Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre Research Articles

Mortality among people admitted to Australian intensive care units for reasons other than COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate in-hospital mortality among people admitted to Australian intensive care units (ICUs) with conditions other than coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the COVID-19 pandemic. National, multicentre, retrospective cohort study; analysis of data in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation (ANZICS CORE) Adult Patient Database. Adults (16 years or older) without COVID-19 admitted to Australian ICUs, 1 January 2016 - 30 June 2022. All-cause in-hospital mortality, unadjusted and relative to the January 2016 value, adjusted for illness severity (Australian and New Zealand Risk of Death [ANZROD] and hospital type), with ICU as a random effect. Points of change in mortality trends (breakpoints) were identified by segmental regression analysis. Data for 950 489 eligible admissions to 186 ICUs were available. In-hospital mortality declined steadily from January 2016 to March 2021 by 0.3% per month (P < 0.001; March 2021 v January 2016: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.80), but rose by 1.4% per month during March 2021 - June2022 (P < 0.001; June 2022 v January 2016: aOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.90-1.17). The rise in mortality continued after the number of COVID-19-related ICU admissions had declined; mortality increased in jurisdictions with lower as well as in those with higher numbers of COVID-19-related ICU admissions. The rise in in-hospital mortality among people admitted to Australian ICUs with conditions other than COVID-19 from March 2021 reversed the improvement of the preceding five years. Changes to health service delivery during the pandemic and their consequences should be investigated further.

Improved survival of cirrhotic patients with infections in Australian and New Zealand ICUs between 2005 and 2017.

Changes in outcomes of cirrhotic patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with infections are poorly understood. We aimed to describe changes over time in outcomes for such patients and to compare them to other ICU admissions. Analysis of consecutive admissions to 188 ICUs between 2005 and 2017 as recorded in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Research Evaluation Adult Patient Database. Admissions for cirrhotic patients with infections accounted for 4645 (0.6%) of 813 189 non-elective ICU admissions. Hospital mortality rate (35.5%) was significantly higher compared with other cirrhotic patients' admissions (28.5%), and other ICU admissions for infection (17.1%, p < .0001), and increased to 52.2% in the presence of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients' ICU admissions for infection decreased significantly over time (annual decline odds ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99, p=.002). There was a comparable reduction in-hospital mortality rates over time in other ICU admissions for infections and other cirrhotic patients' ICU admissions. However, mortality rates did not change over time in the ACLF subgroup. Median hospital and ICU length of stays for cirrhotic patients' ICU admissions for infections were 12.1 and 3.5 days, respectively, and decreased significantly by 1 day every 4 years in-hospital survivors(p < .0001). Hospital mortality in ICU admissions for cirrhotic patients with infection is double that of non-cirrhotic patients with infection but has declined significantly over time. Outcomes in the subgroup with ACLF remained poor without significant improvement over the study period.

Performance of BEAMS Risk of Death Score for Mortality Prediction in Australian and New Zealand Burns Patients.

The BEAMS (Burns Evaluation and Mortality Study) risk of death score was developed in 2013 as a mortality prediction tool for burns patients admitted to an ICU (intensive care unit) in Australia and New Zealand. While it previously performed well, identifying high-risk groups and allowing benchmarking, over time such scores may lose calibration or be superseded by improved scoring systems. Our aim was to assess the performance of the BEAMS score in a modern cohort of burns patient. Data were sourced from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ) and the Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation (ANZICS CORE) databases. Data were linked using probabilistic methodology. BEAMS risk of death scores was calculated for all adult patients. Between 2009 and 2019, there were 2075 patients admitted to an Australian or New Zealand ICU with a burn-related injury. Advanced age, female gender, higher %TBSA burns, and inhalation injury were all associated with increased rate of mortality (P &lt; .05). Overall hospital mortality was 9.4% (n = 195). The predicted risk of death from BEAMS was 8.7% and the score had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.934. We found the BEAMS risk of death score continues to have excellent performance in a modern cohort of adult critically ill burns patients. It remains a valid tool for mortality prediction among adult burns patients admitted to ICU across Australia and New Zealand.

Family visitation policies, facilities, and support in Australia and New Zealand intensive care units: A multicentre, registry-linked survey

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe family visitation policies, facilities, and support in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) intensive care units (ICUs). MethodsA survey was distributed to all Australian and New Zealand ICUs reporting to the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcomes and Resources Evaluation Critical Care Resources (CCR) Registry in 2018. Data were obtained from the survey and from data reported to the CCR Registry. For this study, open visiting (OV) was defined as allowing visitors for more than 14 h per day. Setting and participantsThis study included all Australian and New Zealand ICUs reporting to CCR in 2018. Main outcome measuresThe main outcome measures were family access to the ICU and visiting hours, characteristics of the ICU waiting area, and information provided to and collected from the relatives. FindingsFifty-six percent (95/170) of ICUs contributing to CCR responded, representing 44% of ANZ ICUs and a range of rural, metropolitan, tertiary, and private ICUs. Visiting hours ranged from 1.5 to 24 h per day, with 68 (72%) respondent ICUs reporting an OV policy, of which 64 (67%) ICUs were open to visitors 24 h a day. A waiting room was part of the ICU for 77 (81%) respondent ICUs, 74 (78%) reported a separate dedicated room for family meetings, and 83 (87%) reported available social worker services. Most ICUs reported facilities for sleeping within or near the hospital. An information booklet was provided by 64 (67%) ICUs. Only six (6%) ICUs required personal protective equipment for all visitors, and 76 (80%) required personal protective equipment for patients with airborne precautions. ConclusionsIn 2018, the majority of ANZ ICUs reported liberal visiting policies, with substantial facilities and family support.

Associations Between Socioeconomic Status, Patient Risk, and Short-Term Intensive Care Outcomes.

To investigate the association of socioeconomic status as measured by the average socioeconomic status of the area where a person resides on short-term mortality in adults admitted to an ICU in Queensland, Australia. Secondary data analysis using de-identified data from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation linked to the publicly available area-level Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Adult ICUs from 35 hospitals in Queensland, Australia, from 2006 to 2015. A total of 218,462 patient admissions. None. The outcome measure was inhospital mortality. The main study variable was decile of Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage. The overall crude inhospital mortality was 7.8%; 9% in the most disadvantaged decile and 6.9% in the most advantaged decile (p < 0.001). Increasing socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with increasing severity of illness as measured by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, admission with a diagnosis of sepsis or trauma, cardiac, respiratory, renal, and hepatic comorbidities, and remote location. Increasing socioeconomic advantage was associated with elective surgical admission, hematological and oncology comorbidities, and admission to a private hospital (all p < 0.001). After excluding patients admitted after elective surgery, in the remaining 106,843 patients, the inhospital mortality was 13.6%, 13.3% in the most disadvantaged, and 14.1% in the most advantaged. There was no trend in mortality across deciles of socioeconomic status after excluding elective surgery patients. In the logistic regression model adjusting for severity of illness and diagnosis, there was no statistically significant difference in the odds ratio of inhospital mortality for the most disadvantaged decile compared with other deciles. This suggests variables used for risk adjustment may lie on the causal pathway between socioeconomic status and outcome in ICU patients. Socioeconomic status as defined as Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage of the area in which a patient lives was associated with ICU admission diagnosis, comorbidities, severity of illness, and crude inhospital mortality in this study. Socioeconomic status was not associated with inhospital mortality after excluding elective surgical patients or when adjusted for severity of illness and admission diagnosis. Commonly used measures for risk adjustment in intensive care improve understanding of the pathway between socioeconomic status and outcomes.

Association Between Consecutive Days Worked by Intensivists and Outcomes for Critically Ill Patients.

To evaluate the association between consecutive days worked by intensivists and ICU patient outcomes. Retrospective cohort study linked with survey data. Australia and New Zealand ICUs. Adults (16+ yr old) admitted to ICU in the Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Registries (July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018). None. We linked data on staffing schedules for each unit from the Critical Care Resources Registry 2016-2017 annual survey with patient-level data from the Adult Patient Database. The a priori chosen primary outcome was ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, ICU readmissions, and mortality (ICU and hospital). We used multilevel multivariable regression modeling to assess the association between days of consecutive intensivist service and patient outcomes; the predicted probability of death was included as a covariate and individual ICU as a random effect. The cohort included 225,034 patients in 109 ICUs. Intensivists were scheduled for seven or more consecutive days in 43 (39.4%) ICUs; 27 (24.7%) scheduled intensivists for 5 days, 22 (20.1%) for 4 days, seven (6.4%) for 3 days, four (3.7%) for 2 days, and six (5.5%) for less than or equal to 1 day. Compared with care by intensivists working 7+ consecutive days (adjusted ICU length of stay = 2.85 d), care by an intensivist working 3 or fewer consecutive days was associated with shorter ICU length of stay (3 consecutive days: 0.46 d fewer, p = 0.010; 2 consecutive days: 0.77 d fewer, p < 0.001; ≤ 1 consecutive days: 0.68 d fewer, p < 0.001). Shorter schedules of consecutive intensivist days worked were also associated with trends toward shorter hospital length of stay without increases in ICU readmissions or hospital mortality. Care by intensivists working fewer consecutive days is associated with reduced ICU length of stay without negatively impacting mortality.

Declining Mortality of Cirrhotic Variceal Bleeding Requiring Admission to Intensive Care: A Binational Cohort Study*

We aimed to describe changes over time in admissions and outcomes, including length of stay, discharge destinations, and mortality of cirrhotic patients admitted to the ICU for variceal bleeding, and to compare it to the outcomes of those with other causes of ICU admissions. Retrospective analysis of data captured prospectively in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database. One hundred eighty-three ICUs in Australia and New Zealand. Consecutive admissions to these ICUs for upper gastrointestinal bleeding related to varices in patients with cirrhosis between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2016. None. ICU admissions for variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients accounted for 4,003 (0.6%) of all 720,425 nonelective ICU admissions. The proportion of ICU admissions for variceal bleeding fell significantly from 0.8% (83/42,567) in 2005 to 0.4% (53/80,388) in 2016 (p < 0.001). Hospital mortality rate was significantly higher within admissions for variceal bleeding compared with nonelective ICU admissions (20.0% vs 15.7%; p < 0.0001), but decreased significantly over time, from 24.6% in 2005 to 15.8% in 2016 (annual decline odds ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.96). There was no difference in the reduction in mortality from variceal bleeding over time between liver transplant and nontransplant centers (p = 0.26). Admission rate to ICU and mortality of cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding has declined significantly over time compared with other causes of ICU admissions with the outcomes comparable between liver transplant and nontransplant centers.

Independent Association of Glucose Variability With Hospital Mortality in Adult Intensive Care Patients: Results From the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Binational Registry.

Retrospective, registry data analyses of outcomes. Large, binational registry (Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database repository) of 176 ICUs across Australia and New Zealand. We used 10-year data on nonhyperglycemic patients registered in the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database repository (n = 290,966). None. Glucose variability was captured using glucose width defined as the difference between highest and lowest blood glucose concentration within first 24 hours of ICU admission. We used hierarchical, mixed effects logistic regression models that accounted for ICU variation and several fixed-effects covariates. Glucose width was specifically and independently associated with hospital mortality. The association of blood glucose variability with mortality remained significant (odds ratio for highest vs lowest quartile of glucose, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.32-1.55; p < 0.001) even after adjusting for the baseline risk of mortality, midpoint blood glucose level, occurrence of hypoglycemia and inter-ICU variation. Mixed effects modeling showed that there was a statistically significant variation in this association across ICUs. Our study demonstrates that glucose variability is independently associated with hospital mortality in critically ill adult patients. Inclusion of correction for glucose variability in glycemic control protocols needs to be investigated in future studies.

Changes in Temperature Management of Cardiac Arrest Patients Following Publication of the Target Temperature Management Trial*

To evaluate knowledge translation after publication of the target temperature management 33°C versus 36°C after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest trial and associated patient outcomes. Our primary hypothesis was that target temperature management at 36°C was rapidly adopted in Australian and New Zealand ICUs. Secondary hypotheses were that temporal reductions in mortality would be seen and would have accelerated after publication of the target temperature management trial. Retrospective cohort study (January 2005 to December 2016). The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation adult patient database containing greater than 2 million admission episodes from 186 Australian and New Zealand ICUs. Sixteen-thousand two-hundred fifty-two adults from 140 hospitals admitted to ICU after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The primary exposure of interest was admission before versus after publication of the target temperature management trial. The primary outcome variable to evaluate changes in temperature management was lowest temperature in the first 24 hours in ICU. The primary clinical outcome variable of interest was inhospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included proportion of patients with fever in the first 24 hours in ICU. Mean ± SD lowest temperature in the first 24 hours in ICU in pre- and posttarget temperature management trial patients was 33.80 ± 1.71°C and 34.70 ± 1.39°C, respectively (absolute difference, 0.98°C [99% CI, 0.89-1.06°C]). Inhospital mortality rate decreased by 1.3 (99% CI, -1.8 to -0.9) percentage points per year from January 2005 until December 2013 and increased by 0.6 (99% CI, -1.4 to 2.6) percentage points per year from January 2014 until December 2016 (change in slope 1.9 percentage points per year [99% CI, -0.6 to 4.4]). Fever occurred in 568 (12.8%) of 4,450 pretarget temperature management trial patients and 853 (16.5%) of 5,184 posttarget temperature management trial patients (odds ratio, 1.35 [99% CI, 1.16-1.57]). The average lowest temperature of postcardiac arrest patients in the first 24 hours in ICU rose after publication of the target temperature management trial. This change was associated with an increased frequency of fever not seen in the target temperature management trial.

Early Hyperoxia in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to Intensive Care in Australia and New Zealand: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

Early hyperoxia may be an independent risk factor for mortality in critically ill traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, although current data are inconclusive. Accordingly, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine the association between systemic oxygenation and in-hospital mortality, in critically ill mechanically ventilated TBI patients. Data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database. All adult TBI patients receiving mechanical ventilation in 129 intensive care units between 2000 and 2016 were included in analysis. The following data were extracted: demographics, illness severity scores, physiological and laboratory measurements, institutional characteristics, and vital status at discharge. In-hospital mortality was used as the primary study outcome. The primary exposure variable was the 'worst' partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) recorded during the first 24h in ICU; hyperoxia was defined as > 299mmHg. Adjustment for illness severity utilized multivariable logistic regression, the results of which are reported as the odds ratio (OR) 95% CI. Data concerning 24,148 ventilated TBI patients were extracted. By category of worst PaO2, crude in-hospital mortality ranged from 27.1% (PaO2 40-49mmHg) to 13.3% (PaO2 140-159mmHg). When adjusted for patient and institutional characteristics, the only PaO2 category associated with a significantly greater risk of death was < 40mmHg [OR 1.52, 1.03-2.25]. A total of 3117 (12.9%) patients were hyperoxic during the first 24h in ICU, with a crude in-hospital mortality rate of 17.8%. No association was evident in between hyperoxia and mortality in adjusted analysis [OR 0.97 (0.86-1.11)]. In this large multicenter cohort of TBI patients, hyperoxia in the first 24h after ICU admission was not independently associated with greater in-hospital mortality. Hypoxia remains associated with greater in-hospital mortality risk and should be avoided where possible.

Effects of Hypercapnia and Hypercapnic Acidosis on Hospital Mortality in Mechanically Ventilated Patients.

Lung-protective ventilation is used to prevent further lung injury in patients on invasive mechanical ventilation. However, lung-protective ventilation can cause hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis. There are no large clinical studies evaluating the effects of hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Multicenter, binational, retrospective study aimed to assess the impact of compensated hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database over a 14-year period where 171 ICUs contributed deidentified data. Patients were classified into three groups based on a combination of pH and carbon dioxide levels (normocapnia and normal pH, compensated hypercapnia [normal pH with elevated carbon dioxide], and hypercapnic acidosis) during the first 24 hours of ICU stay. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent association of hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis with hospital mortality. Nil. A total of 252,812 patients (normocapnia and normal pH, 110,104; compensated hypercapnia, 20,463; and hypercapnic acidosis, 122,245) were included in analysis. Patients with compensated hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III scores (49.2 vs 53.2 vs 68.6; p < 0.01). The mortality was higher in hypercapnic acidosis patients when compared with other groups, with the lowest mortality in patients with normocapnia and normal pH. After adjusting for severity of illness, the adjusted odds ratio for hospital mortality was higher in hypercapnic acidosis patients (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.62-1.88) and compensated hypercapnia (odds ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26) when compared with patients with normocapnia and normal pH (p < 0.001). In patients with hypercapnic acidosis, the mortality increased with increasing PCO2 until 65 mm Hg after which the mortality plateaued. Hypercapnic acidosis during the first 24 hours of intensive care admission is more strongly associated with increased hospital mortality than compensated hypercapnia or normocapnia.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients Admitted to Intensive Care in Australia and New Zealand: A Multicenter Cohort Analysis of In-Hospital Mortality Over 15 Years

The primary aim of this study was to describe in-hospital mortality in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients requiring ICU admission. Secondary aims were to identify clinical characteristics associated with inferior outcomes, to compare subarachnoid hemorrhage mortality with other neurological diagnoses, and to explore the variability in subarachnoid hemorrhage standardized mortality ratios. Multicenter, binational, retrospective cohort study. Data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database. All available records for the period January 2000 to June 2015. Nil. A total of 11,327 subarachnoid hemorrhage patients were identified in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database. The overall case fatality rate was 29.2%, which declined from 35.4% in 2000 to 27.2% in 2015 (p = 0.01). Older age, nonoperative admission, mechanical ventilation, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III scores, lower Glasgow Coma Scale, and admission prior to 2004 were all associated with lower hospital survival in multivariable analysis (p < 0.05). In comparison with other neurological diagnoses, subarachnoid hemorrhage patients had significantly greater risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.79-2.00]). Utilizing data from the 5 most recent complete years (2010-2014), three sites had higher and four (including the two largest centers) had lower standardized mortality ratios than might be expected due to chance. Subarachnoid hemorrhage patients admitted to ICU in Australia and New Zealand have a high mortality rate. Year of admission beyond 2003 did not impact risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. Significant variability was noted between institutions. This implies an urgent need to systematically evaluate many aspects of the critical care provided to this patient group.

The Association Between Low Admission Peak Plasma Creatinine Concentration and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care in Australia and New Zealand.

To evaluate the independent association between low peak admission plasma creatinine concentrations and in-hospital mortality in patients requiring critical care in Australia and New Zealand. Multicenter, binational, retrospective cohort study. Data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation adult patient database. All available records for the period 2000 to 2013 were utilized. The following exclusion criteria were applied: all readmission episodes (within the same hospital stay), missing in-hospital mortality, admission post kidney transplantation, chronic renal replacement therapy (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), and missing peak plasma creatinine concentration. Demographic, anthropometric, admission, illness severity, laboratory, and outcome data were then extracted. Patients were categorized on the basis of their peak (maximum) plasma creatinine concentration recorded in the first 24 hours of ICU admission. Illness severity-adjusted associations with in-hospital mortality relative to a reference category of 70-79 μmol/L were then determined using multivariate logistic regression. Nil. Data pertaining to 1,250,449 admissions were available for the study period. Following exclusions, 1,045,718 patients were included. Regression analysis identified that peak plasma creatinine concentrations less than 60 μmol/L measured in the first 24 hours after ICU admission imply a steadily increasing adjusted in-hospital mortality risk. In cases where this value is markedly low (< 30 μmol/L), the adjusted odds of dying in-hospital is over two-fold higher than the reference category and exceeds the risk implied with elevated (≥ 180 μmol/L) values. This finding was also independent of anthropometric data. In a large heterogenous cohort of critically ill patients, low admission peak plasma creatinine concentrations are independently associated with increased risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. Further research should now focus on the potential mechanisms underpinning this finding, such as a low skeletal muscle mass and/or fluid overload.

Factors involved in intensive care unit mortality following medical retrieval: Identifying differences between intensive care unit survivors and non‐survivors

The study aimed to determine factors related to ICU mortality in critically ill patients transferred by Adult Retrieval Victoria (ARV) medical staff. Patients who died in ICU after interhospital transfer were compared against those who survived. This was a retrospective cohort study of ARV cases between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2010. Retrieval data were linked with data from the ANZICS CORE APD (Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation Adult Patient Database). Victoria Data Linkage (VDL) performed linkage of data. Data included demographic and clinical data obtained during transfer and clinical data recorded in ICU. Of the 601 cases transferred by ARV during the study period, 549 cases were eligible for linkage to 25 543 ANZICS APD case records for the same period. VDL matched 460 of these cases (83.8%). Mortality rate in the matched sample was 13.9%. Variables associated with mortality were: advanced age (odds ratios [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.04, P = 0.02), principal referral problem cardiac (OR 1.84, 95%CI 1.02-3.32, P = 0.04), lower mean arterial blood pressure (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99, P = 0.005) and tachycardia (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, P = 0.008) on arrival at destination hospital. Advanced age, lower mean arterial blood pressure and tachycardia towards the completion of transfer were associated with increased ICU mortality in this population. Clinicians should be aware of the additional risk for cardiac patients.

Glycemic Variability: Measurement and Utility in Clinical Medicine and Research—One Viewpoint

One cannot control average glucose levels unless one firstreducesglycemicvariability! Thissounds intuitively obvious 1,2 and can also be demonstrated rigorously, mathematically. 3 If the mean glucose level were 100mg/dL but the SD were 40mg/dL, one could predict that there would be an unacceptable incidence of severe hypoglycemia even though the mean glucose is in the euglycemic range. Clinicians must understand glycemic variability both qualitatively and quantitatively and endeavor to reduce that variability before trying to reduce the mean level of blood glucose. This applies to blood glucose as measured by self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), laboratory measurements of venous samples or arterial blood, and interstitial glucose as measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). When titrating a medication such as basal insulin, it is essential to know the between-day (within-subject) variability in fasting plasma glucose to be able to set the target glucose level appropriately so that risk of hypoglycemia is at an acceptable level. Unfortunately, these estimates of glycemic variability are rarely obtained. Glycemic variability also serves as one facet of the quality of glycemic control—another reason to quantify gly

A survey of the use of ventilator hyperinflation in Australian tertiary intensive care units

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of use of ventilator hyperinflation (VHI) by physiotherapists practising in tertiary Australian intensive care units in the management of artificially ventilated patients, and whether standard protocols are in place in these facilities.Design, setting and participants: A prospective, multicentre prevalence survey of 64 Australian hospitals with tertiary ICU facilities and physiotherapists. The cohort was compiled from details provided by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation. Senior physiotherapists at participating sites completed a telephone questionnaire regarding the implementation of VHI at their facility.Results: The response rate was 100%. Twenty-five facilities reported using VHI. There was broad agreement on the indications and contraindications for the technique and little difference in the dosage of VHI for the purpose of either sputum clearance or respiratory recruitment manoeuvre. The most common position used for treatment (71% of patients) was side lying with the affected side uppermost.Conclusions: Our survey provides information on the nature and the extent of VHI utilisation by physiotherapists in Australian tertiary ICUs. These data can now be pooled to develop standardised evidence-based VHI protocols for both spontaneous and controlled ventilation modes.

Impact of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 on Australasian critical care units

Objective: To identify the resource usage by patients with influenza A H1N1 admitted to Australian and New Zealand intensive care units during the first wave of the pandemic in June, July and August 2009.Design, setting and participants: Data were collected in two separate surveys: the 2007–08 resource and activity survey and the 2009 influenza pandemic survey. Participants comprised 143 of the 189 Australian and New Zealand critical care units identified by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation (ANZICS CORE). Mean length of stay (LOS) and ventilation data for H1N1 patients were reported by the ANZIC Influenza Investigators study from the same units over the same time period. Mean LOS for all ICU admissions was obtained from the ANZICS CORE adult patient database 10-year study.Main outcome measures: H1N1 patient admissions as a proportion of all ICU admissions; H1N1 patient bed-days as a proportion of total bed-days; ventilation resource usage by H1N1 patients; changes in ICU admissions for elective surgery during the H1N1 pandemic.Results: Over the period June–August 2009, among 30 222 ICU admissions to 133 ICUs contributing data, 704 patients (2.3%) had H1N1 influenza A. Twenty-eight units had no H1N1 patient admissions. The peak of the pandemic in Australia and New Zealand occurred in July 2009, when H1N1 patients represented 3.7% of all ICU admissions for July and 53.5% of all H1N1 patient admissions in the period June–August 2009. We estimate that H1N1 cases required approximately 12.4% of the ventilator resources and used 8.1% of total patient bed-days. During the pandemic, there was a 3.2 percentage-point reduction in elective admissions to public hospitals (from 32.5% to 29.3%).Conclusion: Low rates of admission of H1N1 patients to ICUs during the 2009 pandemic enabled the intensive care system to cope with the large demand when analysed at a jurisdictional level.