Critical care explorations最新文献

Objectives: It is suggested that sepsis may be classified into four clinical phenotypes, using an algorithm employing 29 admission parameters. We applied a simplified phenotyping algorithm among patients with bacterial sepsis and severe COVID-19 and assessed characteristics and outcomes of the derived phenotypes.

Design: Retrospective analysis of data from prospective clinical studies.

Setting: Greek ICUs and Internal Medicine departments.

Patients and interventions: We analyzed 1498 patients, 620 with bacterial sepsis and 878 with severe COVID-19. We implemented a six-parameter algorithm (creatinine, lactate, aspartate transaminase, bilirubin, C-reactive protein, and international normalized ratio) to classify patients with bacterial sepsis intro previously defined phenotypes. Patients with severe COVID-19, included in two open-label immunotherapy trials were subsequently classified. Heterogeneity of treatment effect of anakinra was assessed. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality.

Measurements and main results: The algorithm validated the presence of the four phenotypes across the cohort of bacterial sepsis and the individual studies included in this cohort. Phenotype α represented younger patients with low risk of death, β was associated with high comorbidity burden, and δ with the highest mortality. Phenotype assignment was independently associated with outcome, even after adjustment for Charlson Comorbidity Index. Phenotype distribution and outcomes in severe COVID-19 followed a similar pattern.

Conclusions: A simplified algorithm successfully identified previously derived phenotypes of bacterial sepsis, which were predictive of outcome. This classification may apply to patients with severe COVID-19 with prognostic implications.

Importance: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the interventions that have been in practice for ARDS for decades.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the outcomes of ECMO in pediatric trauma patients who suffered from ARDS.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting and participants: The Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for years 2017 to 2019 and 2021 through 2022 was accessed for the study. All children younger than 18 years old who were admitted to the hospital after trauma and suffered from ARDS were included in the study. Other variables included in the study were patients' demographics, clinical characteristics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, comorbidities, and outcomes.

Main outcomes and measures: ECMO is the exposure, and the outcomes are in-hospital mortality and hospital complications (acute kidney injury [AKI], pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis [DVT]).

Results: Of 453 patients who qualified for the study, propensity score matching found 50 pairs of patients. There were no significant differences identified between the groups, ECMO+ vs. ECMO- on patients' age in years (16 yr; interquartile range [IQR], 13.25-17 yr vs. 16 yr [14.25-17 yr]), race (White; 62.0% vs. 66.0%), sex (male; 78% vs. 76%), ISS (23 [IQR, 9.25-34] vs. 22 [9.25-32]), and GCS (15 [IQR, 3-15] vs. 13.5 [3-15]), mechanism of injury; and comorbidities. There was no difference between the groups, ECMO+ vs. ECMO-, in-hospital mortality (10.0% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.302), hospital complications (AKI 12.0% vs. 2.0%; p = 0.131), pneumonia (10.0% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.182 > ), and DVT (16% vs. 6%; p = 0.228).

Conclusions and relevance: No difference in mortality was observed in injured children who suffered from the ARDS and were placed on ECMO when compared with patients who were not placed on ECMO. Patients with trauma and ARDS who require ECMO have comparable outcomes to those who do not receive ECMO. A larger sample size study is needed to find the exact benefit of ECMO in this patients' cohort.

Objectives: It is suggested that sepsis may be classified into four clinical phenotypes, using an algorithm employing 29 admission parameters. We applied a simplified phenotyping algorithm among patients with bacterial sepsis and severe COVID-19 and assessed characteristics and outcomes of the derived phenotypes.

Design: Retrospective analysis of data from prospective clinical studies.

Setting: Greek ICUs and Internal Medicine departments.

Patients and interventions: We analyzed 1498 patients, 620 with bacterial sepsis and 878 with severe COVID-19. We implemented a six-parameter algorithm (creatinine, lactate, aspartate transaminase, bilirubin, C-reactive protein, and international normalized ratio) to classify patients with bacterial sepsis intro previously defined phenotypes. Patients with severe COVID-19, included in two open-label immunotherapy trials were subsequently classified. Heterogeneity of treatment effect of anakinra was assessed. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality.

Measurements and main results: The algorithm validated the presence of the four phenotypes across the cohort of bacterial sepsis and the individual studies included in this cohort. Phenotype α represented younger patients with low risk of death, β was associated with high comorbidity burden, and δ with the highest mortality. Phenotype assignment was independently associated with outcome, even after adjustment for Charlson Comorbidity Index. Phenotype distribution and outcomes in severe COVID-19 followed a similar pattern.

Conclusions: A simplified algorithm successfully identified previously derived phenotypes of bacterial sepsis, which were predictive of outcome. This classification may apply to patients with severe COVID-19 with prognostic implications.

Importance: In the setting of an active pandemic the impact of public vaccine hesitancy on healthcare workers has not yet been explored. There is currently a paucity of literature that examines how patient resistance to disease prevention in general impacts practitioners.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented healthcare challenges with impacts on healthcare workers' wellbeing. Vaccine hesitancy added complexity to providing care for unvaccinated patients. Our study qualitatively explored experiences of healthcare providers caring for unvaccinated patients with severe COVID-19 infection in the intensive care setting.

Design: We used interview-based constructivist grounded theory methodology to explore experiences of healthcare providers with critically ill unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Setting and participants: Healthcare providers who cared for unvaccinated patients with severe COVID-19 respiratory failure following availability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccines were recruited from seven ICUs located within two large academic centers and one community-based hospital. We interviewed 24 participants, consisting of eight attending physicians, seven registered nurses, six critical care fellows, one respiratory therapist, one physiotherapist, and one social worker between March 2022 and September 2022 (approximately 1.5 yr after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada).

Analysis: Interviews were recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and coded to identify emerging themes. The final data was analyzed to generate the thematic framework. Reflexivity was employed to reflect upon and discuss individual pre-conceptions and opinions that may impact collection and interpretation of the data.

Results: Healthcare providers maintained dedication toward professionalism during provision of care, at the cost of suffering emotional turmoil from the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Evolving sources of stress associated with vaccine hesitancy included ongoing high volumes of critically ill patients, resource shortages, and visitation restrictions, which contributed to perceived emotional distress, empathy loss, and professional dissatisfaction. As a result, there were profound personal and professional consequences for healthcare professionals, with perceived impacts on patient care.

Conclusions: Our study highlights struggles of healthcare providers in fulfilling professional duties while navigating emotional stressors unique to vaccine hesitancy. System-based interventions should be explored to help providers navigate biases and moral distress, and to foster resilience for the next major healthcare system strain.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the association between IV contrast media CT and acute kidney injury (AKI) and in-hospital mortality among patients requiring emergency admission.

Design: In this retrospective observational study, we examined AKI within 48 hours after CT, renal replacement therapy (RRT) dependence at discharge, and in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT or nonenhanced CT. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching to adjust for confounders in the association between IV contrast media use and outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age, sex, diagnosis at admission, ICU admission, and preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Setting and patients: This study used the Medical Data Vision database between 2008 and 2019. This database is Japan's largest commercially available hospital-based claims database, covering about 45% of acute-care hospitals in Japan, and it also records laboratory results.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: The study included 144,149 patients with (49,057) and without (95,092) contrast media exposure, from which 43,367 propensity score-matched pairs were generated. Between the propensity score-matched groups of overall patients, exposure to contrast media showed no significant risk of AKI (4.6% vs. 5.1%; odds ratio [OR], 0.899; 95% CI, 0.845-0.958) or significant risk of RRT dependence (0.6% vs. 0.4%; OR, 1.297; 95% CI, 1.070-1.574) and significant benefit for in-hospital mortality (5.4% vs. 6.5%; OR, 0.821; 95% CI, 0.775-0.869). In subgroup analyses regarding preexisting CKD, exposure to contrast media was a significant risk for AKI in patients with CKD but not in those without CKD.

Conclusions: In this large-scale observational study, IV contrast media was not associated with an increased risk of AKI but concurrently showed beneficial effects on in-hospital mortality among patients requiring emergency admission.

Objectives: Anemia has been associated with an increased risk of both cardiac arrest and stroke, frequent complications of COVID-19. The effect of hemoglobin level at ICU admission on a composite outcome of cardiac arrest or stroke in an international cohort of COVID-19 patients was investigated.

Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected database.

Setting: A registry of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs at over 370 international sites was reviewed for patients diagnosed with cardiac arrest or stroke up to 30 days after ICU admission. Anemia was defined as: normal (hemoglobin ≥ 12.0 g/dL for women, ≥ 13.5 g/dL for men), mild (hemoglobin 10.0-11.9 g/dL for women, 10.0-13.4 g/dL for men), moderate (hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 and < 10.0 g/dL for women and men), and severe (hemoglobin < 8.0 g/dL for women and men).

Patients: Patients older than 18 years with acute COVID-19 infection in the ICU.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Of 6926 patients (median age = 59 yr, male = 65%), 760 patients (11.0%) experienced stroke (2.0%) and/or cardiac arrest (9.4%). Cardiac arrest or stroke was more common in patients with low hemoglobin, occurring in 12.8% of patients with normal hemoglobin, 13.3% of patients with mild anemia, and 16.7% of patients with moderate/severe anemia. Time to stroke or cardiac arrest by anemia status was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression with death as a competing risk. Covariates selected through clinical knowledge were age, sex, comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiac or neurologic conditions), pandemic era, country income, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Moderate/severe anemia was associated with a higher risk of cardiac arrest or stroke (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05-1.67).

Conclusions: In an international registry of ICU patients with COVID-19, moderate/severe anemia was associated with increased hazard of cardiac arrest or stroke.

Importance: Persistent hypothermia after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in neonates with congenital heart defects (CHD) has been historically considered benign despite lack of evidence on its prognostic significance.

Objectives: Examine associations between the magnitude and pattern of unintentional postoperative hypothermia and odds of complications in neonates with CHD undergoing CPB.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Single northeastern U.S., urban pediatric quaternary care center with an established cardiac surgery program.

Participants: Population-based sample of neonates greater than or equal to 34 weeks gestation undergoing their first CPB between 2015 and 2019.

Interventions: None.

Main outcomes and measurements: Hourly temperature measurements for the first 48 postoperative hours were extracted from inpatient medical records, and clinical characteristics and outcomes were accessed through the local patient registry. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) identified latent temporal temperature trajectories. Associations of trajectories with outcomes were assessed using multivariable binary logistic regression. Outcomes (postoperative complications) were manually adjudicated by experts or were predefined by the patient registry.

Results: Four hundred fifty neonates met inclusion criteria. Their mean (sd) gestational age was 38 weeks (1.3), mean (sd) birth weight was 3.19 kilograms (0.55), median (interquartile range) surgical age was 4.7 days (3.3-7.0), 284 of 450 (63%) were male, and 272 of 450 (60%) were White. GBTM identified three distinct curvilinear temperature trajectories: persistent hypothermia (n = 38, 9%), resolving hypothermia (n = 233, 52%), and normothermia (n = 179, 40%). Compared with the normothermic group, those with persistent hypothermia had significantly higher odds of cardiac arrest, actionable arrhythmia, delayed first successful extubation, prolonged cardiac ICU length of stay, very poor weight gain, and 30-day hospital mortality. The persistent hypothermia group was characterized by greater odds of having a lower gestational age, more prevalent neurologic abnormalities, more unplanned reoperations, and a low surgical mortality risk assessment.

Conclusions: Persistent postoperative hypothermia in neonates after CPB is independently associated with having greater odds of complications. Recovery patterns from postoperative hypothermia may be a clinically useful marker to identify patient instability in neonates. Additional research is needed for causal modeling and prospective validation before clinical adoption.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of ICU rounding checklists on outcomes.

Data sources: Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar) were searched from inception to May 10, 2024.

Study selection: Cohort studies, case-control studies, and randomized controlled trials comparing the use of rounding checklists to no checklists were included. Other article types were excluded.

Data extraction: The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included ICU and 30-day mortality; hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS); duration of mechanical ventilation; and frequency of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Additional outcomes included healthcare provider perceptions of checklists.

Data synthesis: Pooled estimates were obtained using an inverse-variance random-effects meta-analysis model. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. There were 30 included studies (including > 32,000 patients) in the review. Using an ICU rounding checklist was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.92; 12 observational studies; 17,269 patients; I2 = 48%; very low certainty of evidence). The use of an ICU rounding checklist was also associated with reduced ICU mortality (8 observational studies, p = 0.006), 30-day mortality (2 observational studies, p < 0.001), hospital LOS (11 observational studies, p = 0.02), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (6 observational studies, p = 0.01), and CLABSI (6 observational studies, p = 0.02). Otherwise, there were no significant differences with using ICU rounding checklists on other patient-related outcomes. Healthcare providers' perceptions of checklists were generally positive.

Conclusions: The use of an ICU rounding checklist may improve in-hospital mortality, as well as other important patient-related outcomes. However, well-designed randomized studies are necessary to increase the certainty of evidence and determine which elements should be included in an ICU rounding checklist.

Context: Sepsis leads to multiple organ dysfunction and negatively impacts patient outcomes. Skeletal muscle disuse is a significant comorbidity in septic patients during their ICU stay due to prolonged immobilization.

Hypothesis: Combination of sepsis and muscle disuse will promote a unique proteomic signature in skeletal muscle in comparison to disuse and sepsis separately.

Methods and models: Following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or Sham surgeries, mice were subjected to hindlimb suspension (HLS) or maintained normal ambulation (NA). Tibialis anterior muscles from 24 C57BL6/J male mice were harvested for proteomic analysis. Proteomic profiles were assessed using nano-liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, followed by data analysis including Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), to compare the differential protein expression across groups.

Results: A total of 2876 differentially expressed proteins were identified, with marked differences between groups. In mice subjected to CLP and HLS combined, there was a distinctive proteomic signature characterized by a significant decrease in the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial function and muscle metabolism, alongside a marked increase in proteins related to muscle degradation pathways. The PLS-DA demonstrated a clear separation among experimental groups, highlighting the unique profile of the CLP/HLS group. This suggests an important interaction between sepsis-induced inflammation and disuse atrophy mechanisms in sepsis-induced myopathy.

Interpretations and conclusions: Our findings reveal a complex proteomic landscape in skeletal muscle exposed to sepsis and disuse, consistent with an exacerbation of muscle protein degradation under these combined stressors. The identified proteins and their roles in cellular stress responses and muscle pathology provide potential targets for intervention to mitigate muscle dysfunction in septic conditions, highlighting the importance of addressing both sepsis and disuse concurrently in clinical and experimental settings.

Objectives background: This study aimed to assess the impact of race on pulse oximetry reliability, taking into account Spo₂ ranges, COVID-19 diagnosis, and ICU admission.

Design: Retrospective cohort study covering admissions from January 2020 to April 2024.

Setting: National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database, consisting of electronic health records from 80 U.S. institutions.

Patients/subjects: Patients were selected from the N3C database based on the availability of data on self-identified race and both pulse oximetry estimated Spo₂ and Sao₂. Subgroups included patients in ICU and non-ICU settings, with or without a diagnosis of COVID-19 disease.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: The agreement between Spo₂ and Sao₂ was assessed across racial groups (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino, Pacific Islander, and White). Each patient's initial Sao₂ measurement was matched with the closest Spo₂ values recorded within the preceding 10-minute time frame. The risk of hidden hypoxemia (Spo₂ ≥ 88% but Sao₂ < 88%) was determined for various Spo₂ ranges, races, and clinical scenarios. We used a generalized logistic mixed-effects model to evaluate the impact of relevant variables, such as COVID-19, ICU admission, age, sex, race, and Spo₂, on the risk of hidden hypoxemia, while accounting for the random effects within each hospital. A total of 80,541 patients were included, consisting of 596 American Indian or Alaska Native, 2,729 Asian, 11,889 Black, 13,154 Hispanic or Latino, 221 Pacific Islander, and 51,952 White individuals. Discrepancies between Spo₂ and Sao₂ were observed across all racial groups, with the most pronounced bias in Black patients. Hidden hypoxemia rates were higher in Black patients across all Spo₂ subgroups, for all clinical scenarios. The odds of hidden hypoxemia were higher for Black and Hispanic or Latino patients and for those with COVID-19 disease.

Conclusions: Race significantly impacts pulse oximetry reliability. Not only Black and Hispanic or Latino patients were at higher risk for hidden hypoxemia, but also those admitted with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Future in-depth explorations into the underlying causes and potential solutions are needed.