Protective ventilation and outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 5% of COVID-19 patients develop respiratory failure and need ventilatory support, yet little is known about the impact of mechanical ventilation strategy in COVID-19. Our objective was to describe baseline characteristics, ventilatory parameters, and outcomes of critically ill patients in the largest referral center for COVID-19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during the first surge of the pandemic. METHODS: This cohort included COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of an academic hospital with 94 ICU beds, a number expanded to 300 during the pandemic as part of a state preparedness plan. Data included demographics, advanced life support therapies, and ventilator parameters. The main outcome was 28-day survival. We used a multivariate Cox model to test the association between protective ventilation and survival, adjusting for PF ratio, pH, compliance, and PEEP. RESULTS: We included 1503 patients from March 30 to June 30, 2020. The mean age was 60 ± 15 years, and 59% were male. During 28-day follow-up, 1180 (79%) patients needed invasive ventilation and 666 (44%) died. For the 984 patients who were receiving mechanical ventilation in the first 24 h of ICU stay, mean tidal volume was 6.5 ± 1.3 mL/kg of ideal body weight, plateau pressure was 24 ± 5 cmH2O, respiratory system compliance was 31.9 (24.4-40.9) mL/cmH2O, and 82% of patients were ventilated with protective ventilation. Noninvasive ventilation was used in 21% of patients, and prone, in 36%. Compliance was associated with survival and did not show a bimodal pattern that would support the presence of two phenotypes. In the multivariable model, protective ventilation (aHR 0.73 [95%CI 0.57-0.94]), adjusted for PF ratio, compliance, PEEP, and arterial pH, was independently associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: During the peak of the epidemic in Sao Paulo, critically ill patients with COVID-19 often required mechanical ventilation and mortality was high. Our findings revealed an association between mechanical ventilation strategy and mortality, highlighting the importance of protective ventilation for patients with COVID-19.

Impact of perioperative hemodynamic optimization therapies in surgical patients: economic study and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies suggest that hemodynamic optimization therapies can reduce complications, the length of hospital stay and costs. However, Brazilian data are scarce. Therefore, the objective of this analysis was to evaluate whether the improvement demonstrated by hemodynamic optimization therapy in surgical patients could result in lower costs from the perspective of the Brazilian public unified health system. METHODS: A meta-analysis was performed comparing surgical patients who underwent hemodynamic optimization therapy (intervention) with patients who underwent standard therapy (control) in terms of complications and hospital costs. The cost-effectiveness analysis evaluated the clinical and financial benefits of hemodynamic optimization protocols for surgical patients. The analysis considered the clinical outcomes of randomized studies published in the last 20 years that involved surgeries and hemodynamic optimization therapy. Indirect costs (equipment depreciation, estate and management activities) were not included in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21 clinical trials with a total of 4872 surgical patients were selected. Comparison of the intervention and control groups showed lower rates of infectious (RR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.58-0.74), renal (RR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.54-0.87), and cardiovascular (RR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.76-0.99) complications and a nonstatistically significant lower rate of respiratory complications (RR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.67-1.02). There was no difference in mortality (RR = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.80-1.3) between groups. In the analysis of total costs, the intervention group showed a cost reduction of R$396,024.83-BRL ($90,161.38-USD) for every 1000 patients treated compared to the control group. The patients in the intervention group showed greater effectiveness, with 1.0 fewer days in the intensive care unit and hospital. In addition, there were 333 fewer patients with complications, with a consequent reduction of R$1,630,341.47-BRL ($371,173.27-USD) for every 1000 patients treated. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic optimization therapy is cost-effective and would increase the efficiency of and decrease the burden of the Brazilian public health system.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU in a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil - study protocol

OBJECTIVES: We designed a cohort study to describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the largest public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as Latin America becomes the epicenter of the pandemic. METHODS: This is the protocol for a study being conducted at an academic hospital in Brazil with 300 adult ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients. We will include adult patients admitted to the ICU with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during the study period. The main outcome is ICU survival at 28 days. Data will be collected prospectively and retrospectively by trained investigators from the hospital's electronic medical records, using an electronic data capture tool. We will collect data on demographics, comorbidities, severity of disease, and laboratorial test results at admission. Information on the need for advanced life support and ventilator parameters will be collected during ICU stay. Patients will be followed up for 28 days in the ICU and 60 days in the hospital. We will plot Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate ICU and hospital survival and perform survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the main risk factors for mortality. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04378582. RESULTS: We expect to include a large sample of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU and to be able to provide data on admission characteristics, use of advanced life support, ICU survival at 28 days, and hospital survival at 60 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide epidemiological data about critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Brazil, which could inform health policy and resource allocation in low- and middle-income countries.