Conference Notes 08/10/2022

Sepsis Update, Marianne Kreuger

  • RN can initiate triage-initiated sepsis alert if patient has 2+ SIRS criteria and suspected/confirmed infection with or without organ dysfunction
    • Patient can flag for sepsis while in waiting room- time zero is triage
  • Multiple sepsis power plans exist
  • Three hour bundle and six hour bundle have different requirements.
    • 3h: IV abx, fluid bolus, lactic with reflex
    • 6h: repeat lactic if initial was >2, vasopressors if not responsive to IV fluids, tissue perfusion reassessment (echo, cap refill, periph pulses eval, etc)
  • 30cc/kg bolus required when patient has two or more hypotensive episodes or lactic >4
    • If withholding full sepsis fluids, please document reason why
  • .sepsisreassessment is helpful dot phrase in cerner
  • Effort is being made to track patients in the waiting room to help meet compliance and goals
  • Also: new hyperkalemia power plan exists specifically for insulin/dextrose treatment
    • Protocol for repeat poc glucose afterward for 6 hours, BMP Q1h x4

Pediatric Trauma, Dr. Klensch:

  • Trauma Stat (generally more severe) vs Trauma Alert
  • Trauma Role assignments: team leader, airway, assessor, procedure physicians
    • Specific roles prior to arrival and then after arrival
  • Airway considerations:
    • Small mouth, larger tongue, large adenoid, floppy epiglottis
    • Larynx more cephalad and anterior
    • Increased vagal response, use atropine PRN
    • ET Tube: (age/4)+4
    • Depth: ETT x3
  • Breathing:
    • Compliant ribcage makes fracture less likely
    • Pulm contusion is most common ped thoracic injury
    • Mobile mediastinum: less aortic disruption, more tracheobronchial injuries, earlier compromise from tension ptx
  • Circulation
    • Long bone fracture generally won’t have as much blood loss as adults
      • Ex: if hypotensive with femur fx, should look into chest, abdomen, etc for other causes
    • ICH with open fontanelle can contain large amount of blood
    • No sternal IO in kids <12yo
    • Hypotension: 70 + (2x age)
    • Pay close attention to mentation in evaluating shock
  • Disability:
    • Modified GCS exists for infants and children
    • Prevent secondary injury in TBI: avoid hypoxia, hypercapnia, hyperthermia, hyponatremia
    • Linear skull fracture are typically benign unless depression exists, overlying vascular channel, a diastatic fracture, or over area of MMA
    • Closed head injury: PECARN <2
  • Exposure:
    • Expose entirely to eval for other injuries
    • At risk for hypothermia, keep exposure time brief
      • Due to large BSA, thin skin, minimal fat
  • NAT:
    • KY has highest child abuse rate in the country
      • ~20/1000 kids in the state
    • IN has highest child abuse death rate nation wide
    • Up to 25% of severe child abuse cases have previous sentinel injuries
    • Red flags:
      • No hx of trauma, mechanism does not fit, history inconsistent with age/development, history changes, delay in seeking care
    • Use TEN-4-FACESp for bruising clinical decision rule for children <4
  • Cervical Spine:
    • Generally uncommon, 1-2% of all trauma admissions
    • High risk: Down Syndrome, Ehlers Danlos, NAT
    • Most common site of fracture varies with age
    • Why not CT?
      • More expensive, more radiation
      • Less likely to define injury in infants and small children with only ligamentous injury
    • Ok to clear clinically in low risk (no distracting injury, normal neuro exam, etc), also make sure to examine for tenderness/ROM
    • Conscious, not meeting low risk criteria: okay to get plain XR, CT if XR unclear or high suspicion for injury
    • Unconscious or obtunded, obtain CT head and c spine
    • SCIWORA: neuro deficits or symptoms that may be transient w/ normal imaging, get MRI and NES consult, admit, can be delayed up to 30min-4days
  • FAST
    • Data mixed
    • Several studies demonstrate lower sensitivity than for adults

Clinical Pathway- Complicated Delivery, Drs. Boland and Hill-Norby:

  • ED deliveries higher risk than those on labor floor
    • Often little or no prenatal care
    • Higher perinatal mortality
    • Need to expect the unexpected
  • Shoulder dystocia:
    • Clinical diagnosis when gentle traction is insufficient to deliver shoulders after delivery of head
    • General Mgmt: stop pushing, align buttocks flush with edge of bed to provide optimal access, cath bladder for decompression, suprapubic pressure
    • HELPERR (Ob, empty bladder, legs flexed (McRoberts), pressure to suprapubic area, enter vagina (Rubin or Woods), remove posterior arm (Barnum), roll to all 4s (Gaskin))
      • Pressure should be applied just above pubic symphysis, not fundal
      • Rubin, Woods, and Barnum generally all require adequate anesthesia, making their use more challenging in ED deliveries
    • Maneuvers of last resort:
      • Fracture of fetal clavicle
      • Zavanelli maneuver requires immediate availability of surgeon and anesthesiologist: push fetal head back up into pelvis and c/s performed
    • Breech presentation
      • 4% of live births
      • Prone to problems with cervical dilation and umbilical cord prolapse
      • Frank, complete, incomplete breech
      • Call for help, if fetus not yet emerged, tell mom not to push
      • Consider uterine relaxants
      • Allow spontaneous delivery, support fetus but do not apply traction
      • Fetus should be delivered within 10 min as cord will be compressed causing acidosis
      • Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit maneuver
    • Umbilical Cord Prolapse
      • 50% are associated with malpresentations
      • OB should be called, prep for c/s but if delivery is imminent facilitate as possible
      • Cord manipulation can induce vasospasm and hypoxia
      • Position mom in knee chest position
      • Any presenting parts should be manually elevated with provider’s hand to reduce pressure
    • CODE GREEN: imminent delivery
    • *** See Clinical Pathway Section for Malpositions Complicating Precipitous Delivery Flowchart***

The Clench Test, Dr. Martinez:

  • Nerve innervations and why the clench test is useless in assessing for true spinal cord injury
  • Glutes are innervated by L5-S2 where ankle flexion is innervated by S1-2 meaning if they can plantar flex, their buttcheeks can squeeze
  • S3-4 control bowel and bladder function
  • Pudendal nerve supports rectal tone, urethral and anal sphincters, made up of nerve fibers from S2-S4
  • Trauma neuro exam
    • GCS/pupils/mentation, gross sensory, gross motor (PF and DF ankles), digital rectal exam
  • Isolated damage to S1-5 can happen with sacral fractures depending on location, more medial fractures are higher risk for neurologic injury mostly involving bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction
  • Reasons to do a proper DRE in trauma: clued in early to severe sacral fractures, blood, high riding prostate
  • Always make sure to notify patient prior to DRE

Postpartum Hemorrhage, Dr. Shaw:

  • Definition: >1000cc of blood loss or any blood loss with systemic signs of hypovolemia
    • Up to 24h postpartum
  • Leading cause of maternal death worldwide, 1-5% of US deliveries
  • Uterine atony most likely cause also laceration, retained POC
  • DDx: tone, trauma, tissue, thrombin
    • Use physical exam to differentiate
      • Fundus should be below umbilicus
      • Inspect perineum for lacs
      • Uterine sweep for retained tissue, use ultrasound, look at placenta to verify that it appears intact
      • Coagulopathy: CBC, CMP, PT, PTT< fibrinogen, dimer, type/screen
  • Bimanual uterine massage: one hand compresses fundus, one hand intravaginally compressing body of uterus
  • Oxytocin first line
    • 10U IM, or 10-40U per 500-1000cc bag of saline as continuous infusion wide open
  • Misoprostol: PO sublingual, rectal
  • Uterine inversion:
    • Risks/causes: excessive cord traction, short umbilical cord, uterine relaxants during labor, previous inversion, placental attachment
    • Management: requires reduction of uterus
      • Provide adequate analgesia, likely procedural sedation
      • Nitroglycerine is potent uterine relaxant, onset 30 seconds, dose 50-100mcg bolus over 1-2 min, half life 2.5 minutes
  • Retained Products of Conception
    • Eval with ultrasound for normal endometria stripe, inspect placenta, manual removal
    • Hemorrhagic shock: blood products ASAP
      • 1g bolus TXA = decreased risk of death by bleeding, evidence based practice
    • Tamponade with uterine packing, or Bakari balloon if available
      • Other options: Blakemore, condom cath