Chronic Exposure to Palmitic Acid Down-Regulates AKT in Beta-Cells through Activation of mTOR.

High circulating lipids occurring in obese individuals and insulin-resistant patients are considered a contributing factor to type 2 diabetes. Exposure to high lipid concentration is proposed to both protect and damage beta-cells under different circumstances. Here, by feeding mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 weeks to up to 14 months, the study showed that HFD initially causes the beta-cells to expand in population, whereas long-term exposure to HFD is associated with failure of beta-cells and the inability of animals to respond to glucose challenge. To prevent the failure of beta-cells and the development of type 2 diabetes, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this biphasic response of beta-cells to lipid exposure were explored. Using palmitic acid (PA) in cultured beta-cells and islets, the study demonstrated that chronic exposure to lipids leads to reduced viability and inhibition of cell cycle progression concurrent with down-regulation of a pro-growth/survival kinase AKT, independent of glucose. This AKT down-regulation by PA is correlated with the induction of mTOR/S6K activity. Inhibiting mTOR activity with rapamycin induced Raptor and restored AKT activity, allowing beta-cells to gain proliferation capacity that was lost after HFD exposure. In summary, a novel mechanism in which lipid exposure may cause the dipole effects on beta-cell growth was elucidated, where mTOR acts as a lipid sensor. These mechanisms can be novel targets for future therapeutic developments.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Post-traumatic Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) following severe trauma is common. However, the requirement of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in these patients is rare and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of this study was to identify odds of risk factors, in particular, hypotension at presentation, for the requirement of RRT in patients with AKI following trauma. Methods: We performed a case-control study involving patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a level I trauma center for at least 24 hours. The primary outcome measure was a study of the odds of risk factors associated with the requirement of RRT in such patients. Univariate comparisons and multiple logistic regression analyses were done to identify other risk factors. Results: The presence of crush injury, sepsis, and elevated serum creatinine (sCr) on arrival were identified to be independent risk factors for RRT requirement. Hypotension and exposure to radiocontrast or nephrotoxic antimicrobials were not found to be associated with the need for RRT. Acute kidney injury requiring RRT was associated with significantly increased ICU length of stay (15 days vs 5 days; p < 0.001) and higher mortality (83% vs 35%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The presence of crush injury, sepsis, and elevated sCr on presentation were identified to be independent risk factors while hypotension association was insignificant for AKI requiring RRT in our investigation. How to cite this article: Soni KD, Singh A, Tyagi A, Singh Y, Aggarwal R, Trikha A. Risk Factors and Outcomes of Post-traumatic Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy: A Case-Control Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(1):22-25.

A critical assessment of stillbirths at a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Globally in 2015, 2.6 million stillbirths occurred with estimated stillbirth rate (SBR) of 18.4/1000 births. India is the world capital of stillbirth accounting for 22.6% of world's stillbirths. Objectives: The objective of the study is to study the demographic profile of women experiencing stillbirth, to understand the risk factors for stillbirth in low resource settings, and to find the etiology of stillbirth so as to facilitate designing of a stillbirth prevention strategy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study done at a tertiary care hospital of Delhi from June 2017 to December 2019. All babies delivered after 20 weeks of gestation showing no sign of life after birth were considered stillborn. Prestructured proforma was filled for each case and data were analyzed. Results: A total of 50,461 births took place during the study period, out of which 1824 were stillborn, making SBR of 36.15/1000 births of our institution. Most of the women belonged to age group 21-25 years and more than 50% of women were illiterate. Twenty-nine percent of women were completely unbooked, 48% were referred from other centers and 23% were registered at our hospital. Placental causes accounted for 22%, hypertension for 23%, and labor complications for 9% of cases while in 22% cases, cause could not be found. Conclusion: Stillbirth remains a neglected issue. A significant proportion of stillbirths are preventable by adequate antenatal care. Notification of stillbirths will give us the exact figures and realization of the seriousness of the problem which will help us work towards the solutions.

Serial Ultrasonographic-measurement of Gastric Residual Volume in Critically Ill Patients for Prediction of Gastric Tube Feed Intolerance.

Objective: To study the use of serial ultrasound gastric residual volume (GRV) measurements in predicting feed intolerance in critically ill patients. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in various intensive care units (ICUs) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Forty-three critically ill patients aged more than 18 years were studied for a total of 130 enteral feeding days. Gastric residual volume was obtained by calculating the antral cross-sectional area (CSA), which is the product of anteroposterior (AP) and craniocaudal (CC) diameters of gastric antrum obtained using ultrasound in the right lateral decubitus position. A baseline measurement was done before the initiation of the enteral feed and termed GRV0, the ultrasound scanning was repeated every 1 hour for the first 4 hours and termed GRV1, GRV2, GRV3, and GRV4, respectively, and the patients were watched for feed intolerance. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to correlate the GRV at each time with feed intolerance. Results: The data from 43 medical and surgical critically ill patients were analyzed. Out of 130 feeding days, 13 were noted to be feed intolerant. Gastric residual volume at the end of the fourth hour of feed, that is, GRV4 was the best predictor of feed intolerance with 99.3% area under the curve (AUROC), sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 99.3%, and 95% CI, 0.89-0.98 followed by GRV3, with AUROC of 96% and sensitivity and specificity of 92.3 and 96%, respectively, with 95% CI, 0.92-0.99. How to cite this article: Ankalagi B, Singh PM, Rewari V, Ramachandran R, Aggarwal R, Soni KD, et al. Serial Ultrasonographic-measurement of Gastric Residual Volume in Critically Ill Patients for Prediction of Gastric Tube Feed Intolerance. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(9):987-992.

Artificial Intelligence-assisted chest X-ray assessment scheme for COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To study whether a trained convolutional neural network (CNN) can be of assistance to radiologists in differentiating Coronavirus disease (COVID)-positive from COVID-negative patients using chest X-ray (CXR) through an ambispective clinical study. To identify subgroups of patients where artificial intelligence (AI) can be of particular value and analyse what imaging features may have contributed to the performance of AI by means of visualisation techniques. METHODS: CXR of 487 patients were classified into [4] categories-normal, classical COVID, indeterminate, and non-COVID by consensus opinion of 2 radiologists. CXR which were classified as "normal" and "indeterminate" were then subjected to analysis by AI, and final categorisation provided as guided by prediction of the network. Precision and recall of the radiologist alone and radiologist assisted by AI were calculated in comparison to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the gold standard. Attention maps of the CNN were analysed to understand regions in the CXR important to the AI algorithm in making a prediction. RESULTS: The precision of radiologists improved from 65.9 to 81.9% and recall improved from 17.5 to 71.75 when assistance with AI was provided. AI showed 92% accuracy in classifying "normal" CXR into COVID or non-COVID. Analysis of attention maps revealed attention on the cardiac shadow in these "normal" radiographs. CONCLUSION: This study shows how deployment of an AI algorithm can complement a human expert in the determination of COVID status. Analysis of the detected features suggests possible subtle cardiac changes, laying ground for further investigative studies into possible cardiac changes. KEY POINTS: • Through an ambispective clinical study, we show how assistance with an AI algorithm can improve recall (sensitivity) and precision (positive predictive value) of radiologists in assessing CXR for possible COVID in comparison to RT-PCR. • We show that AI achieves the best results in images classified as "normal" by radiologists. We conjecture that possible subtle cardiac in the CXR, imperceptible to the human eye, may have contributed to this prediction. • The reported results may pave the way for a human computer collaboration whereby the expert with some help from the AI algorithm achieves higher accuracy in predicting COVID status on CXR than previously thought possible when considering either alone.

Rapid chromatographic immunoassay-based evaluation of COVID-19: A cross-sectional, diagnostic test accuracy study & its implications for COVID-19 management in India.

Background & objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has so far affected over 41 million people globally. The limited supply of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) kits and reagents has made meeting the rising demand for increased testing incompetent, worldwide. A highly sensitive and specific antigen-based rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is the need of the hour. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a rapid chromatographic immunoassay-based test (index test) compared with a clinical reference standard (rRT-PCR). Methods: A cross-sectional, single-blinded study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in north India. Paired samples were taken for RDT and rRT-PCR (reference standard) from consecutive participants screened for COVID-19 to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the RDT. Further subgroup analysis was done based on the duration of illness and cycle threshold values. Cohen's kappa coefficient was used to measure the level of agreement between the two tests. Results: Of the 330 participants, 77 were rRT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2. Sixty four of these patients also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RDT. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 81.8 and 99.6 per cent, respectively. The sensitivity of RDT was higher (85.9%) in participants with a duration of illness ≤5 days. Interpretation & conclusions: With an excellent specificity and moderate sensitivity, this RDT may be used to rule in COVID-19 in patients with a duration of illness ≤5 days. Large-scale testing based on this RDT across the country would result in quick detection, isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Prognostic Value of Serially Estimated Serum Procalcitonin Levels in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients With or Without Extra Cranial Injury on Early In-hospital Mortality: A Longitudinal Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with majority of trauma deaths, and objective tools are required to understand the severity of injury. The application of a biomarker like procalcitonin (PCT) in TBI may allow for assessment of severity and thus aid in prognostication and correlation with mortality and outcome. AIMS: The primary objective is to determine the correlation between PCT concentrations with TBI outcomes (mainly in terms of mortality) at intensive care unit (ICU)/hospital discharge. Secondary objectives are to evaluate correlation with associated extra cranial injuries and complications during hospital stay. METHODS: In total, 186 TBI patients aged > 18 years with minimum survival for at least 12 h admitted to the ICU at the level 1 trauma center were prospectively included in the study and divided into two groups: TBI with and without extra cranial injuries. All admitted patients were treated according to the standard institutional protocol. The PCT levels were obtained on admission, on day 2, and 5. Clinical, laboratory, diagnostic, and therapeutic data were also collected. Primary mortality is defined as death related to central nervous system (CNS) injury, while secondary mortality defined as death related to sepsis or extracranial cause. RESULTS: Median PCT levels at admission, day 2, and day 5 in TBI patients with extracranial injuries were 3.0, 0.83, and 0.69 ng/ml. In total, primary mortality was observed in 18 (9.7%) patients, while secondary causes were attributable in 20 (12.3%) patients. Regression analysis for primarily CNS cause of mortality showed PCT cutoff level at admission more than 5.5 ng/ml carried sensitivity and specificity of 75%, but for secondary cause (sepsis) of mortality, PCT cutoff values on day 2 > 1.15 ng/ml were derived significant with sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 66%. No significant association of parameters like length of ICU stay, Glasgow outcome scale (GOS), and primary/secondary mortality with the presence of extracranial injuries in TBI patients as compared with TBI alone was noted. CONCLUSION: This observational study demonstrates the poor correlation between PCT concentrations with outcome at days 1, 2, and 5 post-injury. The predicted relationship between PCT levels and outcome was not confirmed, and that these results do not support the prognostic utility of PCT biomarker in this population for outcome (mortality) assessment in TBI patients with or without extracranial injuries.

Communication skills training through 'role play' in an acute critical care course.

Background: . Effective patient-doctor communication is a key component of patient-centred care, which is one of the six pillars of quality healthcare delivery. Structured and effective communication skills training for healthcare providers is the need of hour in medical education. We assessed the efficacy of role play and simulation in developing communication skills. Methods: . As a key component of an acute critical care course (ACCC), communication skills are taught using role play models and simulation. Live feedback is critical in learning during this course as per the principles of adult learning (andragogy). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the efficacy of ACCC. Results: . The 19th ACCC was introduced to interns at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in December 2018. The teaching methodology and objective-oriented structured training in ACCC were much appreciated for training in human factors with emphasis on communication. A positive response was obtained from the candidates 3 weeks after they completed the course to assess whether interns are able to make use of this training in their day-to-day clinical practice amounting to a reliable evidence level of Kirkpatrick's 'return of investment'. Conclusion: . The use of 'role play' to teach communication skills is effective and superior to lecture-based teaching. Further structured and interactive programmes in communication skills training will improve patient care, relatives' satisfaction and the image of medical profession.

Acute critical care course for interns to develop competence.

Background All medical graduates must know how to stabilize and manage critically ill patients. A 2-day intensive course, called the acute critical care course (ACCC), was conducted to train interns in technical and non-technical skills for managing a patient whose condition is deteriorating. This analysis aims to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of ACCC for interns. Methods We developed and conducted the ACCC to train interns. It included lectures and skill stations. Twenty-four interns participated in the course. Immediate, post-course, quantitative and qualitative feedback was taken online. Qualitative information was also collected verbally and later by email. These data were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse and report the patterns of responses and behaviour. Results The average score for the utility of the course was 4.7 and for the skill stations it was 4.6 on a scale of 5. The qualitative analysis of the feedback emphasized the need for the course before the clinical posting and more skill-based modules rather than lectures. The interactive style of teaching and training in communication using role-play was appreciated. Few suggestions to improve the course were provided. Conclusions Implementing the ACCC needed simulation, interactive discussions, role-play, modified Pendleton's feedback, and reflective exercise that form the basis of a range of educational principles. The blended learning set of objectives of ACCC were the pillars for this successful internship training programme.

Increase in optic nerve sheath diameter predicts early cerebral involvement in fat embolism syndrome.

Early diagnosis of cerebral fat embolism in a patient with contradiction to MRI is challenging. Here we report an interesting case, where the raised optic nerve sheath diameter helped us to predict the early cerebral involvement with fat emboli in a left femoral shaft fracture patient. MRI scan could not be performed due to the presence of a metallic implant in the patient from a previous surgery. He was later diagnosed as an atypical presentation of fat embolism syndrome. Optic nerve sheath monitoring also helped us to guide further management of the patient.

Outcomes of Trauma Victims with Cardiac Arrest Who Survived to Intensive Care Unit Admission in a Level 1 Apex Indian Trauma Centre: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognosis of patients with cardiac arrest following trauma is poor. Our objectives were: (1) to determine outcomes of patients following in-hospital cardiac arrest posttrauma and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and (2) to identify characteristics associated with in-hospital mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of patients admitted to ICU after resuscitation following in-hospital cardiac arrest between January 2017 and July 2018. Patients with isolated head injuries and multiple cardiac arrests were excluded. Bivariate analysis was done to determine a significant association between baseline characteristics and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients were included. About 35.1% of trauma subjects survived hospital discharge. Bivariate analysis showed positive association between admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores with in-hospital mortality. Other characteristics, such as age, duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and serum lactate levels on admission, were not associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Despite being at lower survival following a cardiac arrest after trauma, approximately one-third of the patients survived hospital discharge. This implies that aggressive support of this population is not necessarily futile. Optimization of postresuscitation physiological factors and their impacts on outcomes for these patients need further studies. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Soni KD, Rai N, Aggarwal R, Trikha A. Outcomes of Trauma Victims with Cardiac Arrest Who Survived to Intensive Care Unit Admission in a Level 1 Apex Indian Trauma Centre: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(12):1408-1412.

Bronchopleural Fistula after High-flow Nasal Cannula Use in Patient with COVID-19.

How to cite this article: Venkateswaran V, Chaturvedi A, Soni KD, Aggarwal R, Trikha A. Bronchopleural Fistula after High-flow Nasal Cannula Use in Patient with COVID-19. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(7):830-831.

Check Central Venous Catheter Set thoroughly or Bite the Bullet!

How to cite this article: Singh AK, Kumar S, Aggarwal R, Trikha A. Check Central Venous Catheter Set thoroughly or Bite the Bullet! Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(7):832-833.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-lymphocyte Ratio as Markers for Predicting the Severity in COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shown unpredictable course in individual patients. Few patients develop severe disease with progression after admission to a healthcare facility. Multiple parameters have been investigated to identify a marker to predict disease progression. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) or platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratio has shown some promise. The current investigation explores the role of NLR and PLR to predict the disease progression. Materials and methods: After obtaining ethics committee approval, 608 patients were screened for inclusion in the prospective observational study, and 201 patients were included in the final analysis. The NLR and PLR were derived from routinely obtained complete blood count analysis. The patients were followed to determine the development of severity of the disease during the course. The NLR and PLR were analyzed in both univariate and multivariable models to assess the association and prediction. Results: In nonsevere (NS) group, the mean age of patients was 50.9 ± 16.3 years, and 66 (61.2%) were male, while in severe group (S), the mean age of patients was 53.7 ± 16.4 years, and 65 (69.89%) were male. NLR at day 1 and day 3 was significantly lower in survivors as compared to nonsurvivors, while the relation of PLR in both the groups was not statistically significant. The NLR is better in predicting the severity of disease as well as mortality than PLR. Conclusion: The NLR calculated at the time of admission has high predictive value for disease deterioration and adverse clinical outcome. How to cite this article: Singh Y, Singh A, Rudravaram S, Soni KD, Aggarwal R, Patel N, et al. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-lymphocyte Ratio as Markers for Predicting the Severity in COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Observational Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(8):847-852.

Tofacitinib Associated with Reduced Intubation Rates in the Management of Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Preliminary Experience.

BACKGROUND: The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was not only associated with a rapid and severe surge in the number of cases but also limited availability of recommended medicines. Baricitinib has been known to reduce recovery time in COVID-19 pneumonia in association with remdesivir. Tofacitinib, with limited evidence, was used in severe COVID-19 pneumonia based on its similarity of action with baricitinib. METHODS: Data of all patients admitted to the COVID-19 intensive care unit in the month of April were accessed and analyzed. Data of patients who were on other immunomodulators, invasive ventilation, or suffering from end-stage organ diseases were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Out of 73 patients, data of 50 were analyzed. Twenty-five received tofacitinib and the other 25 were managed with standard of care. Age, comorbidities, and gender distribution between the two groups were similar. On day 7 of admission, the change in SpO2/FiO2 ratio was 1.26 ± 1 and 0.72 ± 1 in the tofacitinib group and control group, respectively. Similarly, a higher number of subjects in the control group showed worsening in the World Health Organization (WHO) ordinal scale (36 vs 12%, p = 0.01). The clinical objective improvement was similar in the two groups. The intubation rates in the tofacitinib group were significantly lower than that in the control group (32% vs 8%, p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Tofacitinib, in this retrospective single-center experience, was found to be associated with reduced intubation rates and reduced worsening in the WHO ordinal scale. There was no difference in mortality in the two groups. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Singh PK, Lalwani LK, Govindagoudar MB, Aggarwal R, Chaudhry D, Kumar P, et al. Tofacitinib Associated with Reduced Intubation Rates in the Management of Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Preliminary Experience. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(10):1108-1112.

Clinical Course and Outcome of Critically Ill Obese Patients with COVID-19 Admitted in Intensive Care Unit of a Single Center: Our Experience and Review.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has been considered as one of the independent risk factors for a severe form of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and relationship between obesity, critical illness, and infection is still poorly understood. We herein discuss clinical course and outcome of critically ill obese patients with COVID-19 admitted to critical care unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of critically ill obese patients hospitalized with COVID-19 over a span of 6 months. Management was guided according to the institutional protocol. Collected data included demographic parameters (age, sex, comorbidities, and body mass index (BMI)), complications, inflammatory markers (interleukin (IL)-6, Ferritin), length of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and inhospital death. RESULTS: There was no appreciable difference in terms of demographics, inflammatory markers, predictors of mortality scores, and comorbidity indices between the survivors and nonsurvivors. Among outcome analysis, there was a statistically significant difference between ventilator days between survivors and nonsurvivors (p = 0.003**). CONCLUSION: Obesity itself is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection; however, if efficiently managed and in a protocol-determined manner, it can have a favorable outcome. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Kaur M, Aggarwal R, Ganesh V, Kumar R, Patel N, Ayub A, et al. Clinical Course and Outcome of Critically Ill Obese Patients with COVID-19 Admitted in Intensive Care Unit of a Single Center: Our Experience and Review. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(12):1382-1386.

Epidemiology and Prognostic Utility of Cellular Components of Hematological System in Sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Data are lacking on the role of cellular components of hematological system as biomarkers for prognosis of sepsis. We planned to identify if these parameters measured at admission to ICU and at 72 hours can be useful as prognostic marker in septic critically ill patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective observational study, 130 adult patients with sepsis were recruited. Various hematological study parameters (total, differential, and absolute leukocyte count, platelet count, platelet distribution width, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio) were noted at day 1 and day 3 of admission. Primary outcome was 28-day mortality, and secondary outcomes were duration of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor requirement, ICU length of stay, and requirement of renal replacement therapy. The variables were compared between two groups and using binary regression model and were evaluated as prognostic markers for 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Data from n = 129 were analyzed. At day-28, n = 58 (44.96%) patients survived. Baseline and demographic parameters were comparable between survivors and nonsurvivors. Admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was more in nonsurvivors than survivors [8 (6-8) vs 6 (4-8); p = 0.002]. In nonsurvivors, monocyte, lymphocyte, basophil, eosinophil, and platelet count were significantly less at day 1 and lymphocyte, eosinophil, basophil and platelet count were significantly less at day 3. NLR and PLR at day 3 were significantly more in nonsurvivors. On logistic regression analysis, age, thrombocytopenia on day 1, and low eosinophil count on day 3 predicted 28-day mortality (p = 0.006, p = 0.02, and p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: Thrombocytopenia on day 1 and eosinopenia on day 3 may predict 28-day mortality in sepsis. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Sinha H, Maitra S, Anand RK, Aggarwal R, Rewari V, Subramaniam R, et al. Epidemiology and Prognostic Utility of Cellular Components of Hematological System in Sepsis. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(6):660-667.

Clinicoepidemiological Features and Mortality Analysis of Deceased Patients with COVID-19 in a Tertiary Care Center.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A large number of studies describing the clinicoepidemiological features of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients are available but very few studies have documented similar features of the deceased. This study was aimed to describe the clinicoepidemiological features and the causes of mortality of COVID-19 deceased patients admitted in a dedicated COVID center in India. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective study done in adult deceased patients admitted in COVID ICU from April 4 to July 24, 2020. The clinical features, comorbidities, complications, and causes of mortality in these patients were analyzed. Pediatric deceased were analyzed separately. RESULTS: A total of 654 adult patients were admitted in the ICU during the study period and ICU mortality was 37.7% (247/654). Among the adult deceased, 65.9% were males with a median age of 56 years [interquartile range (IQR), 41.5-65] and 94.74% had one or more comorbidities, most common being hypertension (43.3%), diabetes mellitus (34.8%), and chronic kidney disease (20.6%). The most common presenting features in these deceased were fever (75.7%), cough (68.8%), and shortness of breath (67.6%). The mean initial sequential organ failure assessment score was 9.3 ± 4.7 and 24.2% were already intubated at the time of admission. The median duration of hospital stay was 6 days (IQR, 3-11). The most common cause of death was sepsis with multi-organ failure (55.1%) followed by severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (25.5%). All pediatric deceased had comorbid conditions and the most common cause of death in this group was severe ARDS. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of adult deceased, most were young males with age less than 65 years with one or more comorbidities, hypertension being the most common. Only 5% of the deceased had no comorbidities. Sepsis with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome was the most common cause of death. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Aggarwal R, Bhatia R, Kulshrestha K, Soni KD, Viswanath R, Singh AK, et al. Clinicoepidemiological Features and Mortality Analysis of Deceased Patients with COVID-19 in a Tertiary Care Center. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021; 25(6):622-628.

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of COVID- 19 patients requiring critical care in a Tertiary care teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics, and 28 day outcome of critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care centre in India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 60 adult critically ill COVID-19 patients in this prospective observational study, admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after obtaining ethics committee approval and informed consent. Demographics, clinical data, and treatment outcome at 28 days were assessed. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics of the COVID-19 patients reveal that compared to the survivors, the non-survivors were significantly older [57.5 vs. 47.5 years], had more comorbid disease [Charlson's comorbidity index 4 vs. 2], higher Apache II scores [19 vs. 8.5], and had significantly higher percentage of smokers. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the most common comorbidities. Dyspnea, fever, and cough were the most common presenting symptoms. Total leucocyte count as well as blood lactate level were significantly higher in non-survivors. Around 47% patients had severe ARDS, and 60% patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. 28 day ICU mortality was 50%, with a mortality of 75% in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. Mortality was higher in males than females (57% vs. 33%). Acute kidney injury and septic shock were the most common non-pulmonary complications during ICU stay. Incidence of liver dysfunction, septic shock, and vasopressor use was significantly higher in the non-survivors. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a high 28 day mortality in severe COVID-19 patients. Further well designed prospective studies with larger sample size are needed to identify the risk factors associated with poor outcome in such patients.

Gargle lavage as a viable alternative to swab for detection of SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab (NPS and OPS) collection is widely accepted as the preferred method for obtaining respiratory samples. However, it has certain disadvantages which may be overcome by gargling. The primary objective of this study was to assess agreement between gargle lavage and swab as an appropriate respiratory sample for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The secondary objective was to assess the patient acceptability of the two sampling methods. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study done at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India, on 50 confirmed COVID-19 patients. Paired swab (NPS and OPS) and gargle samples were taken within 72 h of their diagnosis. Samples were processed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Post-sample collection, a 10-point scale was administered to assess the level of discomfort with either of the collection methods. RESULTS: All gargle samples were positive and comparable to their corresponding swab samples irrespective of the symptoms and duration of illness. The cycle threshold (Ct) values for gargle samples were slightly higher but comparable to those of swabs. Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between the two methods. Majority (72%) of the patients reported moderate-to-severe discomfort with swab collection in comparison to 24 per cent reporting only mild discomfort with gargle collection. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results show that the gargle lavage may be a viable alternative to swabs for sample collection for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Adoption of gargle lavage for sample collection will have a significant impact as it will enable easy self-collection, relieve healthcare workers and also lead to substantial cost savings by reducing the need for swabs and personal protective equipment.