Left atrial appendage (LAA) ligation is procedure which isolates the LAA and can decrease the risk of thrombus and arrhythmias in patients with atrial fibrillation, allowing patients to come off home anticoagulation medications. This procedure can be done through minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgery and requires guidance by transesophageal echocardiography. Visualization of the LAA and associated intrathoracic structures is vital for the success of the procedure. This echo rounds report describes an under-utilized method for LAA assessment to encourage cardiac anesthesiologists to consider employing it to increase their ability to completely evaluate the LAA.
Rapid implementation of remote continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is occurring across hospitals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite limited experience, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not objecting to the inpatient use of CGM to limit the exposure of health care workers to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and to reduce the waste of personal protective equipment (1). Recent efforts in non–intensive care unit (ICU) patients suggest that CGM devices are accurate in the inpatient setting and can help monitor patients remotely (2,3). In addition, two recent small trials enrolling non-ICU patients confirm the feasibility of using remote real-time CGM in the hospital (4,5).