Iwona Pikto-Pietkiewicz, Antoni Okniński, Rafał Wójtowicz, M. Wojtowicz
Abstract Introduction The current lack of clear guidelines on how to manage cases of brain-dead pregnant patients makes this topic controversial and extremely difficult to deal with for both medical and ethical reasons. This report deals with such a situation. Case presentation A twenty-seven years old woman, thirteen weeks pregnant, with a ruptured brain aneurysm was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. She presented with loss of all brain functions, but somatic support was sustained to enable the delivery of her baby. Conclusion The case report gives a detailed account of the management of the mother before the successful delivery of her baby. It indicates the need for ongoing contributions to the debate on this delicate subject area to establish guidelines on how to manage brain-dead pregnant patients.
{"title":"The Management of a Thirteen Weeks Pregnant Woman Rendered Brain-Dead Following a Ruptured Aneurysm","authors":"Iwona Pikto-Pietkiewicz, Antoni Okniński, Rafał Wójtowicz, M. Wojtowicz","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2019-0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2019-0015","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction The current lack of clear guidelines on how to manage cases of brain-dead pregnant patients makes this topic controversial and extremely difficult to deal with for both medical and ethical reasons. This report deals with such a situation. Case presentation A twenty-seven years old woman, thirteen weeks pregnant, with a ruptured brain aneurysm was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. She presented with loss of all brain functions, but somatic support was sustained to enable the delivery of her baby. Conclusion The case report gives a detailed account of the management of the mother before the successful delivery of her baby. It indicates the need for ongoing contributions to the debate on this delicate subject area to establish guidelines on how to manage brain-dead pregnant patients.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"5 1","pages":"111 - 114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48685238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
* Correspondence to: Alexander A. Vitin, Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle WA 98195 USA . E-mail: vitin@uw.edu Transplantation medicine, one of the emerging major medical disciplines, encompasses a wide variety of clinical subspecialties. The concept of replacing organs which are failing or showing insufficiency, with single or multiple organs, either artificial or from donors, is accepted in literally every clinical field There is explosive growth in the transplant sector driven by an ever-increasing patient demand fuelled by the already well-proven efficiency of organ transplantation as an ultimate treatment for end-stage organs failure and the ever-expanding infrastructure of the transplantation industry. The foundation of this industry rests on two pillars: transplantation medicine and transplantation science. The sheer magnitude of the progress within the transplantation industry, as it stands today, maybe best illustrated by impressive statistics and facts, accomplishments and ongoing research trends. Today, organ and tissue transplantation operations are being performed in more than one hundred and eleven countries, encompassing about 81 % of the world’s population. New countries are joining this club every year. Close to 140,000 organs are being transplanted every year worldwide. According to the most recently published OPTN data, in the USA alone, from January 1, 1988, to April 30, 2019, 451,847 kidney, 166,383 liver, 73,216 heart 38,989 lung, 23,959 kidneypancreas and numerous other organ transplantations have been performed in the more than eighty transplant programs. The current trend indicates an exponential increase in these numbers [1,2]. Fifteen international and more than 140 national organizations worldwide are ceaselessly promoting and coordinating research outcomes as well as implementing, developing and improving all practical aspects of organ donation and transplantation procedures. Ever since the very first successful solid organ transplants, transplantation-related science has exhibited an exponential growth. Physicians and researchers from many specialities are getting more involved in transplantation medicine, which has outgrown the boundaries of any one speciality and must now be considered a whole new field of medical science in its own right. Results of clinical and experimental research provide imposing and useful data for publication in a myriad of specialist publications worldwide. There are more than seventy-five periodic issues, among which more than forty high-impact journals which publish results of research. A PubMed search returned about 800,000 titles of the indexed publications pertinent to the field of transplantation. Perioperative care of organ transplant candidates or recipients is an exceedingly complex and multifaceted undertaking. It comprises three main components. Pre-operative care includes the selection of the proper candidate. At this
{"title":"Perioperative Care for Organ Transplant Recipient: Time for Paradigm Shift","authors":"A. Vitin","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2019-0016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2019-0016","url":null,"abstract":"* Correspondence to: Alexander A. Vitin, Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle WA 98195 USA . E-mail: vitin@uw.edu Transplantation medicine, one of the emerging major medical disciplines, encompasses a wide variety of clinical subspecialties. The concept of replacing organs which are failing or showing insufficiency, with single or multiple organs, either artificial or from donors, is accepted in literally every clinical field There is explosive growth in the transplant sector driven by an ever-increasing patient demand fuelled by the already well-proven efficiency of organ transplantation as an ultimate treatment for end-stage organs failure and the ever-expanding infrastructure of the transplantation industry. The foundation of this industry rests on two pillars: transplantation medicine and transplantation science. The sheer magnitude of the progress within the transplantation industry, as it stands today, maybe best illustrated by impressive statistics and facts, accomplishments and ongoing research trends. Today, organ and tissue transplantation operations are being performed in more than one hundred and eleven countries, encompassing about 81 % of the world’s population. New countries are joining this club every year. Close to 140,000 organs are being transplanted every year worldwide. According to the most recently published OPTN data, in the USA alone, from January 1, 1988, to April 30, 2019, 451,847 kidney, 166,383 liver, 73,216 heart 38,989 lung, 23,959 kidneypancreas and numerous other organ transplantations have been performed in the more than eighty transplant programs. The current trend indicates an exponential increase in these numbers [1,2]. Fifteen international and more than 140 national organizations worldwide are ceaselessly promoting and coordinating research outcomes as well as implementing, developing and improving all practical aspects of organ donation and transplantation procedures. Ever since the very first successful solid organ transplants, transplantation-related science has exhibited an exponential growth. Physicians and researchers from many specialities are getting more involved in transplantation medicine, which has outgrown the boundaries of any one speciality and must now be considered a whole new field of medical science in its own right. Results of clinical and experimental research provide imposing and useful data for publication in a myriad of specialist publications worldwide. There are more than seventy-five periodic issues, among which more than forty high-impact journals which publish results of research. A PubMed search returned about 800,000 titles of the indexed publications pertinent to the field of transplantation. Perioperative care of organ transplant candidates or recipients is an exceedingly complex and multifaceted undertaking. It comprises three main components. Pre-operative care includes the selection of the proper candidate. At this ","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"5 1","pages":"87 - 89"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48505883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction In an attempt to identify patients who have successfully survived a resuscitated cardiac arrest (CA), attention is drawn to resistin and S100B protein, two biomarkers that have been studied in relation to CA. Aim The study aimed to identify the potential cut-off serum values for resistin and S100B in patients who had CA, compared to healthy volunteers, given that, currently, none of the markers have normal and pathological reference range limits for human assay levels related to this pathology. Materials and Methods Forty patients, resuscitated after out-of-hospital CA and forty healthy controls, were included in the study. All patients were followed up for seventy-two hours after CA or until death. Blood samples for biomarkers were collected on admission to the ED (0-time interval) and at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours following resuscitation. Only one blood sample was collected from the controls. The serum concentrations of biomarkers were measured. Results For each time interval, median serum levels of resistin and S100 B were significantly higher in patients with CA compared to healthy controls. The cut-of value for resistin in patients with CA, at the 12-hours versus controls, was > 8.2 ng/ml. The cut-of value for S100B in patients with CA versus controls recorded at 6 hours, was > 11.6 pg/ml. Conclusion Serum levels of resistin and S100B are higher among resuscitated CA patients compared to controls.
{"title":"Determination of Cut-off Serum Values for Resistin and S100B Protein in Patients Who Survived a Cardiac Arrest","authors":"Raluca M. Tat, A. Golea, Ș. Vesa, D. Ionescu","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2019-0018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2019-0018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction In an attempt to identify patients who have successfully survived a resuscitated cardiac arrest (CA), attention is drawn to resistin and S100B protein, two biomarkers that have been studied in relation to CA. Aim The study aimed to identify the potential cut-off serum values for resistin and S100B in patients who had CA, compared to healthy volunteers, given that, currently, none of the markers have normal and pathological reference range limits for human assay levels related to this pathology. Materials and Methods Forty patients, resuscitated after out-of-hospital CA and forty healthy controls, were included in the study. All patients were followed up for seventy-two hours after CA or until death. Blood samples for biomarkers were collected on admission to the ED (0-time interval) and at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours following resuscitation. Only one blood sample was collected from the controls. The serum concentrations of biomarkers were measured. Results For each time interval, median serum levels of resistin and S100 B were significantly higher in patients with CA compared to healthy controls. The cut-of value for resistin in patients with CA, at the 12-hours versus controls, was > 8.2 ng/ml. The cut-of value for S100B in patients with CA versus controls recorded at 6 hours, was > 11.6 pg/ml. Conclusion Serum levels of resistin and S100B are higher among resuscitated CA patients compared to controls.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"5 1","pages":"97 - 102"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43062460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction Vertebrobasilar occlusion poses difficult diagnostic issues and even when properly diagnosed has a poor prognosis. Newer studies highlight a better outcome when thrombectomy was carried out between six and twenty-four hours after an initial diagnosis of stroke. This paper reports a case where a patient suffered a vertebrobasilar stroke secondary to a traumatic bilateral vertebral arteries dissection was treated with late thrombectomy. Case presentation A 34-year-old woman was manipulated on the cervical spinal column by a chiropractor. Following three weeks of cervical pain, she presented with severe aphasia and quadriplegia (NIHSS = 28). An MRI scan indicated ischemia of the vertebrobasilar system. Thirty-one hours after the onset of these symptoms, a thrombectomy was performed. After one month, the patient could move her head and the proximal part of her limbs but remained confined to bed (NIHSS = 13). Conclusion The current case illustrates the benefit of late mechanical thrombectomy for a posterior cerebral circulation infarct. Although there was a delay in treatment, partial recovery ensued.
{"title":"Locked-In Syndrome Following Cervical Manipulation by a Chiropractor: A Case Report","authors":"G. Orsini, G. Metaxas, V. Legros","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2019-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2019-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction Vertebrobasilar occlusion poses difficult diagnostic issues and even when properly diagnosed has a poor prognosis. Newer studies highlight a better outcome when thrombectomy was carried out between six and twenty-four hours after an initial diagnosis of stroke. This paper reports a case where a patient suffered a vertebrobasilar stroke secondary to a traumatic bilateral vertebral arteries dissection was treated with late thrombectomy. Case presentation A 34-year-old woman was manipulated on the cervical spinal column by a chiropractor. Following three weeks of cervical pain, she presented with severe aphasia and quadriplegia (NIHSS = 28). An MRI scan indicated ischemia of the vertebrobasilar system. Thirty-one hours after the onset of these symptoms, a thrombectomy was performed. After one month, the patient could move her head and the proximal part of her limbs but remained confined to bed (NIHSS = 13). Conclusion The current case illustrates the benefit of late mechanical thrombectomy for a posterior cerebral circulation infarct. Although there was a delay in treatment, partial recovery ensued.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"5 1","pages":"107 - 110"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2478/jccm-2019-0014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48999164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction: Venous thromboembolism is a rare condition in paediatrics that included both deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Serratia marcescens is a gram-negative bacterium that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and tends to affect immunocompromised hosts. Case report: We report the case of an 11-year-old boy, admitted in the Pediatric Clinic I from Emergency County Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Romania with intense pain, swelling, cyanosis and claudication of the left foot. His personal history revealed a recent appendectomy. A close family was reported to have had a deep venous thrombosis. The laboratory tests, performed on the day of admission, revealed increased inflammatory biomarkers and D-dimer. Coagulation tests gave a low activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). Doppler venous ultrasound and CT-exam established a diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated, but on the tenth day of admission, the patient developed signs and symptoms of sepsis, and the blood culture revealed Serratia marcescens. After antibiotic and anticoagulant therapy, the patient progressed favourably. The patient was a carrier of the heterozygous form of Factor V Leiden. Conclusions: The association between deep venous thrombosis and Serratia marcescens sepsis can compromise a condition in pediatric patients.
{"title":"Serratia marcescens Sepsis in a Child with Deep Venous Thrombosis – A Case Report","authors":"Iulia Armean, C. Duicu, C. Aldea, L. Meliț","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2018-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2018-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction: Venous thromboembolism is a rare condition in paediatrics that included both deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Serratia marcescens is a gram-negative bacterium that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and tends to affect immunocompromised hosts. Case report: We report the case of an 11-year-old boy, admitted in the Pediatric Clinic I from Emergency County Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, Romania with intense pain, swelling, cyanosis and claudication of the left foot. His personal history revealed a recent appendectomy. A close family was reported to have had a deep venous thrombosis. The laboratory tests, performed on the day of admission, revealed increased inflammatory biomarkers and D-dimer. Coagulation tests gave a low activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). Doppler venous ultrasound and CT-exam established a diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated, but on the tenth day of admission, the patient developed signs and symptoms of sepsis, and the blood culture revealed Serratia marcescens. After antibiotic and anticoagulant therapy, the patient progressed favourably. The patient was a carrier of the heterozygous form of Factor V Leiden. Conclusions: The association between deep venous thrombosis and Serratia marcescens sepsis can compromise a condition in pediatric patients.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":"29 - 33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69216336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction: The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe hypoxemic acute lung injury that may complicate lung resections. Reported mortality is very high, up to 50%. This report covers an ARDS case occurring post left pneumonectomy, with a favorable outcome, despite association with an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction syndrome (Ogilvie syndrome) that required abdominal surgery for decompression. Case report: A 60-year old Caucasian male, diagnosed with a stage IIIA left lung tumor underwent a left pneumonectomy. On the second postoperative day, the patient developed ARDS, requiring ventilatory support. Two days later, as the multiple organ dysfunction worsened, a bowel obstruction occurred. With an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction diagnosis, the decision was to perform laparotomy and a temporary cecostomy. A subsequent improvement in the respiratory parameters and vital functions resulted in weaning from ventilator 8 days after the onset of the ARDS and transfer to the surgery ward 14 days after pneumonectomy.
{"title":"Post-Pneumonectomy ARDS and Ogilvie Syndrome – A Case Report","authors":"R. Stoica, I. Cordoș, A. Macri","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2018-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2018-0007","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction: The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe hypoxemic acute lung injury that may complicate lung resections. Reported mortality is very high, up to 50%. This report covers an ARDS case occurring post left pneumonectomy, with a favorable outcome, despite association with an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction syndrome (Ogilvie syndrome) that required abdominal surgery for decompression. Case report: A 60-year old Caucasian male, diagnosed with a stage IIIA left lung tumor underwent a left pneumonectomy. On the second postoperative day, the patient developed ARDS, requiring ventilatory support. Two days later, as the multiple organ dysfunction worsened, a bowel obstruction occurred. With an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction diagnosis, the decision was to perform laparotomy and a temporary cecostomy. A subsequent improvement in the respiratory parameters and vital functions resulted in weaning from ventilator 8 days after the onset of the ARDS and transfer to the surgery ward 14 days after pneumonectomy.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":"34 - 37"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69216410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction: Brain death is currently defined as the loss of full brain function including the brainstem. The diagnosis and its subsequent management in the pediatric population are still controversial. The aim of this study was to define the demographic characteristics, clinical features and outcomes of patients with brain death and determine the incidence of brain death, donation rates and occurrence of central diabetes insipidus accompanying brain death in children. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a twelve-bed tertiary-care combined medical and surgical pediatric intensive care unit of the Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey. In 37 of 341 deaths (10.8%), a diagnosis of brain death was identified. The primary insult causing brain death was post-cardiorespiratory arrest in 8 (21.6%), head trauma in 8 (21.6%), and drowning in 4 (18.9%). In all patients, transcranial Doppler ultra-sound was utilised as an ancillary test and test was repeated until it was consistent with brain death. Results: In 33 (89%) patients, central diabetes insipidus was determined at or near the time brain death was confirmed. The four patients not diagnosed with CDI had acute renal failure, and renal replacement treatment was carried out. The consent rate for organ donation was 18.9%, and 16.7% of potential donors proceeded to actual donation. Conclusion: In the current study the consent rate for organ donation is relatively low compared to the rest of the world. The prevalence of central diabetes insipidus in this pedaitric brain death population is higher than reports in the literature, and acute renal failure accounted for the lack of central diabetes insipidus in four patients with brain death. Further studies are needed to explain normouria in brain-dead patients.
{"title":"Brain Death in Children: Incidence, Donation Rates, and the Occurrence of Central Diabetes Insipidus","authors":"N. Yener, M. Paksu, Ö. Köksoy","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2018-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2018-0005","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction: Brain death is currently defined as the loss of full brain function including the brainstem. The diagnosis and its subsequent management in the pediatric population are still controversial. The aim of this study was to define the demographic characteristics, clinical features and outcomes of patients with brain death and determine the incidence of brain death, donation rates and occurrence of central diabetes insipidus accompanying brain death in children. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a twelve-bed tertiary-care combined medical and surgical pediatric intensive care unit of the Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey. In 37 of 341 deaths (10.8%), a diagnosis of brain death was identified. The primary insult causing brain death was post-cardiorespiratory arrest in 8 (21.6%), head trauma in 8 (21.6%), and drowning in 4 (18.9%). In all patients, transcranial Doppler ultra-sound was utilised as an ancillary test and test was repeated until it was consistent with brain death. Results: In 33 (89%) patients, central diabetes insipidus was determined at or near the time brain death was confirmed. The four patients not diagnosed with CDI had acute renal failure, and renal replacement treatment was carried out. The consent rate for organ donation was 18.9%, and 16.7% of potential donors proceeded to actual donation. Conclusion: In the current study the consent rate for organ donation is relatively low compared to the rest of the world. The prevalence of central diabetes insipidus in this pedaitric brain death population is higher than reports in the literature, and acute renal failure accounted for the lack of central diabetes insipidus in four patients with brain death. Further studies are needed to explain normouria in brain-dead patients.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":"12 - 16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2478/jccm-2018-0005","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69216346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Numerous studies have demonstrated the use of comprehensive stroke units and neurological intensive care units (NICU) in improving outcomes after stroke. We hypothesized that an expanded neurocritical care (NCC) service would decrease resource utilization in patients with LHI. Methods: Retrospective data from consecutive admissions of large hemispheric infarction (LHI) patients requiring mechanical ventilation were acquired from the hospital medical records. Between 2011-2013, there were 187 consecutive patients admitted to the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (Philadelphia, USA) with AIS and acute respiratory failure. Our intention was to determine the number of tracheostomies done over time. The primary outcome measure was the number of tracheostomies over time. Secondary outcomes were, ventilator-free days (Vfd), total hospital charges, intensive care unit length of stay (ICU-LOS), and total hospital length of stay (hospital-LOS), including ICU LOS. Hospital charges were log-transformed to meet assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity of residual variance terms. Generalized Linear Models were used and ORs and 95% CIs calculated. The significance level was set at α = 0.05. Results: Of the 73 patients included in this analysis, 33% required a tracheostomy. There was a decrease in the number of tracheostomies undertaken since 2011. (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.6-0.9: p=0.02). Lower Vfd were seen in tracheostomized patients (OR 0.11; 95%CI 0.1-0.26: p<0.0001). The log-hospital charges decreased over time but not significantly (OR 0.9; 95%CI 0.78-1.07: p=0.2) and (OR 0.99; 95%CI 0.85-1.16: p=0.8) from 2012 to 2013 respectively. The ICU-LOS at 23 days vs 10 days (p=0.01) and hospital-LOS at 33 days vs 11 days (p=0.008) were higher in tracheostomized patients. Conclusion: The data suggest that in LHI-patients requiring mechanical ventilation, a dedicated NCC service reduces the overall need for tracheostomy, increases Vfd, and decreases ICU and hospital-LOS.
{"title":"Neurological Critical Care Services’ Influence Following Large Hemispheric Infarction and Their Impact on Resource Utilization","authors":"S. Shah, Y. Au, F. Rincon, M. Vibbert","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2018-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2018-0001","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Numerous studies have demonstrated the use of comprehensive stroke units and neurological intensive care units (NICU) in improving outcomes after stroke. We hypothesized that an expanded neurocritical care (NCC) service would decrease resource utilization in patients with LHI. Methods: Retrospective data from consecutive admissions of large hemispheric infarction (LHI) patients requiring mechanical ventilation were acquired from the hospital medical records. Between 2011-2013, there were 187 consecutive patients admitted to the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (Philadelphia, USA) with AIS and acute respiratory failure. Our intention was to determine the number of tracheostomies done over time. The primary outcome measure was the number of tracheostomies over time. Secondary outcomes were, ventilator-free days (Vfd), total hospital charges, intensive care unit length of stay (ICU-LOS), and total hospital length of stay (hospital-LOS), including ICU LOS. Hospital charges were log-transformed to meet assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity of residual variance terms. Generalized Linear Models were used and ORs and 95% CIs calculated. The significance level was set at α = 0.05. Results: Of the 73 patients included in this analysis, 33% required a tracheostomy. There was a decrease in the number of tracheostomies undertaken since 2011. (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.6-0.9: p=0.02). Lower Vfd were seen in tracheostomized patients (OR 0.11; 95%CI 0.1-0.26: p<0.0001). The log-hospital charges decreased over time but not significantly (OR 0.9; 95%CI 0.78-1.07: p=0.2) and (OR 0.99; 95%CI 0.85-1.16: p=0.8) from 2012 to 2013 respectively. The ICU-LOS at 23 days vs 10 days (p=0.01) and hospital-LOS at 33 days vs 11 days (p=0.008) were higher in tracheostomized patients. Conclusion: The data suggest that in LHI-patients requiring mechanical ventilation, a dedicated NCC service reduces the overall need for tracheostomy, increases Vfd, and decreases ICU and hospital-LOS.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"52 1","pages":"11 - 5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69216226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z. Bajko, S. Maier, Anca Moţăţăianu, R. Bălaşa, Smaranda Vasiu, A. Stoian, Sebastian Andone
Abstract Introduction: Lesions of the carotid and vertebral arteries secondary to direct trauma, called blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) are relatively rare and are markedly different from spontaneous dissections. Ischaemic stroke is a significant complication, with high morbidity and mortality rates. The basis of a diagnosis relies on appropriate, high sensitivity imaging screening. Case report: We present the case of a 31 years old male patient with polytraumatism secondary to a motor vehicle accident, who was admitted to an orthopaedic clinic for multiple lower extremity fractures. His fractures were treated surgically. He developed in the 3rd day after the admission left sided hemiparesis secondary to ischaemic stroke. The diagnosis of traumatic carotid artery injury (TCAI) was based on duplex ultrasound and angio CT scans. The outcome was favourable despite the severe carotid lesions presenting with occlusion secondary to dissection. Conclusions: In the majority of BCVI cases there is a variable latent period between the time of injury and the development of stroke. The management of cases is challenging because in the majority of cases there are multiple associated injuries. Although antithrombotics are widely used in the treatment, there is no consensus regarding the type of agent, the optimal dose or treatment duration.
{"title":"Stroke Secondary to Traumatic Carotid Artery Injury – A Case Report","authors":"Z. Bajko, S. Maier, Anca Moţăţăianu, R. Bălaşa, Smaranda Vasiu, A. Stoian, Sebastian Andone","doi":"10.2478/jccm-2018-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2018-0003","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction: Lesions of the carotid and vertebral arteries secondary to direct trauma, called blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) are relatively rare and are markedly different from spontaneous dissections. Ischaemic stroke is a significant complication, with high morbidity and mortality rates. The basis of a diagnosis relies on appropriate, high sensitivity imaging screening. Case report: We present the case of a 31 years old male patient with polytraumatism secondary to a motor vehicle accident, who was admitted to an orthopaedic clinic for multiple lower extremity fractures. His fractures were treated surgically. He developed in the 3rd day after the admission left sided hemiparesis secondary to ischaemic stroke. The diagnosis of traumatic carotid artery injury (TCAI) was based on duplex ultrasound and angio CT scans. The outcome was favourable despite the severe carotid lesions presenting with occlusion secondary to dissection. Conclusions: In the majority of BCVI cases there is a variable latent period between the time of injury and the development of stroke. The management of cases is challenging because in the majority of cases there are multiple associated injuries. Although antithrombotics are widely used in the treatment, there is no consensus regarding the type of agent, the optimal dose or treatment duration.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":"23 - 28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69216239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background. Guidelines for sedation, ventilator weaning, and delirium screening are helpful to avoid too deep sedation and to identify signs of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods. National ICU registry members ( ) were surveyed regarding use of scoring instruments and guidelines for sedation and ventilator weaning, choice of drugs, and daily sedation interruption practices. Results were merged with registry data on ventilator time and length of stay for ICU patients ventilated >24 hours (7.075 ICU stays). Results. Eighty-five percent of the 33 responding ICUs used sedation scales and 39% and 55% had sedation and weaning protocols, respectively. An association was found between using protocols and longer mean ventilator time and mean length of ICU stay. Thirty three percent (11/33) practiced daily sedation interruption. Regular delirium assessment was associated with significantly shorter mean ventilator time and mean length of ICU stay but used by few. Conclusion. More ICUs had guidelines for weaning than for sedation. The ventilator time and length of ICU stay compared well with other studies. Although having guidelines was associated with longer ventilator time and ICU stay, the differences were rather small. Daily sedation interruption was seldom used. Few units used delirium scoring instruments.
{"title":"Relation of Reported Sedation and Ventilator Weaning Practices to Ventilator Time in Norwegian Intensive Care Units","authors":"M. Bekkevold, R. Kvåle, G. Brattebø","doi":"10.1155/2015/173985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/173985","url":null,"abstract":"Background. Guidelines for sedation, ventilator weaning, and delirium screening are helpful to avoid too deep sedation and to identify signs of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods. National ICU registry members ( ) were surveyed regarding use of scoring instruments and guidelines for sedation and ventilator weaning, choice of drugs, and daily sedation interruption practices. Results were merged with registry data on ventilator time and length of stay for ICU patients ventilated >24 hours (7.075 ICU stays). Results. Eighty-five percent of the 33 responding ICUs used sedation scales and 39% and 55% had sedation and weaning protocols, respectively. An association was found between using protocols and longer mean ventilator time and mean length of ICU stay. Thirty three percent (11/33) practiced daily sedation interruption. Regular delirium assessment was associated with significantly shorter mean ventilator time and mean length of ICU stay but used by few. Conclusion. More ICUs had guidelines for weaning than for sedation. The ventilator time and length of ICU stay compared well with other studies. Although having guidelines was associated with longer ventilator time and ICU stay, the differences were rather small. Daily sedation interruption was seldom used. Few units used delirium scoring instruments.","PeriodicalId":44227,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Care Medicine","volume":"2015 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2015-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1155/2015/173985","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"64822547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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