Prognosis Of Critical Patients Research Articles

Risk analysis of the association between different hemoglobin glycation index and poor prognosis in critical patients with coronary heart disease-A study based on the MIMIC-IV database

BackgroundThe hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) is the difference between the observed and predicted values of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which is closely associated with a variety of poor prognoses. However, there are still no studies on the correlation between HGI and poor prognosis in patients with critical coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between HGI and all-cause mortality in patients with critical coronary artery disease using the MIMIC-IV database.MethodsThe HGI was calculated by constructing a linear regression equation between HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). A Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis model was constructed based on the HGI quartiles to clarify the differences in all-cause mortality rates between groups, and the log-rank test was used to assess the differences between groups. The hazard ratio (HR) of HGI as a risk factor for outcome events was assessed using the Cox proportional risk model and restricted cubic spline (RCS), with the Q2 group serving as the reference group.ResultsA total of 5260 patients were included in this study. The 30-day mortality rate of the patients was 4.94% and the mortality rate within 365 days was 13.12%. A low HGI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, (1.38, 2.78); P < 0.001) and 365-day mortality (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, (1.19, 1.85); P < 0.001) in patients with critical coronary artery disease in the completely adjusted Cox proportional risk model. In addition, high levels of HGI were associated with 365-day mortality (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, (1.02, 1.69); P < 0.05). RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped relationship between HGI and outcome events. According to the stratified analysis, the interaction test revealed that the correlation between HGI and outcome events remained stable.ConclusionThere was a significant correlation between HGI and all-cause mortality in patients with critical coronary artery disease, particularly in those with low HGI. HGI can be used as a potential indicator for assessing the short- and long-term risk of mortality in such patients.

Association of obesity paradox with prognosis of veno-venous-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Although the obesity paradox is known for various diseases, including cancer and acute respiratory distress syndrome, little is known about veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and prognosis in critical patients with COVID-19 requiring VV-ECMO. We conducted a retrospective observational single-center study at Yokohama City University Civic General Medical Center between March 2020 and October 2021. Participants were patients with COVID-19 who required VV-ECMO. They were classified into two groups: BMI ≤30 kg/m2 and >30 kg/m2. In total, 23 patients were included in the analysis, with a median BMI of 28.7 kg/m2. Overall, 22 patients were successfully weaned from the ECMO. When comparing the two groups, there was a trend toward fewer days from onset to ECMO induction in the BMI >30 kg/m2 group. Moreover, the two groups had a similar prognosis. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of days from onset to hospitalization or the duration of ECMO induction between the groups. VV-ECMO induction for patients with COVID-19 may lead to earlier indications in patients with BMI >30 kg/m2 than in those with BMI ≤30 kg/m2.

Correlation analysis between the static and the changed neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and in-hospital mortality in critical patients with acute heart failure

ABSTRACT Objective Association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on admission and poor prognosis in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) has been well established. However, the relationship between dynamic changes in NLR and in-hospital mortality in AHF patients has not been studied. Our purpose was to determine if an early change in NLR within the first week after AHF patients was admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) was associated with in-hospital mortality. Methods Data from the medical information mart for intensive care IV (the MIMIC-IV) database was analyzed. The effect of baseline NLR on in-hospital mortality in critical patients with AHF was evaluated utilizing smooth curve fitting and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Moreover, comparison of the dynamic change in NLR among survivors and non-survivors was performed using the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM). Results There were 1169 participants who took part in the present study, 986 of whom were in-hospital survivors and 183 of whom were in-hospital non-survivors. The smooth curve fitting revealed a positive relationship between baseline NLR and in-hospital mortality, and multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that baseline NLR was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02,1.07, P-value = 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, GAMM showed that the difference in NLR between survivors and non-survivors grew gradually during the first week after ICU admission, and the difference grew by an average of 0.51 per day (β = 0.51, 95% CI 0.45–0.56, P-value <0.001). Conclusions Baseline NLR was associated with poor prognosis in critical patients with AHF. Early rises in NLR were linked to higher in-hospital mortality, which suggests that keeping track of how NLR early changes might help identify short-term prognosis of critical patients with AHF.

Risk factors and prognosis in critical patients with sepsis-related cardiomyopathy

Objective: To explore the risk factors and prognosis of sepsis-related cardiomyopathy. Methods: Patients with sepsis and septic shock admitted to the Critical Care Medicine Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2017 to February 2021 were enrolled. Echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and cardiac index (CI) were obtained within 24 h after admission. Hemodynamic parameters including heart rate, mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure were also collected. The risk factors of 45-day mortality were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare 45-day mortality among patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function group, sepsis-related takotsubo cardiomyopathy (ST) and septic cardiomyopathy (SC) group as well as between patients with normal right ventricular (RV) function and patients with RV dysfunction. Results: According to LV systolic function, patients were categorized into three groups: normal group [174 (66.9%)], SC group [66 (25.4%)] and ST group [66 (25.4%)]. In comparison with those in normal group, patients in SC group and ST group had higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (P<0.05). No difference was found between SC group and ST group regarding APACHE Ⅱ score and SOFA score(P>0.05). ST group had lower LVEF [33(28, 41)% vs. 45(38, 48)%, P<0.05], CI [2.29 (1.99, 2.53)L·min-1·m-2 vs. 3.04(2.61, 3.61) L·min-1·m-2, P<0.05] higher TAPSE [18.6(16.0, 21.2)mm vs. 15.1(12.5, 19.0)mm, P<0.05] than SC group. A Cox regression survival analysis showed that right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) was an independent predictor of 45-day mortality (HR=1.992, 95%CI 1.088-3.647, P=0.025). A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference regarding 45-day mortality among ST group [25.0%(5/20)], SC group [30.3%(20/66)] and normal group 18.4%(32/174)(P=0.158). RVD patients [38.0%(30/79)] had significantly higher 45-day mortality than patients with normal RV function [14.9%(27/181),P<0.001]. Conclusions: In comparison with SC patients, ST patients tend to have worse LV systolic function, lower cardiac output and better RV function. However, neither ST nor SC is associated with 45-day mortality. RVD is a risk predictor of 45-day mortality, which should be monitored in septic patients.

Intensive care of geriatric patients-athin line between under- and overtreatment.

Demographic developments are leading to an ever-increasing proportion of elderly and aged patients in hospitals at all levels of care, and even more patients from these age groups are to be expected in the future. Based on the projected population development, e.g., in Norway, an increase in intensive care beds of between 26 and 37% is expected by 2025. This poses special challenges for the treatment and management of geriatric intensive care patients. The acute illness is not the only decisive factor, but rather the existing multimorbidity and functional limitations of this vulnerable patient group must likewise be taken into account. Age per se is not the sole determinant of prognosis in critical patients, even though mortality increases with age.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts the outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Systemic inflammatory response is closely related to the pathogenesis and prognosis in critical patients. Recently, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), an indicator of systemic inflammatory response, was proved to predict the outcome in cancerous and non-cancerous diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between SII on admission and 6-month outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The clinical data and prognosis of 76 patients with aSAH were analyzed. The 6-month outcome was assessed by the modified Rankin scale(mRS). The unfavorable outcome was defined as mRS score ≥ 3. In addition, multivariate analysis was conducted to investigate factors independently associated with the favorable outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was undertaken to identify the best cut-off value of SII for the discriminate between favorable and unfavorable outcome in these patients. Thirty-six patients (47.4%) in our study had an unfavorable outcome (mRS ≥ 3) at 6months, and twenty-four (66.7%) of them were in the high-SII group. A significantly higher SII on admission was observed in patients with unfavorable functional outcome at 6months. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that there was an independent association between SII on admission and 6-month clinical outcome (adjusted OR = 4.499, 95%CI: 1.242-16.295, P < 0.05). The AUC of the SII for predicting unfavorable outcome was 0.692 (95% CI: 0.571-0.814, P < 0.05). Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) could be a novel independent prognostic factor for aSAH patients at the early stage of the disease.

Kinetic changes in serum procalcitonin predict persistent acute kidney injury in critical patients.

Persistent acute kidney injury (AKI) has been shown to be closely associated with poor prognosis in critical patients. Recent studies have shown that procalcitonin (PCT) is valuable for the early prediction of AKI in critically patients. Our aim was to determine whether PCT and its kinetic changes could predict the occurrence of persistent AKI in critical patients. This is a prospective observational study. The definition of AKI was based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Persistent AKI was defined as renal function that does not return to baseline serum creatinine levels within 48 h. Blood samples were obtained at the onset of AKI and two subsequent days of hospital stay. 24-h PCT change (ΔPCT-24 h) was defined as 24 h PCT minus baseline PCT (day 0). A total of 91 critical patients with AKI were included in this study. The persistent AKI group had a stepwise increase in PCT concentration. ΔPCT-24 h was higher in the persistent AKI group (p < .01). Logistic regression analysis showed that ΔPCT-24 h (p=.04) was independent predictors of persistent AKI. The receiver operating characteristic curves showed that area under the curve of ΔPCT-24 h was 0.84 (p < .01), and the cut-off value for PCT to predict persistent AKI was 0.56 ng/ml. Our study showed that the observation of kinetic changes in PCT is more significant for the early prediction of persistent AKI than the index of PCT at a single time point. ΔPCT-24 h is a good predictor of persistent AKI in critical patients.

Comparison of the Initiation Time of Enteral Nutrition for Critically Ill Patients: At Admission vs. 24 to 48 Hours after Admission.

Objective To investigate the better time of initiation of enteral nutrition for critically ill patients, such as at admission or 24 to 48 hours after admission. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled, single-blind, interventional clinical trial. A total of 100 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital between January 2017 and December 2018 were recruited in this study. These patients had been divided into the control group or intervention group by a computer-generated random number table, and each group had 50 patients. For the control group, a gastric tube was inserted to start enteral nutrition at 24 to 48 hours after admission. For the intervention group, a nasojejunal tube was placed to start enteral nutrition at admission. The main endpoints included serum albumin and prealbumin at admission and on days 3, 7, and 14 after admission, length of ICU stay, ventilator time, and complications such as diarrhea, gastric retention, esophageal reflux, and pulmonary infection. Results The results showed that serum albumin and prealbumin were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The length of ICU stay (P < 0.05) and ventilator time (P < 0.05) were both significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group. The incidences of gastric retention, esophageal reflux, and pulmonary infection were significantly lower in the intervention group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion In the absence of contraindications, enteral nutrition can be initiated immediately after admission to the ICU (within 6 hours), and feeding nasojejunal tube is recommended. It can improve the nutritional status and prognosis of critical patients, improve the feeding effect, shorten the length of stay in the ICU and the use of the ventilator, and reduce the incidence of complications.

Effects of prone positioning during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory respiratory failure: a systematic review.

As more and more studies have shown that venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) improves oxygenation and prognosis of critical patients, VV-ECMO has been frequently used in critical patients for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Prone positioning (PP) is a postural therapy for ARDS, which permits for better ventilation/perfusion ratio (V/Q) matching, improvement of hypoxemia. Some articles revealed that performing PP during ECMO for refractory respiratory failure is feasible; however, the results obtained were controversial. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to further assess the effects of PP during ECMO for refractory respiratory failure. Six studies with 465 subjects were enrolled. Four articles examined changes of PaO2/FiO2 ratio after PP during VV-ECMO; PaO2/FiO2 ratio improved from 18.5 to 62 mmHg. Our analysis inferred that the PP-ECMO group did not have a significant advantage in survival at discharge (odds risk 1.42, 95% confidence interval 0.92–2.18; p = 0.11) compared with the ECMO group. We found that the PP-ECMO group had a significantly longer duration than the ECMO group (MD 5.37, 95% CI 4.19–6.54, I2 = 67%, P < .00001). ICU length of stay in the PP-ECMO group was significantly longer than the ECMO group (MD 7.29, 95% CI 4.06–10.52, I2 = 64%, P < .00001). No unplanned extubation of ECMO was recorded. In conclusion, our review found that performing PP during ECMO for refractory respiratory failure is safe and PP can improve the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, which is in line with the length of PP performed.

The Role of High Flow Nasal Cannula in COVID-19 Associated Pneumomediastinum and Pneumothorax.

Background: Pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumothorax are not rarely observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such complications can worsen gas exchange and the overall prognosis in critical patients. The aim of this study is to investigate what predisposing factors are related to pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax in SARS-CoV2-Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), what symptoms may predict a severe and potentially fatal complication and what therapeutical approach may provide a better outcome. Methods: In this single center cohort study, we recorded data from 45 critically ill COVID-19 patients who developed one or more complicating events among pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumothorax. All patients showed ARDS and underwent non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at baseline. Patients with mild to moderate ARDS and pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax (n = 25) received High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), while patients with severe ARDS and pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax underwent HFNC (n = 10) or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (n = 10). Results: Pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax developed in 10.5% of subjects affected by SARS-coV2-ARDS. Dyspnea affected 40% and cough affected 37% of subjects. High resolution computed tomography of the chest showed bilateral diffuse ground glass opacities (GGO) in 100% of subjects. Traction bronchiolectasis, reticulation, crazy paving and distortion were observed in 64%. Furthermore, 36% showed subcutaneous emphysema. Non-severe ARDS cases received HFNC, and 76% patients recovered from pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax over a median follow up of 5 days. Among severe ARDS cases the recovery rate of pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax was 70% with the HFNC approach, and 10% with IMV. Conclusion: HFNC is a safe and effective ventilatory approach for critical COVID-19 and has a positive role in associated complications such as pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax.

Serum C-reactive protein, cholinesterase and prealbumin are correlated with prognosis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 patients

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum cholinesterase (ChE), prealbumin (PA) and mortality in severe patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: During the period from January 29 to March 30, 2020, a total of 344 COVID-19 patients were admitted to west branch of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. One-hundred and ninety-two patients were diagnosed with common type and excluded, and 34 patients were transferred to LeiShenShan or other medical units. The remaining 118 patients were severe cases, and 18 cases were excluded due to incomplete data. A total of 100 severe COVID-19 patients were finally collected. According to the outcome, the patients were divided into death group (37 cases) and survival group(63 cases), and the levels of serum CRP, ChE and PA were compared. Statistical analysis were performed by SPSS25.0. Results: There were 53 male patients in this study. The level of CRP in death group was significantly more elevated compare to the survival group [(95.72±39.56) mg/L vs. (22.21±20.75) mg/L, P<0.01]. On the contrary, serum ChE in death group was remarkably decreased [(5 082±1 566) U/L vs. (7 075±1 680) U/L, P<0.01]. Also, serum PA in death group was significantly lower [(86.18±47.94) mg/L vs. (167.40±57.82) mg/L, P<0.01]. Univariate analysis showed that CRP and PA had an impact on the survival of critical patients, but multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that CRP was the independent factor affecting the survival of critical patients. Conclusions: CRP is generally elevated in severe patients with COVID-19, and serum ChE and PA accordingly decrease. CRP and PA have influence on patients' survival, but only CRP demonstrates predictive value for prognosis in critical patients with COVID-19.

Comparison of effect of continuous renal replacement therapy in AKI 2 stage and AKI 3 stage on the prognosis of critical patients with acute kidney injury

Objective To compare the effect of continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT) in AKI 2 stage and AKI 3 stage on the prognosis of critical patients with acute kidney injury(AKI). Methods From February 2017 to October 2018, 56 cases of critical patients with AKI 2-3 stage who underwent CRRT in ICU of our hospital were selected as the research objects. According to the new AKI criteria formulated by the international organization for improving the prognosis of global kidney disease (KDIGO) in 2012, the patients were divided into AKI 2 stage group (n=26) and AKI3 stage group (n=30). The prognostic indexes (length of hospital stay, duration of CRRT, renal function recovery rate in 28 days, all-cause mortality in 28 days) were compared between two groups. The acute physiology and chronic healthⅡ(APACEⅡ)scores were compared between two groups before and after treatment. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier in two groups. Results The duration of CRRT [(188.6±112.5)h vs. (96.3±44.7)h], all-cause mortality in 28 d[66.7%(20/30) vs.15.4%(4/26)] of AKI 3 stage group was significantly higher than that of AKI 2 stage group (P<0.05) and the renal function recovery rate in 28 days[36.7%(11/30) vs.92.3%(24/26)] of AKI 3 stage group was significantly lower than that of AKI 2 stage group (P<0.05). After treatment, the APACEⅡscores were significantly reduced in two groups (P<0.05) and the APACEⅡscores[(23.4±3.6) scores vs.(19.8±2.1) scores] of the AKI 3 stage group was significantly higher than that of AKI 2 stage group (P<0.05). The median survival time (34 days vs. 109 days) of AKI 3 stage group was significantly shorter than that of AKI 2 stage group (P<0.05). Conclusions CRRT initiation in AKI 2 stage could significantly reduce all-cause mortality in 28 days, prolong the median survival time and improve the health condition of patients. Key words: Acute Kidney Injury; Renal Replacement Therapy

Antifungals patterns in critical patients with candidiasis in the intensive care units at Sanglah General Hospital 2019

Abstract&#x0D; Introduction: The prompt initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy is essential in controlling invasive candidiasis and improving the prognosis in critical patients undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. Candida Score can assess patients at risk of candidiasis and is expected to assist clinicians in starting antifungal therapy in patients suspected Candidiasis. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of antifungal administration in critically ill patients with candidiasis in the Intensive Care Unit at Sanglah General Hospital.&#x0D; Patients and Methods: The design of this study is a cross-sectional descriptive study involving critically ill patients who were under treatment in Intensive Care Unit of Sanglah General Hospital from Januari to June 2019. The patients included in this study were patients who were ≥ 18 years old and under treatment in ICU for at least 7 days.&#x0D; Results: There are 64 patients undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. From 64 patients, 6 pasien had CS = 0, 29 patients had CS = 1, 13 patients had CS = 2, 11 patients had CS = 3, 5 patients had CS = 4, and no patients had CS = 5. Eleven patients received empirical antifungal therapy. All empirical antifungal therapies use the Triazole group.&#x0D; Conclusion: In this study was found that 11 of 16 patients with a CS value of ≥ 2.5 were given empirical antifungal therapy, while 48 patients with a CS value of &lt;2.5 were not given empirical antifungal therapy.&#x0D; Keywords: Invasive Candidiasis, Candida Score, Empirical Antifungal Therapy.

Optic nerve sheath diameter and eyeball transverse diameter as a useful tool for the clinical prognosis in patients with stroke during hospitalization

To evaluate the prognostic value of ultrasonographic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and ONSD/eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) ratio in stroke patients during hospitalization. Adult patients with stroke (ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke) admitted to department of critical care medicine of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from November 2017 to November 2018 were enrolled. On the day of admission, ONSD and ETD (retina-retina at 3 mm behind the globe along) were detected by ultrasound, the ONSD/ETD ratio was calculated, and the baseline data and outcomes were recorded. Patients were divided into survival group and death group according to their survival status. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to calculate the thresholds of ONSD and ONSD/ETD. The correlation between ONSD, ONSD/ETD and prognosis were assessed. Thirty-eight of 83 patients (45.8%) survived and were discharged from the hospital, while 45 patients died (54.2%). There were significant differences in Glasgow coma score (GCS), shifting of the middle structure, ONSD and ONSD/ETD between the death group and the survival group [GCS: 4.7±2.8 vs. 11.0±3.2, shifting of the middle structure (mm): 5.8±5.9 vs. 1.3±2.6, ONSD (mm): 5.5±0.4 vs. 4.4±0.5, ONSD/ETD: 0.25±0.02 vs. 0.20±0.02, all P < 0.05]. LOWESS and ROC curve analysis suggested thresholds of ONSD and ONSD/ETD for predicting adverse prognosis of stroke patients were 5.0 mm and 0.25, respectively. By adjusting the influence of confounding factors on prognosis, a prediction model based on ONSD was established, and the ROC curve was drawn. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.978, the optimal predictive point of the model was 0.870, the sensitivity was 89%, and the specificity was 100%. The ONSD/ETD prediction model was also obtained, and the AUC was 0.988, the optimal prediction threshold of the model was 0.768, and the sensitivity for predicting adverse clinical prognosis was 94%, and the specificity was 97%. The stability of ONSD/ETD was better than that of ONSD. ONSD coefficient of variation was 0.14, and ONSD/ETD coefficient of variation was 0.13. ONSD and ONSD/ETD were significantly correlated with the prognosis of critical patients with stroke. The mortality increased significantly in patients with an ONSD greater than 5.0 mm and ONSD/ETD greater than 0.25. ONSD and ONSD/ETD may be promising tools for early assessment of clinical outcomes in these patients.

Sternal fractures in a level III trauma intensive care unit.

to evaluate epidemiology, anatomical characteristics, management, and prognosis of critical patients with sternum fractures. retrospective analysis of patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of a Level III trauma center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 1552 trauma patients were admitted from January 2012 to April 2016. A total of 439 patients had thoracic trauma and among these, 13 patients had sternum fracture, making up 0.9% of all trauma admissions and 3% of all thoracic trauma cases. Three of these 13 patients had unstable chest, two underwent surgical management for fracture fixation, and three died (mortality was of 29%). In one of the deaths, sternum fracture was assessed as the main contributor to the outcome. sternum fracture was diagnosed in 0.9% of critical trauma patients in a specialized ICU. Only 15% of patients required specific surgical management in the acute phase. In most cases, mortality was due to other injuries.

Diagnosis and treatment of intra-abdominal infection complicated with hypothyroidism

Intra-abdominal infection complicated with hypothyroidism is very common. It mostly featured decreased T3, with or without decreased T4, and without elevated thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH). This particular type of hypothyroidism was called "low T3 syndrome" or "thyroid illness syndrome", and is called "non-thyroid illness syndrome" increasingly in recent years. Its pathogenesis has not been fully understood, and probably is associated with abnormality of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, disorder of peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism, change in thyroid hormone binding protein, regulation of triiodothyronine receptors, effect of cytokines, and lack of trace element selenium. Intra-abdominal infection complicated with hypothyroidism should be differentiated from primary hypothyroidism, which may be one cause of mental depression, insufficient anabolism, and poor tissue healing. Therefore, the changes of T3 and T4 levels should be actively monitored in patients with severe or prolonged intra-abdominal infection. Whether treatment is needed for intra-abdominal infection complicated with hypothyroidism remains controversial. T3 replacement therapy may improve prognosis. When low T3 syndrome presents as a disease-mediated hypothyroidism, we recommend the use of levothyroxine(L-T4) or liothyronine (L-T3) treatment to improve the prognosis of critical patients. Enteral nutrition can improve hypothyroidism and has good efficacy for enterocutaneous fistula patients with intra-abdominal infection.

Effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on critical patients with non-pulmonary primary disease in the emergency department: a meta-analysis

Objective To investigate the effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on critical patients with non-pulmonary primary disease in the emergency department. Methods The literature of English and Chinese clinical studies on the ECMO treating critical patients with non-pulmonary primary disease published before August 2017 were electronically searched on PubMed, Embase and other databases. The obtained articles were selected, their qualities were strictly evaluated, and the in-hospital survival rate, 3-month, 6-month and 1-year survival rate, as well as the average intensive care unit (ICU) and length of hospital stay were extracted. This meta-analysis were performed using RevMan software (Version 5.0, Cochrane collaboration). Results A total of 11 articles (n=3 043) were enrolled including 616 cases of ECMO treatment group and 2 427 cases of control group. Fitting results showed that compared with the traditional treatment, application of ECMO can improve the in-hospital survival rate[52.1%(321/616) vs. 32.1% (780/2 427); OR=2.02; 95%CI:1.11-3.67, P=0.02] and the survival rate more than 90 days[42.1% (61/145) vs. 17.1% (38/222); OR=3.98; 95%CI:2.30-6.89, P<0.01]; and prolong the average length of hospital stay (MD=-5.35, 95%CI:-8.10--2.60, P<0.01) and ICU time (MD=-8.99, 95%CI:-8.20--1.80, P<0.01). Conclusions Meta-analysis of existing studies showed that application of ECMO can improve the short-term and long-term prognosis of critical patients with non-pulmonary primary disease. However, due to the small number of studies and the large heterogeneity of the study population, it is necessary to carry out more, large samples and high quality randomized controlled clinical trials. Key words: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; Poisoning; Cardiac arrest; Arrhythmia; Emergency critical disease; Meta analysis

Effects of single-dose etomidate on prognosis of critical patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

Objective To evaluate the effects of single-dose etomidate on the mortality and the risk of adrenal insufficiency in patients with critical illness. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Database, and Vip Database were searched for the relevant randomized controlled clinical trials and observational studies. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two researchers independently selected the literature, extracted the data, and then performed Meta-analysis usinge RevMan5.3 software. The Mantel-Haenszel method with the random-effects modeling was used to calculate pooled relative risks (RR) and 95%CI. Results Twenty-six studies [5 randomized controlled trial(RCT) and 21 observational studies] involving 7 430 patients were qualified. Pooled analysis suggested that etomidate was not associated with increased mortality in critical patients [RCT:RR=1.16, 95%CI(0.93, 1.45), P>0.05] [observational studies:RR=1.07, 95%CI(1.00, 1.14)(P=0.05)]. These findings were also consistent across all subgroup analyses off observational studies. Etomidate increased the risk of adrenal insufficiency in critical patients[RCT:RR=1.61, 95%CI(1.06, 2.46)(P<0.01)][observational studies: RR=1.41, 95%CI(1.22, 1.62)(P<0.01)]. Conclusions Current evidence indicates that single-dose etomidate does not increase the mortality, but increases the risk of adrenal insufficiency in critical patients. However, this finding largely relies on data from observational studies and is potentially subject to selection bias. Therefore, high-quality and adequately powered RCT are warranted. Key words: Etomidate; Critical ill patients; Mortality; Adrenal insufficiency; Meta-analysis

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: a retrospective study.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the leading cause of high mortality in intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. An effective marker for prognosis in ARDS is particularly important given the absence of effective treatment strategies aside from small tidal volume ventilation. Previous studies identified an association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and prognosis in critical patients. In this study, we explored the prognostic and predictive value of the NLR in ARDS patients. We retrospectively included 275 ARDS patients treated at a single institute from 2008 to 2015. After excluding patients with chronic lung disease, acute myocardial infarction and missing data, 247 patients were ultimately included in the analysis. Clinical characteristics and experimental test data, including the NLR, were collected from medical records at 24 hours after the ARDS diagnosis. Independent prognostic factors were determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Subgroup stratification was performed according to different factors, and the continuous factors were divided according to the median values. The NLR in survivors was significantly lower than that in non-survivors (P<0.001). We took the median NLR value as the cut-off point and further divided all patients into a high NLR group (NLR >14) and a low NLR group (NLR ≤14). We found that an NLR >14 was associated with a shorter overall survival (OS) (P=0.005). In the multivariate Cox regression model, we further identified an NLR >14 as an independent prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.532, (95% CI, 1.095-2.143), P=0.013]. Subgroup analysis showed that the prognostic value of the NLR was higher in hypertensive patients (P=0.009) and in patients with low red blood cell specific volume (P=0.013), high sodium (P=0.002) and high creatinine levels (P=0.017). The NLR is potentially a predictive prognostic biomarker in ARDS patients.

Hypothalamic activation is essential for endotoxemia-induced acute muscle wasting.

Growing evidence suggests acute skeletal muscle wasting is a key factor affecting nutritional support and prognosis in critical patients. Previously, plenty of studies of muscle wasting focused on the peripheral pathway, little was known about the central role. We tested the hypothesis whether central inflammatory pathway and neuropeptides were involved in the process. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated rats, hypothalamic NF-κB pathway and inflammation were highly activated, which was accompanied with severe muscle wasting. Central inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway activation by infusion of an inhibitor (PS1145) can efficiently reduce muscle wasting as well as attenuate hypothalamic neuropeptides alteration. Furthermore, knockdown the expression of anorexigenic neuropeptide proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression with a lentiviral vector containing shRNA can significantly alleviate LPS-induced muscle wasting, whereas hypothalamic inflammation or NF-κB pathway was barely affected. Taken together, these results suggest activation of hypothalamic POMC is pivotal for acute muscle wasting caused by endotoxemia. Neuropeptide POMC expression may have mediated the contribution of hypothalamic inflammation to peripheral muscle wasting. Pharmaceuticals with the ability of inhibiting hypothalamic NF-κB pathway or POMC activation may have a therapeutic potential for acute muscle wasting and nutritional therapy in septic patients.