Frequency of Screening and Spontaneous Breathing Trial Techniques: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The optimal screening frequency and spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) technique to liberate adults from ventilators are unknown. Objective: To compare the effects of screening frequency (once-daily screening vs more frequent screening) and SBT technique (pressure-supported SBT with a pressure support level that was >0-≤8 cm H2O and a positive end-expiratory pressure [PEEP] level that was >0-≤5 cm H2O vs T-piece SBT) on the time to successful extubation. Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized clinical trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design including critically ill adults who were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours, who were capable of initiating spontaneous breaths or triggering ventilators, and who were receiving a fractional concentration of inspired oxygen that was 70% or less and a PEEP level of 12 cm H2O or less. Recruitment was between January 2018 and February 2022 at 23 intensive care units in North America; last follow-up occurred October 18, 2022. Interventions: Participants were enrolled early to enable protocolized screening (more frequent vs once daily) to identify the earliest that patients met criteria to undergo pressure-supported or T-piece SBT lasting 30 to 120 minutes. Main Outcome and Measures: Time to successful extubation (time when unsupported, spontaneous breathing began and was sustained for ≥48 hours after extubation). Results: Of 797 patients (198 in the once-daily screening and pressure-supported SBT group, 204 in once-daily screening and T-piece SBT, 195 in more frequent screening and pressure-supported SBT, and 200 in more frequent screening and T-piece SBT), the mean age was 62.4 (SD, 18.4) years and 472 (59.2%) were men. There were no statistically significant differences by screening frequency (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.76-1.03]; P = .12) or by SBT technique (HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.91-1.23]; P = .45). The median time to successful extubation was 2.0 days (95% CI, 1.7-2.7) for once-daily screening and pressure-supported SBT, 3.1 days (95% CI, 2.7-4.8) for once-daily screening and T-piece SBT, 3.9 days (95% CI, 2.9-4.7) for more frequent screening and pressure-supported SBT, and 2.9 days (95% CI, 2.0-3.1) for more frequent screening and T-piece SBT. An unexpected interaction between screening frequency and SBT technique required pairwise contrasts that revealed more frequent screening (vs once-daily screening) and pressure-supported SBT increased the time to successful extubation (HR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50-0.96]; P = .02). Once-daily screening and pressure-supported SBT (vs T-piece SBT) did not reduce the time to successful extubation (HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 0.98-1.70]; P = .08). Conclusions and Relevance: Among critically ill adults who received invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours, screening frequency (once-daily vs more frequent screening) and SBT technique (pressure-supported vs T-piece SBT) did not change the time to successful extubation. However, an unexpected and statistically significant interaction was identified; protocolized more frequent screening combined with pressure-supported SBTs increased the time to first successful extubation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02399267 and NCT02969226.

Hypotension Prediction Score for Endotracheal Intubation in Critically Ill Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis of the HEMAIR Study.

BACKGROUND: Hypotension with endotracheal intubation (ETI) is common and associated with adverse outcomes. We sought to evaluate whether a previously described hypotension prediction score (HYPS) for ETI is associated with worse patient outcomes and/or clinical conditions. METHODS: This study is a post hoc analysis of a prospective observational multicenter study involving adult (age ≥18 years) intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing ETI in which the HYPS was derived and validated on the entire cohort and a stable subset (ie, patients in stable condition). We evaluated the association between increasing HYPSs in both subsets and several patient-centered outcomes and clinical conditions. RESULTS: Complete data for HYPS calculations were available for 783 of 934 patients (84%). Logistic regression analysis showed increasing odds ratios (ORs) for the highest risk category for new-onset acute kidney injury (OR, 7.37; 95% CI, 2.58-21.08); new dialysis need (OR, 8.13; 95% CI, 1.74-37.91); ICU mortality (OR, 16.39; 95% CI, 5.99-44.87); and hospital mortality (OR, 18.65; 95% CI, 6.81-51.11). Although not increasing progressively, the OR for the highest risk group was significantly associated with new-onset hypovolemic shock (OR, 6.06; 95% CI, 1.47-25.00). With increasing HYPSs, median values (interquartile ranges) decreased progressively (lowest risk vs. highest risk) for ventilator-free days (23 [18-26] vs. 1 [0-21], P < .001) and ICU-free days (20 [11-24] vs. 0 [0-13], P < .001). Of the 729 patients in the stable subset, 598 (82%) had complete data for HYPS calculations. Logistic regression analysis showed significantly increasing ORs for the highest risk category for new-onset hypovolemic shock (OR, 7.41; 95% CI, 2.06-26.62); ICU mortality (OR, 5.08; 95% CI, 1.87-13.85); and hospital mortality (OR, 7.08; 95% CI, 2.63-19.07). CONCLUSIONS: As the risk for peri-intubation hypotension increases, according to a validated hypotension prediction tool, so does the risk for adverse clinical events and certain clinical conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02508948).

Super Obesity in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Studies exploring the effect of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU) have yielded mixed results, with few studies assessing patients at the extremes of obesity. We sought to understand the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with super obesity (BMI > 50 kg/m2) as compared to morbid obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2). METHODS: A retrospective review of patients admitted to the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California medical intensive care unit (MICU) service between 2008 and 2013 was performed. The first 150 patients with BMI 30 to 40, 40 to 50, and 50+ were separated into groups. Demographic data, comorbid conditions, reason for admission, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, serum bicarbonate, and arterial carbon dioxide pressure (Pco 2) at admission were collected. Hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, mortality, use of mechanical ventilation (invasive and noninvasive), use of radiography, and other clinical outcomes were also recorded. RESULTS: There was no difference in age, sex, and APACHE II score among the 3 groups. A pulmonary etiology was the most common reason for admission in the higher BMI categories (P < .001). There was no difference in mortality among the groups. Intensive care unit and hospital LOS rose with increasing BMI (P < .001). Patients admitted for pulmonary etiologies and higher BMIs had an increased ICU and hospital LOS (P < .001). Super obese patients used significantly more noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV, P < .001). There were no differences in the use of invasive mechanical ventilation across the groups. CONCLUSION: Super obese patients are most commonly admitted to the MICU with pulmonary diagnoses and have an increased use of noninvasive ventilation. Super obesity was not associated with increased ICU mortality. Clinicians should be prepared to offer NIMV to super obese patients and anticipate a longer LOS in this group.

Psychological Safety: What It Is, Why Teams Need It, and How to Make It Flourish.

In health care, transforming individuals with diverse skills into an effective, cohesive team is fundamental to delivering and advancing patient care. All teams, however, are not created the same. Psychological safety has emerged as a critical feature of high-performing teams across many industries, including health care. It facilitates patient safety, quality improvement, learning, and innovation. This review presents an overview of psychological safety in medicine, describing its impact on learning, patient safety, and quality improvement. The review also explores interventions and essential leadership behaviors that foster psychological safety in teams.

Validation of SeptiCyte RAPID to Discriminate Sepsis from Non-Infectious Systemic Inflammation.

(1) Background: SeptiCyte RAPID is a molecular test for discriminating sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammation, and for estimating sepsis probabilities. The objective of this study was the clinical validation of SeptiCyte RAPID, based on testing retrospectively banked and prospectively collected patient samples. (2) Methods: The cartridge-based SeptiCyte RAPID test accepts a PAXgene blood RNA sample and provides sample-to-answer processing in ~1 h. The test output (SeptiScore, range 0-15) falls into four interpretation bands, with higher scores indicating higher probabilities of sepsis. Retrospective (N = 356) and prospective (N = 63) samples were tested from adult patients in ICU who either had the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), or were suspected of having/diagnosed with sepsis. Patients were clinically evaluated by a panel of three expert physicians blinded to the SeptiCyte test results. Results were interpreted under either the Sepsis-2 or Sepsis-3 framework. (3) Results: Under the Sepsis-2 framework, SeptiCyte RAPID performance for the combined retrospective and prospective cohorts had Areas Under the ROC Curve (AUCs) ranging from 0.82 to 0.85, a negative predictive value of 0.91 (sensitivity 0.94) for SeptiScore Band 1 (score range 0.1-5.0; lowest risk of sepsis), and a positive predictive value of 0.81 (specificity 0.90) for SeptiScore Band 4 (score range 7.4-15; highest risk of sepsis). Performance estimates for the prospective cohort ranged from AUC 0.86-0.95. For physician-adjudicated sepsis cases that were blood culture (+) or blood, urine culture (+)(+), 43/48 (90%) of SeptiCyte scores fell in Bands 3 or 4. In multivariable analysis with up to 14 additional clinical variables, SeptiScore was the most important variable for sepsis diagnosis. A comparable performance was obtained for the majority of patients reanalyzed under the Sepsis-3 definition, although a subgroup of 16 patients was identified that was called septic under Sepsis-2 but not under Sepsis-3. (4) Conclusions: This study validates SeptiCyte RAPID for estimating sepsis probability, under both the Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 frameworks, for hospitalized patients on their first day of ICU admission.

Kolb Meets Quality: Applying Learning Theory to a Process Improvement and Safety Curriculum.

The healthcare landscape is changing, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has recognized the importance of training our physician workforce to demonstrate competency in quality, safety, and process improvement. In the renewal of our quality improvement and patient safety curriculum, we set out to create an impactful and relevant course of study using adult learning theories as a scaffold to design the curriculum and inform our teaching methods. In this Perspective, we describe a few key learning theories and demonstrate how we have used them in the teaching of quality improvement and patient safety concepts. Our intent was to create a curriculum that could equip the next generation of physicians with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need to adapt to the changes they face in practice and improve their work environments.

Incidentaloma on Staging CT Revealed to Be Breast to Renal Tumour-to-Tumour Metastasis.

Tumour-to-tumour metastases (TTM) are a rare phenomenon in which a primary tumour has metastasised within another distant primary tumour. We present the case of a 63-year-old female who presented with right-sided breast cancer. An incidental left-sided renal mass was detected on staging CT of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis (CT-TAP). The patient had no evidence of metastases below the diaphragm. Histology following a radical left nephrectomy revealed metastatic breast cancer within a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The patient underwent chemotherapy and surgery for right-sided breast cancer. Follow-up imaging demonstrated the metastatic spread of the breast cancer. This is an unusual case of TTM from breast to an initially occult RCC primary.

Solid variant of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in the head and neck region: a case report of a diagnostic dilemma in a head and neck fine needle aspiration clinic.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is one of the major categories of rhabdomyosarcomas; it encompasses malignant tumors of striated muscle and occurs more frequently in the extremities. It is uncommonly reported in young adults and extremely rarely found in middle-aged and elderly patients. CASE: A 54-year-old man presented to a rapid head and neck clinic with a history of rapid enlargement of neck lumps on the right side of his neck over a period of 5 weeks. The diagnosis of an undifferentiated malignant small round cell tumor was made from cytologic examination of the aspirated sample, and biopsy of the lesion was advised. On histologic analysis, diagnosis of solid variant of ARMS was made. CONCLUSION: A solid variant of ARMS in an older population has not been published in the literature within the settings of a rapid head and neck clinic. Therefore, the remote possibility of this diagnosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a malignant, round cell tumor in fine needle aspiration cytology in an older patient's neck lump.

Risk factors for and prediction of post-intubation hypotension in critically ill adults: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Hypotension following endotracheal intubation in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes. There is no formal prediction tool to help estimate the onset of this hemodynamic compromise. Our objective was to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, cohort study enrolling 934 adults who underwent endotracheal intubation across 16 medical/surgical ICUs in the United States from July 2015-January 2017 was conducted to derive and validate a prediction model for immediate hypotension following endotracheal intubation. We defined hypotension as: 1) mean arterial pressure <65 mmHg; 2) systolic blood pressure <80 mmHg and/or decrease in systolic blood pressure of 40% from baseline; 3) or the initiation or increase in any vasopressor in the 30 minutes following endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: Post-intubation hypotension developed in 344 (36.8%) patients. In the full cohort, 11 variables were independently associated with hypotension: increasing illness severity; increasing age; sepsis diagnosis; endotracheal intubation in the setting of cardiac arrest, mean arterial pressure <65 mmHg, and acute respiratory failure; diuretic use 24 hours preceding endotracheal intubation; decreasing systolic blood pressure from 130 mmHg; catecholamine and phenylephrine use immediately prior to endotracheal intubation; and use of etomidate during endotracheal intubation. A model excluding unstable patients' pre-intubation (those receiving catecholamine vasopressors and/or who were intubated in the setting of cardiac arrest) was also developed and included the above variables with the exception of sepsis and etomidate. In the full cohort, the 11 variable model had a C-statistic of 0.75 (95% CI 0.72, 0.78). In the stable cohort, the 7 variable model C-statistic was 0.71 (95% CI 0.67, 0.75). In both cohorts, a clinical risk score was developed stratifying patients' risk of hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: A novel multivariable risk score predicted post-intubation hypotension with accuracy in both unstable and stable critically ill patients. STUDY REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02508948 and Registered Report Identifier: RR2-10.2196/11101.

A case report of cecal plasmablastic lymphoma in a HIV-negative patient.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a unique type of diffuse proliferation of large neoplastic lymphoid cells most of which resemble B immunoblasts, but all tumor cells show the immunophenotype of plasma cells. It has a strong predilection for jaw and oral cavity in HIV-positive patients. Incidences of extraoral location of this tumor is increasingly being recognized especially in HIV-negative patients for example, stomach, jejunum, omentum, anorectum, lungs, testes, soft tissues, lymph nodes, bone marrow, skin, and central nervous system. We present a case of PBL found in cecum in an HIV-negative patient. It was accompanied by lung and lymph node involvement and presented as abdominal mass. This is only the second reported case of PBL originating in cecum.