Number Of Intensive Care Unit Admissions Research Articles

Trend of Intensive Care Unit Admission in Neurology-Neurosurgery Adult Patients in South Korea : A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

We aimed to examine trends in critically ill neurology-neurosurgery (NNS) patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in South Korea and identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality after ICU admission in NNS patients. This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study enrolled adult NNS adult patients admitted to the ICU from 2010 to 2019 extracted from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. The critically ill NNS patients were defined as those whose main admission departments were neurology or neurosurgery at ICU admission. The number of ICU admission, age, and total cost for hospitalization from 2010 to 2019 in critically ill NNS patients were examined as trend information. Moreover, multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality among critically ill NNS patients. We included 845474 ICU admission cases for 679376 critically ill NNS patients in South Korea between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019. The total number of ICU admissions among NNS patients was 79522 in 2010, which increased to 91502 in 2019. The mean age rose from 62.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 15.6) in 2010 to 66.6 years (SD, 15.2) in 2019, and the average total cost for hospitalization per each patient consistently increased from 6206.1 USD (SD, 5218.5) in 2010 to 10745.4 USD (SD, 10917.4) in 2019. In-hospital mortality occurred in 75455 patients (8.9%). Risk factors strongly associated with increased in-hospital mortality were the usage of mechanical ventilator (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 19.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 19.42-20.26; p<0.001), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (aOR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.42-5.02; p<0.001), and continuous renal replacement therapy (aOR, 6.47; 95% CI, 6.02-6.96; p<0.001). In addition, direct admission to ICU from the emergency room (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.36-1.41; p<0.001) and brain cancer as the main diagnosis (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.22-1.39; p<0.001) are also potential risk factors for increased in-hospital mortality. In South Korea, the number of ICU admissions increased among critically ill NNS patients from 2010 to 2019. The average age and total costs for hospitalization also increased. Some potential risk factors are found to increase in-hospital mortality among critically ill NNS patients.

Before-and-After Study of the First Four Years of the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS®) Programme in Older Adults Undergoing Elective Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the inclusion of older patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer resection in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) programme could improve clinical outcomes during hospital admission. A before-and-after study in ≥70-year-old patients electively admitted for colorectal cancer resection was designed. In total, 213 patients were included in the ERAS® group, and 158 were included in the control group. The average age was 77.9 years old (SD 5.31) and 57.14% of them were men, with a Charlson Index score of 3.42 (SD 3.32). The ERAS® group presented a lower transfusion rate of 42 (19.7%), compared to 75 (47.5%) in the control group (p &lt; 0.001). The crude odds ratio (OR) for transfusion was 0.27 (95% CI 0.17-0.43; p &lt; 0.001), and the adjusted odds ratio was 0.26 (95% CI 0.14-0.48; p &lt; 0.001). The ERAS® group had a lower percentage of patients with moderate-severe malnutrition on admission, at 23.4% (37 patients) against 36.2% in the control group (42 patients) (p = 0.023), with an OR of 0.47 (95% CI 0.29-0.75; p &lt; 0.002) and an adjusted OR of 0.48 (95% CI 0.29-0.78; p = 0.003). The number of patients who required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was also markedly lower: 54 from the ERAS® group (25.4%) versus 71 from the control group (44.9%) (p &lt; 0.001). The inclusion of ≥70-year-old adults in the ERAS® programme resulted in a decrease in transfusions, number of erythrocyte concentrates transfused, and number of ICU admissions, along with improved nutritional status.

Estimation Model for Healthcare Costs and Intensive Care Units Access for Covid-19 Patients and Evaluation of the Effects of Remdesivir in the Portuguese Context: Hypothetical Study.

Background and ObjectivesIn March 2020, the World Health Organization announced a state of emergency due to the appearance of a pandemic caused by the Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a severe acute respiratory syndrome, known as Covid-19. Most governments chose to implement precautionary measures, e.g., physical distancing and use of protective devices, which can in part limit the transmission of the virus. However, the healthcare system experienced numerous structural problems in managing the Covid-19 patients given the limited human and technical resources in critical areas, such as the intensive care units (ICUs). Different therapeutic solutions should therefore be assessed, which can potentially minimize the negative impact of the disease on patients, favoring their recovery and optimizing healthcare resources. The objective of this study is to simulate the impact of remdesivir treatment on the pandemic course in the long term.MethodsA forecasting model is designed to estimate how remdesivir would impact the ICU capacity and the healthcare costs from the hospital perspective when managing COVID-19 patients. This model is applied in the Portuguese context with a 20-week projection starting on May 1st and concluding on September 18th, 2021. The data inputs were carefully collected by consulting different sources, such as published global literature, official governmental reports, and available infectious diseases databases, i.e., Our World in Data, Portuguese Ministry of Health, and experts’ opinions.ResultsThe model showed that the introduction of remdesivir-based treatment in patients with Covid-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen therapy generates a significant reduction in both the number of ICU admissions and deaths, which would produce more than €23 million in cost savings and avoid more than 261 ICUs admissions and 166 deaths.ConclusionIt is demonstrated that alternative treatments such as remdesivir can reduce both the health burden for healthcare facilities, optimize their management, and improve patients’ clinical conditions. However, the model is centered on Rt values, which cannot be generalized to the entire country; hence, the results of this research should be considered as a “hypothetical study”.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40261-022-01128-8.

Did the National Lockdown in Saudi Arabia Reduce Lower Respiratory Illnesses in Children?

Objectives: This study aims to explore the effect of lockdown and early precautionary measures implemented in Saudi Arabia on number of pediatric hospitalizations due to lower respiratory illnesses (bronchiolitis, asthma, and pneumonia).Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study aims to review patients from four major hospitals in Saudi Arabia. All pediatric hospitalizations secondary to asthma, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia during the months of the lockdown (March, April, and May) in 2020 were documented. Then, they were compared to the previous 2 years. Variables like number of hospitalizations, oxygen requirement, mechanical ventilation, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay, and results of viral studies were collected.Results: We included 1,003 children from four different centers. Males were slightly higher than females (55.8% vs. 44.2%). Total number of hospitalizations in 2020 was 201, significantly lower than 399 and 403 hospitalizations in 2019 and 2018, respectively (P < 0.01). The major drop happened on the months of April and May. Although bronchiolitis hospitalizations' dropped by more than half in 2020 compared to the previous 2 years, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.07). But, asthma hospitalizations were significantly less in 2020 compared to the previous 2 years (49–65% reduction, P = 0.003). Number of pneumonia cases were lowered in 2020 compared to the previous 2 years. However, proportion of pneumonia diagnosis to total hospitalizations increased in 2020 (55% compared to 50% and 35%). There was a surge of viral testing during a period of uncertainty in the early phase of the pandemic. This total reduction in hospitalization was not associated with higher oxygen requirements, mechanical ventilation, ICU admissions or longer hospital stay.Conclusions: Lockdown and precautionary measures executed during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic helped decrease the number of hospitalizations due to lower respiratory illnesses in Saudi Arabia. Reduction in hospitalizations seems less likely to be secondary to hospital avoidance or delayed presentations as number of ICU admission and oxygen requirements did not increase. The post pandemic pattern of respiratory illnesses among children needs further research.

Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs in US Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Intensive Induction Chemotherapy

INTRODUCTIONAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy. In the United States (US) in 2020, the incidence of AML was 4.3/100,000, with a death rate of ~2.8 per 100,000. Following diagnosis, for patients who are fit for high-dose therapy, standard of care consists of initial intensive remission-inducing chemotherapy followed by post-remission therapy comprising consolidation chemotherapy alone, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) alone, or consolidation chemotherapy followed by HSCT. Despite an initial response to treatment, most patients with AML progress, and relapse is common. Relapse in AML is associated with poor prognosis, substantial healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and a cost burden. Maintenance therapy with newer agents may delay relapse and prolong survival. Understanding HCRU and costs of newly diagnosed AML may inform clinicians, policy makers, and payers on the burden of AML and the potential clinical and economic benefits of novel therapies. This retrospective study describes HCRU and costs for patients with newly diagnosed AML receiving intensive induction chemotherapy in the US. METHODSThe Premier Healthcare Database was used to identify patients aged ≥18 years with an inpatient hospitalization or hospital-based outpatient visit (01/01/2016-03/31/2019), an AML diagnosis (ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes: C92.00, C92.40, C92.50, C92.60, C92.A0), who received CPX-351 or 7+3 treatments, and had ≤280 days from the end of first induction treatment to remission. Patients with prior AML diagnosis or those receiving other treatments were excluded. Index date was the admission date for the first hospitalization or the first hospital-based outpatient visit with an AML diagnosis. Patients were followed until death, relapse or last known follow-up, whichever was first. Unadjusted descriptive analyses were performed for patient demographics, baseline clinical characteristics, outpatient days, inpatient hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and costs. RESULTSOverall, 642 patients who received induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed AML were identified. Mean (median) patient age was 53.7 (56.0) years, and 53.1% of patients were male. Patients had commercial (47.2%), Medicare (26.8%), Medicaid (17.6%), or other (8.4%) insurance. Mean (SD) Charlson Comorbidity Index was 3.5 (2.2), and the most common comorbidities were diabetes (20.3%), chronic pulmonary disease (15.4%), and congestive heart failure (9.4%). Most frequent adverse events were pyrexia (47.2%), neutropenia (39.9%), sepsis (28.0%), pneumonia (24.3%), and fungal infection (17.9%). Median (interquartile range [IQR]) time from the end of first induction chemotherapy to remission was 58 (40-90) days. Median (IQR) time from remission to relapse was 274 (141-389) days. A total of 385 (60.0%) patients had outpatient service days at a Premier facility; median (IQR) number of outpatient service days per patient was 3 (1-6), outpatient hospital cost per visit was $1,083 ($481-$2,189), and total outpatient hospital cost was $2,904 ($1,054-$7,217). All patients had an inpatient hospitalization; median (IQR) number of inpatient hospitalizations per patient was 2 (2-3), length of stay (LOS) per inpatient hospitalization was 16 (13-21) days, cost per inpatient hospitalization was $34,558 ($25,419-$49,460), and total inpatient hospital cost was $83,440 ($63,067-$113,985). A total of 144 (22.4%) patients had an ICU admission; median (IQR) number of ICU admissions per patient was 1 (1-1), LOS per ICU admission was 3 (2-8) days, cost per ICU visit was $15,771 ($7,209-$27,564), and ICU cost was $16,550 ($7,368-$36,968). CONCLUSIONSIn the US, healthcare costs for patients with newly diagnosed AML who receive induction chemotherapy are considerable, primarily due to high HCRU and lengthy inpatient stays. Patient response to induction therapy and duration of remission may also contribute to HCRU and costs. More tolerable therapies that improve remission rate and duration, and/or reduce hospitalization rates, may alleviate the economic burden of AML. DisclosuresHuggar: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Knoth: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Copher: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Cao: Premier, Inc.: Current Employment; BeiGene, Ltd.: Consultancy. Lipkin: Premier, Inc.: Current Employment. McBride: Bristol Myers Squibb: Current Employment. LeBlanc: Amgen: Consultancy, Other: travel; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel fees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Flatiron: Consultancy, Other: Advisory board; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board; Duke University: Research Funding; American Cancer Society: Research Funding; Helsinn: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board, Research Funding; Heron: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: advisory board; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board; Travel fees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: Advisory Board; CareVive: Consultancy, Other, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Other: Advisory board, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Otsuka: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; Daiichi-Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board; Travel fees, Speakers Bureau; UpToDate: Patents & Royalties; NINR/NIH: Research Funding.

Epidemiology of burn patients admitted in the Netherlands: a nationwide registry study investigating incidence rates and hospital admission from 2014 to 2018

PurposeThe aim of this study was to gain insight into the epidemiology of burn patients admitted to a hospital without a burn center or referred to a burn center.MethodsThis retrospective, nationwide, cohort study included patients with burns or inhalation trauma, admitted between 2014 and 2018, from a national trauma registry. The primary outcome measure was admission to a hospital with or without a burn center. Secondary outcome measures were patient and injury characteristics, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and length of stay, and hospital length of stay (HLOS).ResultsOf the 5524 included patients, 2787 (50.4%) were treated at a non-burn center, 1745 (31.6%) were subsequently transferred to a burn center, and 992 (18.0%) were primarily presented and treated at a burn center. The annual number of patients decreased from 1199 to 1055 (− 12.4%). At all admission locations, a clear incidence peak was observed in children ≤ 4 years and in patients of ≥ 80 years. The number of ICU admissions for the entire population increased from 201 to 233 (33.0%). The mean HLOS for the entire population was 8 (SD 14) days per patient. This number remained stable over the years in all groups.ConclusionHalf of all burn patients were admitted in a non-burn center and the other half in a burn center. The number and incidence rate of patients admitted with burns or inhalation trauma decreased over time. An increased incidence rate was found in children and elderly. The number of patients admitted to the ICU increased, whereas mean hospital length of stay remained stable.

Early use of tocilizumab in patients with severe pneumonia secondary to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and poor prognostic criteria: Impact on mortality rate and intensive care unit admission.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, keeps spreading globally. Evidence suggests that a subgroup of patients with severe symptomatology might have cytokine storms, which increases mortality. The use of interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors may help in controlling the pathological immune response to the virus. Tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody against IL-6, stands as an optional treatment for COVID-19 patients presenting this inflammatory hyper-response.We conducted a retrospective, observational, cohort study including 50 patients affected by COVID-19 with severe pneumonia and poor prognosis criteria, who have also undergone standard treatment; 36 of these patients additionally received tocilizumab in an early stage. The need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mortality, recovery of respiratory function, and improvement of biochemical and hematological parameters were compared between cohorts.Most patients were men, non-smokers and the most frequently reported comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes. Recurrent symptoms were fever, cough, and dyspnoea. 54.8% of patients from the tocilizumab group needed intubation, while in the control group 85.7% needed it. Treatment with tocilizumab significatively increased IL-6 levels, (554.45; CI 95% 186.69, 1032.93; P < .05) while C-reactive protein mean levels were reduced (–108.19; CI 95% –140.15, –75.33; P < .05), but no significant difference was found between cohorts. In comparison with the controls, tocilizumab reduced mortality (25.0% vs 42.9%, P = .021) and the number of ICU admissions (63.9% vs 100.0%, P = .021). 44.1% of patients treated with tocilizumab showed favorable radiological evolution, when compared with 15.4% of patients from the control group.Tocilizumab may improve clinical symptoms and mitigate deterioration observed in severe COVID-19 patients, and could be considered as an effective therapeutic option in subjects experiencing a significant inflammatory response to the disease.

Optimizing Critical Care Documentation in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Emergency department (ED) physicians frequently provide critical care (CC) but document inconsistently. Variability in documentation can result in underbilling and is inconsistent with financial stewardship. We used admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) as a proxy for CC provision. At baseline, CC notes were correctly documented for 20% of eligible visits, with potential missed charges of $1.8 million per year.Our objective was to increase CC note placement for eligible patients from 20% to 60% over 2 years. Additionally, we measured CC notes and the number of ICU admissions per 1000 ED visits, and change in facility fees. We performed this project at a midwestern quaternary children's hospital with 2 EDs (combined volume 120,000 visits/year). We surveyed the ED physicians to inform our interventions. We used maintenance of certification points and financial incentives for quality improvement work to obtain buy-in. We used serial interventions with plan-do-study-act cycles: (1) CC note simplification, (2) education, (3) follow-up surveys, (4) additional location for CC note, and (5) timely reminders. We reviewed sample charts and used χ2 test and control charts for analysis. Critical care note placement for ICU admissions increased from 20% to 60% in 8 months, and further to greater than 75%. The CC notes increased from 4 to 16 per 1000 ED visits. Intensive care unit admissions increased but remained appropriate. The billed facility fee for CC increased by 263%. This project resulted in significant and sustained improvements in CC note completion. We believe providing education, simplifying the documentation process, automating reminders, and incentivizing optimal documentation were vital to success.

Comparison of Critical Care Occupancy and Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients during the 2020 COVID-19 Winter Surge and 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in Australia.

Rationale: Both 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are transmitted by respiratory secretions and in severe cases result in a viral pneumonitis, requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. However, no studies have compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of such patients.Objectives: To report and compare the demographic characteristics, treatments, use of critical care resources, and outcomes of patients admitted to an Australian ICU with H1N1 influenza during the winter of 2009, and SARS-CoV-2 during the winter of 2020.Methods: This was a multicenter project, using national data from previous and ongoing epidemiological studies concerning severe acute respiratory infections in Australia. All ICUs admitting patients with H1N1 or coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were included and contributed data. We compared clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with H1N1 admitted to ICU in the winter of 2009 versus patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU in the winter of 2020. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Potential years of life lost (PYLL) were calculated according to sex-adjusted life expectancy in Australia.Results: Across the two epochs, 861 patients were admitted to ICUs; 236 (27.4%) with COVID-19 and 625 (72.6%) with H1N1 influenza. The number of ICU admissions and bed-days occupied were higher with 2009 H1N1 influenza. Patients with COVID-19 were older, more often male and overweight, and had lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores at ICU admission. The highest age-specific incidence of ICU admission was among infants (0–1 yr of age) for H1N1, and among the elderly (≥65 yr) for COVID-19. Unadjusted in-hospital mortality was similar (11.5% in COVID-19 vs. 16.1% in H1N1; odds ratio, 0.68 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.42–1.06]; P = 0.10). The PYLL was greater with H1N1 influenza than with COVID-19 at 154.1 (95% CI, 148.7–159.4) versus 13.6 (95% CI, 12.2–15.1) PYLL per million inhabitants.Conclusions: In comparison with 2009 H1N1 influenza, COVID-19 admissions overwinter in Australia resulted in fewer ICU admissions, and lower bed-day occupancy. Crude in-hospital mortality was similar, but because of demographic differences in affected patients, deaths due to 2009 H1N1 influenza led to an 11-fold increase in the number of PYLL in critically ill patients.

Intensity of End-of-Life Care in a Cohort of Commercially Insured Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer in the United States.

There is limited evidence on the intensity of end-of-life (EOL) care for women < 65 years old, who account for about 40% of breast cancer deaths in the United States. Using established indicators, we estimated the intensity of EOL care among these women. We used 2000-2014 claims data from a large US insurer to identify women with metastatic breast cancer who, in the last month of their lives, had more than one hospital admission, emergency department visit, or an intensive care unit (ICU) admission and/or used antineoplastic therapy in the last 14 days of life. Using multivariate logistic regression, we assessed whether intensity of EOL care differed by demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, or regions. Adjusted estimates show an increase in EOL ICU admissions between 2000-2003 and 2010-2014 from 14% (95% CI, 10% to 17%) to 23% (95% CI, 20% to 26%) and a small increase in emergency department visits from 10% (95% CI, 7% to 13%) to 12% (95% CI, 9% to 15%), both statistically significant. There was no statistically significant change in the proportions of women experiencing more than one EOL hospitalization (14% in 2010-2014; 95% CI, 11% to 17%) and of those receiving EOL antineoplastic treatment (24% in 2010-2014; 95% CI, 21% to 27%). Living in predominantly mixed, Hispanic, Black, or Asian neighborhoods correlated with more intense care (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.77 for ICU). Consistent with findings in the Medicare population, our results suggest an overall increase in the number of ICU admissions at the EOL over time. They also suggest that patients from non-White neighborhoods receive more intense acute care.

Intensive care of traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Helsinki during the Covid-19 pandemic

BackgroundTo ensure adequate intensive care unit (ICU) capacity for SARS-CoV-2 patients, elective neurosurgery and neurosurgical ICU capacity were reduced. Further, the Finnish government enforced strict restrictions to reduce the spread. Our objective was to assess changes in ICU admissions and prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) during the Covid-19 pandemic.MethodsRetrospective review of all consecutive patients with TBI and aneurysmal SAH admitted to the neurosurgical ICU in Helsinki from January to May of 2019 and the same months of 2020. The pre-pandemic time was defined as weeks 1–11, and the pandemic time was defined as weeks 12–22. The number of admissions and standardized mortality rates (SMRs) were compared to assess the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on these. Standardized mortality rates were adjusted for case mix.ResultsTwo hundred twenty-four patients were included (TBI n = 123, SAH n = 101). There were no notable differences in case mix between TBI and SAH patients admitted during the Covid-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic. No notable difference in TBI or SAH ICU admissions during the pandemic was noted in comparison with early 2020 or 2019. SMRs were no higher during the pandemic than before.ConclusionIn the area of Helsinki, Finland, there were no changes in the number of ICU admissions or in prognosis of patients with TBI or SAH during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Early Use of Tocilizumab in Patients with Severe Pneumonia Secondary to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Poor Prognostic Criteria: Impact on Mortality Rate and Intensive Care Unit Admission

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, keeps spreading globally. Evidence suggests that a subgroup of patients with severe symptomatology might have cytokine storms, which increases mortality. The use of interleukin-6 inhibitors may help in controlling the pathological immune response to the virus. Tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-6, stands as an option treatment for COVID-19 patients presenting this inflammatory hyper-response. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational, cohort study including 50 patients affected by COVID-19 with severe pneumonia and poor prognosis criteria, who have undergone standard treatment; 36 of these patients additionally received tocilizumab in an early stage. The need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mortality, recovery of respiratory function and improvement of biochemical and haematological parameters were compared between cohorts. Findings: Most patients were male, non-smokers and the most frequently reported comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes. Recurrent symptoms were fever, cough and dyspnoea. 54·8% of patients from the tocilizumab group needed intubation, while in the control group 85·7% needed it. Treatment with tocilizumab significatively increased interleukin-6 levels, (554·45; CI 95% 186·69, 1032·93; p<0·05) while C-reactive protein mean levels were reduced (-108·19; CI 95% -140·15, -75·33; p<0·05), but no significant difference was found between cohorts. In comparison with the controls, tocilizumab reduced mortality (25·0% vs. 42·9%, p=0·021) and the number of ICU admissions (63·9% vs. 100·0%, p=0·021). 44·1% of patients treated with tocilizumab showed a favourable radiological evolution, when compared to 15·4% of patients from the control group. Interpretation: Tocilizumab may improve clinical symptoms and mitigate deterioration observed in severe COVID-19 patients, and could be considered as an effective therapeutic option in subjects experiencing a significant inflammatory response to the disease. Funding Statement: Andalusian Public Foundation for Biosanitary Research in Eastern Andalusia - Alejandro Otero (FIBAO). Declaration of Interests: FMP has assisted to conferences and participated as speaker for Roche, Astra Zeneca, Incyte, and Celgene. MIST reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim International Gmbh. All other authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was classified as EPA-OD by the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) on May 8th 2020 and was approved by the Ethic Committee for Research with medicinal products of the province of Jaen on May 18th 2020.

Identification of Serious Adverse Events in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries, from Prehospital Care to Intensive-Care Unit, Using Early Warning Scores.

Traumatic brain injuries are complex situations in which the emergency medical services must quickly determine the risk of deterioration using minimal diagnostic methods. The aim of this study is to analyze whether the use of early warning scores can help with decision-making in these dynamic situations by determining the patients who need the intensive care unit. A prospective, multicentric cohort study without intervention was carried out on traumatic brain injury patients aged over 18 given advanced life support and taken to the hospital. Our study included a total of 209 cases. The total number of intensive-care unit admissions was 50 cases (23.9%). Of the scores analyzed, the National Early Warning Score2 was the best result presented with an area under the curve of 0.888 (0.81–0.94; p < 0.001) and an odds ratio of 25.4 (95% confidence interval (CI):11.2–57.5). The use of early warning scores (and specifically National Early Warning Score2) can help the emergency medical services to differentiate traumatic brain injury patients with a high risk of deterioration. The emergency medical services should use the early warning scores routinely in all cases for the early detection of high-risk situations.

Clinical predictors for oropharyngeal dysphagia and laryngeal dysfunction after lung and heart transplantation

Oropharyngeal dysphagia and laryngeal dysfunction are two lesser known complications after lung and heart transplantation. The presence of these features places this immunocompromised population at high risk of pulmonary complications and subsequent medical deterioration. Early identification of swallowing and voice dysfunction would be beneficial to optimize management. To examine the association between patient risk factors and postoperative outcomes with referral to speech pathology (SP) following signs of swallowing and voice dysfunction. A retrospective review was conducted on demographic data, patient risk factors and postoperative course in 284 patients following lung and/or heart transplantation between 2010 and 2013. Variables were analysed for any association between pre- and postoperative factors and SP referral. A total of 24% were referred to SP with a mean age of 47 years. Binary logistic regression identified a statistically significant association between the number of intubations (odds ratio (OR) = 2.066, p = 0.028), intubation duration (OR = 1.004, p < 0.01), length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR = 1.068, p < 0.01), and number of ICU admissions (OR = 1.384, p = 0.046) and SP referral. Intubation time and the total days in ICU were greater for patients referred to SP. Mortality also increased for these variables and for the numbers of reintubations and readmissions. Analysis of pre-operative risk factors revealed cerebrovascular disease to be a significant predictor of SP referral (OR = 6.747, p = 0.032). This study demonstrates significant clinical indicators for referral to SP for the management of oropharyngeal dysphagia and laryngeal dysfunction in patients after lung or heart transplantation. Further studies are needed to investigate the most efficacious intervention approaches to manage swallowing and voice dysfunction in these patients.

The effect of intravenous isosorbide dinitrate in acute decompensated heart failure in hospital.

Background According to new recommendations for the management of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in 2015, intravenous vasodilator therapy might be given as an early therapy when systolic blood pressure is normal to high (≥110mmHg). Only 29% of patients with ADHF are treated with vasodilators without medical contraindication. Objective To evaluate the effect of the systematic use of ISDN on ADHF without contraindication especially on rehospitalization rate. Settings The 600-bed hospital (Centre Hospitalier de l'Ouest Vosgien, Neufchâteau, France). Methods This is a retrospective study with data analysed from medical records. Patients with ADHF episodes and hospitalization in the cardiology department or intensive care unit (ICU) between November 2013 and December 2015 were included resulting in 199 hospitalizations in the analysis (37 were treated by ISDN, and 162 were not). Main outcome measure Effects of ISDN on 180-day hospital readmission for ADHF or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in-hospital mortality, length of stay, number of ICU admissions, and ICU length of stay. Results Patients who received ISDN required more ICU admissions than the other patients (54.1 vs 33.3%, p=0.02). Nevertheless 180-day hospital readmission was lower for patients who were receiving ISDN (8.1 vs 22.8%, p=0.04). ISDN did not influence other clinical outcomes tested. Conclusion ISDN may minimize or prevent the consequences of altered haemodynamics. Lower rehospitalization rate with ISDN was seen in this study.

Factors Influencing Weaning Older Adults From Mechanical Ventilation: An Integrative Review.

This study aim was to describe the influences that affect weaning from mechanical ventilation among older adults in the intensive care unit (ICU). Adults older than 65 years comprised only 14.5% of the US population in 2014; however, they accounted up to 45% of all ICU admissions. As this population grows, the number of ICU admissions is expected to increase. One of the most common procedures for hospitalized adults 75 years and older is mechanical ventilation. An integrative review methodology was applied to analyze and synthesize primary research reports. A search for the articles was performed using the PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases; using the keywords and Boolean operators "older adults," "weaning," "mechanical ventilation," and intensive care unit. Although physiologic changes that occur with aging place older adults at higher risk for respiratory complications and mortality, there are many factors, other than chronological age, that can determine a patient's ability to be successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation. Of the 6 studies reviewed, all identified various predictors of weaning outcome, which included maximal inspiratory pressure, rapid shallow breathing index, fluid balance, comorbidity burden, severity of illness, emphysematous changes, and low serum albumin. Age, in and of itself, is not a predictor of weaning from mechanical ventilation. More studies are needed to describe the influences affecting weaning older adults from mechanical ventilation.

Inglês

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was developed in the 20th century, on the need to recover / stabilize seriously wounded patients. With the increasing life expectancy, the raise on chronic diseases and high complexity treatments, as well as invasive procedures, the ICU comes with a more qualified life bearer. The ICU is the appropriate place to recoverable severe patients, who need assistance and monitoring 24 hours a day. The aim of this research is to characterize the profile of patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Cascavel/PR. It was a quantitative, documental study of descriptive and retrospective approach. 296 medical records were studied from January to April 2015. The observed variables in this study were gender, age, city of origin, length of stay, main causes for hospitalization, release / death. Among the main findings, there is the prevalence of males, in both cases, number of ICU admissions and number of deaths. The main cause of death for women and men was the cardiovascular diseases and expressive prevalence of elderly, representing 66.55% of total admissions. The characterization of ICU patients can aid in the guidelines of admissions and releases of this unit, as the knowledge of critical patients' profile favors the establishment of objective criteria for this end, helping all multidiscipline team.

A Nationwide Census of ICU Capacity and Admissions in Mongolia.

In Mongolia, a Central Asian lower-middle income country, intensive care medicine is an under-resourced and–developed medical specialty. The burden of critical illness and capacity of intensive care unit (ICU) services in the country is unknown. In this nationwide census, we collected data on adult and pediatric/neonatal ICU capacities and the number of ICU admissions in 2014. All hospitals registered to run an ICU service in Mongolia were surveyed. Data on the availability of an adult and/or pediatric/neonatal ICU service, the number of available ICU beds, the number of available functional mechanical ventilators, the number of patients admitted to the ICU, and the number of patients admitted to the study hospital were collected. In total, 70 ICUs with 349 ICU beds were counted in Mongolia (11.7 ICU beds/100,000 inhabitants; 1.7 ICU beds/100 hospital beds). Of these, 241 (69%) were adult and 108 (31%) pediatric/neonatal ICU beds. Functional mechanical ventilators were available for approximately half of the ICU beds (5.1 mechanical ventilators/100,000 inhabitants). While all provincial hospitals ran a pediatric/neonatal ICU, only dedicated pediatric hospitals in Ulaanbaatar did so. The number of adult and pediatric/neonatal ICU admissions varied between provinces. The number of adult ICU beds and adult ICU admissions per 100,000 inhabitants correlated (r = 0.5; p = 0.02), while the number of pediatric/neonatal ICU beds and pediatric/neonatal ICU admissions per 100,000 inhabitants did not (r = 0.25; p = 0.26). In conclusion, with 11.7 ICU beds per 100,000 inhabitants the ICU capacity in Mongolia is higher than in other low- and lower-middle-income countries. Substantial heterogeneities in the standardized ICU capacity and ICU admissions exist between Mongolian provinces. Functional mechanical ventilators are available for only half of the ICU beds. Pediatric/neonatal ICU beds make up one third of the national ICU capacity and appear to meet or even exceed the demand of pediatric/neonatal critical care.

Inappropriate Intensive Care Unit admissions: Nigerian doctors' perception and attitude.

Nonclinical factors are said to influence decisions to admit patients into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We therefore assessed the perception and attitude of Nigerian doctors working in the ICU about inappropriate admissions and request for admission in the setting of a full ICU. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was carried out among doctors working in the ICU of 17 University Teaching Hospitals, in Nigeria. A score of 0 (least usual reason) to 5 (most usual reason) was ascribed to some factors that can influence ICU admission. In addition, each of the 4 possible actions in the setting of a full ICU was graded from 0 (least likely) to 5 (most likely). The result was analyzed as appropriate. Sixty-four doctors participated in the survey. Inappropriate admissions were acknowledged by 96% of respondents. Perceived reasons included pressure from superiors (93.7%), referring clinicians (89.1%), and hospital management (87.5%). If confronted with request for admission in the setting of a full ICU, respondents will arrange for the discharge of fit ICU patients to the ward (95.3%), transfer patients not receiving acute care to high dependency unit or recovery room (70.3%), or create additional ICU beds (42.2%). Chi-square test showed a significant difference between single and married respondents with regard to clinical doubt (P = 0.01) and pressure from referring clinician (P = 0.02) as reasons for inappropriate admission. Respondents' gender, marital status, professional activity, and number of ICU admissions per year did not affect possible steps in the setting of a full ICU. Inappropriate ICU admissions were perceived as a common event and were mainly attributed to pressure from seniors, referring clinicians, and hospital management. Further work is necessary to determine the impact of such admissions on ICU efficiency.

2009 H1N1 Influenza Infection-Related Hospital Admissions: A Single Center Experience with Adult Patients in West Texas

Background. Clinical information collected during the first wave of influenza pandemics may provide important projections about disease activity during subsequent waves. Methods. We performed a retrospective study of hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza infection during the second wave and compared our findings with literature reports from the first wave. Results. There were 31 admissions, including 15 to the intensive care unit (ICU). Twenty-five patients (81%) had at least one chronic medical condition; 12 patients (39%) were obese. Thirty-three percent of the ICU patients and 75% of the non-ICU patients were admitted within 48 hours of symptom onset (P=0.03). Infiltrates on CXR were seen in 60% of the ICU group and 19% of the non-ICU group within 48 hours of admission (P=0.03). Forty-three percent of the ICU patients and 71% of the non-ICU patients received oseltamivir within 48 hours of illness. All non-ICU patients survived; 73% of the ICU patients survived (P=0.043). Conclusions. Our patients in the second wave resembled patients reported from the first wave of the 2009 pandemic and had similar mortality rates. Delayed medical attention possibly explains the high number of ICU admissions in our study.