11 A 43‐year‐old woman presents to your trauma bay following an MVC. She is evaluated by standard ATLS protocol and is found to be hypotensive, tachycardic, and diaphoretic with a GCS of 14. FAST exam reveals fluid in Morrison's pouch. While preparing to bring the patient to the OR for exploration, the patient's husband alerts you that the patient takes rivaroxaban (Xarelto) for a provoked deep vein thrombosis 2 months ago. How should you proceed with her care?Administer prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and proceed to the operating room for exploration.Administer 15 mL/kg of FFP and proceed to the operating room for exploration.Proceed to the operating room immediately as hemodialysis is the only effective method of rivaroxaban (Xarelto) reversal.Administer platelets and proceed to the operating room for exploration.Administer protamine and proceed to the operating room for exploration.This patient requires an immediate operation to address her hemorrhagic shock. While proceeding to the operating room should not be delayed, her medication‐induced coagulopathy should obviously be addressed. First‐line reversal of direct factor Xa inhibitors (such rivarobaxan) is accomplished with prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). Vitamin K antagonists (warfarin) is reversed with PCC first‐line, and FFP as second‐line therapy. Oral direct‐thrombin inhibitors such as dabigatran are reversed with PCC first‐line, with hemodialysis as second‐line therapy. Heparin and LMWH can be temporarily and partially reversed with protamine. Aspirin and Plavix are treated with platelet transfusion, with desmopressin as a second‐line option.Answer: AMcCoy CC, Lawson JH, Shapiro ML. Management of anticoagulation agents in trauma patients. Clin Lab Med. 2014; 34(3):563–574. doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2014.06.013. Epub 2014 Jul 19. PMID: 25168942.
12 You evaluate a 74‐year‐old woman with a history of asthma and COPD who is brought to the trauma bay by EMS following a fall down a flight of stairs. Per EMS report, the patient had a GCS of 13 upon arrival for confused speech and localizing to pain only, and was initially hemodynamically normal. However, during transport, the patient became hypotensive and tachycardic. FAST exam in the trauma bay reveals fluid in the bilateral upper quadrants, as well as the pelvis, and she is taken immediately to the OR for exploration. During the operation, you are alerted that her thromboelastography (TEG) results are as follows:R (reaction time): ElevatedK (kinetics): Increasedα Angle: DecreasedMA (maximum amplitude): DecreasedLY30 (clot lysis): NormalBased on these results, what intervention (if any) should be given?Platelets onlyFFP and plateletsTXA onlyCryoprecipitate, platelets, and FFPCryoprecipitate, FFP, and TXAThis patient has an elevated reaction time (indicating that clot is taking longer than normal to form – which is a problem with coagulation factors, and as such should be treated with FFP), as well as an increased K (indicating the clot takes longer to reach a fixed strength – which indicates a fibrinogen deficiency and is thus treated with cryoprecipitate), and a decreased Alpha angle (indicating an elevated time of fibrin accumulation – which is a function of fibrinogen and platelet number, and is thus treated with cryoprecipitate and platelet transfusion). Additionally, the MA is decreased, indicating a decreased clot strength owing to platelet dysfunction, which can be addressed with platelet transfusion. An elevated LY30 indicates hyperfibrinolysis, which is reversed with TXA; however, the LY30 is normal in this patient.Answer: DSchmidt AE, Israel AK, Refaai MA. The utility of thromboelastography to guide blood product transfusion. Am J Clin Pathol. 2019; 152(4):407–422. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqz074. PMID: 31263903.13
13 You are called to the intensive care unit to assist with a difficult airway in a patient with a sudden decline in mental status. The anesthesia resident has attempted intubation twice without success, and states he was unable to visualize the vocal cords on direct laryngoscopy. He is currently providing oxygenation and ventilation with bag‐valve mask, and the SpO2 is 91% and slowly rising. Which of the following should be performed?Consider placing a rescue device, such as laryngeal mask airway.Reattempt direct laryngoscopy with a different blade.Attempt to intubate over a blindly placed bougie.Continue with bag‐mask ventilation until fully preoxygenated.All of the above.Establishment of an airway is critical in a patient who is unable to protect their airway. When difficulty is encountered, call for help, and follow your institution's difficult airway algorithm. Since more than 2 passes at intubation is associated with a significant increase in aspiration, hypothermia, and cardiac arrest, attempts should be made to optimize first‐attempt success rate. This includes using an appropriate blade for direct laryngoscopy, providing adequate pre‐oxygenation, optimizing hemodynamics, and choosing appropriate medication. A definitive airway is not always immediately needed – if appropriate oxygenation/ventilation is achieved with a laryngeal mask airway, then it should be used until a definitive airway is needed or ready to be placed.Answer: EEdelman DA, Perkins EJ, Brewster DJ. Difficult airway management algorithms: a directed review. Anaesthesia. 2019; 74(9):1175–1185. doi: 10.1111/anae.14779. Epub 2019 Jul 21. PMID: 31328259.Natt BS, Malo J, Hypes CD, Sakles JC, Mosier JM. Strategies to improve first attempt success at intubation in critically ill patients. Br J Anaesth 2016; 117 Suppl 1:i60–i68. doi: 10.1093/bja/aew061.