Mechanical left ventricular unloading in cardiogenic shock treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if mechanical left ventricular unloading could reduce mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials and propensity score-matched studies published until December 20, 2023. The primary outcome was mortality at the longest follow-up. We used a Mantel-Haenszel random effects meta-analysis and reported the pooled results with a risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic review (CRD42024498665). RESULTS: We identified two randomized controlled trials and eleven propensity score-matched studies, totaling 9858 patients. Mechanical left ventricular unloading was significantly associated with reduced mortality at the longest follow-up (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94; P = 0.0001; moderate certainty of evidence), which was confirmed in studies using intraaortic ballon pump (IABP). Benefits of mechanical unloading were also observed in terms of successful VA-ECMO weaning (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.29; P = 0.02; low certainty of evidence) and favorable neurological outcome (two studies; RR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.62-3.69; P < 0.0001; low certainty of evidence), although we observed an increased incidence of major bleeding (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02-1.59; P = 0.03; low certainty of evidence) and hemolysis (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.10-2.02; P = 0.01; moderate certainty of evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Among adult patients with cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO, mechanical left ventricular unloading was associated with reduced mortality, which was confirmed in studies using IABP as an unloading device.

Association between comorbidities at ICU admission and post-Sepsis physical impairment: A retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Few studies have measured the association between pre-existing comorbidities and post-sepsis physical impairment. The study aimed to estimate the risk of physical impairment at hospital discharge among sepsis patients, adjusting for pre-existing physical impairment prior to ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed all consecutive adult patients admitted to an ICU in a tertiary community hospital, Kameda Medical Center, with sepsis diagnosis from September 2014 to October 2020. Inverse probability attrition weighting using machine learning was employed to estimate the risk of physical impairment at hospital discharge for sepsis patients with and without pre-existing comorbidities at ICU admission. This estimation was adjusted for baseline covariates, pre-ICU physical impairment, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of 889 sepsis patients analyzed, 668 [75.1%] had at least one comorbidity and 221 [24.9%] had no comorbidities at ICU admission. Upon adjusting for baseline covariates, pre-ICU physical impairment, and in-hospital mortality, pre-existing comorbidities were not associated with an elevated risk of physical impairment at hospital discharge (RR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.14). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-existing comorbidities prior to ICU admission were not associated with an increased risk of physical impairment at hospital discharge among sepsis patients after adjusting for baseline covariates and in-hospital mortality.

Acute quadruple extremity compartment syndrome due to angio-oedema after polypharmacy overdose including olmesartan medoxomil, telmisartan and vildagliptin.

This case report describes a rare manifestation of acute compartment syndrome (ACS) involving all four extremities, precipitated by angio-oedema in a middle-aged woman who consumed an overdose of multiple medications: nifedipine, azelnidipine, amlodipine besylate, olmesartan medoxomil, telmisartan, esaxerenone and vildagliptin. She presented with haemodynamic instability, necessitating intubation. Despite stabilising haemodynamic parameters within 24 hours, she manifested escalating extremity oedema. At 52 hours after ingestion, mottled skin was observed, along with necrotic alterations in the swollen hands and compartment pressures exceeding 30 mm Hg in all extremities. ACS was diagnosed, leading to fasciotomies. The aetiology is postulated to be drug-induced angio-oedema, possibly intensified by the concurrent overdose of olmesartan medoxomil, telmisartan and vildagliptin, each of which has a risk of angio-oedema even at standard dosages. This scenario is a very rare case caused by drug-induced angio-oedema, which underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring to detect ACS in patients with progressing limb oedema.

Ketamine versus etomidate as an induction agent for tracheal intubation in critically ill adults: a Bayesian meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation is a high-risk intervention commonly performed in critically ill patients. Due to its favorable cardiovascular profile, ketamine is considered less likely to compromise clinical outcomes. This meta-analysis aimed to assess whether ketamine, compared with other agents, reduces mortality in critically ill patients undergoing intubation. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception until April 27, 2023, for randomized controlled trials and matched observational studies comparing ketamine with any control in critically ill patients as an induction agent. The primary outcome was mortality at the longest follow-up available, and the secondary outcomes included Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, ventilator-free days at day 28, vasopressor-free days at day 28, post-induction mean arterial pressure, and successful intubation on the first attempt. For the primary outcome, we used a Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis on the risk ratio (RR) scale with a weakly informative neutral prior corresponding to a mean estimate of no difference with 95% probability; the estimated effect size will fall between a relative risk of 0.25 and 4. The RR and 95% credible interval (CrI) were used to estimate the probability of mortality reduction (RR < 1). The secondary outcomes were assessed with a frequentist random-effects model. We registered this study in Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/2vf79/ ). RESULTS: We included seven randomized trials and one propensity-matched study totaling 2978 patients. Etomidate was the comparator in all the identified studies. The probability that ketamine reduced mortality was 83.2% (376/1475 [25%] vs. 411/1503 [27%]; RR, 0.93; 95% CrI, 0.79-1.08), which was confirmed by a subgroup analysis excluding studies with a high risk of bias. No significant difference was observed in any secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: All of the included studies evaluated ketamine versus etomidate among critically ill adults requiring tracheal intubation. This meta-analysis showed a moderate probability that induction with ketamine is associated with a reduced risk of mortality.

Epidemiology and outcomes of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in intensive care unit patients: the EUROBACT-2 international cohort study.

PURPOSE: In the critically ill, hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSI) are associated with significant mortality. Granular data are required for optimizing management, and developing guidelines and clinical trials. METHODS: We carried out a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) with HA-BSI treated in intensive care units (ICUs) between June 2019 and February 2021. RESULTS: 2600 patients from 333 ICUs in 52 countries were included. 78% HA-BSI were ICU-acquired. Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8 [IQR 5; 11] at HA-BSI diagnosis. Most frequent sources of infection included pneumonia (26.7%) and intravascular catheters (26.4%). Most frequent pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria (59.0%), predominantly Klebsiella spp. (27.9%), Acinetobacter spp. (20.3%), Escherichia coli (15.8%), and Pseudomonas spp. (14.3%). Carbapenem resistance was present in 37.8%, 84.6%, 7.4%, and 33.2%, respectively. Difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) was present in 23.5% and pan-drug resistance in 1.5%. Antimicrobial therapy was deemed adequate within 24 h for 51.5%. Antimicrobial resistance was associated with longer delays to adequate antimicrobial therapy. Source control was needed in 52.5% but not achieved in 18.2%. Mortality was 37.1%, and only 16.1% had been discharged alive from hospital by day-28. CONCLUSIONS: HA-BSI was frequently caused by Gram-negative, carbapenem-resistant and DTR pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance led to delays in adequate antimicrobial therapy. Mortality was high, and at day-28 only a minority of the patients were discharged alive from the hospital. Prevention of antimicrobial resistance and focusing on adequate antimicrobial therapy and source control are important to optimize patient management and outcomes.

[Curative Resection of Sigmoid Colon Cancer with Multiple Liver Metastases by Long-Term Multidisciplinary Treatment].

A male patient in his 80s underwent colonic stenting for obstructive sigmoid colon cancer with multiple liver metastases. With systemic chemotherapy for approximately 1 year, the liver metastasis disappeared, so laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was performed for the primary lesion. No recurrence was observed for a while, although CT revealed liver metastasis in the liver S4, and radiofrequency ablation was performed. Radiation therapy was performed for the liver metastasis of liver S2 that subsequently appeared. After a recurrence-free period of approximately 2 years, a rapid regrowth of liver metastasis in liver S2 was observed. Thus, 4 years and 3 months after the initial diagnosis, lateral segmentectomy of the liver was performed. Five years have passed since the first visit, and he is alive without recurrence. The patient had obstructive colorectal cancer with unresectable liver metastasis, and as the obstruction was released by a colonic stent, systemic chemotherapy was prioritized. Hence, liver metastasis was controlled, and the primary lesion was resected. Furthermore, for the liver metastasis that appeared later, various loco-regional cancer therapies were provided to achieve a cancer-free state.

Different epidemiology of bloodstream infections in COVID-19 compared to non-COVID-19 critically ill patients: a descriptive analysis of the Eurobact II study.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HABSIs) between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 critically ill patients. METHODS: We used data from the Eurobact II study, a prospective observational multicontinental cohort study on HABSI treated in ICU. For the current analysis, we selected centers that included both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 critically ill patients. We performed descriptive statistics between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 in terms of patients' characteristics, source of infection and microorganism distribution. We studied the association between COVID-19 status and mortality using multivariable fragility Cox models. RESULTS: A total of 53 centers from 19 countries over the 5 continents were eligible. Overall, 829 patients (median age 65 years [IQR 55; 74]; male, n = 538 [64.9%]) were treated for a HABSI. Included patients comprised 252 (30.4%) COVID-19 and 577 (69.6%) non-COVID-19 patients. The time interval between hospital admission and HABSI was similar between both groups. Respiratory sources (40.1 vs. 26.0%, p < 0.0001) and primary HABSI (25.4% vs. 17.2%, p = 0.006) were more frequent in COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 patients had more often enterococcal (20.5% vs. 9%) and Acinetobacter spp. (18.8% vs. 13.6%) HABSIs. Bacteremic COVID-19 patients had an increased mortality hazard ratio (HR) versus non-COVID-19 patients (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.49-2.45). CONCLUSIONS: We showed that the epidemiology of HABSI differed between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Enterococcal HABSI predominated in COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 patients with HABSI had elevated risk of mortality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.org number NCT03937245 . Registered 3 May 2019.

Hospital-onset sepsis and community-onset sepsis in critical care units in Japan: a retrospective cohort study based on a Japanese administrative claims database.

BACKGROUND: Hospital- and community-onset sepsis are significant sepsis subgroups. Japanese data comparing these subgroups are limited. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of hospital- and community-onset sepsis in critical care units in Japan. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis and Procedure Combination database. Adult patients admitted to critical care units with sepsis from April 2010 to March 2020 were included. Sepsis cases were identified based on ICD-10 codes for infectious diseases, procedure codes for blood culture tests, and medication codes for antimicrobials. Patients' characteristics, in-hospital mortality, and resource utilization were assessed. The in-hospital mortality between groups was compared using the Poisson regression generalized linear mixed-effect model. RESULTS: Of 516,124 patients, 52,183 (10.1%) had hospital-onset sepsis and 463,940 (89.9%) had community-onset sepsis. Hospital-onset sepsis was characterized by younger age, infrequent emergency hospitalization, frequent surgery under general anesthesia, and frequent organ support upon critical care unit admission compared to community-onset sepsis. In-hospital mortality was higher for hospital-onset than for community-onset sepsis (35.5% versus 19.2%; unadjusted mean difference, 16.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.9-16.7]; adjusted mean difference, 15.6% [95% CI 14.9-16.2]). Mean hospital length of stay was longer for hospital-onset than for community-onset sepsis (47 days versus 30 days; unadjusted mean difference, 17 days [95% CI 16-17]; adjusted mean difference, 13 days [95% CI 12-14]). CONCLUSION: Patients with hospital-onset sepsis admitted to critical care units in Japan had a poorer prognosis and more resource utilization including organ support rate, number of days with critical care unit surcharge codes, and hospital length of stay than those with community-onset sepsis.

Validation of National Early Warning Score for predicting 30-day mortality after rapid response system activation in Japan.

AIM: Although rapid response systems (RRS) are used to prevent adverse events, Japan reportedly has low activation rates and high mortality rates. The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) could provide a solution, but it has not been validated in Japan. We aimed to validate NEWS for Japanese patients. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included data of 2,255 adult patients from 33 facilities registered in the In-Hospital Emergency Registry in Japan between January 2014 and March 2018. The primary evaluated outcome was mortality rate 30 days after RRS activation. Accuracy of NEWS was analyzed with the correlation coefficient and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Prediction weights of NEWS parameters were then analyzed using multiple logistic regression and a machine learning method, classification and regression trees. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient of NEWS for 30-day mortality rate was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88-0.98) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.668 (95% CI, 0.642-0.693). Sensitivity and specificity values with a cut-off score of 7 were 89.8% and 45.1%, respectively. Regarding prediction values of each parameter, oxygen saturation showed the highest odds ratio of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.25-1.48), followed by altered mental status 1.23 (95% CI, 1.14-1.32), heart rate 1.21 (95% CI, 1.09-1.34), systolic blood pressure 1.12 (95% CI, 1.04-1.22), and respiratory rate 1.03 (95% CI, 1.05-1.26). Body temperature and oxygen supplementation were not significantly associated. Classification and regression trees showed oxygen saturation as the most heavily weighted parameter, followed by altered mental status and respiratory rate. CONCLUSIONS: National Early Warning Score could stratify 30-day mortality risk following RRS activation in Japanese patients.

[A case of gastric perforation that occurred during the incubation period for infectious mononucleosis in an adolescent patient].

A 17-year-old young man visited our hospital because of severe upper abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute peritonitis caused by gastrointestinal perforation. Emergent surgical treatment was performed, and the perforated lesion of the stomach was repaired. He recovered and was discharged without any complication at 14 days postoperatively. However, he had intermittent fever 2 days after discharge and visited our hospital again. He was diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis (IM), derived from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) initial infection, on biochemical examination that was positive for anti-EBV VCA-IgG and negative for EBV nuclear antigen, although he was ameliorated conservatively. This pathophysiology raised a possibility that EBV infection had induced acute gastritis or gastric ulcer leading to the penetration of the stomach. Six weeks postoperatively, esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a gastric ulcer in the vestibular part of the stomach. Pathologic examination of the stomach revealed mucosal erosion with B-cell infiltration into the lamina propria;however, Epstein-Barr viral infection was unclear by EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization. Here, we report a rare case of gastric perforation that occurred during the incubation period of IM with a review of the relevant literature.

Incidence and management of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate in the ICU: An international observational study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic acidosis is a major complication of critical illness. However, its current epidemiology and its treatment with sodium bicarbonate given to correct metabolic acidosis in the ICU are poorly understood. METHOD: This was an international retrospective observational study in 18 ICUs in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan. Adult patients were consecutively screened, and those with early metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.3 and a Base Excess < -4 mEq/L, within 24-h of ICU admission) were included. Screening continued until 10 patients who received and 10 patients who did not receive sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h (early bicarbonate therapy) were included at each site. The primary outcome was ICU mortality, and the association between sodium bicarbonate and the clinical outcomes were assessed using regression analysis with generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS: We screened 9437 patients. Of these, 1292 had early metabolic acidosis (14.0%). Early sodium bicarbonate was given to 18.0% (233/1292) of these patients. Dosing, physiological, and clinical outcome data were assessed in 360 patients. The median dose of sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h was 110 mmol, which was not correlated with bodyweight or the severity of metabolic acidosis. Patients who received early sodium bicarbonate had higher APACHE III scores, lower pH, lower base excess, lower PaCO2, and a higher lactate and received higher doses of vasopressors. After adjusting for confounders, the early administration of sodium bicarbonate was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.62) for ICU mortality. In patients with vasopressor dependency, early sodium bicarbonate was associated with higher mean arterial pressure at 6 h and an aOR of 0.52 (95% CI, 0.22 to 1.19) for ICU mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early metabolic acidosis is common in critically ill patients. Early sodium bicarbonate is administered by clinicians to more severely ill patients but without correction for weight or acidosis severity. Bicarbonate therapy in acidotic vasopressor-dependent patients may be beneficial and warrants further investigation.

[A Case of Duodenal Adenocarcinoma in the Third Portion Treated with Partial Duodenectomy].

A 85-year-old man was admitted due to vomiting. Abdominal CT showed the remarkable expansion of the stomach and the stenotic lesion in the third portion of the duodenum. Duodenal endoscopy showed a circular tumor of the third potion of the duodenum, and biopsy disclosed tubular adenocarcinoma. Operation was performed on the basis of a diagnosis of primary duodenal cancer of the third portion. Liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and apparent lymph node enlargement were not observed. The tumor was present in the third portion of the duodenum and partial duodenectomy was performed. Reconstruction was achieved by side to side anastomosis of the duodenum and the jejunum. Histopathological diagnosis was well differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, SS, ly1, v1. Primary duodenal cancer is a relatively rare disease, and there are few cases of third portion. If pancreatic invasion and lymph node metastasis are not observed as in this case, it is necessary to examine the indication of partial duodenectomy.

Occurrence and incidence rate of peripheral intravascular catheter-related phlebitis and complications in critically ill patients: a prospective cohort study (AMOR-VENUS study).

BACKGROUND: The lack of precise information on the epidemiology of peripheral intravascular catheter (PIVC)-related phlebitis and complications in critically ill patients results in the absence of appropriate preventive measures. Therefore, we aimed to describe the epidemiology of the use of PIVCs and the incidence/occurrence of phlebitis and complications in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted in 23 ICUs in Japan. All consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years admitted to the ICU were enrolled. PIVCs inserted prior to ICU admission and those newly inserted after ICU admission were included in the analysis. Characteristics of the ICU, patients, and PIVCs were recorded. The primary and secondary outcomes were the occurrence and incidence rate of PIVC-related phlebitis and complications (catheter-related blood stream infection [CRBSI] and catheter failure) during the ICU stay. RESULTS: We included 2741 patients and 7118 PIVCs, of which 48.2% were inserted in the ICU. PIVC-related phlebitis occurred in 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.9-8.2%) of catheters (3.3 cases / 100 catheter-days) and 12.9% (95% CI 11.7-14.2%) of patients (6.3 cases / 100 catheter-days). Most PIVCs were removed immediately after diagnosis of phlebitis (71.9%). Grade 1 was the most common phlebitis (72.6%), while grade 4 was the least common (1.5%). The incidence rate of CRBSI was 0.8% (95% CI 0.4-1.2%). In cases of catheter failure, the proportion and incidence rate per 100 intravenous catheter-days of catheter failure were 21% (95% CI 20.0-21.9%) and 9.1 (95% CI 8.7-10.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: PIVC-related phlebitis and complications were common in critically ill patients. The results suggest the importance of preventing PIVC-related complications, even in critically ill patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR, the Japanese clinical trial registry (registration number: UMIN000028019 , July 1, 2017).

[A Case of Unresectable Recurrent Colorectal Cancer with Regorafenib Treatment and Long-Term Survival].

This paper reports a case in which the patient has survived for 5 years and 6 months after recurrence of colorectal cancer by chemotherapy, and especially in regorafenib as fourth-line therapy has obtained stable disease(SD)for 2 years and 6 months. A man in his 70s underwent left hemicolectomy in the diagnosis of descending colon cancer. Four years and 4 months after the operation, abdominal CT revealed paraaortic lymph node metastasis. When SOX plus bevacizumab was performed as first-line therapy, partial response(PR)was obtained, and PR was maintained for a long time. After progressive disease(PD), IRIS was performed as second-line therapy, but the effect was not obtained. Panitumumab was started as third-line therapy, and PR was temporarily recognized, but since it became PD again, regorafenib was introduced as fourth- line therapy. After regorafenib administration, reduction of paraaortic lymph nodes and lowering of CEA are recognized, and long SD can be maintained. This case can be said to be 1 case in which the usefulness of regorafenib was shown as a salvage- line for unresectable colorectal cancer.

Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells curatively resected after pembrolizumab therapy for lung metastases: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Therapy targeting programmed death-1 or programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) has been developed for various solid malignant tumors, such as melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but this approach has little effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) is a rare pancreatic malignancy having unique morphology and is considered a variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although UCOGC has been reported to have better prognosis than conventional PDAC, the optimal treatment for UCOGC with distant metastases has not been determined. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old man was initially diagnosed with NSCLC with multiple intrapulmonary metastases and abdominal lymph node metastasis in the tail of the pancreas, and bronchial biopsy and diagnostic imaging were performed. Pathologic examination of the lung showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells expressing epithelial marker and PD-L1. Therefore, pembrolizumab monotherapy for NSCLC was given. The pulmonary lesions shrank markedly and were in complete remission after 8 months of anti-PD-1 therapy, though no therapeutic effect was observed in the pancreatic site. Distal pancreatectomy was then performed, and histopathological examination showed that the tumor was UCOGC originating from the pancreas. The histologic findings of the resected specimen mimicked those of the lung biopsy specimen, leading to the final assessment that the lung tumors were metastatic foci that migrated from the UCOGC, and only the metastatic lesions benefited from pembrolizumab therapy. CONCLUSION: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have limited therapeutic effects on primary lesions of pancreatic cancer, but they may exert antitumor effects on pulmonary metastases of UCOGC.

Value of laboratory results in addition to vital signs in a machine learning algorithm to predict in-hospital cardiac arrest: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although machine learning-based prediction models for in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) have been widely investigated, it is unknown whether a model based on vital signs alone (Vitals-Only model) can perform similarly to a model that considers both vital signs and laboratory results (Vitals+Labs model). METHODS: All adult patients hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital in Japan between October 2011 and October 2018 were included in this study. Random forest models with/without laboratory results (Vitals+Labs model and Vitals-Only model, respectively) were trained and tested using chronologically divided datasets. Both models use patient demographics and eight-hourly vital signs collected within the previous 48 hours. The primary and secondary outcomes were the occurrence of IHCA in the next 8 and 24 hours, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used as a comparative measure. Sensitivity analyses were performed under multiple statistical assumptions. RESULTS: Of 141,111 admitted patients (training data: 83,064, test data: 58,047), 338 had an IHCA (training data: 217, test data: 121) during the study period. The Vitals-Only model and Vitals+Labs model performed comparably when predicting IHCA within the next 8 hours (Vitals-Only model vs Vitals+Labs model, AUC = 0.862 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.855-0.868] vs 0.872 [95% CI: 0.867-0.878]) and 24 hours (Vitals-Only model vs Vitals+Labs model, AUC = 0.830 [95% CI: 0.825-0.835] vs 0.837 [95% CI: 0.830-0.844]). Both models performed similarly well on medical, surgical, and ward patient data, but did not perform well for intensive care unit patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center study, the machine learning model predicted IHCAs with good discrimination. The addition of laboratory values to vital signs did not significantly improve its overall performance.

Adult axillary lymphangioma removal using indocyanine green fluorescence imaging system: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphangiomas are benign cystic tumors which arise from congenital malformations of the lymphatic system and are extremely rare in adulthood. We report a case of adult lymphangioma of the axilla that was removed after identifying the feeding lymphatic vessel using an indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging system. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 35-year old woman presented to our hospital with a rapidly growing mass on her left axilla. She had been pregnant once before and delivered at 34 years of age. Mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tumor that consisted of multiple cysts, which led to a diagnosis of cystic lymphangioma. The ICG fluorescence imaging system indicated that only one lymphatic vessel, which was completely removed with ligation of the feeding lymphatic vessel, was flowing to the tumor. An immunohistological study demonstrated that the cystic endothelia were positive for podoplanin (D2-40), a marker of lymphatic vessels. DISCUSSION: In addition to congenital factors, mechanical obstruction to lymphatic vessels by an external force, such as trauma or congestion of the lymphatic flow caused by increasing venous pressure during pregnancy or delivery might lead to lymphangioma in adulthood. Therefore, our patient's pregnancy and delivery one year prior to discovery of the tumor seems to be the cause of her lymphangioma. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, we recommend the complete excision to successfully treat adult-onset lymphangioma. We also suggest that visualization with ICG fluorescence imaging system is very useful for detecting the feeding lymphatic vessel and performing complete excision of the lymphangioma.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations in antimicrobial therapy for sepsis.

Introduction: Antimicrobial dose optimization for the treatment of sepsis remains challenging because of dynamic pharmacokinetic alterations and physiological/pathological responses of the host. Subtherapeutic plasma levels of antimicrobials are commonly observed in patients with sepsis, which potentially leads to both treatment failure and emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The knowledge of antimicrobial pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is helpful in order to tailor antimicrobial dosing strategies.Areas covered: This narrative review summarizes pharmacokinetic alterations of antimicrobial agents and provides useful information on antimicrobial dose optimization. Literature was searched using PubMed database, focusing on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antibacterial and antifungal agents in sepsis.Expert opinion: In patients with sepsis, increased volume of distribution and variable changes in renal clearance are the two major factors for antimicrobial pharmacokinetic alterations. Traditional 'one-dose-fits-all' dosing strategy is not suitable for patients with sepsis and hence individualized antimicrobial dosing adjustment is preferable. In general, the initial dose of hydrophilic antimicrobials such as ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, and vancomycin should be given at a high dose regardless of renal function. Improved methods of drug administration (e.g. extended/continuous infusion of ß-lactams) help to increase the chance of pharmacodynamic target attainment. The use of therapeutic drug monitoring should be considered where available.