Ultrasound-assisted peripheral venous cannulation in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia: prospective randomized trial.

Introduction: Peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion is a common intervention, conventionally performed using visualization and palpation techniques. It has been reported that the first attempt success rate can be as low as 51%. Ultrasound guidance improves the overall success rate and the success rate of the first attempt.

Accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound examination of the lung in primary care performed by general practitioners: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is a point-of-care imaging modality with growing potential in primary care.

Objectives: While its use is well established in hospital settings, data on its accuracy when performed by general practitioners (GPs) remain limited. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of LUS conducted by GPs following structured training.

Diagnostic reliability of duplex venous ultrasound for catheter-related thrombosis performed by a general intensive care nurse.

Introduction: It has been shown that general intensive care nurses are able to perform an examination of the deep venous system of the lower extremities for the diagnosis of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) using a compression ultrasound test with a high degree of reliability. (Skulec et al. in Eur J Intern Med 76:130-131, 2020) Another challenge for the use of vascular point-of-care ultrasound in intensive care is the diagnosis of central venous catheter-related thrombosis.

A novel "lateral approach short axis in-plane" technique vs. conventional "short-axis out-of-plane approach" for ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein access: a prospective randomized non-inferiority trial.

Background: The cannulation of the internal jugular vein (IJV) is a frequent procedure in critically ill patients. According to the guidelines, real-time ultrasound navigation is recommended. Traditional techniques pose several disadvantages, such as suboptimal needle visualization.

Protection of the endothelium and endothelial glycocalyx by hydrogen against ischaemia-reperfusion injury in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.

Background: Hydrogen is a potent antioxidant agent that can easily be administered by inhalation. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether hydrogen protects the endothelial glycocalyx layer after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Methods: Fourteen anesthetized pigs underwent CPR after induced ventricular fibrillation.

[Point‑of‑Care Ultrasound - accuracy, education].

A review article discussing the reliability of Point-of-Care ultrasound and education in this method in various fields of medicine.

Shock Index for Early Detection of Low Plasma Fibrinogen in Trauma: A Prospective Observational Cohort Pilot Study.

Shock index (a ratio between heart rate and systolic blood pressure) predicts transfusion requirements and the need for haemostatic resuscitation in severe trauma patients. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether prehospital and on-admission shock index values can be used to predict low plasma fibrinogen in trauma patients. Between January 2016 and February 2017, trauma patients admitted from the helicopter emergency medical service into two large trauma centres in the Czech Republic were prospectively assessed for demographic, laboratory and trauma-associated variables and shock index at scene, during transport and at admission to the emergency department.

Endothelial glycocalyx damage in patients with severe COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation - A prospective observational pilot study.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) associated endotheliopathy and microvascular dysfunction are of concern.

Objective: The objective of the present single-center observational pilot study was to compare endothelial glycocalyx (EG) damage and endotheliopathy in patients with severe COVID-19 (COVID-19 group) with patients with bacterial pneumonia with septic shock (non-COVID group).

Methods: Biomarkers of EG damage (syndecan-1), endothelial cells (EC) damage (thrombomodulin), and activation (P-selectin) were measured in blood on three consecutive days from admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Successful treatment of refractory status asthmaticus with omalizumab: a case report.

Refractory status asthmaticus is the cause of rare cases of in-hospital death due to acute bronchial asthma. The most severe cases unresponsive to first, second and next line treatment may be fatal despite aggressive organ support with invasive ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Omalizumab, a humanized recombinant monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, is an approved add-on biological treatment for severe asthma.

Lung Point Sign in Ultrasound Diagnostics of Pneumothorax: Imitations and Variants.

Background: Pulmonary ultrasound plays a key role in the diagnosis of pneumothorax in emergency and intensive-care medicine. The lung point sign has been generally considered a pathognomonic diagnostic sign. Recently, several other situations have been published that can mimic the lung point, as well as a few different variants of the true lung point sign.

Fixed-dose enoxaparin provides efficient DVT prophylaxis in mixed ICU patients despite low anti-Xa levels: A prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious but preventable complication of critical illness with a reported incidence from 4 to 17%. Anti-Xa activity in critically ill patients achieved with standard dosing of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) is often below the target of 0.2-0.

No significant retinal damage induced by major orthopedic surgery - a pilot study.

Background: Perioperative visual loss is one of the rare but devastating complications of anesthesia and surgery. The incidence of less severe or even subclinical postoperative visual dysfunction is unknown. Therefore, we decided to perform a pilot prospective observational clinical study to evaluate whether structural changes of the retina can be detected in patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Two different techniques of ultrasound-guided peripheral venous catheter placement versus the traditional approach in the pre-hospital emergency setting: a randomized study.

We performed a randomized pre-hospital clinical study to compare two different techniques of ultrasound-guided peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion and the conventional cannulation technique in the pre-hospital emergency setting, with a specific focus on the procedural success rate and the time required to introduce PVC. This pre-hospital prospective controlled randomized clinical trial allocated patients treated by emergency medical service to undergo PVC insertion fully controlled by ultrasound (ultrasound guidance of the PVC tip until it penetrates the lumen, group A), PVC insertion partially controlled by ultrasound (target vein identification only, group B) or to receive PVC without any ultrasound guidance (group C). The study outcomes were monitored until the patient was admitted to the hospital.

Correlation between end-tidal carbon dioxide and the degree of compression of heart cavities measured by transthoracic echocardiography during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: The concept of personalized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires a parameter that reflects its hemodynamic efficiency. While intra-arrest ultrasound is increasingly implemented into the advanced life support, we realized a pre-hospital clinical study to evaluate whether the degree of compression of the right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) induced by chest compressions during CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and measured by transthoracic echocardiography correlates with the levels of end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO) measured at the time of echocardiographic investigation.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients resuscitated for OHCA were included in the study.

Effect of short-term administration of lipid emulsion on endothelial glycocalyx integrity in ICU patients - A microvascular and biochemical pilot study.

Background: Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is a carbohydrate-rich vascular lining of the apical surface of endothelial cells. It has been proved to have an essential role in vascular homeostasis. Lipid emulsions as part of parenteral nutrition (PN) are widely used in patients in the setting of critical care and perioperative medicine.

Neuraxial anesthesia is less harmful to the endothelial glycocalyx during elective joint surgery compared to general anesthesia.

Background: Damage of the endothelial glycocalyx (EG) has been described during surgery, but the effect of different anesthesia techniques remains unknown. Perfused boundary region (PBR) evaluated by side-stream dark field (SDF) imaging of the sublingual microcirculation enables in vivo EG assessment. PBR values are inversely related to the EG thickness.

The presence of gasping predicts long-term survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Background: The presence of gasping in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients predicts short-term prognosis. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate whether the presence of gasping at the time of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arrival in the case OHCA patients of presumed cardian origin has any impact on six-month survival and/or sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Methods: We collected and analyzed Utstein Style data for all patients resuscitated for OHCA of presumed cardiac origin by the EMS of the Central Bohemian Region from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.

EuReCa ONE-27 Nations, ONE Europe, ONE Registry: A prospective one month analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in 27 countries in Europe.

Introduction: The aim of the EuReCa ONE study was to determine the incidence, process, and outcome for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) throughout Europe.

Methods: This was an international, prospective, multi-centre one-month study. Patients who suffered an OHCA during October 2014 who were attended and/or treated by an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) were eligible for inclusion in the study.

Circadian variation of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema.

Introduction: Circadian variation of in-hospital acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (CPE) with the highest occurrence in the early morning has been reported repeatedly. However, no study evaluating circadian variation of CPE in the field has been published. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the circadian variation of CPE in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic in the patients treated by regional emergency medical service (EMS) and analyse its association with baseline blood pressure in the field.