Evaluation of circulating levels of miR-135a and miR-193 in patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where early diagnosis and prognostic awareness provide guidance for selecting the appropriate treatment strategies. A wide variety of biomarker-based studies in clinical medicine provide new insights into personalized medicine for sepsis patients. MiRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNA molecules that have been acting as great potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers in various diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, the expression levels of two selected miRNAs, including miR-135a and miR-193, were evaluated for their prognostic potential in patients with sepsis. The circulating levels of miRNAs were quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in patients with sepsis (n = 100) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 100). Statistical findings confirmed the valuable prognostic potential of miR-135a in patients with sepsis, while no significant difference was found between the miR-193 expression level in the patients with sepsis and the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating levels of miRNA-135a can serve a the prognostic biomarker for patients with sepsis. These findings highlight the importance of miRNAs as signatures in the personalized managements of sepsis.

Prognostic values of modified NUTRIC score to assess outcomes in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care units: prospective observational study.

PURPOSE: Modified Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (NUTRIC) score (mNUTRIC score) have been validated as screening tool for quantifying risk of adverse outcome critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of mNUTRIC score to assess outcomes in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted on adult patients admitted to the general ICUs of two university affiliated hospital in northwest of Iran. The association between the mNUTRIC score and outcomes was assessed using the univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. The performance of mNUTRIC score to predict outcomes was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)-curve. RESULTS: In total 445 ICU patients were enrolled. Based on mNUTRIC score, 62 (13.9%) and 383 (86.1%) individuals were identified at high and low nutritional risk, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting ICU mortality, using vasopressor, duration of vasopressor, and mechanical ventilation (MV) duration were (AUC: 0.973, 95% CI: 0.954-0.986, P < 0.001), (AUC: 0.807, 95% CI: 0.767-0.843, P < 0.001), (AUC: 0.726, 95% CI: 0.680-0.769, P < 0.001) and (AUC: 0.710, 95% CI: 0.666-0.752, P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An excellent and good predictive performance of the mNUTRIC score was found regarding ICU mortality and using vasopressor, respectively. However, this predictive was fair for MV and vasopressor duration and poor for ICU and hospital length of stay.

Comparison of Closed vs Open Suction in Prevention of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Ventilator-associated events (VAEs) are one of the main sources of concern in critically ill patients due to the high frequency and mortality. We conducted this analysis to compare the effects of open endotracheal suctioning system with closed one on the incidences of VAEs in adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV). Materials and methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and hand searching bibliographies of retrieved articles. The search was confined to randomized controlled trials with human adults comparing closed tracheal suction systems (CTSS) vs open tracheal suction systems (OTSS) in prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Full-text articles were used in order to extract the data. Data extraction was only started after completing the quality assessment. Results: The search resulted in 59 publications. Among them, 10 were identified as eligible for meta-analysis. There was a significant increase in incidence of VAP when using OTSS compared to CTSS, so that OCSS increased the incidence of VAP by 57% (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.063-2.32, p = 0.02). Discussion: Our results showed that using CTSS can significantly decrease VAP development compared to OTSS. This conclusion does not yet mean the routine use of CTSS as a standard VAP prevention measure for all patients since individual patient's disease and cost are other factors that should be in mind when determining the choice of the suctioning system. High-quality trials with a larger sample size are highly recommended. How to cite this article: Sanaie S, Rahnemayan S, Javan S, Shadvar K, Saghaleini SH, Mahmoodpoor A. Comparison of Closed vs Open Suction in Prevention of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):839-845.

Effect of Vitamin C on mortality of critically ill patients with severe pneumonia in intensive care unit: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients frequently suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Previous studies showed that high doses of vitamin C administration had conflicting results on clinical outcomes in patients with severe sepsis, burns, and trauma. Because of the high incidence and morbidity/mortality with severe pneumonia, we aimed to investigate the effect of administration of high dose vitamin C in critically ill patients with severe pneumonia. METHODS: Eighty critically ill patients with pneumonia were enrolled in this randomized double-blinded clinical trial. Patients with a CURB-65 score > 3, one major criterion, or ≥ 3 minor criteria were considered as severe pneumonia. Patients were randomly assigned to intervention or placebo groups receiving standard treatment plus 60 mg/kg/day vitamin C as a continuous infusion or normal saline in the same volume correspondingly for 96 h. Serum levels of vitamin C were noted at baseline and 48 h after vitamin C administration. Duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, PaO2/FiO2, and mortality rate were noted for all patients till the 28th day. Any complications related to the vitamin C administration were recorded. RESULTS: Duration of mechanical ventilation and vasopressor use were significantly lower in the intervention group (p: < 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Baseline levels of vitamin C in both groups did not have a significant difference but its levels increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group during the study period. Mortality rate insignificantly decreased in the intervention group (p = 0.17). Three patients showed hypotension and tachycardia during the administration of vitamin C which was self-limited with decreasing the dose of vitamin C. Our results showed that the intravenous administration of a relatively high dose of vitamin C to critically ill patients with severe pneumonia was safe and could decrease the inflammation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor use without any significant effect on mortality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT registration number: IRCT20190312043030N1, Registration date: 2019-08-26, Seied Hadi Saghaleini.

Effect of gastric residual volume monitoring on incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients admitted to intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: The value of gastric residual volume (GRV) monitoring in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has frequently been questioned in the past years. In this trial, the effect of GRV on the frequency of VAP was evaluated in critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation. METHODS: This descriptive study was carried out on 150 adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit over a 14-month period, from October 2015 to January 2017. GRV was measured every three hours, and gastric intolerance was defined as GRV>250 cc. The incidence of vomiting and VAP, GRV, length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay, APACHE II and SOFA scores, and mortality rate were noted. RESULTS: The mean APACHEII and SOFA scores, ICU length of stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation in the GRV>250ml group were significantly higher than in the GRV≤250 ml group (P<0.05). Also, a significantly higher number of patients in the GRV>250ml group experienced infection (62.3%) and vomiting (71.7%) compared with the GRV≤250 group (P<0.01). The highest OR was observed for SOFA score >15 and APACHE II >30, which increased the risk of GVR>250 ml by 10.09 (1.01-99.97) and 8.78 (1.49-51.58), respectively. Moreover, the increase in GVR was found to be higher in the non-survivor than in the survivor group. CONCLUSION: Increased GRV did not result in increased rates of VAP, ICU length of stay, and mortality. Therefore, the routine measurement of GRV as an important element of the VAP prevention bundle is not recommended in critically ill patients.

The Effect of Intravenous Selenium on Oxidative Stress in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To modulate the inflammatory response in respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with selenium. BACKGROUND: Selenium replenishes the glutathione peroxidase proteins that are the first line of defense for an oxidative injury to the lungs. METHODS: Forty patients with ARDS were randomized into two groups: the SEL+ group being administered sodium selenite and the SEL- group receiving normal saline for 10 days. Blood samples were taken on Day-0, DAY-7, and Day-14 for assessment of IL-1 beta, IL-6, C-reactive protein, GPx-3, and selenium. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was measured in the bronchial wash fluids. Pearson correlation and repeated measure analysis were performed to examine the effects of selenium on the inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Sodium selenite replenished selenium levels in the SEL+ group. Selenium concentrations were linearly correlated to serum concentrations of GPx3 (R value: 0.631; P < 0.001), and FRAP (R value: -0.785; P < 0.001). Serum concentrations of both IL 1-beta (R value: -0.624; P < 0.001) and IL-6 (R value: -0.642; P < 0.001) were inversely correlated to the serum concentrations of selenium. There was a meaningful difference between two groups in airway resistance and pulmonary compliance changes (P values 0.008 and 0.028, respectively). CONCLUSION: Selenium restored the antioxidant capacity of the lungs, moderated the inflammatory responses, and meaningfully improved the respiratory mechanics. Despite these changes, it had no effect on the overall survival, the duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU stay. Selenium can be used safely; however, more trials are essential to examine its clinical effectiveness.

Thrombocytopenia in the intensive care unit.

Thrombocytopenia is a frequent finding in intensive care unit especially among adults and medical ICU patients. Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count less than 100×109/l in ICU setting. Platelets are made in the bone marrow from megakaryocytes. Although not fully understood, proplatelets transform into platelets in the lung. The body tries to maintain platelet count relatively constant throughout life. Pathophysiology of thrombocytopenia can be defined by hemodilution, elevated levels of platelet consumption, compromise of platelet production, increased platelet sequestration and increased platelet destruction. Unlike in other situations, absolute platelet count alone does not provide sufficient data in characterizing thrombocytopenia in ICU patients. In such cases, the time course of changes in platelet count is also pivotal. The dynamics of platelet count decrease vary considerably between different ICU patient populations including trauma, major surgery and minor surgery/medical conditions. There are strong evidences available that delay in platelet count restoration in ICU patients is an indicator of a bad outcome.

Pressure Ulcer and Nutrition.

Pressure ulcers can diminish global life quality, contribute to rapid mortality in some patients and pose a significant cost to health-care organizations. Accordingly, their prevention and management are highly important. Nutritional deprivation and insufficient dietary intake are the key risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers and impaired wound healing. Unplanned weight loss is a major risk factor for malnutrition and pressure ulcer development. Suboptimal nutrition interferes with the function of the immune system, collagen synthesis, and tensile strength. No laboratory test can exactly define an individual's nutritional status. Although serum albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, and retinol-binding protein as well as anthropometric measures such as height, weight, and body mass index and the other laboratory values may be suitable to establish the overall prognosis, still they might not well represent the nutritional status. Although the ideal nutrient intake to encourage wound healing is unknown, increased needs for energy, protein, zinc, and Vitamins A, C, and E and also amino acids such as arginine and glutamine have been documented. Hydration plays a vital role in the preservation and repair of skin integrity. Dehydration disturbs cell metabolism and wound healing. Adequate fluid intake is necessary to support the blood flow to wounded tissues and to prevent additional breakdown of the skin. The main aim of the present article is to review the current evidence related to hydration and nutrition for bedsore prevention and management in adults.

The effect of bilateral intrapleural infusion of lidocaine with fentanyl versus only lidocaine in relieving pain after coronary artery bypasses surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pain control during surgery in order to cause analgesia and reduce the somatic and autonomic response may decrease the morbidity. Intrapleural catheter embedding during surgery under direct vision of surgeon is safe and easy and without potential risk of thoracic epidural block. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bilateral intrapleural infusion of lidocaine with fentanyl versus only lidocaine in relieving pain after coronary artery bypass surgery. METHODS: In this prospective randomized double blind clinical trial,130 adult patients undergoing elective CABG with age range of 20 to 60 years were divided into two groups receiving either lidocaine and fentanyl (group A) or lidocaine (group B). The analgesia was evaluated every two hours in all intubated and non-intubated patients using Visual analog scale (VAS) and data were analyzed using SPSS software package. RESULTS: Of all patients, 67 (51.5%) were males and 63 (48.5%) were females. The average age of subjects was 53.49 ± 5.099 years. Mean pain score six hours after the surgery was statistically different between the groups at all times. CONCLUSION: The pain in patients receiving combination of lidocaine and fentanyl is less than patients receiving only lidocaine.

Relationship between plasma level of vitamin D and post operative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing CABG.

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia after cardiac surgery. Several studies have shown the impact of vitamin D on heart disease; however, there have been few studies for the incidence of AF and its relationship with vitamin D levels. According to the different results of these studies, we decided to evaluate the relation of plasma levels of vitamin D and postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 50 patients after CABG surgery. Simple random sampling was done. Twenty five patients who developed AF within 48 hours after CABG with Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were enrolled in the case group and 25 patients who did not develop AF within 48 hours after CABG with CPB were enrolled in the control group. Plasma levels of vitamin D in both groups of patients were recorded. Collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 17. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in terms of demographic characteristics, comorbidities, lipid profile and kidney function between two groups. The mean plasma level of vitamin D was 27.4 ± 2.22 ng/ml in the case group and was 28.2 ± 1.18 ng/ml in the control group it (p= 0.803). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma levels of vitamin D were almost the same in both groups and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups with and without atrial fibrillation following CABG.

Relationship between glycated hemoglobin, Intensive Care Unit admission blood sugar and glucose control with ICU mortality in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The association between hyperglycemia and mortality is believed to be influenced by the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we evaluated the effect of preexisting hyperglycemia on the association between acute blood glucose management and mortality in critically ill patients. The primary objective of the study was the relationship between HbA1c and mortality in critically ill patients. Secondary objectives of the study were relationship between Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission blood glucose and glucose control during ICU stay with mortality in critically ill patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred patients admitted to two ICUs were enrolled. Blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentrations on ICU admission were measured. Age, sex, history of DM, comorbidities, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, sequential organ failure assessment score, hypoglycemic episodes, drug history, mortality, and development of acute kidney injury and liver failure were noted for all patients. RESULTS: Without considering the history of diabetes, nonsurvivors had significantly higher HbA1c values compared to survivors (7.25 ± 1.87 vs. 6.05 ± 1.22, respectively, P < 0.001). Blood glucose levels in ICU admission showed a significant correlation with risk of death (P < 0.006, confidence interval [CI]: 1.004-1.02, relative risk [RR]: 1.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed that HbA1c increased the risk of death; with each increase in HbA1c level, the risk of death doubled. However, this relationship was not statistically significant (P: 0.161, CI: 0.933-1.58, RR: 1.2). CONCLUSIONS: Acute hyperglycemia significantly affects mortality in the critically ill patients; this relation is also influenced by chronic hyperglycemia.

Validity of bedside blood glucose measurement in critically ill patients with intensive insulin therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There have been variable results on the practice of tight glycemic control, and studies have demonstrated that point-of-care (POC) glucometers have variable accuracy. Glucometers must be accurate, and many variables can affect blood glucose levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between blood glucose concentrations obtained from POC glucometers and laboratory results in critically ill patients with intensive insulin therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive study which enrolled 300 critically ill patients. Four samples of arterial blood were collected and analyzed at the bedside with the POC glucometer and also in the central laboratory to obtain the blood glucose level. To define the effect of various factors on this relation, we noted the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), PaO2, body temperature, bilirubin, history of drug usage, and sepsis. RESULTS: There were not any significant differences between blood sugar levels using laboratory and glucometer methods of measurements. There was a good and significant correlation between glucose levels between two methods (r = 0.81, P < 0.001). Among evaluated factors (body temperature, bilirubin level, blood pressure, Hb level, PaO2, sepsis, and drugs) which added one by one in model, just drugs decreased the correlation more than others (r = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: The results of POC glucometer differ from laboratory glucose concentrations, especially in critically ill patients with unstable hemodynamic status while receiving several drugs. This may raise the concern about using POC devices for tight glycemic control in critically ill patients. These results should be interpreted with caution because of the large variation of accuracy among different glucometer devices.

Prophylactic high-dose oral-N-acetylcysteine does not prevent atrial fibrillation after heart surgery: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.

AIMS: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) following cardiac surgery is a frequent complication with multifactorial etiologies. Recently inflammation due to enhanced oxidative stress has been implicated in its pathogenesis. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a promising and novel antioxidant agent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose oral-NAC for prevention of POAF. METHODS: Two hundred and forty patients were randomized in this prospective, double blind placebo-controlled trial to either 1,200-mg oral-NAC two times a day (n = 120) or placebo (n = 120) starting 48 hours before and up to 72 hours after open heart surgery. RESULTS: The mean age was about 60 years, and 75% were male. Patients in the NAC group were older, with higher percentage of acute coronary syndrome, hypercholesterolemia, and left internal mammary artery use. Coronary involvement and hypertension were more prevalent in the placebo group. All other baseline patient characteristics were similar between groups. Overall POAF developed in 13.8% of the patients. There was no difference in the incidence of POAF between the NAC vs placebo groups (11.7% vs 15.8%, respectively; P = 0.34). Postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic high-dose oral-NAC begun 2 days before open heart surgery and continued for 5 days, and had no significant effect on the incidence of POAF, in-hospital stay, and postoperative morbidity or mortality.

Lipid Profile as a Predictive Marker for Organ Dysfunction after Thoracoabdominal Surgery: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Plasma total cholesterol is considered a negative acute phase reactant. In various pathological conditions, such as trauma, sepsis, burns, and liver dysfunction, as well as post-surgery, serum cholesterol level decreases. This study aimed to investigate the role of lipid profiles in determining the probability of organ dysfunction after surgery. Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients who underwent thoracoabdominal surgery and were admitted to the intensive care unit of Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, between October 2016 and September 2018. During the first two days of admission, blood samples were taken, and serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and albumin were measured. The relation between the changes in these laboratory markers and six organ functions including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, central nervous system, hepatic, and hematologic, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation duration, and vasopressor use were investigated. The independent t test was used to compare continuous variables. The association between different variables and organ dysfunction and mortality was evaluated by using logistic regression. Results: The serum TC increased the risk of mortality (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.06-1.11, P<0.001), renal dysfunction (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.06-1.12; P<0.001), liver dysfunction (OR=1.07, 95%CI=1.03-1.10; P<0.001), respiratory dysfunction (OR=1.08, 95%CI=1.05-1.13; P<0.001). Moreover, LDL, HDL, and TG were found to be inversely related to mortality, organ dysfunction, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation duration, and vasopressor use. Conclusion: TC could be considered a risk factor for mortality, organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes. On the other hand, LDL, HDL, and TG played a protective role in the patients' mortality, organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes.

Taurine in Septic Critically Ill Patients: Plasma versus Blood.

Purpose: Sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) encompass various problems throughout the body, and two of its major problems are the creation of oxidative substances in the body and decrease of the body's antioxidant capacity to deal with the stress and organ damage. Optimal enteral nutrition fortified with antioxidant or immunomodulator amino acid is a hot topic concerning sepsis in the critical care setting. Taurine plays a protective role as an antioxidant in cells that is likely to have a protective role in inflammation and cytotoxicity. Methods: In the present study, 20 septic patients and 20 healthy volunteers were enrolled. The blood and plasma taurine levels of the patients on days 1, 3 and 7 were measured. Blood and plasma taurine level and the correlation between them, organ failure, and severity of the disease were assessed. Results: Taurine concentrations in the plasma of the septic patients were significantly lower than control group, and the whole blood concentrations were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.001). There was not a significant correlation between the blood and plasma taurine levels in control and septic patients. In addition, there was not any correlation between the severity of the disease, organ failure, mortality, and plasma as well as the blood concentration of taurine. Conclusion: In septic patients, taurine concentration in plasma and blood are low and high, respectively. These concentrations are not linked to each other and not associated with the patients' outcome, and the disease severity, and organ failure.

Diaphragm ultrasound to predict weaning outcome: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Proper timing for discontinuation of mechanical ventilation is of great importance, especially in patients with previous weaning failures. Different indices obtained by ultra-sonographic evaluation of the diaphragm muscle have improved determination of weaning success. The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of the diagnostic indices obtained by ultrasonographic examination, including diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF), diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and the rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI). A systematic literature search (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar) was performed to identify original articles assessing diaphragm muscle features including excursion and thickening fraction. A total of 2738 citations were retrieved initially; available data of 19 cohort studies (1114 patients overall) were included in the meta-analysis, subdivided into groups based on the ultrasonographic examination type. Our results showed the superiority of the diagnostic accuracy of the DTF in comparison to the DE and the RSBI. Data on the combination of the different indices are limited. Diaphragmatic ultrasound is a cheap and feasible tool for diaphragm function evaluation. Moreover, DTF in the assessment of weaning outcome provides more promising outcomes, which should be evaluated more meti-culously in future randomised trials.

Effect of hyperglycemia treatment on complications rate after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Introduction: The goal of this study was to elucidate harmful complications of intraoperative hyperglycemia following children cardiac surgery and benefits of insulin administration for accurate blood sugar controlling. Methods: this study is a Randomized clinical trial. We conducted this study in the operating room of shahid madani hospital. Fifty patients who were children under 12 years old undergone cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Intraoperative insulin infusion was administered intravenously targeting blood sugar levels of 110-140 mg/dL. Blood sugar and arterial blood gas (ABG) were measured every 30 min during operation. Results: Inotropes were used less in the study than the placebo group during surgery. The means of hospitalization and extubation time were more in the placebo group than the study group(P =0.03) and (P =0.005), respectively. However, the mean time of hospitalization in the ICU ward did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: Hyperglycemia has a relation with long time of intubation and hospitalization in ICU. These findings suggest the positive effect of accurate blood sugar control on reducing complication and hospitalization time in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

Comparison of lactate/albumin ratio to lactate and lactate clearance for predicting outcomes in patients with septic shock admitted to intensive care unit: an observational study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the Lactate to Albumin (L/A) ratio compared to that of lactate and lactate clearance in predicting outcomes in patients with septic shock. This was a multi-center observational study of adult patients with septic shock, who admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at Shohada and Imam Reza Hospitals, Tabriz, Iran, between Sept 2018 and Jan 2021. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore associations of the L/A ratio, lactate and lactate clearance on the primary (mortality) and secondary outcomes [ICU length of stay (LOS), duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), need of renal replacement therapy (RRT) and duration of using vasopressors] at baseline, 6 h and 24 h of septic shock recognition. Best performing predictive value for mortality were related to lactate clearance at 24 h, L/A ratio at 6 h and lactate levels at 24 h with (AUC 0.963, 95% CI 0.918-0.987, P < 0.001), (AUC 0.917, 95% CI 0.861-0.956, P < 0.001), and (AUC 0.904, 95% CI 0.845-0.946, P < 0.001), respectively. Generally, the lactate clearance at 24 h had better prognostic performance for mortality and duration of using vasopressor. However, the L/A ratio had better prognostic performance than serum lactate and lactate clearance for RRT, ICU LOS and MV duration.

Efficacy of furosemide-albumin compared with furosemide in critically ill hypoalbuminemia patients admitted to intensive care unit: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Some physicians co-administer albumin with loop diuretics to overcome diuretic resistance in critically ill hypoalbuminemia patients, though previous studies have reported conflicting results on this matter. OBJECTIVE: The effects of adding albumin to furosemide to enhance its efficacy in critically ill hypoalbuminemia patients are evaluated. METHODS: This was a non-blinded randomized trial. 49 adult critically ill patients with hypoalbuminemia and generalized edema who received randomly furosemide and furosemide/albumin complex were enrolled. The patients' urine was collected at intervals of 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after initiation of the furosemide treatment, and the urine output and urinary excretion of furosemide and sodium were measured. The urinary excretion of furosemide was considered an indicator of drug efficacy. RESULTS: The amount of sodium and furosemide excreted in urine showed no significant differences between the two groups; however, the mean of the urinary excretion of furosemide in the first 2 h after drug infusion was significantly higher (p = 0.03) in the furosemide/albumin group. No significant correlation between APACHE II scores and serum albumin levels and the urinary excretion of furosemide was seen. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that there is not statistically significant differences between groups with furosemide alone and combined with albumin in urinary furosemide excretion. It seems that adding albumin for furosemide pharmacotherapy regime is not recommended as an intervention to increase furosemide efficacy in critically ill hypoalbuminemia patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT with the registration number IRCT201412132582N12 in 23 February 2015; https://en.irct.ir/trial/2356 Graphical abstract.