Day Of Intensive Care Unit Admission Research Articles

Annals for Hospitalists - May 2021.

Annals for Hospitalists - May 2021.

A Comparative Analysis of the Respiratory Subscore of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Scoring System.

Rationale: The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) tool is a commonly used measure of illness severity. Calculation of the respiratory subscore of SOFA is frequently limited by missing arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) data. Although missing PaO2 data are commonly replaced with normal values, the performance of different methods of substituting PaO2 for SOFA calculation is unclear. Objectives: The study objective was to compare the performance of different substitution strategies for missing PaO2 data for SOFA score calculation. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed using the Weill Cornell Critical Care Database for Advanced Research from a tertiary care hospital in the United States. All adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) from 2011 to 2019 with an available respiratory SOFA score were included. We analyzed the availability of the PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ratio on the first day of ICU admission. In those without a PaO2/FiO2 ratio available, the ratio of oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry to FiO2 was used to calculate a respiratory SOFA subscore according to four methods (linear substitution [Rice], nonlinear substitution [Severinghaus], modified respiratory SOFA, and multiple imputation by chained equations [MICE]) as well as the missing-as-normal technique. We then compared how well the different total SOFA scores discriminated in-hospital mortality. We performed several subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Results: We identified 35,260 unique visits, of which 9,172 included predominant respiratory failure. PaO2 data were available for 14,939 (47%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each substitution technique for discriminating in-hospital mortality was higher than that for the missing-as-normal technique (0.78 [0.77-0.79]) in all analyses (modified, 0.80 [0.79-0.81]; Rice, 0.80 [0.79-0.81]; Severinghaus, 0.80 [0.79-0.81]; and MICE, 0.80 [0.79-0.81]) (P < 0.01). Each substitution method had a higher accuracy for discriminating in-hospital mortality (MICE, 0.67; Rice, 0.67; modified, 0.66; and Severinghaus, 0.66) than the missing-as-normal technique. Model calibration for in-hospital mortality was less precise for the missing-as-normal technique than for the other substitution techniques at the lower range of SOFA and among the subgroups. Conclusions: Using physiologic and statistical substitution methods improved the total SOFA score's ability to discriminate mortality compared with the missing-as-normal technique. Treating missing data as normal may result in underreporting the severity of illness compared with using substitution. The simplicity of a direct oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry/FiO2 ratio-modified SOFA technique makes it an attractive choice for electronic health record-based research. This knowledge can inform comparisons of severity of illness across studies that used different techniques.

Predictors of failure with high-flow nasal oxygen therapy in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure: a multicenter observational study

PurposeWe aimed to describe the use of high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) in patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory failure and factors associated with a shift to invasive mechanical ventilation.MethodsThis is a multicenter, observational study from a prospectively collected database of consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to 36 Spanish and Andorran intensive care units (ICUs) who received HFNO on ICU admission during a 22-week period (March 12-August 13, 2020). Outcomes of interest were factors on the day of ICU admission associated with the need for endotracheal intubation. We used multivariable logistic regression and mixed effects models. A predictive model for endotracheal intubation in patients treated with HFNO was derived and internally validated.ResultsFrom a total of 259 patients initially treated with HFNO, 140 patients (54%) required invasive mechanical ventilation. Baseline non-respiratory Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score [odds ratio (OR) 1.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-2.35], and the ROX index calculated as the ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to inspired oxygen fraction divided by respiratory rate (OR 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37-0.72), and pH (OR 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24-0.86) were associated with intubation. Hospital site explained 1% of the variability in the likelihood of intubation after initial treatment with HFNO. A predictive model including non-respiratory SOFA score and the ROX index showed excellent performance (AUC 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.96).ConclusionsAmong adult critically ill patients with COVID-19 initially treated with HFNO, the SOFA score and the ROX index may help to identify patients with higher likelihood of intubation.

High-flow nasal oxygen in patients with COVID-19-associated acute respiratory failure

PurposeWhether the use of high-flow nasal oxygen in adult patients with COVID-19 associated acute respiratory failure improves clinically relevant outcomes remains unclear. We thus sought to assess the effect of high-flow nasal oxygen on ventilator-free days, compared to early initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation, on adult patients with COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a multicentre cohort study using a prospectively collected database of patients with COVID-19 associated acute respiratory failure admitted to 36 Spanish and Andorran intensive care units (ICUs). Main exposure was the use of high-flow nasal oxygen (conservative group), while early invasive mechanical ventilation (within the first day of ICU admission; early intubation group) served as the comparator. The primary outcome was ventilator-free days at 28 days. ICU length of stay and all-cause in-hospital mortality served as secondary outcomes. We used propensity score matching to adjust for measured confounding.ResultsOut of 468 eligible patients, a total of 122 matched patients were included in the present analysis (61 for each group). When compared to early intubation, the use of high-flow nasal oxygen was associated with an increase in ventilator-free days (mean difference: 8.0 days; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4 to 11.7 days) and a reduction in ICU length of stay (mean difference: − 8.2 days; 95% CI − 12.7 to − 3.6 days). No difference was observed in all-cause in-hospital mortality between groups (odds ratio: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.25 to 1.64).ConclusionsThe use of high-flow nasal oxygen upon ICU admission in adult patients with COVID-19 related acute hypoxemic respiratory failure may lead to an increase in ventilator-free days and a reduction in ICU length of stay, when compared to early initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation. Future studies should confirm our findings.

Clinical significance of cellular immunity function and inflammatory factors assays in alveolar lavage fluid for severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes of lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and inflammatory factors (interleukin‐6 [IL‐6], hypersensitive C‐reactive protein [HS‐CRP], and procalcitonin [PCT]) of alveolar lavage fluid in patients with severe corona virus‐2019 (COVID‐19) pneumonia and their clinical impact on the assessment of disease severity and prognosis. Twenty‐four patients with severe COVID‐19 pneumonia were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Ezhou Central Hospital from February 1 to March 22, 2020. According to the 28‐day prognosis, they were assigned to a death group and a survival group. On the 3rd day of ICU admission, peripheral blood and alveolar lavage fluid were collected for examination of lymphocyte subsets and inflammatory factors by flow cytometry and immunoturbidimetry, respectively. The CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cell counts in alveolar lavage fluid and serum were significantly higher in the survival group than those of the death group (p < .05). The levels of IL‐6, HS‐CRP, and PCT in the alveolar lavage fluid and serum of the death group were statistically higher than those of the survival group (p < .05); The CD3+, CD4+ cell count, and IL‐6 level were negatively correlated with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, respectively (p < .05). The CD4+ cell and SOFA score have a regression relationship for the prognosis of COVID‐19 severe patients. The CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ cells, and IL‐6 levels are valuable in determining the prognosis of severe COVID‐19 pneumonia and are strongly correlated with the severity of the disease; the CD4+ cell is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of COVID‐19 pneumonia.

Interleukin-37 as a biomarker of mortality risk in patients with sepsis

Sepsis is a serious syndrome that is caused by an unbalanced inflammatory response to infection and can cause high mortality. The role of interleukin-37 (IL-37) in estimating the mortality in patients with sepsis remains unknown. This study aims to reveal the clinical application of IL-37 as a potentially novel biomarker to predict mortality risk in patients with sepsis. The serum IL-37 level in 114 adult septic patient serum samples on the day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, 56 non-sepsis ICU patients, and 56 healthy volunteers were measured and analyzed, and the 28-day survival status and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores of the participants were compared. Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of IL-37, IL-6, and SOFA at ICU admission for 28-day survival was used to evaluate the ability of IL-37 in predicting the mortality of sepsis. The serum IL-37 level at admission was elevated in patients with sepsis. Moreover, the concentration of IL-37 in patients with sepsis was significantly higher than that in non-sepsis ICU patients and the healthy control group. In addition, the concentration of serum IL-37 in non-surviving patients with sepsis was significantly higher than that in survivors. In patients with sepsis on the day of ICU admission, the AUC associated with 28-day mortality was 0.67 (p = 0.0022;95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.57-0.77) for IL-37, 0.75 (p < 0.0001; 95% CI, 0.66-0.84) for SOFA, and 0.62 (p = 0.0342; 95% CI, 0.51-0.72) for IL-6. IL-37 and SOFA scores on the day of ICU admission of the patients with sepsis were found to be independent predictors of 28-day mortality, whereas IL-6 was not. The risk of mortality in patients with sepsis and high serum IL-37 concentration (≥107.05pg/ml) was 4.6 times that of patients with sepsis and low serum concentration. The AUC of IL-37 combined with SOFA-estimated 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis increased from 0.67 (p = 0.0022; 95% CI, 0.57-0.77) to 0.80 (p < 0.0001; 95% CI, 0.711-0.879). In addition, patients with sepsis and high serum IL-37 concentrations (≥107.05pg/ml) had poorer survival rate than those with low serum concentrations (<107.05pg/ml). IL-37 concentrations at ICU admission are valuable for predicting the 28-day mortality risk of patients with sepsis, suggesting that IL-37 may be a novel biomarker. These findings can be used as a basis for guiding early clinical decision-making in treating patients with sepsis.

Evaluation of a Novel Laboratory Candiduria Screening Protocol in the Intensive Care Unit.

BackgroundSince urine cultures are only guaranteed for patients with obvious urinary symptoms in most cases, most of candiduria episodes are ignored in clinic.ObjectiveThis study aimed to design a screening protocol to improve diagnostic efficiency of candiduria, and provide information of Candida species and drug susceptibility.MethodsAll patients, who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital during December 1, 2018 and October 1, 2019, were enrolled in this study. Urinalysis was performed every three days for each subject from the first day of ICU admission. Urine specimens were sampled for fungal culture with either condition: (1) yeast-like cell counting (YLCC) ≥200; (2) positive YLCCs were observed in two consecutive tests, and at least one YLCC ≥100.ResultsThe screening protocol dramatically improved the candiduria diagnostic rate of ICU patients from 2.28% to 17.27%. However, compared to the historical control, the screening protocol has no time-saving advantage in candiduria diagnosing. Higher percentage of C. albicans in screening protocol-identified candiduria patients was observed, although there was no statistical difference. Our results indicated that female gender, pneumonia, diabetes and infarction/hemorrhage patients were more prone to develop candiduria. Non-candiduria patients showed a better tendency for survival and shorter ICU stay length. Multisite colonization was common in the surveyed candiduria patients, who were up to 70.83% showed Candida positive cultures in sputum.ConclusionThe screening protocol established in the study was a convenient and practical tool for early warning and feasible management of candiduria and IC.

Thrombosis, Bleeding, and the Observational Effect of Early Therapeutic Anticoagulation on Survival in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19.

Hypercoagulability may be a key mechanism of death in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To evaluate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and examine the observational effect of early therapeutic anticoagulation on survival. In a multicenter cohort study of 3239 critically ill adults with COVID-19, the incidence of VTE and major bleeding within 14 days after intensive care unit (ICU) admission was evaluated. A target trial emulation in which patients were categorized according to receipt or no receipt of therapeutic anticoagulation in the first 2 days of ICU admission was done to examine the observational effect of early therapeutic anticoagulation on survival. A Cox model with inverse probability weighting to adjust for confounding was used. 67 hospitals in the United States. Adults with COVID-19 admitted to a participating ICU. Time to death, censored at hospital discharge, or date of last follow-up. Among the 3239 patients included, the median age was 61 years (interquartile range, 53 to 71 years), and 2088 (64.5%) were men. A total of 204 patients (6.3%) developed VTE, and 90 patients (2.8%) developed a major bleeding event. Independent predictors of VTE were male sex and higher D-dimer level on ICU admission. Among the 2809 patients included in the target trial emulation, 384 (11.9%) received early therapeutic anticoagulation. In the primary analysis, during a median follow-up of 27 days, patients who received early therapeutic anticoagulation had a similar risk for death as those who did not (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 0.92 to 1.35]). Observational design. Among critically ill adults with COVID-19, early therapeutic anticoagulation did not affect survival in the target trial emulation. None.

Prevalence and risk factors for delirium in critically ill patients with COVID-19 (COVID-D): a multicentre cohort study

BackgroundTo date, 750 000 patients with COVID-19 worldwide have required mechanical ventilation and thus are at high risk of acute brain dysfunction (coma and delirium). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of delirium and coma, and risk factors for delirium in critically ill patients with COVID-19, to aid the development of strategies to mitigate delirium and associated sequelae.MethodsThis multicentre cohort study included 69 adult intensive care units (ICUs), across 14 countries. We included all patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to participating ICUs with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection before April 28, 2020. Patients who were moribund or had life-support measures withdrawn within 24 h of ICU admission, prisoners, patients with pre-existing mental illness, neurodegenerative disorders, congenital or acquired brain damage, hepatic coma, drug overdose, suicide attempt, or those who were blind or deaf were excluded. We collected de-identified data from electronic health records on patient demographics, delirium and coma assessments, and management strategies for a 21-day period. Additional data on ventilator support, ICU length of stay, and vital status was collected for a 28-day period. The primary outcome was to determine the prevalence of delirium and coma and to investigate any associated risk factors associated with development of delirium the next day. We also investigated predictors of number of days alive without delirium or coma. These outcomes were investigated using multivariable regression.FindingsBetween Jan 20 and April 28, 2020, 4530 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to 69 ICUs, of whom 2088 patients were included in the study cohort. The median age of patients was 64 years (IQR 54 to 71) with a median Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II of 40·0 (30·0 to 53·0). 1397 (66·9%) of 2088 patients were invasively mechanically ventilated on the day of ICU admission and 1827 (87·5%) were invasively mechanical ventilated at some point during hospitalisation. Infusion with sedatives while on mechanical ventilation was common: 1337 (64·0%) of 2088 patients were given benzodiazepines for a median of 7·0 days (4·0 to 12·0) and 1481 (70·9%) were given propofol for a median of 7·0 days (4·0 to 11·0). Median Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale score while on invasive mechanical ventilation was –4 (–5 to –3). 1704 (81·6%) of 2088 patients were comatose for a median of 10·0 days (6·0 to 15·0) and 1147 (54·9%) were delirious for a median of 3·0 days (2·0 to 6·0). Mechanical ventilation, use of restraints, and benzodiazepine, opioid, and vasopressor infusions, and antipsychotics were each associated with a higher risk of delirium the next day (all p≤0·04), whereas family visitation (in person or virtual) was associated with a lower risk of delirium (p<0·0001). During the 21-day study period, patients were alive without delirium or coma for a median of 5·0 days (0·0 to 14·0). At baseline, older age, higher SAPS II scores, male sex, smoking or alcohol abuse, use of vasopressors on day 1, and invasive mechanical ventilation on day 1 were independently associated with fewer days alive and free of delirium and coma (all p<0·01). 601 (28·8%) of 2088 patients died within 28 days of admission, with most of those deaths occurring in the ICU.InterpretationAcute brain dysfunction was highly prevalent and prolonged in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Benzodiazepine use and lack of family visitation were identified as modifiable risk factors for delirium, and thus these data present an opportunity to reduce acute brain dysfunction in patients with COVID-19.FundingNone.TranslationsFor the French and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Factors associated with enteral nutrition and the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders in a cohort of critically ill adults

Introduction: adults in intensive care commonly receive enteral nutrition (EN). Data describing the conditions associated with EN in critically ill patients are limited. Objective: to describe the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders and to identify conditions associated with the use of EN. Methods: a prospective cohort, single-center study of critically ill adults. The patients were followed daily for the first 10 days of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) or until ICU discharge or death. Clinical, nutritional variables and gastrointestinal disorders were compared between patients who did and did not receive EN. Univariate and multivariate regression identified the conditions associated with EN with the proposed variables. Results: of the 157 included adults, 62 % received EN. The EN group had higher APACHE II (23.6 ± 7.6 vs. 15 ± 7.2, p < 0.001) and SOFA scores on the day of ICU admission [7 (5-10.5) vs. 4 (2-6); p < 0.001], and higher ICU mortality (32 % vs. 10 %, p = 0.002). Diarrhea and need for gastric decompression were more frequent in the EN group (39.7 % vs. 11.7 %, p < 0.001 and 34 % vs. 13.3 %, p = 0.004, respectively). The multivariate analysis showed that neurological deficit (OR: 16.7 [95 % CI: 5.9-46.9]; p < 0.001), previous enteral tube feeding (OR: 45.1 [95 % CI: 5.3-380]; p < 0.001), and SOFA score on the day of ICU admission (OR: 1.2 [95 % CI: 1.01-1.3]; p = 0.03) were associated with EN. Conclusions: conditions related to the severity of critically ill patients, such as higher SOFA scores, greater neurological deficit, and prior enteral tube feeding, were more commonly associated with EN. Diarrhea and need for gastric decompression were more frequent in patients who received EN.

Development and validation of a procedure-based organ failure assessment model for patients in the intensive care unit: an administrative database study.

AimTo develop a procedure‐based organ failure assessment model for intensive care unit (ICU) patients and to examine the ability of this model to predict in‐hospital mortality, with reference to the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score.MethodsUsing the Japanese nationwide Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified patients aged ≥15 years who were admitted to the ICUs April 2018–March 2019. Since April 2018, Japanese health care providers have been required to input ICU patients' SOFA scores into this database. We extracted data on the following procedures on ICU admission: oxygen supplementation, invasive mechanical ventilation, blood transfusions, catecholamines, chest compression, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and renal replacement therapy. A procedure‐based organ failure assessment model (Model 1) for in‐hospital mortality was developed using therapeutic procedures for organ failure on the day of ICU admission in the derivation cohort. We also constructed a model using the SOFA score (Model 2). Discriminatory ability was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) in the validation cohort, and the discriminatory abilities of the models were compared.ResultsIn total, 69,019 patients were included. Overall in‐hospital mortality was 7.2%. The AUROCs for Model 1 (0.810) and Model 2 (0.817) in the validation cohort did not show a statistically significant difference (P = 0.20).ConclusionThe models established using procedure‐based organ failure assessment showed no statistically significant differences from those using the SOFA score, suggesting that procedure records in administrative databases can be used for risk adjustment in clinical studies on ICU mortality.

The value of sepsis biomarkers and their kinetics in the prognosis of septic shock due to bacterial infections.

In this study, we aim to explore the value of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum cholinesterase (SChE) activity kinetics as useful predictors of mortality in patients with septic shock admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted aprospective single-blinded study in the ICU of auniversity hospital during aperiod of 1 year. Were included all patients 18 years of age or older, with confirmed septic shock. For all included patients, blood samples of septic biomarkers (PCT, SChE activity, and CRP) were obtained. Serum was collected at the day of ICU admission (day 0), the day of septic shock (day 1), then 3 and 5 days after the septic shock development. During the study period, 60 patients were included. The mean age (± SD) was 47.7 ± 19 years. There were 46 male (74%) and 14 female (26%) patients. Mean SAPSII on ICU admission was 40.7 ± 16 (median: 37), and mean SOFA score on ICU admission was 16 ± 4 (median: 7). During their ICU stay, out of the 60 included patients, 37 patients died (61%). The comparison between the 2 groups (deaths and survivors) showed that the factors associated with poor outcome were age, SOFA score on ICU admission, and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. The day of septic shock, there was no difference in the mean concentrations in those of plasma SChE activity or in the PCT and CRP plasma between survivors and non-survivors. However, the comparison of mean plasma SChE activity, and PCT and CRP plasma concentrations (on day 3 and day 5) between survivors and non-survivors, showed asignificant difference between the 2 groups. Our study suggests that, in agroup of critically ill patients with severe septic shock, arise or no change in procalcitonin and/or CRP level, and/or adecrease or no change in SChE activity should warn the clinician about the insufficiency and/or inadequacy of the therapy. However, afall in procalcitonin and/or CRP levels, and/or arise in SChE activity were associated with afavourable prognosis. Based on our study and some other data detailed above, we recommend that an estimation of SChE acti-vity, procalcitonin, and CRP on the day of septic shock, followed by estimation within the next 72-120 h, could help the prognostic assessment of critically ill patients with septic shock. Further studies are needed to define the critical values related to mortality.

Dose–response association between fluid overload and in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients: a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study

ObjectivesFluid management is important in ensuring haemodynamic stability in critically ill patients, but can easily lead to fluid overload (FO). However, the optimal fluid balance plot or range for critically...

Prognostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume/platelet ratio for 1-year mortality in critically ill patients

Several studies have reported that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) are associated with poor prognosis. This study investigated whether NLR and/or the MPV/platelet ratio could function as predictive markers of mortality in critically ill patients. We retrospectively reviewed 1,154 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2017 and December 2017. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to 1-year mortality. We compared the NLR and MPV/platelet ratio on each day of ICU admission. Patients were classified into tertiles based on their NLR and MPV/platelet ratios, and the incidence of 1-year mortality was compared. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were plotted to evaluate their potential as prognostic factors for 1-year mortality. The NLR and MPV/platelet ratio were higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. The incidence of 1-year mortality was the highest in the third tertile for both the NLR and MPV/platelet ratio. The MPV/platelet ratio was an independent predictor for 1-year mortality based on the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Our data showed that the MPV/platelet ratio is a predictive factor for 1-year mortality in critically ill patients.

Determinants of the Need for Tracheostomy in Neurocritical Patients.

Background: Given the difficulties in predicting the need for prolonged intubation and the timing of tracheostomy, the stroke-related early tracheostomy score (SETscore) was developed, and this tool has demonstrated moderate accuracy in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LoS), ventilation duration, and need for tracheostomy. We aim to assess the usefulness of SETscore in a more heterogeneous population that includes trauma patients to whom this score has not yet been applied.Material and Methods: A retrospective consecutive analysis of all neurocritical patients who were admitted to our medical-surgical ICU between 2016 and 2018 and who required endotracheal intubation within 48 h of admission was performed in this study. Clinicodemographic data, as well as tracheostomy timing, imaging results, and SETscore were evaluated.Results: The medical records of 732 neurocritical patients were reviewed, but only 493 patients were included, 68 of whom were tracheostomized (TR). These TR patients presented longer LoS and ventilation and antibiotic duration, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission, and more respiratory comorbidities. Severity scores, including SETscore, were higher in the TR group. A SETscore of >10 demonstrated 92.6% sensitivity and 79.1% specificity in predicting the need for tracheostomy. The majority of patients were tracheostomized after the seventh day of ICU admission. No significant differences in SETscore as well as in severity scores, age, and gender were observed between the early and late TR groups. However, the need for tracheostomy was significantly associated with lower ICU death rate even after controlling for GCS at admission, gender, age, and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation.Conclusion: SETscore can be applied to a heterogeneous population. However, more data and prospective analyses are needed to validate their clinical usefulness on a daily basis. Nevertheless, the present data are expected to contribute to the management of neurocritical patients, particularly in the setting of ICUs managing a broad spectrum of critically ill patients.

Predicting the Need For Vasopressors in the Intensive Care Unit Using an Attention Based Deep Learning Model.

Previous models on prediction of shock mostly focused on septic shock and often required laboratory results in their models. The purpose of this study was to use deep learning approaches to predict vasopressor requirement for critically ill patients within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission using only vital signs. We used data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database and the eICU Collaborative Research Database to develop a vasopressor prediction model. We performed systematic data preprocessing using matching of cohorts, oversampling, and imputation to control for bias, class imbalance, and missing data. Bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), a multivariate time series model, was used to predict the need for vasopressor therapy using serial physiological data collected 21 h prior to prediction time. Using data from 10,941 critically ill patients from 209 ICUs, our model achieved an initial area under the curve of 0.96 (95% CI 0.96-0.96) to predict the need for vasopressor therapy in 2 h within the first day of ICU admission. After matching to control class imbalance, the Bi-LSTM model had area under the curve of 0.83 (95% CI 0.82-0.83). Heart rate, respiratory rate, and mean arterial pressure contributed most to the model. We used Bi-LSTM to develop a model to predict the need for vasopressor for critically ill patients for the first 24 h of ICU admission. With attention mechanism, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were identified as key sequential determinants of vasopressor requirements.

The incidence, risk factors and prognosis of acute kidney injury in severe and critically ill patients with COVID-19 in mainland China: a retrospective study

BackgroundThe clinical correlates, prognosis and determinants of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) remain largely unclear.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed medical records of all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between January 23rd 2020 and April 6th 2020 at Wuhan JinYinTan Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.ResultsAmong 210 patients, 131 were males (62.4%). The median Age was 64 years (IQR: 56–71). Of 92 (43.8%) patients who developed AKI during hospitalization, 13 (14.1%), 15 (16.3%) and 64 (69.6%) were classified as being at stage 1, 2 and 3, respectively. 54 patients (58.7%) received continuous renal replacement therapy. Age, sepsis, nephrotoxic drug, invasive mechanical ventilation and elevated baseline serum creatinine levels were associated with the occurrence of AKI. Renal recovery during hospitalization was identified among 16 patients with AKI (17.4%), who had a significantly shorter time from admission to AKI diagnosis, lower incidence of right heart failure and higher ratio of partial pressure of oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen. Of 210 patients, 93 deceased within 28 days of ICU admission. AKI stage 3, critical disease, greater Age and the lowest ratio of partial pressure of oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen being < 150 mmHg were independently associated with death.ConclusionsAmong patients with Covid-19, the incidence of AKI was high. Our findings of the risk factors of the development of AKI and factors associated with renal function recovery may inform clinical management of patients with critical illness of Covid-19.

Platelet Count Trajectory and Mortality in Septic Shock: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: In Canada, septic shock accounts for approximately 30,000 hospitalizations annually and is associated with a mortality rate of 30%. Thrombocytopenia in septic shock is associated with a poor prognosis including increased length of stay, longer duration of organ support, increased major bleeding events and mortality. The trajectory of the platelet count over time in patients with septic shock has not been well-studied. We hypothesized that the platelet count trajectory in septic shock can identify distinct clinical groups and is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality. Objectives: 1) To identify groups of patients with distinct platelet count trajectories; 2) To evaluate patient and illness factors associated with platelet count trajectories; and 3) To estimate the association of platelet count trajectory with mortality patients with septic shock. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted with septic shock to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Winnipeg, Canada between 2006-2014. We used group-based trajectory analysis to analyze the trend of platelet count over the first seven days of ICU admission to group patients with similar platelet trajectories. Group-based trajectory analysis is a statistical method that analyzes the pattern of a variable over time and allows distinct groups with similar trajectories to arise from the data. We utilized both the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and clinical validity characteristics to choose the most suitable trajectory model. We developed a multinomial logistic regression model to associate patient characteristics with platelet count trajectories. We created a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age, sex, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, comorbidities, site or source of infection, and time to first appropriate antimicrobial to examine the association between platelet count trajectory and 30-day mortality. Results: Our study cohort included 913 patients with septic shock. The favoured trajectory model identified six distinct trajectories (Figure 1) using the platelet count over the first 7 days of ICU admission. We found that the number of organ failures on day 1was independently associated with platelet count trajectory, while other characteristics were not. The 30-day mortality of the entire cohort was 26.2% and ranged from 16.4% in group 1 (rising platelet count) to 44.4% in group 6 (high platelet count throughout). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model, compared with group 2 (thrombocytopenia), group 4 (high normal platelet count) was independently associated with a reduced risk of death at 30 days (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.33, p = 0.002). The trajectory group with thrombocytosis (group 6) was associated with an increased risk of death at 30 days (HR 3.24, p=0.48) however the small number in this group limits the generalizability of this finding. Conclusion: We identified 6 distinct and clinically relevant platelet count trajectories in critically ill patients with septic shock. Platelet count trajectory was associated with the number of organ failures on day 1. Our study confirms that thrombocytopenia is associated with a worse prognosis as other trajectories with higher platelet count were associated with a lower risk of death. While it is well recognized that thrombocytopenia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with septic shock, it is not known whether other patterns of the platelet trajectory such as thrombocytosis are similarly clinically important. Further studies are needed to fully characterize the impact platelet count trajectory on outcomes in patients with septic shock. The interplay between platelet count trajectory and other parameters (such as the white blood cell count trajectory, or INR trajectory) may have a more predictive role in evaluating prognosis in sepsis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Prevalence and outcome of sepsis and septic shock in intensive care units in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A prospective observational study.

BackgroundSepsis and septic shock are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Intensive care Units (ICUs) in low and middle-income countries. However, little is known about their prevalence and outcome in these settings. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and outcome of sepsis and septic shock in ICUs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted from March 2017 to February 2018 in four selected ICUs in Addis Ababa from a total of twelve hospitals having ICU services. There were 1145 total ICU admissions during the study period. All admissions into those ICUs with sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock using the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria (SEPSIS-2) during the study period were screened for sepsis or septic shock based on the new sepsis definition (SEPSIS-3). All patients with sepsis and septic shock during ICU admission were included and followed for 28 days of ICU admission. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0.ResultsA total of 275 patients were diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock. The overall prevalence of sepsis and septic shock was 26.5 per 100 ICU admissions. The most frequent source of sepsis was respiratory infection (53.1%). The median length of stay in the ICUs was 5 (IQR, 2–8) days. The most common bacterium isolate was Pseudomonas aeroginosa (34.5%). The ICU and 28-day mortality rate was 41.8% and 50.9% respectively. Male sex, modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score ≥10 on day 1 of ICU admission, and comorbidity of HIV or malignancy were the independent predictors of 28-day mortality.ConclusionSepsis and septic shock are common among our ICU admissions, and are associated with a high mortality rate.

Acute skeletal muscle wasting and dysfunction predict physical disability at hospital discharge in patients with critical illness

BackgroundPatients surviving critical illness develop muscle weakness and impairments in physical function; however, the relationship between early skeletal muscle alterations and physical function at hospital discharge remains unclear. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether changes in muscle size, strength and power assessed in the intensive care unit (ICU) predict physical function at hospital discharge.MethodsStudy design is a single-center, prospective, observational study in patients admitted to the medicine or cardiothoracic ICU with diagnosis of sepsis or acute respiratory failure. Rectus femoris (RF) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle ultrasound images were obtained day one of ICU admission, repeated serially and assessed for muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), layer thickness (mT) and echointensity (EI). Muscle strength, as measured by Medical Research Council-sum score, and muscle power (lower-extremity leg press) were assessed prior to ICU discharge. Physical function was assessed with performance on 5-times sit-to-stand (5STS) at hospital discharge.ResultsForty-one patients with median age of 61 years (IQR 55–68), 56% male and sequential organ failure assessment score of 8.1 ± 4.8 were enrolled. RF muscle CSA decreased significantly a median percent change of 18.5% from day 1 to 7 (F = 26.6, p = 0.0253). RF EI increased at a mean percent change of 10.5 ± 21% in the first 7 days (F = 3.28, p = 0.081). At hospital discharge 25.7% of patients (9/35) met criteria for ICU-acquired weakness. Change in RF EI in first 7 days of ICU admission and muscle power measured prior to ICU were strong predictors of ICU-AW at hospital discharge (AUC = 0.912). Muscle power at ICU discharge, age and ICU length of stay were predictive of performance on 5STS at hospital discharge.ConclusionICU-assessed muscle alterations, specifically RF EI and muscle power, are predictors of diagnosis of ICU-AW and physical function assessed by 5x-STS at hospital discharge in patients surviving critical illness.