Point-of-care ultrasonography in Ukraine: a survey of anesthesiologists-intensivists participating in ultrasonography courses.

PURPOSE: Despite the potential value of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) in resource-limited environments, it is not widely used in low- and middle-income countries compared with high-income countries. We sought to evaluate the current POCUS practice of Ukrainian anesthesiologists who attended POCUS courses to guide future POCUS training in Ukraine. METHODS: We conducted a 25-question web-based survey. It was distributed to 255 participants of POCUS courses held in Ukraine in 2023. The survey sections described current POCUS practice, perception of POCUS value, POCUS skills self-assessment, and perceived barriers to implementing POCUS in clinical practice. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-four out of 255 course participants completed the survey, representing 214 unique respondents. Those who self-rated their skills identified themselves as either novices or beginners in areas of POCUS knowledge (118/157, 75%), image acquisition (110/158, 70%), image interpretation (117/158, 74%), and integration into clinical decision-making (105/155, 68%). Among all survey responders, 55% (118/214) reported using POCUS for vascular access procedures, 45% (97/214) for trauma assessment, and 44% (93/214) for regional anesthesia. Reported barriers to POCUS implementation included lack of ultrasound devices (101/214, 47%) and lack of trained faculty (112/214, 52%). CONCLUSION: Among anesthesiologists who participated in POCUS courses in Ukraine, the majority were in early stages of ultrasound practice. Respondents identified POCUS applications not currently practiced and evaluated barriers to POCUS use. Based upon these survey findings, we propose the following measures in Ukraine: 1) developing a standardized national POCUS curriculum; 2) increasing the number of experienced instructors of POCUS; and 3) acquiring ultrasound devices to support clinical applications of POCUS, especially in the Central, Southern, and Eastern regions.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Malgré la valeur potentielle de l'échographie ciblée (POCUS) dans les environnements à ressources limitées, cette modalité n'est pas très répandue dans les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire par rapport aux pays à revenu élevé. Nous avons cherché à évaluer la pratique actuelle des anesthésiologistes en Ukraine qui ont suivi des cours d'échographie ciblée afin d'orienter la future formation en POCUS dans ce pays. MéTHODE: Nous avons mené un sondage en ligne de 25 questions. Il a été distribué à 255 personnes ayant suivi des cours de POCUS organisés en Ukraine en 2023. Les sections de l'enquête décrivaient la pratique actuelle en échographie ciblée, la perception de sa valeur, l'auto-évaluation des compétences en POCUS et les obstacles perçus à sa mise en œuvre dans la pratique clinique. RéSULTATS: Deux cent quarante-quatre des 255 personnes ayant pris part au cours ont répondu au sondage, représentant 214 répondant·es uniques. Les personnes ayant auto-évalué leurs compétences se sont identifiées comme novices ou débutantes dans les domaines de la connaissance de l'échographie ciblée (118/157, 75 %), de l'acquisition d'images (110/158, 70 %), de l'interprétation d'images (117/158, 74 %) et de l'intégration dans la prise de décision clinique (105/155, 68 %). Parmi toutes les personnes ayant répondu à l'enquête, 55 % (118/214) ont déclaré utiliser l'échographie ciblée pour les procédures d'accès vasculaire, 45 % (97/214) pour l'évaluation des traumatismes et 44 % (93/214) pour l'anesthésie régionale. Les obstacles signalés à la mise en œuvre de l'échographie ciblée comprenaient le manque d'appareils d'échographie (101/214, 47 %) et le manque de professeur·es formé·es (112/214, 52 %). CONCLUSION: Parmi les anesthésiologistes qui ont participé aux cours d'échographie ciblée en Ukraine, la majorité en étaient aux premiers stades de la pratique de l'échographie. Les répondant·es ont identifié les applications de l'échographie ciblée qui ne sont pas actuellement pratiquées et ont évalué les obstacles à son utilisation. Sur la base des résultats de cette enquête, nous proposons les mesures suivantes en Ukraine : 1) la création d'un programme national normalisé d'échographie ciblée; 2) l'augmentation du nombre d'instructrices et instructeurs expérimenté·es en échographie ciblée; et 3) l'acquisition d'appareils d'échographie pour soutenir les applications cliniques de cette modalité, en particulier dans les régions du Centre, du Sud et de l'Est du pays.

Critical Care Echocardiography: Assessing Left and Right Ventricular Function in the Intensive Care Unit.

In this review we explore Left Ventricular and Right Ventricular parameters that intensivists can use to evaluate, manage, and monitor the critically ill. Understanding these parameters, their clinical relevance, and potential pitfalls, is crucial for thorough and accurate patient assessment and management. Critical Care Echocardiography encompasses all the advanced cardiac and non-cardiac skillset needed to integrate the findings of Left Ventricular and Right Ventricular size and function. We advocate for a physiologic approach to the critically ill patient, tailoring therapy to reverse the etiology while simultaneously supporting circulation based on a sound understanding of left and right ventricular pressures, volumes, and flow.

Early Serial Echocardiographic and Ultrasonographic Findings in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19.

Background: Cardiac function of critically ill patients with COVID-19 generally has been reported from clinically obtained data. Echocardiographic deformation imaging can identify ventricular dysfunction missed by traditional echocardiographic assessment. Research Question: What is the prevalence of ventricular dysfunction and what are its implications for the natural history of critical COVID-19? Study Design and Methods: This is a multicenter prospective cohort of critically ill patients with COVID-19. We performed serial echocardiography and lower extremity vascular ultrasound on hospitalization days 1, 3, and 8. We defined left ventricular (LV) dysfunction as the absolute value of longitudinal strain of < 17% or left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of < 50%. Primary clinical outcome was inpatient survival. Results: We enrolled 110 patients. Thirty-nine (35.5%) died before hospital discharge. LV dysfunction was present at admission in 38 patients (34.5%) and in 21 patients (36.2%) on day 8 (P = .59). Median baseline LVEF was 62% (interquartile range [IQR], 52%-69%), whereas median absolute value of baseline LV strain was 16% (IQR, 14%-19%). Survivors and nonsurvivors did not differ statistically significantly with respect to day 1 LV strain (17.9% vs 14.4%; P = .12) or day 1 LVEF (60.5% vs 65%; P = .06). Nonsurvivors showed worse day 1 right ventricle (RV) strain than survivors (16.3% vs 21.2%; P = .04). Interpretation: Among patients with critical COVID-19, LV and RV dysfunction is common, frequently identified only through deformation imaging, and early (day 1) RV dysfunction may be associated with clinical outcome.

Long-Term Follow up of Renal and Other Acute Organ Failure in Survivors of Critical Illness Due to Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term health sequelae and outcomes of various organ failures in ICU survivors of Covid-19. The aim of our research was to study the characteristics of 120-day ICU survivors of the initial pandemic surge and report their long term (>6 months) outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a telephone questionnaire-based follow up study of 120- day survivors of Covid-19 admitted to ICUs at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY from 3/10/2020 to 4/11/2020. The study period was 2 months (11/1/2020-12/31/2020). RESULTS: 126 out of 300 (42%) survived to 120-days post-hospital discharge. The median age of survivors was 54 (47-61) years. Seventy-eight (62%) patients developed acute kidney injury (AKI); thirty-five (44.9%) of them required renal replacement therapy (RRT). One hundred-five (83.3%) required invasive mechanical ventilation; ten of them required tracheotomy. 103 (81.7%) completed the telephone questionnaire-based study, at a median (IQR) of 216.5 (200-234.5) days after hospital discharge. 29 (28.2%) patients reported persistent shortness of breath, 24, (23.3%) complained of persistent cough, and persistent anosmia in 9 (8.8%). AKI resolved completely in 58 (74.4%) patients. Of 35 AKI patients who required initiation of RRT during hospitalization, 27 (77%) were liberated from RRT and 20 (57%) had resolution of AKI. Of 20 patients without AKI resolution, 12 developed chronic kidney disease, whereas 8 still require RRT. Thirty-three (32.4%) patients developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 10 (11.8%) reported major depression. Many of the patients (68%) regained baseline functional status. Readmissions occurred in 22.3% patients within first 6 months after discharge. CONCLUSION: Persistent symptoms of long Covid have been reported in ICU survivors of Covid-19 for extended durations. Outcomes of Covid-19 associated acute kidney injury are excellent. There is a high incidence of PTSD and depression in COVID-19 ICU survivors. Functional outcomes are good, but these patients remain at increased risk of hospital readmission.

Rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Knowledge about the pathophysiology of the disease and its effect on multiple systems is growing. Kidney injury has been a topic of focus, and rhabdomyolysis is suspected to be one of the contributing mechanisms. However, information on rhabdomyolysis in patients affected by COVID-19 is limited. We aim to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who developed rhabdomyolysis. Materials and methods A retrospective observational cohort consisted of patients who were admitted and had an outcome between March 16 to May 27, 2020, inclusive of those dates at a single center in the Bronx, New York City. All consecutive inpatients with lab-confirmed COVID-19 were identified. Patients with peak total creatine kinase (CK) over 1,000 U/L were reviewed; 140 patients were included in the study. The main outcomes during hospitalization were new-onset renal replacement therapy and in-hospital mortality. Results The median age was 68 years (range: 21-93); 64% were males. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (73%), diabetes mellitus (47%), and chronic kidney disease (24%). Median CK on admission was 1,323 U/L (interquartile range [IQR]: 775 - 2,848). Median CK on discharge among survivors was 852 (IQR: 170 - 1,788). Median creatinine on admission was 1.78 mg/dL (IQR: 1.23 - 3.06). During hospitalization, 49 patients (35%) received invasive mechanical ventilation, 24 patients (17.1%) were treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT), and 66 (47.1%) died. Conclusions Rhabdomyolysis was a common finding among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in our hospital in the Bronx. The incidence of new-onset renal replacement therapy and in-hospital mortality is higher in patients who develop rhabdomyolysis. McMahon score, rather than isolated creatine kinase levels, was a statistically significant predictor of new-onset RRT. Clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion for rhabdomyolysis in COVID-19 patients throughout their admission and use validated scores like McMahon score to devise their treatment plan accordingly.

Thromboembolic Events and Role of Point of Care Ultrasound in Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients Needing Intensive Care Unit Admission.

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 associated coagulopathy (CAC) is associated with prothrombotic state and thromboembolism. However, true incidence of thromboembolic events is difficult to determine in the ICU setting. The aim of our study was to investigate the cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events in Covid-19 patients needing intensive care unit (ICU) admission and assessing the utility of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to screen for and diagnose lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study between April 22nd and May 26th, 2020 where all adult patients with the diagnosis of Covid-19 pneumonia admitted to 8 ICUs of Montefiore Medical Center were included. POCUS exam was performed on all patients at day 1 of ICU admission and at day 7 and 14 after the first exam. RESULTS: The primary outcome was to study the cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events in Covid-19 patients needing ICU admission. A total of 107 patients were included. All patients got POCUS exam on day 1 in the ICU, 62% got day 7 and 41% got day 14 exam. POCUS diagnosed 17 lower extremity DVTs on day 1, 3 new on day 7 and 1 new on day 14. Forty patients developed 52 thromboembolic events, with the rate of 37.3%. We found a high 45-day cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events of 37% and a high 45-day cumulative incidence of lower and upper extremity DVT of 21% and 10% respectively. Twelve (30%) patients had failure of therapeutic anticoagulation. Occurrence of a thromboembolic event was not associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.08, p value = .81). CONCLUSIONS: Covid-19 patients in ICU have a high cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events, but not associated with higher mortality. POCUS is an excellent tool to help screen and diagnose DVT during a pandemic.