Infusion In Intensive Care Units Research Articles

Nurse management of noradrenaline infusions in intensive care units: An observational study

BackgroundIntensive care nurse management of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) infusions is a common and essential clinical competency for patient haemodynamic support. Nurses titrate and wean noradrenaline infusions to a target blood pressure in a dynamic, high-risk, and unpredictable environment. Titration and weaning are complex interventions, and blood pressure goals are often variable. ObjectivesThe aim was to examine how nurses used blood pressure targets when escalating, weaning, and titrating noradrenaline in intensive care patients admitted for haemodynamic management and explore patient blood pressure responses to changes in noradrenaline doses. MethodsIn this naturalistic observational study, noradrenaline dose changes were classified as escalation, weaning, and titration changes and analysed to explore nursing practice. The study was undertaken in two adult medical/surgical intensive care units in Melbourne, Australia. Participants included intensive care nurses and patients who received noradrenaline infusions for haemodynamic support. ResultsObservations of 14 nurse–patient dyads provided 25 h of blood pressure and noradrenaline dose data. Patient participants received weight-adjusted maximum noradrenaline doses of between 0.06 mcg/kg/min and 0.87 mcg/kg/minute, with those in the escalation group receiving dose increases of up to 5 mcg to achieve blood pressure goals. During weaning, patients maintained or increased their blood pressure as noradrenaline doses were decreased. Nurses consistently maintained blood pressures at higher than target goals, and despite constant fluctuations, they only documented blood pressure readings hourly. ConclusionsIntensive care nurses managed noradrenaline to achieve mean arterial pressure targets that were variable and not evidence based. The disconnection between observed blood pressure fluctuations and nurse documentation of patient blood pressures was reflected in titration practices. Discrepancies between documented and actual blood pressures raised issues about data used by nurses and doctors to inform clinical practice on noradrenaline management.

Stability Studies of 16 Antibiotics for Continuous Infusion in Intensive Care Units and for Performing Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy.

The use of continuous infusion to improve the therapeutic efficacy of time-dependent antibiotics has been demonstrated. There is still a lack of data to safely perform these continuous infusions. The objectives in this study were to evaluate the stability by using stability-indicating methods (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) of 16 antibiotics in concentrated solutions, especially for administration in intensive care units and solutions in elastomeric diffusers at 37 °C for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy. The solutions were considered stable if the percentage of the drug was ≥90%, and the colour and clearness remained unchanged. In syringes, the stability data vary from 4 to 8 h (h) for meropenem in Dextrose 5% (D5W) and Normal Saline (NS), respectively, 6 h for cefotaxime, 12 h for cefoxitin, and 24 h for aztreonam, cefazolin, cefepime, cefiderocol, ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam in NS and D5W, and in water for injection for cloxacillin. A stability period of 48 h has been validated for vancomycin (D5W), aztreonam, and piperacillin/tazobactam. Cefoxitin, cefazolin, cefepime, cefotaxime, cloxacillin, and piperacillin are unstable for diffuser administration. In diffusers, stability times vary from 6 h for cefiderocol, 8 h for ceftazidime, 12 h for ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam (NS), 24 h for temocillin (NS) and piperacillin/tazobactam (D5W), up to 48 h for aztreonam and vancomycin. Solutions stored at 37 °C are less stable and allow the administration of seven antibiotics using diffusers.

Compatibility of prolonged infusion antibiotics during Y-site administration.

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to global public health. The use of prolonged infusions in the hospital setting for certain antimicrobials is widely increasing in order to improve their efficacy and safety, including resistance development. Due to limited vascular access, it is important to clarify whether they can be infused through the same line with other drugs during Y-site administration. The aim of this review is to update and summarize the evidence on Y-site compatibility of antibacterial agents administered as prolonged infusions in intensive care units (ICUs). A literature review of PubMed, EMBASE and Trissel's Handbook on Injectable Drugs databases was conducted on the compatibility of selected antimicrobials administered simultaneously at a Y-site connection with parenteral nutrition and other widely used drugs in ICUs. All articles published up to October 30, 2021, in English or Spanish were included, regardless of the type of publication (original articles, case reports, letters, etc.). Eligible antimicrobials were those that can be administered as prolonged infusions: ceftazidime, cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, meropenem, ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftaroline, cloxacillin, ceftobiprole, vancomycin and fosfomycin. A total of 1302 drug-to-drug potential combinations were explored, 196 (15.05%) were found to be incompatible, and in 541 (41.55%), data were not available. The results were presented in a simple 2-dimensional consultation chart as a quick reference for health care professionals. This review provides useful and reliable information on the compatibility of antimicrobials administered as Y-site infusion with other drugs commonly used in the critical setting. This review contributes to patient safety in nursing practice. To our knowledge, this is the first review on Y-site compatibility of antimicrobials used as prolonged infusions with other commonly used drugs, including anti-emetics, analgesics and anti-epileptic and parenteral nutrition. The results of the current review need to be addressed to promote the knowledge sharing between health professionals and improve the quality and safety of patients. We believe that this review may serve as a simple and effective 2-dimensional updated drug-to-drug compatibility reference chart for critical care nurses.

Strategies to prevent drug incompatibility during simultaneous multi-drug infusion in intensive care units: a literature review

Drug protocols in intensive care units may require the concomitant administration of many drugs as patients' venous accesses are often limited. A major challenge for clinicians is to limit the risk of simultaneously infusing incompatible drugs. Incompatibilities can lead to the formation of particles and inactivation of drugs, whose consequences on the body have already been indicated. Our objective was to assess current strategies to counter the risk of incompatible infusions and control the resulting clinical consequences. This review was independently conducted by three investigators in respect of the PRISMA statement. Three online databases were consulted. Full-text articles, notes, or letters written in English or French, published or in press between the 1990s and the end of February 2020, with clinical study design, were eligible. Parameters of interest were mainly number and size of particles, and a number of observed/avoided incompatibilities. All in all, 382 articles were screened, 17 meeting all the acceptance criteria. The strategies outlined and assessed were filtration, the use of multi-lumen devices, the purging of infusion lines, incompatibility tables and databases, and the use of standard operating procedures. Although many strategies have been developed in recent years to address drug incompatibility risks, clinical data is still lacking. All studies with in vitro design were excluded although some current innovative strategies, like niosomes, should be considered and studied by means of clinical data in the future.

Comparison of the efficacy of an infusion pump or standard IV push injection to deliver naloxone in treatment of opioid toxicity

Background:The optimal goal of naloxone infusion in intensive care units is to ameliorate opioid-induced side effects in therapy or eliminate the symptoms of opioid toxicity in overdoses. Accurately monitoring and regulating the doses is critical to prevent adverse effects related to naloxone administration. The present study aimed to compare treatment outcomes when using two methods of intravenous naloxone infusion: an infusion pump or the standard method. Methods:This study involved 80 patients with signs and symptoms of opioid overdose. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups with respect to intravenous infusion of naloxone by either an infusion pump or the standard method. Results:Comparison of study parameters between the two groups at 12 and 24 hours after intervention showed significantly more compensatory acid-base imbalance in the naloxone infusion pump group. In the group that received naloxone by pump, only one patient experienced withdrawal symptoms, but withdrawal symptoms appeared in 12 patients (30.0%) in the standard intravenous infusion group within 12 hours and in seven additional patients (17.5%) within 24 hours of intervention. In the group receiving pump-based naloxone infusion therapy, no another complications were reported; however in the standard infusion group, the 12-hour and 24-hour complication rates were 55.0% and 32.5%, respectively. The length of hospital stay was 2.85±1.05 and 4.22±0.92 days for the pump and standard infusion groups, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions:Naloxone infusion using an infusion pump may be safer with regard to hemodynamic stability, resulting in shorter hospitalization periods, and fewer posttreatment complications.

Compatibility of drugs administered as Y-site infusion in intensive care units: A systematic review

ObjectivesTo gather all published information about the stability of drugs commonly used in Intensive Care Units (ICU); evaluate the methodology of published data; and generate a compatibility table. Design(i) A systematic review was conducted searching the following databases: Medline, Stabilis, Handbook of Injectable Drugs and Micromedex. Articles published from 1990 to 2017 in English, Spanish and French were included. (ii) Article quality was analyzed according to the stability studies practice guidelines. (iii) A compatibility table was produced with data for 44 binary combinations of drugs frequently used in the ICU. ScopeSpanish and international hospital ICU. ResultsThe systematic review included 29 studies (27 originals, 2 reviews). None of the included studies followed all the methodological requirements. However, 93% guaranteed correct reproducibility. Accordingly, drug stability knowledge was available for 50.3% of the studied admixtures, in which 77.1% of the binary combinations proved compatible and 16.8% proved incompatible. ConclusionsThis review provides new reliable evidence about the physicochemical stability of drugs commonly used in the critical care setting. The study contributes to the safe administration of intravenous drugs in critical patients with a view to avoiding adverse events in this frail population.

Effects of flow rate on the migration of different plasticizers from PVC infusion medical devices.

Infusion medical devices (MDs) used in hospitals are often made of plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC). These plasticizers may leach out into infused solutions during clinical practice, especially during risk-situations, e.g multiple infusions in Intensive Care Units and thus may enter into contact with the patients. The migrability of the plasticizers is dependent of several clinical parameters such as temperature, contact time, nature of the simulant, etc… However, no data is available about the influence of the flow rate at which drug solutions are administrated. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different flow rates on the release of the different plasticizers during an infusion procedure in order to assess if they could expose the patients to more toxic amounts of plasticizers. Migration assays with different PVC infusion sets and extension lines were performed with different flow rates that are used in clinical practice during 1h, 2h, 4h, 8h and 24h, using a lipophilic drug simulant. From a clinical point of view, the results showed that, regardless of the plasticizer, the faster the flow rate, the higher the infused volume and the higher the quantities of plasticizers released, both from infusion sets and extension lines, leading to higher patient exposure. However, physically, there was no significant difference of the migration kinetics linked to the flow rate for a same medical device, reflecting complex interactions between the PVC matrix and the simulant. The migration was especially dependent on the nature and the composition of the medical device.

Age related inverse dose relation of sedatives and analgesics in the intensive care unit

Sedative and analgesic practices in intensive care units (ICUs) are frequently based on anesthesia regimes but do not take account of the important patient related factors. Pharmacologic properties of sedatives and analgesics change when used as continuous infusions in ICU compared to bolus or short-term infusions during anesthesia. In a prospective observational cohort study, we investigated the association between patient related factors and sedatives/analgesics doses in patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) and their association with cessation of sedation/analgesia. We included patients expected to receive MV for at least 24 hours and excluded those with difficulty in assessing the depth of sedation. We collected data for the first 72 hours or until extubation, whichever occurred first. Multivariate analysis of variance, multivariate regression as well as logistic regression were used. The final cohort (N = 576) was predominantly male (64%) with mean (SD) age 61.7 (15.6) years, weight 63.4 (18.2) Kg, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 28.2 (8) and 30% hospital mortality. Increasing age was associated with reduced propofol and fentanyl doses requirements, adjusted to the weight (p<0.001). Factors associated with higher propofol and fentanyl doses were vasopressor use (Relative mean difference (RMD) propofol 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–1.90); fentanyl 1.48 (1.25–1.76) and central venous line placement (CVL, RMD propofol 1.64 (1.15–2.33); fentanyl 1.41 (1.03–1.91). Male gender was also associated with higher propofol dose (RMD 1.27 (1.06–1.49). Sedation cessation was less likely to occur in restrained patients (Odds Ratio, OR 0.48 (CI 0.30–0.78) or those receiving higher sedative/analgesic doses (OR propofol 0.98 (CI 0.97–0.99); fentanyl 0.99 (CI 0.98–0.997), independent of depth of sedation. In conclusion, increasing age is associated with the use of lower doses of sedative/analgesic in ICU, whereas CVL and vasopressor use were associated with higher doses.

Unfractionated heparin dosing for therapeutic anticoagulation in critically ill obese adults

PurposeResearch evaluating unfractionated heparin (UFH) dosing in obese critically ill populations is limited. This study aimed to determine optimal weight-based and total therapeutic infusion rates of UFH in this population. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study compared adults on UFH infusions in intensive care units from May 2011 through October 2013 across 3 weight strata: 95 to 104 kg (control), 105 to 129 kg (high weight), and greater than or equal to 130 kg (higher weight). Primary outcomes included total and weight-based infusion rates for therapeutic anticoagulation. ResultsTo achieve therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin times, higher weight patients had higher mean infusion rates compared with control (2017 vs 1582 U/h; P = .002). Mean weight-based therapeutic infusion rate was lower in the higher weight group compared with control (13.1 vs 15.8 U kg−1 h−1; P = .008). Post hoc analyses indicated mean weight-based infusion rate to achieve therapeutic anticoagulation was 15 U kg−1 h−1 in patients less than 165 kg and 13 U kg−1 h−1 in patients greater than 165 kg. ConclusionsPatients greater than or equal to 130 kg have lower weight-based heparin requirements compared with patients 95 to 104 kg. This difference appears to be driven by patients greater than 165 kg. Patients greater than 165 kg have lower weight-based heparin requirements, whereas patients from 105 to 164 kg have weight-based requirements similar to a normal-weight patient population. Initiating heparin at appropriate weight-based doses for obese patients may optimize anticoagulation.

Systematic review of physical and chemical compatibility of commonly used medications administered by continuous infusion in intensive care units

To quantify the physical and chemical stability data published for commonly used continuously infused medications in the intensive care unit and to evaluate the quality of the studies providing these data. We conducted a systematic electronic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts as well as the references of electronic drug compatibility textbooks for all English and French language research publications evaluating the physical compatibility or chemical stability of the 820 possible two-drug combinations of 41 commonly used drugs in an adult intensive care unit. A total of 93 studies comprised of 86 (92%) studies evaluating physical compatibility and 35 (38%) studies evaluating chemical compatibility of at least one drug combination of interest were included. Physical and/or chemical compatibility data exist for only 441 of the possible 820 two-drug combinations (54%), whereas chemical compatibility data exist for only 75 (9%) of the possible combinations. Of the 441 combinations for which compatibility data are available, 67 (15%) represent incompatible combinations and 39 (9%) had conflicting data in which both compatible and incompatible data were identified. Physical compatibility studies that provide the basis for y-site compatibility are lacking for commonly used medications in intensive care unit patients and may contribute to unsafe medication practices. Furthermore, the heterogeneity in the methodology of these studies likely contributes to the common finding of conflicting data for specific combinations of drugs. Future studies should apply similar methodologic and reporting principles to be able to reproduce and compare outcomes both clinically and in the laboratory.

Paradoxical Effects of Midazolam in the Very Young

Paradoxical Effects of Midazolam in the Very Young

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of midazolam given via continuous intravenous infusion in intensive care units

Critically ill patients often benefit from sedation to optimize their care and their ventilatory support. Ideally, incremental doses of a drug are administered to produce the desired level of sedation without toxicity or overdose. Because metabolism and elimination of drugs are often altered in critically ill patients, knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of sedative hypnotics is essential to ensure their appropriate selection and administration. Furthermore, the administration of sedatives via continuous infusion minimizes fluctuations in drug concentrations and permits more consistent control of the patient's agitation and anxiety. Physicians preference and the patient's individual requirements and underlying diseases are the primary determinants for the selection of a given sedative. Benzodiazepines are the most commonly used sedatives in critical care. Midazolam is readily distinguished from other benzodiazepines because of its rapid onset and short duration of action, low incidence of thrombophlebitis and pain on injection, and minimal cardiovascular and respiratory effects. The physicochemical properties of midazolam allow for enhanced water solubility, which limits physicochemical incompatibilities. These properties make midazolam a valuable sedative that can be given via continuous intravenous infusion in the intensive care unit.

Practical guide for drug administration by intravenous infusion in intensive care units.

Practical guide for drug administration by intravenous infusion in intensive care units.

Drugs commonly administered by intravenous infusion in intensive care units

Drugs commonly administered by intravenous infusion in intensive care units