during OLT. The secondary aim was to compare its results with ROTEM maximum lysis (EXTEM ML) and with standard laboratory tests.MethodsThirty consecutive adult patients undergoing OLT were included (NCT03012633). Standard laboratory tests, ROTEM, GFC/LT, ECLT and fibrinolysis parameters were assayed at five sample times.ResultsGFC/LT was correlated with ECLT, plasmin activator inhibitor 1 antigen and activity and t-PA activity (r=0.490, 0.681, 0.643 and –0.359, respectively). Hyperfibrinolysis was defined as ECLT ≤60 min. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that GFC/LT with a threshold of 31 min detected hyperfibrinolysis with a sensitivity of 0.88 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.96), a specificity of 0.68 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.78) and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.94). EXTEM ML >12% did not detect hyperfibrinolysis (sensitivity 0.38 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.55), specificity 0.95 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.99) and AUC 0.60 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.75)).ConclusionsGFC/LT recognised hyperfibrinolysis during OLT with a significant agreement with the other tests of fibrinolysis.Trial registration number NCT03012633.

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) remains a potentially haemorrhagic procedure whose perioperative bleeding and transfusion could be better monitored using point-of-care devices. Quantra® is a device based on sonorheometry to assess whole blood clot formation. Our aims were to describe Quantra® parameters during LT and to study their correlations with standard laboratory parameters, and to determine Quantra® cut-off values for thrombocytopenia, hypofibrinogenemia and coagulation factors’ deficit. Methods: In 34 patients undergoing LT, blood samples were collected before surgical incision, 15 min after the beginning of the anhepatic phase, and 15 min after arterial revascularization of the graft. Results: Clotting time (CT) was well correlated with prothrombin (PT) ratio and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) ratio. Platelet contribution to clot stiffness (PCS) was correlated with platelets (ρ = 0.82, p < 0.001) and fibrinogen contribution clot stiffness (FCS) with fibrinogen (Fg) (ρ = 0.74, p < 0.001). CT predicted a PT ratio < 30% with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 (95% CI 0.87–0.98; p < 0.001). PCS predicted a platelet count < 50 G/L with an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI 0.76–0.98, p < 0.001). FCS predicted a Fg < 1.0, 1.2 or 1.5 g/L, with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.77–094, p < 0.001), 0.82 (95% CI 0.74–0.91, p < 0.001) and 0.88 (95% CI 0.82–0.95, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Quantra® provides a rapid assessment of haemostasis during LT.

Non-invasive respiratory variations in arterial pulse pressure using infrared-plethysmography (PPV CNAP ) are able to predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients. However, they cannot be continuously monitored. The present study evaluated a new algorithm allowing continuous measurements of PPV CNAP (PPV CNAPauto ) (CNSystem, Graz, Austria). Thirty-five patients undergoing vascular surgery were studied after induction of general anaesthesia. Stroke volume was measured using the Vigileo TM /FloTrac TM . Invasive pulse pressure variations were manually calculated using an arterial line (PPV ART ) and PPV CNAPauto was continuously displayed. PPV ART and PPV CNAPauto were simultaneously recorded before and after volume expansion (500 ml hydroxyethylstarch). Subjects were defined as responders if stroke volume increased by ≥15 %. Twenty-one patients were responders. Before volume expansion, PPV ART and PPV CNAPauto exhibited a bias of 0.1 % and limits of agreement from −7.9 % to 7.9 %. After volume expansion, PPV ART and PPV CNAPauto exhibited a bias of −0.4 % and limits of agreement from −5.3 % to 4.5 %. A 14 % baseline PPV ART threshold discriminated responders with a sensitivity of 86 % (95 % CI 64–97 %) and a specificity of 100 % (95 % CI 77–100 %). Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for PPV ART was 0.93 (95 % CI 0.79–0.99). A 15 % baseline PPV CNAPauto threshold discriminated responders with a sensitivity of 76% (95 % CI 53–92 %) and a specificity of 93 % (95 % CI 66–99 %). Area under the ROC curves for PPV CNAPauto was 0.91 (95 % CI 0.76–0.98), which was not different from that for PPV ART . When compared with PPV ART , PPV CNAPauto performs satisfactorily in assessing fluid responsiveness in hemodynamically stable surgical patients.

Background During surgery, any mismatch between oxygen delivery (DO 2 ) and consumption (VO 2 ) can promote the development of postoperative complications. The respiratory exchange ratio (RER), defined as the ratio of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) production (VCO 2 ) to VO 2 , may be a useful noninvasive tool for detecting inadequate DO 2 . The primary objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that RER measured during liver transplantation may predict postoperative morbidity. Secondary objectives were to assess the ability of other variables used to assess the DO 2 /VO 2 relationship, including arterial lactate, mixed venous oxygen saturation, and veno-arterial difference in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (VAPCO 2 gap), to predict postoperative complications. Methods This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients who underwent liver transplantation for end stage liver disease from June 27th, 2020, to September 5th, 2021. Patients with acute liver failure were excluded. All patients were routinely equipped with a pulmonary artery catheter. The primary analysis was a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve constructed to investigate the discriminative ability of the mean RER measured during surgery to predict postoperative complications. RER was calculated at five standardized time points during the surgery, at the same time as measurement of blood lactate levels and arterial and mixed venous blood gases, which were compared as a secondary analysis. Results Of the 115 patients included, 57 developed at least one postoperative complication. The mean RER (median [25–75] percentiles) during surgery was significantly higher in patients with complications than in those without (1.04[0.96–1.12] vs 0.88[0.84–0.94];  p  < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.87 (95%CI: 0.80–0.93;  p  < 0.001) with a RER value (Youden index) of 0.92 giving a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 74% for predicting the occurrence of postoperative complications. The RER outperformed all other measured variables assessing the DO 2 /VO 2 relationship (arterial lactate, SvO 2 , and VAPCO 2 gap) in predicting postoperative complications. Conclusion During liver transplantation, the RER can reliably predict postoperative complications. Implementing this measure intraoperatively may provide a warning for physicians of impending complications and justify more aggressive optimization of oxygen delivery. Further studies are required to determine whether correcting the RER is feasible and could reduce the incidence of complications.