Higher Hospital Mortality Research Articles

Diffuse alveolar damage associated mortality in selected acute respiratory distress syndrome patients with open lung biopsy

IntroductionDiffuse alveolar damage (DAD) is the pathological hallmark of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), however, the presence of DAD in the clinical criteria of ARDS patients by Berlin definition is little known. This study is designed to investigate the role of DAD in ARDS patients who underwent open lung biopsy.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all ARDS patients who met the Berlin definition and underwent open lung biopsy from January 1999 to January 2014 in a referred medical center. DAD is characterized by hyaline membrane formation, lung edema, inflammation, hemorrhage and alveolar epithelial cell injury. Clinical data including baseline characteristics, severity of ARDS, clinical and pathological diagnoses, and survival outcomes were analyzed.ResultsA total of 1838 patients with ARDS were identified and open lung biopsies were performed on 101 patients (5.5 %) during the study period. Of these 101 patients, the severity of ARDS on diagnosis was mild of 16.8 %, moderate of 56.5 % and severe of 26.7 %. The hospital mortality rate was not significant difference between the three groups (64.7 % vs 61.4 % vs 55.6 %, p = 0.81). Of the 101 clinical ARDS patients with open lung biopsies, 56.4 % (57/101) patients had DAD according to biopsy results. The proportion of DAD were 76.5 % (13/17) in mild, 56.1 % (32/57) in moderate and 44.4 % (12/27) in severe ARDS and there is no significant difference between the three groups (p = 0.113). Pathological findings of DAD patients had a higher hospital mortality rate than non-DAD patients (71.9 % vs 45.5 %, p = 0.007). Pathological findings of DAD (odds ratio: 3.554, 95 % CI, 1.385–9.12; p = 0.008) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score on the biopsy day (odds ratio: 1.424, 95 % CI, 1.187–1.707; p<0.001) were significantly and independently associated with hospital mortality. The baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were not significantly different between DAD and non-DAD patients.ConclusionsThe correlation of pathological findings of DAD and ARDS diagnosed by Berlin definition is modest. A pathological finding of DAD in ARDS patients is associated with hospital mortality and there are no clinical characteristics that could identify DAD patients before open lung biopsy.

Acute kidney injury after cardiac arrest.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and determinants of AKI in a large cohort of cardiac arrest patients.MethodsWe reviewed all patients admitted, for at least 48 hours, to our Dept. of Intensive Care after CA between January 2008 and October 2012. AKI was defined as oligo-anuria (daily urine output <0.5 ml/kg/h) and/or an increase in serum creatinine (≥0.3 mg/dl from admission value within 48 hours or a 1.5 time from baseline level). Demographics, comorbidities, CA details, and ICU interventions were recorded. Neurological outcome was assessed at 3 months using the Cerebral Performance Category scale (CPC 1–2 = favorable outcome; 3–5 = poor outcome).ResultsA total of 199 patients were included, 85 (43%) of whom developed AKI during the ICU stay. Independent predictors of AKI development were older age, chronic renal disease, higher dose of epinephrine, in-hospital CA, presence of shock during the ICU stay, a low creatinine clearance (CrCl) on admission and a high cumulative fluid balance at 48 hours. Patients with AKI had higher hospital mortality (55/85 vs. 57/114, p = 0.04), but AKI was not an independent predictor of poor 3-month neurological outcome.ConclusionsAKI occurred in more than 40% of patients after CA. These patients had more severe hemodynamic impairment and needed more aggressive ICU therapy; however the development of AKI did not influence neurological recovery.

Early and Late Unplanned Rehospitalizations for Survivors of Critical Illness

Objectives: Preventing rehospitalizations for patients with serious chronic illnesses is a focus of national quality initiatives. Although 8 million people are admitted yearly to an ICU, the frequency of rehospitalizations (readmissions to the hospital after discharge) is unknown. We sought to determine the frequency of rehospitalization after an ICU stay, outcomes for rehospitalized patients, and factors associated with rehospitalization. Design: Retrospective cohort study using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, an administrative database of all hospital discharges in New York State. Setting: ICUs in New York State. Patients: ICU patients who survived to hospital discharge in 2008–2010. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of first early rehospitalization (within 30 days of discharge), and secondary outcome was the cumulative incidence of late rehospitalization (between 31 and 180 d). Factors associated with rehospitalization within both time periods were identified using competing risk regression models. Of 492,653 ICU patients, 79,960 had a first early rehospitalization (cumulative incidence, 16.2%) and an additional 73,250 late rehospitalizations (cumulative incidence, 18.9%). Over one quarter of all rehospitalizations (28.6% for early; 26.7% for late) involved ICU admission. Overall hospital mortality for rehospitalized patients was 7.6% for early and 4.6% for late rehospitalizations. Longer index hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.57–1.66 for 7–13 d vs Conclusions: Approximately 16% of ICU survivors were rehospitalized within 30 days of hospital discharge; rehospitalized patients had high rates of ICU admission and hospital mortality. Few characteristics were strongly associated with rehospitalization, suggesting that identifying high-risk individuals for intervention may require additional predictors beyond what is available in administrative databases.

Abstract 10020: Impact of Race on Temporal Trends in Hospitalizations and Outcomes in New York State Among Patients With Valvular Heart Diseases

Introduction: Valvular heart diseases (VHD) are a growing public health problem but effect of race on temporal changes in VHD hospitalizations, valve surgeries and hospital mortality rates is undefined. Hypothesis: Non-White patients (pts) with VHD are at higher risk of hospital mortality vs White pts. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all inpatient hospital records obtained between 1983-2012 from the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database with a primary or secondary ICD-9 code for VHD and racial self-classification (n=2,443,056). Linear regression was used to evaluate temporal changes in numbers of valve hospitalizations and valve surgeries performed among racial groups; ANOVA, χ 2 and t-tests were used, as appropriate, to compare subgroup differences on baseline clinical characteristics and lengths of stay; logistic regression (age, gender-adjusted) compared risk of hospital mortality by race. Results: During the 30-yr interval, proportions of non-White (predominantly Black) to White VHD pts increased by 65.9% (all VHD) and 72.1% (valve surgery). Though 12±1 yrs younger than White pts (p&lt;.001), Black pts had more concomitant hypertension, diabetes, heart failure and/or kidney disease and longer lengths of stay (p&lt;.001, all) vs White pts. Across all racial groups, hospital death risk was highest among Black pts (Figure), with men at greatest risk among all VHD cases (OR= 1.27, 95% CI=1.22-1.31, p&lt;.001) and women at highest risk after valve surgery (OR= 1.32, 95% CI=1.18-1.48, p&lt;.001). Conclusions: Pt demographics in New York hospitals are changing: pts from minority racial groups are proportionally increasing. The higher hospital mortality rates among Black pts with VHD is unexplained, though racial disparities in access to care and health risk factors may be involved. These disparities require evaluation as they will increasingly impact the health care system as the numbers of affected individuals continue to grow.

Abstract 15067: Incidence and Outcomes of Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease Complicated by Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Introduction: The management of neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD) may be complicated by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), however, there is limited multicenter data describing the incidence and outcomes of NEC in the CHD population. Objective: We aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors for the development of NEC in neonates with major CHD and the impact on survival. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of neonates with CHD was performed for all index hospitalizations of neonates (&lt;28 days) with major CHD between 2004 and 2014 using the Pediatric Health Information System database. The diagnosis of NEC was determined by the presence of ICD-9 code 777.5x. The incidence of NEC was determined as were risk factors for the development of NEC. Mortality was the primary outcome measure. Results: Of 38770 neonates with major CHD, 1448 (3.6%) were diagnosed with NEC. The rate of NEC varied between 0-8% by hospital and was not associated with hospital volume (p=0.4). Among neonates with a single, major CHD diagnosis, the rate of NEC was 6% in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), 6% in truncus arteriosus (TA) , 4% in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 3% in aortic arch obstruction (AO), and 2% in transposition of the great arteries (TGA); these diagnoses accounted for 47% of all NEC. Prematurity and chromosomal anomalies were independently associated with the diagnosis of NEC (p≤0.01 for both). Unadjusted mortality among neonates with NEC was 24% compared to 12% in neonates without NEC (OR 2.4, 95%CI 2.1-2.7). When evaluating changes in adjusted mortality associated with NEC by CHD diagnosis, TOF mortality increased from 8% to 16% (p&lt;.01), TGA increased from 5% to 21% (p&lt;0.01), AO increased from 6% to 20% (p&lt;0.01), HLHS increased from 22% to 28% (p=.07), and TA decreased from 13% to 12% (p=0.7). Median LOS was higher in neonates with NEC than without NEC (54d [IQR 31-93] vs. 18d [IQR 9-34], p&lt;0.01) as was median hospital charge ($600k [IQR 310k-1.1m] vs. $220k [IQR 100k-430k], p&lt;0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of NEC among neonates with major CHD is highest in HLHS and TA. NEC is associated with significantly higher hospital mortality, LOS, and charges. Determining modifiable factors associated with NEC may allow for interventions to reduce morbidity in this population.

Moonlight-like proteins of the cell wall protect sessile cells of Candida from oxidative stress

Biofilms of Candida species are associated with high morbidity and hospital mortality. Candida forms biofilms by adhering to human host epithelium through cell wall proteins (CWP) and simultaneously neutralizing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the respiratory burst by phagocytic cells. The purpose of this paper is to identify the CWP of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei and Candida parapsilosis expressed after exposure to different concentrations of H2O2 using a proteomic approach. CWP obtained from sessile cells, both treated and untreated with the oxidizing agent, were resolved by one and two-dimensional (2D-PAGE) gels and identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Some of these proteins were identified and found to correspond to moonlighting CWP such as: (i) glycolytic enzymes, (ii) heat shock, (iii) OSR proteins, (iv) general metabolic enzymes and (v) highly conserved proteins, which are up- or down-regulated in the presence or absence of ROS. We also found that the expression of these CWP is different for each Candida species. Moreover, RT-PCR assays allowed us to demonstrate that transcription of the gene coding for Eno1, one of the moonlight-like CWP identified in response to the oxidant agent, is differentially regulated. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration that, in response to oxidative stress, each species of Candida, differentially regulates the expression of moonlighting CWP, which may protect the organism from the ROS generated during phagocytosis. Presumptively, these proteins allow the pathogen to adhere and form a biofilm, and eventually cause invasive candidiasis in the human host. We propose that, in addition to the antioxidant mechanisms present in Candida, the moonlighting CWP also confer protection to these pathogens from oxidative stress.

CT-proAVP IS NOT A GOOD PREDICTOR OF VASOPRESSOR NEED IN SEPTIC SHOCK.

Septic shock features a high hospital mortality. Improving our ability to risk stratify these patients at admission may help better define management strategies and design studies. The primary objective of this study was to determine if patients dead or with sustained vasopressor need at day 7 had a relative arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency as compared with vasopressor-free patients at day 7. Another objective was to explore if plasma CT-proAVP (C terminal part of preprovasopressin) measured within 24 h of sepsis onset could predict patient severity. This was a prospective observational study in a medical and surgical intensive care unit. One hundred thirteen patients were included in this analysis: 102 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and 11 nonseptic controls. The CT-proAVP was measured at three time points within the first week after sepsis onset. The CT-proAVP measured within 24 h of sepsis onset failed to predict vasopressor need. More importantly, CT-proAVP plasma levels in patients with a sustained need of vasopressors did not differ from vasopressor-free patients at days 1 and 2. The CT-proAVP was more elevated in septic shock as compared with severe sepsis or nonseptic patients. When analyzing 28-day mortality, nonsurvivors featured higher levels of the CT-proAVP compared with survivors. Patients with septic shock and sustained need of vasopressors do not seem to present a relative AVP deficiency. In sepsis, the subgroup of patients that may benefit from AVP supplementation still needs to be identified. Our study further confirms previous data on the ability of the CT-proAVP to predict patient severity in severe sepsis and septic shock.

Use of noninvasive ventilation for acute respiratory failure in intensive care unit.

Introduction: The noinvasive ventilation (NIV) has been an important resource for the management of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in intensive care unit (ICU). Several factors related to the patient, the healthcare team and the equipment used can influence in the success or failure of this therapy. Therefore, it is beneficial to analyze the use and effectiveness of NIV in everyday practice, which may lead to shorter hospital staying, reduce costs, and decrease mortality rate. Objective: To observe the use of NIV in patients with ARF in ICU. Methods: Prospective and observational study, assessing 37 patients aged over 18 years, who undergone NIV in ICU for ARF. The volunteers were assessed for clinical characteristics, physiological parameters, and outcome. The sample was divided into success group - SG (nonintubated patients after NIV use) and failure group - FG (intubated patients after NIV use). Results: The NIV was successful in 18 (48.6%) subjects and failed in 19 (51.4%) of them. Acute pulmonary edema was the main reason (62.4%) of ARF found. The FG compared to SG showed longer duration of NIV use (p = 0.05), lower arterial pH (p = 0.00), higher PaCO 2 (p = 0.02) greater accumulated water balance within 24 hours (p = 0.03) and 72 hours (p = 0.05) prior to the last use of NIV. It was also observed that the FG patients had higher hospital mortality rate, as follows: 73.8% versus 16.7% of FG SG (p = 0.00). Conclusion: The FG had a longer ICU staying and higher mortality rate. Moreover, the consciousness levels, the pH level, PaCO 2 and cumulative fluid balance appear to contribute to the success or the failure of NIV.

Hyperbilirubinemia after cardiac surgery: An observational study.

We aimed to assess the incidence and perioperative risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia after cardiac surgery, and determine its influence on early operative outcome. This prospective observational study was conducted on 476 patients who underwent cardiac surgical procedures from January 2014 to March 2014. Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia was defined as serum total bilirubin >2.0 mg dL(-1). The overall incidence of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia was 25% (119 patients). Patients undergoing valve repair or replacement had the highest incidence of hyperbilirubinemia (36.2%), followed by coronary artery bypass grafting with concomitant valve surgery (34.1%), congenital heart surgery (23.1%), and coronary artery bypass alone (12.7%). Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia was associated with increased duration of inotropic support (p = 0.0001), mechanical ventilation (p = 0.0001), intensive care unit stay (p = 0.001), hospital stay (p = 0.006), and mortality (p = 0.014). The perioperative factors associated with postoperative hyperbilirubinemia were increased preoperative bilirubin level (p < 0.0001), preoperative prothrombin time (p < 0.0001), cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.028), aortic crossclamp time (p = 0.004), and blood transfusion units (p = 0.0001). Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia is common in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass and is associated with high hospital mortality. The factors associated with its occurrence are increased preoperative bilirubin level, preoperative prothrombin time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic crossclamp time, and blood transfusion units. Persistent hyperbilirubinemia is associated with a worse outcome than early transient hyperbilirubinemia.

The severity of initial acute kidney injury at admission of geriatric patients significantly correlates with subsequent in-hospital complications.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with higher hospital mortality. However, the relationship between geriatric AKI and in-hospital complications is unclear. We prospectively enrolled elderly patients (≥65 years) from general medical wards of National Taiwan University Hospital, part of whom presented AKI at admission. We recorded subsequent in-hospital complications, including catastrophic events, incident gastrointestinal bleeding, hospital-associated infections, and new-onset electrolyte imbalances. Regression analyses were utilized to assess the associations between in-hospital complications and the initial AKI severity. A total of 163 elderly were recruited, with 39% presenting AKI (stage 1: 52%, stage 2: 23%, stage 3: 25%). The incidence of any in-hospital complication was significantly higher in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group (91% vs. 68%, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analyses indicated that elderly patients presenting with AKI had significantly higher risk of developing any complication (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.51, p = 0.01) and new-onset electrolyte imbalance (OR = 7.1, p < 0.01), and a trend toward more hospital-associated infections (OR = 1.99, p = 0.08). The risk of developing complications increased with higher AKI stage. In summary, our results indicate that initial AKI at admission in geriatric patients significantly increased the risk of in-hospital complications.

Characteristics and Clinical Course of STEMI Patients who Received no Reperfusion in the Australia and New Zealand SNAPSHOT ACS Registry

Cohort studies of STEMI patients have reported that over 30% receive no reperfusion. Barriers to greater use of reperfusion in STEMI patients require further elucidation. We collected data on STEMI patients with no reperfusion as part of the SNAPSHOT ACS Registry, which recruited consecutive ACS patients in 478 hospitals throughout Australia and New Zealand during 14-27 May 2012. Of 4387 patients enrolled, 419 were diagnosed with STEMI. Primary PCI (PPCI) was performed in 160 (38.2%), fibrinolysis was used in 105 (25.1%), and 154 (36.7%) had no reperfusion. Patients with no reperfusion had a mean age of 70.3±15.0 years compared with 63.1±13.5 in the reperfusion group (p<0.0001). There were more females in the no reperfusion group (37.1% v 23.0% p=0.002) and they were significantly more likely to have prior PCI or CABG, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease and other vascular disease, and to be nursing home residents (all p<0.05). Patients without reperfusion had a significantly higher mortality in hospital (11.7% v 4.9%, p=0.011). In 370 patients who presented within 12hours, 28 had early angiography without PCI, which was considered an attempt at reperfusion. Therefore reperfusion was attempted in 293 of 370 eligible patients (79.2%). Of consecutive STEMI patients, 36.7% did not receive any reperfusion and they had a higher risk of death in hospital. In eligible patients, reperfusion was attempted in 79.2%. National strategies to encourage earlier medical contact and greater use of reperfusion in eligible patients may lead to better outcomes.

Development of a Hospital Outcome Measure Intended for Use With Electronic Health Records: 30-Day Risk-standardized Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Electronic health records (EHRs) offer the opportunity to transform quality improvement by using clinical data for comparing hospital performance without the burden of chart abstraction. However, current performance measures using EHRs are lacking. With support from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we developed an outcome measure of hospital risk-standardized 30-day mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction for use with EHR data. As no appropriate source of EHR data are currently available, we merged clinical registry data from the Action Registry-Get With The Guidelines with claims data from CMS to develop the risk model (2009 data for development, 2010 data for validation). We selected candidate variables that could be feasibly extracted from current EHRs and do not require changes to standard clinical practice or data collection. We used logistic regression with stepwise selection and bootstrapping simulation for model development. The final risk model included 5 variables available on presentation: age, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, troponin ratio, and creatinine level. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.78. Hospital risk-standardized mortality rates ranged from 9.6% to 13.1%, with a median of 10.7%. The odds of mortality for a high-mortality hospital (+1 SD) were 1.37 times those for a low-mortality hospital (-1 SD). This measure represents the first outcome measure endorsed by the National Quality Forum for public reporting of hospital quality based on clinical data in the EHR. By being compatible with current clinical practice and existing EHR systems, this measure is a model for future quality improvement measures.

Liver Resection for De Novo Hepatocellular Carcinoma Complicated by Pyogenic Liver Abscess: A Clinical Challenge.

De novo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated by pyogenic liver abscess is rare, and the standard of care for this disease has yet been defined. This study assesses whether liver resection can be recommended as its standard treatment. This retrospective study reviewed the prospectively collected data of the 1725 patients who underwent primary liver resection for HCC at our hospital during the period from December 1989 to December 2012. Outcomes were compared between patients with and without liver abscess. Twenty-two (1.28 %) patients had HCC and liver abscess. Fourteen of them received preoperative drainage. Patients with and without abscess had similar tumor characteristics, but patients with abscess had more operative blood loss (2.2 vs. 0.8 L; p < 0.0001) and more of them needed blood transfusion (63.6 vs. 23.1 %; p < 0.0001). They also had a longer hospital stay (38.5 vs. 10 days; p < 0.0001), a higher hospital mortality (40.9 vs. 2.8 %; p < 0.001), a higher postoperative complication rate (100 vs. 25.9 %; p < 0.0001), and poorer 1, 3, and 5-years disease-free survival rates (p = 0.023). The post-resection mortality of the patients with de novo HCC complicated by pyogenic liver abscess was so high that liver resection is not recommended as the standard treatment. More research is needed to determine the best therapy for this rare disease.

Nosocomial pneumonia in non-invasive ventilation patients: incidence, characteristics, and outcomes

Nosocomial pneumonia occasionally occurs in non-invasive ventilation (NIV) patients. To report the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of nosocomial pneumonia in NIV patients. A prospective observational study was performed in a respiratory intensive care unit (ICU). After admission, patients who received NIV for more than 48 h were enrolled. Pneumonia was considered nosocomial when it occurred after at least 48 h of NIV. Between January 2012 and August 2014, we enrolled 520 NIV patients. Nosocomial pneumonia occurred in 16 patients (3.1%). The nosocomial pneumonia rate was 4.5 cases per 1000 NIV-days. The most common pathogen was Acinetobacter baumannii (81%). At the initiation of NIV, there were no differences in age, gender, diagnosis, disease severity, or arterial blood gas findings between patients with and without nosocomial pneumonia. Compared to patients without nosocomial pneumonia, nosocomial pneumonia patients had a longer duration of NIV (8.4 vs 5.0 days, P < 0.01), a longer ICU stay (10.8 vs 7.9 days, P = 0.01), a longer hospital stay (25.9 vs 15.3 days, P = 0.04), a higher intubation rate (63% vs 21%, P < 0.01), and higher hospital mortality (75% vs 25%, P < 0.01). Nosocomial pneumonia was an independent risk factor for intubation (OR: 6.74; 95% CI: 2.24-20.28) and death (7.65; 1.34-43.72). The incidence of nosocomial pneumonia in NIV patients in this population was 3.1%. Nosocomial pneumonia increased the time that NIV was required, length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, intubation rate, and hospital mortality.

Antifungal therapy in patients with pulmonary Candida spp. colonization may have no beneficial effects.

BackgroundIn critically ill patients, Candida spp. can often be identified in pulmonary samples. The impact of prompt antifungal therapy in these patients is unknown.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 500 adult patients with pulmonary Candida spp. colonization admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between 2010 and 2012 were included. The patients were analyzed according to whether or not they received antifungal therapy, which was administered at the discretion of the attending physician. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of antifungal therapy on hospital mortality and new onset of ventilator-associated pneumonia. In a stepwise backward elimination, the impact of age, cancer as an underlying disease, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score were considered.ResultsAfter excluding 178 patients with multifocal Candida spp., isolated pulmonary Candida spp. colonization was found in 322 patients (cohort 1). Pre-existing pneumonia was found in 147/322 patients. Out of the remaining 175 patients (cohort 2), 44 patients received any antifungal therapy, and 131 were defined as the control group. Patients who received antifungal therapy had higher hospital mortality (50 vs. 30 %, p = 0.02) and pneumonia rates (47.7 vs. 16.8 %; p < 0.001) than those who did not. In Cox regression analysis, antifungal therapy was not independently associated with favorable outcome (mortality: odds ratio 0.854 (95 % CI 0.467–1.561); new pneumonia: 1.048 (0.536–2.046)), but SAPS II and SOFA score were significantly (p < 0.05) independent covariates for worse outcome.ConclusionsIn critically ill patients with pulmonary Candida spp. colonization, antifungal therapy may not have an impact on the incidence of new pneumonia or in-hospital mortality after adjustment for confounders.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40560-015-0097-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cardiorenal syndrome type 1 in the intensive coronary care unit of the Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza

This study sought to evaluate the incidence of cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) type 1 in a coronary care unit and its association with hospital mortality within 30 days of admission, as well as other epidemiological characteristics. The medical records of all the patients who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of acute heart failure in a 4-year period were reviewed. CRS type 1 was characterized by the presence of acute heart failure and an elevation of serum creatinine ≥0.3mg/dL in comparison to the baseline creatinine calculated by the MDRD75 equation and/or the elevation of ≥50% of the admission serum creatinine within a 48 h period. The incidence of CRS type 1 was 27.87%, 95% CI: 20.13-36.71 (34 of 122). There was a higher frequency of CRS type 1 in those patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of cardiogenic shock (adjusted RR 2.02, 95% CI: 1.20-3.93, p=0.0378) and in those with higher hemoglobin levels (p=0.0412). The CRS type 1 was associated with an increase of 30-day mortality (HR: 4.11, 95% CI: 1.20-14.09, p=0.0244). The incidence of CRS type 1 in the coronary care unit found in our study is similar to those found in foreign studies. The history of stroke and the higher values of hemoglobin were associated with a higher incidence of cardiorenal syndrome type 1. Patients with CRS type 1 had a higher hospital mortality within 30 days of admission.

Accessibility to Reperfusion Therapy Among Women with Acute Myocardial Infarction: Impact on Hospital Mortality.

The available evidence about the effect of gender and/or sex on mortality differences is contradictory. Our aim is to assess the impact of gender on the access to reperfusion therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome with ST-segment elevation (STEMI), and secondly, to analyze the effect of delay on the differences with regard to hospital mortality. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among consecutive patients with STEMI included in the ARIAM-SEMICYUC registry (2010-2013). A total of 4816 patients were included (22.09% women). Women were older, presented with longer patient delay (90 vs. 75 minutes, p=0.0066), higher risk profile (GRACE>140: 75.1% vs. 56.05%, p<0.0001), and received less reperfusion therapy (68.8% vs. 74.7%, p<0.0001) with longer total reperfusion time (307 vs. 240 minutes, p<0.0001). Women received less thrombolysis (24.53% vs. 29.98%, p<0.0001) and longer door-to-needle time (85 vs. 70 minutes, p 0.0023). We found no differences regarding primary percutaneous coronary intervention or door-to-balloon time. Women also had higher hospital mortality (crude odds ratio 2.54, 95% confidence interval 1.99-3.26, p<0.0001), which persisted after controlling the effect of patient delay, age, risk (GRACE), and reperfusion (adjusted odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.06, p=0.0492). Using TIMI or Killip risk scores as risk estimates yielded nonsignificant results. Compared with men, women with STEMI have worse access to reperfusion and higher hospital mortality. The impact of the differences in accessibility on mortality gap remains uncertain.

Association between time to percutaneous coronary intervention and hospital mortality in non–STEMI: a prospective multicenter observational study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the association between time to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and hospital mortality in non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). MethodsAdult patients with NSTEMI were enrolled from November 2007 to December 2012 at 28 emergency departments (EDs) in Korea, excluding those who met the following criteria: age less than 20 years, PCI not performed or performed after 72 hours, cardiac arrest at ED presentation, and unknown outcome. Exposure variable was defined as early PCI (<6 hours after ED arrival) and late PCI group (≥6 hours). The primary outcome was hospital mortality. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for late vs early PCI on mortality were calculated in original data set and propensity score–matched data set using multivariable logistic regression models with/without interaction term (PCI group and time from symptom to ED arrival within 12 hours, or S2D). ResultsA total of 4363 patients were analyzed as early (n = 1109) and late (n = 3254) PCI groups. The mortality rates were 2.4%, 5.4%, and 1.5% for the total, early, and late PCI groups, respectively. Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of late PCI for hospital mortality were 0.36 (0.22-0.61) in the original cohort and 0.29 (0.27-0.48) in the propensity score–matched cohort, respectively. Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) in the propensity score–matched subset were 0.28 (0.17–0.45) in the short S2D group and 0.50 (0.18-1.37) in the long S2D group, respectively. ConclusionsPercutaneous coronary intervention earlier than 6 hours after ED presentation was associated with higher hospital mortality than PCI 6 hours later in NSTEMI. However, the effect disappeared in the long S2D group.

Treating the patient with acute rupture of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the thoracic aorta

Spontaneous rupture of the aorta - a violation of the integrity of the aortic wall which is not caused by an aneurysm, trauma, dissection or disintegrating tumor process, and is an acute life-threatening condition. According to some authors, the main cause of spontaneous rupture of the aorta is a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the aorta, which is an ulceration of aortic atherosclerotic plaque leading to penetration of the internal elastic plate in media. We present a case of successful hybrid surgical treatment of patient with spontaneous rupture of the descending thoracic aorta with the formation of para-aortic hematoma and left-sided hemothorax. The patient underwent a hybrid operation - aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta prosthetic repair, subclavian bypass with left subclavian artery ligation, left-sided thoracotomy, and pleural cavity sanitation. No intraoperative complications were observed, the patient was taken off the ventilator on day 2. The control computed tomography performed on day 10, revealed correct and stable stent graft position with no signs of continued bleeding, endoleak. The patient was discharged in satisfactory condition on day 14. Due to the high hospital mortality of open surgery on the thoracic aorta in case of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers, as well as the predominance of elderly patients with severe comorbidities that contraindicate open surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, endovascular and hybrid technologies, which are minimally invasive and traumatic, come to the fore. Endovascular prosthetic repair in case of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta is an effective and safe procedure in patients at high risk, showing encouraging long-term results.

Long-term survival and quality of life after intensive care for patients 80 years of age or older.

BackgroundComparison of survival and quality of life in a mixed ICU population of patients 80 years of age or older with a matched segment of the general population.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed survival of ICU patients ≥80 years admitted to the Haukeland University Hospital in 2000–2012. We prospectively used the EuroQol-5D to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between survivors at follow-up and an age- and gender-matched general population. Follow-up was 1–13.8 years.ResultsThe included 395 patients (mean age 83.8 years, 61.0 % males) showed an overall survival of 75.9 (ICU), 59.5 (hospital), and 42.0 % 1 year after the ICU. High ICU mortality was predicted by age, mechanical ventilator support, SAPS II, maximum SOFA, and multitrauma with head injury. High hospital mortality was predicted by an unplanned surgical admission. One-year mortality was predicted by respiratory failure and isolated head injury. We found no differences in HRQOL at follow-up between survivors (n = 58) and control subjects (n = 179) or between admission categories. Of the ICU non-survivors, 63.2 % died within 2 days after ICU admission (n = 60), and 68.3 % of these had life-sustaining treatment (LST) limitations. LST limitations were applied for 71.3 % (n = 114) of the hospital non-survivors (ICU 70.5 % (n = 67); post-ICU 72.3 % (n = 47)).ConclusionsOverall 1-year survival was 42.0 %. Survival rates beyond that were comparable to those of the general octogenarian population. Among survivors at follow-up, HRQOL was comparable to that of the age- and sex-matched general population. Patients admitted for planned surgery had better short- and long-term survival rates than those admitted for medical reasons or unplanned surgery for 3 years after ICU admittance. The majority of the ICU non-survivors died within 2 days, and most of these had LST limitation decisions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13613-015-0053-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.