Diagnostic Yield, Radiation Exposure, and the Role of Clinical Decision Rules to Limit Computed Tomographic Pulmonary Angiography-Associated Complications.

OBJECTIVES: Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CT-PA) is associated with significant cost, contrast, and radiation exposure. Clinical decision rules (CDRs) reduce the need for diagnostic imaging; however, their utility in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) remains unknown. We explored the diagnostic yield and complications associated with CT-PA (radiation exposure and contrast-induced acute kidney injury [AKI]) while investigating the efficacy of CDRs to reduce unnecessary testing. METHODS: All CT-PAs performed in an academic MICU for 4 years were retrospectively reviewed. The Wells and revised Geneva scores (CDRs) and radiation dose per CT-PA were calculated, and the incidence of post-CT-PA AKI was recorded. RESULTS: A total of 439 studies were analyzed; the diagnostic yield was 11% (48 PEs). Positive CT-PAs were associated with a higher Wells score (5.8 versus 3.2, P < 0.001), but similar revised Geneva scores (6.4 versus 6.0, P = 0.32). A Wells score of ≥4 had a positive likelihood ratio of 2.1 with a negative predictive value of 98.2. More than half (88.9%) of patients with a Wells score of ≤4 developed an AKI, with 55.6% of those having recovery of renal function. CONCLUSIONS: There is overutilization of CT-PA in the MICU. The Wells score retains its negative predictive value in critically ill adult patients and may aid to limit radiation exposure and contrast-induced AKI in MICU.

Inhaled Prostacyclins for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Studies evaluating inhaled prostacyclins for the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have produced inconsistent results regarding their effect on oxygenation. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the change in the Pao2/Fio2 ratio after administration of an inhaled prostacyclin in patients with ARDS. DATA SOURCES: We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION: We included abstracts and trials evaluating administration of inhaled prostacyclins in patients with ARDS. DATA EXTRACTION: Change in the Pao2/Fio2 ratio, Pao2, and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) were extracted from included studies. Evidence certainty and risk of bias were evaluated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. DATA SYNTHESIS: We included 23 studies (1,658 patients) from 6,339 abstracts identified by our search strategy. The use of inhaled prostacyclins improved oxygenation by increasing the Pao2/Fio2 ratio from baseline (mean difference [MD], 40.35; 95% CI, 26.14-54.56; p < 0.00001; I2 = 95%; very low quality evidence). Of the eight studies to evaluate change in Pao2, inhaled prostacyclins also increased Pao2 from baseline (MD, 12.68; 95% CI, 2.89-22.48 mm Hg; p = 0.01; I2 = 96%; very low quality evidence). Only three studies evaluated change in mPAP, but inhaled prostacyclins were found to improve mPAP from baseline (MD, -3.67; 95% CI, -5.04 to -2.31 mm Hg; p < 0.00001; I2 = 68%; very low quality evidence). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ARDS, use of inhaled prostacyclins improves oxygenation and reduces pulmonary artery pressures. Overall data are limited and there was high risk of bias and heterogeneity among included studies. Future studies evaluating inhaled prostacyclins for ARDS should evaluate their role in ARDS subphenotypes, including cardiopulmonary ARDS.

Characteristics of Cumulative Annual Radiation Exposure in Young Intensive Care Unit Survivors.

OBJECTIVES: Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are at high risk for hazardous medical radiation exposure. However, the cumulative annual radiation exposure in ICU survivors remains unknown. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study of all critically ill adult patients admitted to the 64-bed adult medical ICU at a quaternary medical center. The study included patients aged 18 to 39 years admitted through the year 2013 (January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013) who survived their respective ICU admission. RESULTS: A total of 353 patients were included in the study. The median cumulative effective dose (CED) for the calendar year was 9.14 mSv (interquartile range, 1.74-27 mSv). In 11.6% of the patients (n = 41), CED was more than 50 mSv, while 5.1% of the patients (n = 18) exceeded annual CED of 100 mSv. Overall, radiation exposure from ICU-related imaging studies was lower than those from other medical settings (mean difference, -9.2 ± 83.6; P < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in exposure (ICU versus non-ICU) when restricting the analysis to patients with a CED of greater than 50 and greater than 100 mSv. Eighty-seven percent of the original cohort was alive at the end of the year. CONCLUSIONS: Young ICU survivors are at risk for high annual radiation exposure from both ICU and non-ICU sources. A subset is exposed to hazardous annual radiation exposure in excess of 100 mSv.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome readmissions: A nationwide cross-sectional analysis of epidemiology and costs of care.

BACKGROUND: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome affects approximately 10% of patients admitted to intensive care units internationally, with as many as 40%-52% of patients reporting re-hospitalization within one year. RESEARCH QUESTION/AIM: To describe the epidemiology of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome who require 30-day readmission, and to describe associated costs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Readmission Database, which is a population-based administrative database which includes discharge data from U.S. hospitals. Inclusion criteria: hospital discharge records for adults age > 17 years old, with a diagnosis of ARDS on index admission, with associated procedure codes for endotracheal intubation and/or invasive mechanical ventilation, who were discharged alive. Primary exposure is adult hospitalization for meeting criteria as described. The primary outcome measure is 30-day readmission rate, as well as patient characteristics and time distribution of readmissions. RESULTS: Nationally, 25,170 admissions meeting criteria were identified. Index admission mortality rate was 37.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.2-38.8). 15,730 records of those surviving hospitalization had complete discharge information. 30-day readmission rate was 18.4%, with 14% of total readmissions occurring within 2 calendar days of discharge; these early readmissions had higher mortality risk (odds ratio 1.82, 95% CI 1.05-6.56) compared with readmission in subsequent days. For the closest all-cause readmission within 30 days, the mean cost was $26,971, with a total national cost of over $75.6 million. INTERPRETATION: Thirty-day readmission occurred in 18.4% of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in this sample, and early readmission is strongly associated with increased mortality compared to late readmission. Further research is needed to clarify whether the rehospitalizations or associated mortalities are preventable.

Mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome, 2009-2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs commonly in intensive care units. The reported mortality rates in studies evaluating ARDS are highly variable. Objective: To investigate mortality rates due to ARDS from before the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic began until the start of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design: We performed a systematic search and then ran a proportional meta-analysis for mortality. We ran our analysis in three ways: for randomised controlled trials only, for observational studies only, and for randomised controlled trials and observational studies combined. Data sources: MEDLINE and Embase, using a highly sensitive criterion and limiting the search to studies published from January 2009 to December 2019. Review methods: Two of us independently screened titles and abstracts to first identify studies and then complete full text reviews of selected studies. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB-2 (a risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials) and the Cochrane ROBINS-1 (a risk-of-bias tool for non-randomised studies of interventions). Results: We screened 5844 citations, of which 102 fully met our inclusion criteria. These included 34 randomised controlled trials and 68 observational studies, with a total of 24 158 patients. The weighted pooled mortality rate for all 102 studies published from 2009 to 2019 was 39.4% (95% CI, 37.0-41.8%). Mortality was higher in observational studies compared with randomised controlled trials (41.8% [95% CI, 38.9-44.8%] v 34.5% [95% CI, 30.6-38.5%]; P = 0.005). Conclusions: Over the past decade, mortality rates due to ARDS were high. There is a clear distinction between mortality in observational studies and in randomised controlled trials. Future studies need to report mortality for different ARDS phenotypes and closely adhere to evidence-based medicine. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020149712 (April 2020).

Atrial fibrillation of new onset during acute illness: prevalence of, and risk factors for, persistence after hospital discharge.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) of new onset during acute illness (AFNOAI) has a variable incidence of 1%-44% in hospitalized patients. This study assesses the risk factors for persistence of AFNOAI in the 5 years after hospital discharge for critically ill patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. All patients ≥18 years old admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a tertiary care hospital from January 1, 2012, to October 31, 2015, were screened. Those designated with AF for the first time during the hospital admission were included. Risk factors for persistent AFNOAI were assessed using a Cox's proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Two-hundred and fifty-one (1.8%) of 13,983 unique MICU admissions had AFNOAI. After exclusions, 108 patients remained. Forty-one patients (38%) had persistence of AFNOAI. Age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.08), hyperlipidemia (HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.02-5.05) and immunosuppression (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.02-5.16) were associated with AFNOAI persistence. Diastolic dysfunction (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 0.71-3.00) and mitral regurgitation (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 0.91-4.37) also showed a trend towards association with AFNOAI persistence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that AFNOAI has a high rate of persistence after discharge and that certain comorbid and cardiac factors may increase the risk of persistence. Anticoagulation should be considered, based on a patient's individual AFNOAI persistence risk.

Adherence to blood product transfusion guidelines-An observational study of the current transfusion practice in a medical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusions though life-saving are not entirely benign. They are the most overused procedure in the hospital and have been under scrutiny by the 'Choosing Wisely campaign'. The strict adoption of restrictive transfusion guidelines could improve patient outcomes while reducing cost. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluate adherence to restrictive transfusion guidelines, along with hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS) in transfusion events with a pre-transfusion haemoglobin (Hb) ≥7 g/dl. Additionally, we evaluated associated costs accrued due to unnecessary transfusions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study in a 64-bed medical intensive care unit (MICU) of an academic medical centre involving all adult patients (N = 957) requiring packed red blood cell transfusion between January 2015 and December 2015. RESULTS: In total, 3140 units were transfused with a mean pre-transfusion Hb of 6.75 ± 0.86 g/dl. Nine hundred forty-four (30%) transfusion events occurred with a pre-transfusion Hb ≥7 g/dl, and 385 (12.3%) of these occurred in patients without hypotension, tachycardia, use of vasopressors, or coronary artery disease. Forgoing them could have led to a savings of approximately 0.3 million dollars. Transfusion events with pre-transfusion Hb ≥7 g/dl were associated with an increased mortality in patients with acute blood loss (odds ratio [OR] 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-3.88; p = 0.02) and LOS in patients with chronic blood loss (ß1 .8.26, 95% CI 4.09-12.43; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A subset of anaemic patients in the MICU still receive red blood cell transfusions against restrictive guidelines offering hospitals the potential for effective intervention that has both economic and clinical implications.

Atrial Fibrillation and Transcatheter Repair of Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Evidence From a Meta-Regression.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on mortality and efficacy in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) undergoing MitraClip implantation. BACKGROUND: AF is a common arrhythmia in patients with severe FMR undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair with the MitraClip device. Although AF has been consistently shown to be associated with poor outcomes after mitral valve surgery, the impact of AF on outcomes of MitraClip placement in patients with FMR has not been well studied. METHODS: Prospective, retrospective registries, observational studies, and randomized controlled trials on MitraClip reporting AF and FMR as one of the variables from inception until January 2019 were included. RESULTS: Of the initial 1,694 studies, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. From a total of 5,184 patients, 2,105 patients were identified to have FMR and AF. All-cause 30-day mortality in patients with FMR was 3.7% (95% confidence interval: 2.87 to 4.66) and 1-year mortality was 17.9% (95% confidence interval: 16.01 to 19.71). The meta-regression analysis studying the impact of AF among patients with FMR treated with the MitraClip demonstrated no difference in mortality at 30 days but demonstrated significantly increased mortality at 1 year (95% confidence interval: 0.0006 to 0.0027) (p = 0.004). AF did not influence procedural success. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-regression identifies AF as an independent negative predictor of long-term mortality after MitraClip implantation in patients with FMR. The mechanism of worse outcomes in patients with AF requires further study.

Association of Maternal Lactation With Diabetes and Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Lactation has been shown to be associated with lower rates of diabetes and hypertension in mothers. However, the strength of association has varied between studies, and sample sizes are relatively small. Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether lactation is associated with a lower risk of diabetes and hypertension. Data Sources: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases were searched from inception to July 2018 with manual search of the references. Study Selection: Studies of adult women that specified duration of breastfeeding for at least 12 months, evaluated primary hypertension and diabetes as outcomes, were full-text articles in English, and reported statistical outcomes as odds ratios were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Study characteristics were independently extracted using a standard spreadsheet template and the data were pooled using the random-effects model. The Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guideline for reporting was followed. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diabetes and hypertension. Results: The search yielded 1558 articles, from which a total of 6 studies met inclusion criteria for association between breastfeeding and diabetes and/or hypertension. The 4 studies included in the meta-analysis for the association between lactation and diabetes had a total of 206 204 participants, and the 5 studies included in the meta-analysis for the association between lactation and hypertension had a total of 255 271 participants. Breastfeeding for more than 12 months was associated with a relative risk reduction of 30% for diabetes (pooled odds ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.62-0.78]; P < .001) and a relative risk reduction of 13% for hypertension (pooled odds ratio, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.78-0.97]; P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that education about the benefits of breastfeeding for prevention of diabetes and hypertension in women is a low-risk intervention that can be easily included in daily practice and may have a positive impact on cardiovascular outcomes in mothers.

A pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) approach: initial experience from the Cleveland Clinic.

Management of intermediate and high risk acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is challenging. The role of multidisciplinary teams for the care of these patients is emerging. Herein, we report our experience with a pulmonary embolism response team (PERT). We conducted a retrospective chart review on all patients admitted to the Cleveland Clinic main campus who required activation of the (PERT) from October 1, 2014 to September 1, 2016. We extracted data pertaining to clinical presentation, bleeding complications, and pre- and post-discharge imaging. Patients were classified as low, intermediate or high risk PE. Descriptive and continuous variables were collected and analyzed. There were 134 PERT activations. PE was confirmed by CT-PA in 118 patients. Fifteen (13%) patients were classified as low risk, 80 (68%) intermediate risk PE and 23 (19%) high risk PE. Fourteen (12%) patients were treated with catheter directed rtPA, 6 (5%) received full dose (100 mg rtPA), 16 (13%) received systemic half-dose (50 mg rtPA), 6 (5%) underwent a surgical embolectomy and 4 (3%) underwent mechanical thrombectomy. 65 (55%) patients received anticoagulation only, and 8 (7%) patients were managed conservatively without any anticoagulation or advanced therapy. 11 (9%) patients died while during the hospitalization. Fourteen patients had major bleeding events. There were no bleeding events among patients who received systemic low dose or full dose rtPA. A multidisciplinary approach to cases of intermediate risk and high risk PE can be implemented successfully. We saw a relatively low rate of bleeding events with use of rtPA.

Promoting High-Value Practice by Reducing Unnecessary Transfusions With a Patient Blood Management Program.

Although blood transfusion is a lifesaving therapy for some patients, transfusion has been named 1 of the top 5 overused procedures in US hospitals. As unnecessary transfusions only increase risk and cost without providing benefit, improving transfusion practice is an effective way of promoting high-value care. Most high-quality clinical trials supporting a restrictive transfusion strategy have been published in the past 5 to 10 years, so the value of a successful patient blood management program has only recently been recognized. We review the most recent transfusion practice guidelines and the evidence supporting these guidelines. We also discuss several medical societies' Choosing Wisely campaigns to reduce or eliminate overuse of transfusions. A blueprint is presented for developing a patient blood management program, which includes discussion of specific methods for optimizing transfusion practice.