INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the short- to mid-term results of the endovascular repair of thoracic aortic disease and to present an overview of our experience with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in our institution.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective review of all patients who were treated and underwent TEVAR in our institution between August 2004 and November 2009 was conducted.

RESULTSTechnical success was achieved in 100% of the patients and the 30-day mortality rate was 0%. Perioperative endoleak was visualised at the end of the procedure in 4 patients. Secondary endoleak was observed in 2 patients. Mean hospital length of stay post-TEVAR was 15.4 days. Postoperative major complications were observed in 4 patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%, with 2 mortalities (11.1%) during the followup period.

CONCLUSIONThis study adds to the growing body of literature that support TEVAR as an effective procedure in the management of thoracic aortic diseases and reflects its feasibility in our population. Further technical advancement in stent grafts, careful selection of patients and standardised peri-procedural care would contribute to further improvements in clinical outcomes.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aorta, Thoracic ; surgery ; Aortic Diseases ; mortality ; surgery ; Endovascular Procedures ; adverse effects ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

INTRODUCTIONMycotic aneurysms are associated with high mortality rates and are managed in the local setting with extra-anatomical bypass followed by ligation, exclusion and debridement of the aneurysm. This is the first case of successful endovascular stenting in an immunocompromised patient with Salmonella mycotic aneurysm.

CLINICAL PICTUREA middle-aged man who was HIV positive had Salmonella septicaemia. He developed abdominal pain 5 days after admission and a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen revealed infrarenal aortitis. He developed a mycotic aneurysm 3 weeks later.

TREATMENTHe opted for endovascular stenting and after prolonged antibiotic therapy and negative blood cultures, he underwent the procedure using a Talent stent, with an iliac extension.

OUTCOMEHe was discharged 1 week after stenting and maintained on oral bactrim based on sensitivity. At 1-year follow-up, he remains well symptomatically and CT scan showed no endoleak or collection.

CONCLUSIONEndovascular stenting, though a fairly new procedure, can be successfully deployed even in a mycotic aneurysm in the right setting.

Aneurysm, Infected ; drug therapy ; surgery ; therapy ; HIV Infections ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Salmonella Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; surgery ; Salmonella enteritidis ; Stents ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; therapeutic use

INTRODUCTIONLower extremity amputation prevention (LEAP) is an ongoing programme in our institution aimed at limb salvage in patients with critical limb ischaemia (CLI). Patients in the LEAP programme with reconstructible anatomy on initial Doppler imaging received either bypass surgery or percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA). We describe the 1-year limb salvage rates in 46 consecutive patients with CLI who received PTA in 2005.

CLINICAL PICTUREA total of 46 patients, 28 women and 18 men, between the ages of 40 and 91 years old (mean age, 70.8) received PTA in 2005. The most common presenting symptom was rest pain (n = 23), followed by pre-existing gangrene (n = 20), non-healing ulcer (n = 17) and cellulitis (n = 8). The majority of the patients (57%) had 3 to 4 risk factors. Diabetes mellitus (91%) and hypertension (80%) were the 2 most common risk factors. The patients were kept under surveillance for periods ranging from 12 to 21 months with a mean of 13.3 months, both clinically and with haemodynamic measurements [ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe pressure (TP) and digital-brachial index (DBI)].

TREATMENTThe aim of PTA is to achieve straight-line flow from the abdominal aorta down to either a patent dorsalis pedis or plantar arch with limb salvage as the ultimate goal. The patterns of the treated segments were as follows: aorto-iliac occlusions (n = 3), pure infrapopliteal disease (n = 5), femoropopliteal disease with at least 1 good infrapopliteal run-off vessel (n = 16) and combined femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal disease (n = 25). Technical success was achieved in 89% of patients (41 out of 46 patients). The most common cause of technical failure is the inability to cross long chronic total occlusions.

OUTCOMEPaired T test was performed and showed statistically significant improvement in haemodynamic markers within the technically successful group. This included increase in the mean ABI from 0.62 (preangioplasty) to 0.91 (Day 1 post-angioplasty), an increase of 0.29 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.1953 to 0.3875; P <0.001]. One year post-angioplasty, the mean ABI was 0.84, an increase of 0.22 (95% CI 0.1512 to 0.3121; P <0.001). There was also significant increase in the mean DBI of 0.17 from 0.23 to 0.41 (pre-angioplasty versus Day 1 post angioplasty - 95% CI of 0.1006 to 0.2433; P <0.001). In addition, significant increase in the mean TP of 28.2 mmHg from 36.8 to 63.2 mmHg (pre-angioplasty versus Day 1 post angioplasty - 95% CI, 18.493 to 37.939; P <0.001) was also noted. Of the 23 patients who presented with rest pain, total abolishment of symptoms was achieved in 21 patients (91%). Healing of pre-existing gangrene was attained in 15 patients (66%). Five patients subsequently received minor amputation for pre-existing gangrene. Clinical improvement in all the patients who presented with non-healing ulcers (n = 17) and cellulitis (n = 8) was attained. More importantly, all healed ulcers remained healed throughout the study period. The limb salvage rates were 93% at 1 month, 87% at 3 months, 82% at 6 months and 78% at 1 year.

CONCLUSIONAngioplasty is a safe and effective limb salvage method in patients with CLI and has a high 1-year limb salvage rate.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Leg ; blood supply ; Limb Salvage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

Online large-group teaching (OLGT), employed to reach a large group of learners in separate physical locations, allows asynchronous learning and facilitates social distancing. While online large-groups can be a powerful and resource-lean means of health professions education, it has challenges and potential pitfalls that may affect the learning process and outcomes. Through a sociomateriality framework, this article describes strategies for effective online large-group teaching in health professions education in three key strands. Firstly, to optimize learning, OLGT sessions should match learning needs with appropriate OLGT platforms, incorporate strategies to sustain learner attention, and accommodate learners of different abilities. Secondly, to develop a learning culture, OLGT must not only focus on cognitive aspects of learning but also build a community of practice, nurture digital professionalism and professional identity. Thirdly, we discuss the avoidance of pitfalls such as cognitive overload of both tutors and learners, technical issues and security risks, mitigating inequities in access to online learning, and the use of program evaluation to plan for sustained improvements. We conclude with a case vignette that discusses the challenges of OLGT and the application of the above strategies in a teaching scenario.

INTRODUCTIONA 22-year-old Malay soldier developed dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome 12 weeks after taking maloprim (dapsone 100 mg/pyrimethamine 12.5 mg) for anti-malarial prophylaxis.

CLINICAL PICTUREHe presented with fever, rash, lymphadenopathy and multiple-organ involvement including serositis, hepatitis and thyroiditis. Subsequently, he developed congestive heart failure with a reduction in ejection fraction on echocardiogram, and serum cardiac enzyme elevation consistent with a hypersensitivity myocarditis.

TREATMENTMaloprim was discontinued and he was treated with steroids, diuretics and an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor.

OUTCOMEHe has made a complete recovery with resolution of thyroiditis and a return to normal ejection fraction 10 months after admission.

CONCLUSIONIn summary, we report a case of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome with classical symptoms of fever, rash and multi-organ involvement including a rare manifestation of myocarditis. To our knowledge, this is the first case of dapsone-related hypersensitivity myocarditis not diagnosed in a post-mortem setting. As maloprim is widely used for malaria prophylaxis, clinicians need to be aware of this unusual but potentially serious association.

Abdominal Pain ; drug therapy ; Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Dapsone ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; complications ; pathology ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Fever ; drug therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Myocarditis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Skin ; pathology ; Thyrotoxicosis ; diagnosis ; etiology

Aged ; Cardiac Care Facilities ; trends ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; trends ; utilization ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices ; trends ; utilization ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; prevention & control ; Defibrillators, Implantable ; trends ; utilization ; Electric Countershock ; trends ; utilization ; Female ; Heart Failure ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Stroke Volume ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; therapy ; Tertiary Care Centers

INTRODUCTIONAlthough pneumonia is a major complication after acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), pneumonia prediction scores have not been extensively validated. This study aimed to compare the discrimination performance of 5 pneumonia prediction scores in AIS patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed all consecutive adult AIS patients whom presented to our emergency department within 4.5 hours of symptom-onset between January 2012 and February 2015. Diagnosis had to be made by a neurologist and infarcts confirmed by neuroimaging. We excluded patients with pneumonia on presentation. Pneumonia predictors were based on the 5 prediction scoring models: Kwon's score, Chumbler's score, Acute Ischaemic Stroke-Associated Pneumonia Score (AIS-APS), ADSscore and ISAN score. The definition of stroke-associated pneumonia was based on the criteria by the Pneumonia in Stroke Consensus Group. Analysis using area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was performed.

RESULTSForty (5.5%) out of 731 patients analysed had stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). ADSscore had the highest discrimination capacity (AUROC 0.88; 95% CI, 0.84 to 0.92), followed by AIS-APS (AUROC 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.91), Kwon's score (AUROC 0.86; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.92), Prestroke Independence, Sex, Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (ISAN) score (AUROC 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.90) and Chumbler's score (AUROC 0.79; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.84). However, there was no statistical difference of discrimination capacity among ADSscore, AIS-APS and Kwon's score.

CONCLUSIONADS, AIS-APS and Kwon's scores performed comparably in discriminating SAP in AIS patients.

The magnitude and potential duration of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is something that most doctors currently in practice have yet to experience. While considerable information regarding COVID-19 is being published every day, it is challenging to filter out the most relevant or appropriate information for our individual practice. The Spine Society of Singapore convened via a teleconference on April 24, 2020 to collaborate on a national level and share collective wisdom in order to tackle the ongoing crisis. In the teleconference, 13 spine surgeons from across various hospitals in Singapore constituted the panel of experts. The following topics were discussed: repurposing of surgeons, continuity of spine services, introduction of telemedicine, triaging of spinal surgeries, preoperative testing, new challenges in performing spine surgery, and preparing for the post-pandemic era. While some issues required only the sharing of best practices, the Delphi panel method was adopted to form a consensus on others. Existing spine specific triage guidelines were debated and a locally accepted set of guidelines was established. Although preoperative testing is currently not performed routinely, the panel voted in favor of its implementation because they concluded that it is vital to protect themselves, their colleagues, and their patients. Solutions to operating room specific concerns were also discussed. This article reflects the opinions and insights shared during this meeting and reviews the evidence relevant to the issues that were raised. The rapid consensus reached during the teleconference has enabled us to be concerted, and thus stronger, in our national efforts to provide the best standard of care via our spine services in these challenging times. We believe that this article will provide some guidance for addressing COVID-19 in spine surgery and encourage other national/regional societies to conduct similar discussions that would help their navigation of this pandemic.