Computer-aided support improves early and adequate delivery of nutrients in the ICU.

BACKGROUND: In 2007 a national guideline on perioperative nutrition was issued in the Netherlands. As external indicator for adequacy of nutritional therapy, the percentage of malnourished patients who reach at least 1.2 grams of protein on day 4 after admission was chosen by the Netherlands Health Care Inspectorate. METHODS: We developed an algorithm that allows users to ask for advice on which artificial nutritional formula to prescribe and at which rate, assuring provision of adequate amounts of both protein and energy. Feedback on nutritional therapy is given to the users on a daily basis, and to the management per quarter. Both the advice and the feedback have been integrated in our data management system. The advice module is also available on-line. RESULTS: In the baseline situation over the first four quarters (2006) an average of 30.2% of patients who had a full day 4 in our unit reached the protein indicator. In the last six quarters post-implementation, the average percentage reached was 56.5% with values consistently over 50%. Changes were statistically significant at third quarter of 2007 (p<0.05) and thereafter (p<0.001). Results for day 7 of admission were unaffected, which indicates that targets were reached earlier during hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that integration of nutritional advice and automatically generated feedback to users in a data management system consistently improves delivery of (early) nutrition.

Mini-review on cardiac complications after mediastinal irradiation for Hodgkin lymphoma.

We present a 62-year-old man who over the years developed almost all the possible cardiac complications of radiation therapy after treatment of a Hodgkin's lymphoma. A review of the literature and a summary of treatment options for cardiac complications after irradiation of the mediastinum for Hodgkin's lymphoma are presented.

Spontaneous remission of acute myeloid leukaemia after recovery from sepsis.

Spontaneous remission of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is extremely rare and usually of short duration. We report two patients with documented AML who developed spontaneous remission of their leukaemia shortly after an episode of severe sepsis and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. The underlying mechanisms of spontaneous remission remain unclear but an association with preceding blood transfusions and severe systemic infections has been reported. An overwhelming immune response due to sepsis and leading to raised levels of TNF-alpha, INF-gamma, IL -2 and an increased activity of NK cells, cytotoxic T-cells and macrophages are thought to play an important role. Better insights into the mechanisms of spontaneous remission of AML after recovery from sepsis could help in developing new therapies for AML.

[Measures for patients taking psychotropic drugs who undergo elective surgery]. / Maatregelen bij patiënten die psychofarmaca gebruiken en die een electieve operatie moeten ondergaan.

Psychotropic drugs can increase the risk of perioperative complications when given in combination with anaesthesia. Evidence-based guidelines that address this issue are lacking. Consensus-based recommendations were formed for the perioperative management of these patients based on the available literature and a systematic evaluation of perioperative risks by the medical specialists directly involved. Patients who use lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants or clozapine are at risk of experiencing adverse interactions. The anaesthesiology literature recommends discontinuing irreversible MAOIs and lithium in all cases, and tricyclic antidepressants in patients with systemic disorders. With the exception of lithium, the risks of psychiatric relapse or recurrence associated with discontinuation necessitate intensive integrated psychiatric treatment. Continuation of treatment under strict haemodynamic observation may also be an option in some cases. Patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) should be observed carefully for psychological instability and physical abnormalities, and clinicians should be aware of medications that could increase the risk of haemorrhage when used in combination with SSRIs. In these cases, a psychiatrist should be consulted. The same is true for patients taking antipsychotic or other antidepressant medication who develop psychological instability or have a systemic disorder. Given the widespread use ofpsychotropic drugs and the seriousness of the associated risks, it is recommended that the decision whether to continue or discontinue psychotropic medication should become a standard component of preoperative assessment.

[Indications for respiratory complications during the use of oral nifedipine as a tocolytic agent, especially in patients with multiple pregnancies]. / Aanwijzingen voor respiratoire complicaties bij gebruik van oraal nifedipine als tocolyticum, met name bij patiënten met een meerlingzwangerschap.

In 7 women with premature labour pains, severe dyspnoea developed that was possibly related to the use of nifedipine as an 'off-label' tocolytic. 6 of these women had a twin pregnancy. Diuretics and oxygen therapy had little effect, but the patients recovered after the administration of nifedipine was stopped. The efficacy and safety of nifedipine as a tocolytic agent has been investigated in a number of well-designed randomised studies. However, these studies were performed in a selected group of pregnant women and women with multiple pregnancies or prematurely ruptured membranes were mostly excluded. It can be hypothesised that the respiratory complications in these cases are due to unequal ventilation/perfusion of the lungs in the presence of a physiologically elevated diaphragm due to the pregnancy. These changes are more pronounced in multiple pregnancies. After administration ofnifedipine, there is perfusion of atelectatic areas of the lung that are not or not well ventilated, resulting in ventilation-perfusion discrepancy and hence dyspnoea. Although case reports permit only limited extrapolation, these observations warrant caution with regard to the safety ofnifedipine as a tocolytic agent in patients with multiple pregnancies. The use of medication in groups of patients for which the agent has not been investigated, or which were explicitly excluded from the study, should be done with extreme caution. One should in any case be aware of the possible risks.

Perspective: How to evaluate studies on peri-operative nutrition? Considerations about the definition of optimal nutrition for patients and its key role in the comparison of the results of studies on nutritional intervention.

Different nutritional outcome studies on the same subject can have vast differences in composition of the chosen food without justification, suggesting that the composition of "optimal" nutrition in patients is not known or that optimal nutrition does not exist. The result will be negative studies which reinforces the existing impression that nutritional intervention is of limited value in every day's patient care. This perspective will put arguments forward that optimal nutrition exists and that the definition of optimal nutrition should be the base of future nutrition intervention studies. This perspective aims at providing a definition of optimal nutrition and consequently a basis to critically appraise the literature upon nutritional interventions in disease states.

Oxybutynin: dry days for patients with hyperhidrosis.

We report the case of a 56-year-old postmenopausal woman who was referred to our Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic because of severe hyperhidrosis. She had a four-year history of excessive sweating of her face and upper body. On presentation no sweating could be documented. Physical examination was also unremarkable. It appeared that five days earlier her general practitioner had prescribed oxybutynin for urge incontinence and this accidentally cured her hyperhidrosis. She was diagnosed with idiopathic hyperhidrosis. We advised her to continue the oxybutynin and six months later, she was still symptom-free. Oral anticholinergic drugs are known to be effective for hyperhidrosis, but only anecdotal reports on oxybutynin can be found in the literature. Oxybutynin is not approved for hyperhidrosis, explaining the unfamiliarity with this medicine. This case shows that oxybutynin can be a very effective and simple treatment with only mild side effects. Therefore, oxybutynin merits consideration in patients with idiopathic hyperhidrosis. This report includes a concise review of the causes and treatment options of hyperhidrosis.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 and respiratory disease in critically-ill patients: Real pathogen or innocent bystander?

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been associated with pulmonary disease, mostly in severely immunocompromised patients. After reactivation and shedding in the oropharynx, the virus may reach the lower respiratory tract by aspiration or by contiguous spread. HSV-1 can be detected in clinical specimens by virus culture or quantitatively by nucleic acid amplification techniques. With these techniques, HSV-1 is often detected in the respiratory secretions of critically-ill patients. However, a clear diagnosis of HSV-1 pneumonia is difficult to establish because clinical criteria, radiological features and laboratory findings all lack specificity. Lower respiratory tract HSV-1 infections have not been associated with specific risk-factors. There is also an absence of consistent data concerning the effect of antiviral treatment on the outcome of critically-ill patients. Further studies are needed to better define the pathogenic role of HSV-1 in the lower respiratory tract of these patients, to improve the diagnosis, and, especially, to assess the need for antiviral treatment in the individual patient.

Fecal energy losses in enterally fed intensive care patients: an explorative study using bomb calorimetry.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Early enteral nutrition and tailored supply of nutrients have become standard in most of the intensive care units (ICU). So far little attention has been given to losses of energy in the stools. The purpose of this explorative study was to evaluate the energy losses of patients with loose stools, necessitating the use of a feces-collector device in a tertiary academic ICU. METHODS: In a group of 13 fully enterally fed and mechanically ventilated patients with loose stools, the daily energy loss in feces was determined, using bomb calorimetry. Malabsorption was defined as an absorption capacity of 85% or less. Energy expenditure was determined with indirect calorimetry. RESULTS: Six out of 13 (46%) patients fulfilled the criterion of malabsorption. The mean total energetic absorption capacity was 84.6+/-13.3%. The mean capacity of absorption of fat was 89.7+/-16.3%. The caloric value of energy loss had a mean of 301+/-259 kcal/day. Fecal fat loss proved not to be a good indicator of total fecal energy loss. A total of 4/13 patients (31%) had a net negative energy balance of over 500 kcal/day. A daily feces production of 250 g or more was a good predictor of malabsorption. Energy loss could accurately be predicted by using a factor 4.87 for the combined energetic value of protein and carbohydrates, if dry weight and fecal fat content are known. CONCLUSIONS: In this clinical study on ICU patients with loose stools, malabsorption proved to be a frequently occurring and so far unrecognized problem, contributing strongly to negative energy balances in 1/3 of the patients.

Long-term outcome after 60 days of intensive care.

Patients with a long stay in the intensive care unit because of chronic critical illness consume many resources, and yet their outcome may be poor. We evaluated the long-term outcome of patients spending more than 60 days in the intensive care unit. We performed a retrospective cohort and prospective follow-up study of 78 patients staying more than 60 days in the 19-26 bed mixed intensive care unit of a university hospital from November 1995 to January 2003. The mortality in the intensive care unit was 38%; at 1 and 5 years it was 56% and 67%, respectively. Advanced age, prior pulmonary disease, long duration of renal replacement therapy, a low oxygenation ratio and platelet count and high Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores on day 60 influenced long-term mortality. A Simplified Acute Physiology Score II of 50 or a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 8 or higher was associated with 100% mortality during follow-up. The overall 5-year survival rate of 33% suggests that prolonged intensive care may be worth the effort in certain patients.

Sarcoidosis mimicking ischaemic ventricular arrhythmia and pulmonary embolism.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder characterised pathologically by the presence of noncaseating granulomas in the organs involved. Cardiac involvement, although well known, is rare. We describe a 72-year-old patient who was admitted to the intensive care unit after coronary artery bypass grafting. She developed refractory right and left ventricular failure complicated by multiple organ failure and died three days later. Postmortem examination revealed extensive sarcoidosis. On hindsight, preoperative ventricular tachycardia and an abnormal perfusion-ventilation scintigraphy of the lungs were manifestations of an underlying sarcoidosis.

Symmetrical, painful ulceration of the lower limbs in a vascular surgery ward: a diagnostic challenge. Pyoderma gangrenosum associated with IgG-kappa paraproteinaemia.

We describe a 61-year-old patient who had been suffering from chronic ulcers of both legs for 18 months. Initially, his condition was diagnosed as ischaemic because of an ankle-brachial index of 0.6, as confirmed by additional angiography. A successful femoro-infragenual bypass procedure was performed, but the ulcers increased in size and number. He was then extensively analysed for a possible (macro)vascular origin of his symptoms. Angiographic analysis of both legs showed no arterial stenosis or occlusion. Despite the extensive experience of the vascular surgeons with leg ulcers, consultations by internal medicine, vascular medicine and dermatology, and tissue examination by our pathologists, pyoderma gangrenosum was not recognised. During a multidisciplinary meeting one of the specialists, to whom the lesions were shown, immediately considered the diagnosis on clinical grounds. The additional finding of IgG-kappa paraproteinaemia and improvement of the ulcers on treatment with corticosteroids were consistent with the diagnosis. Although the majority of patients on the vascular surgery ward have ulcers caused by ischaemia or a combined arterial/venous origin, another (rare) cause, namely pyoderma gangrenosum in association with IgG-kappa paraproteinaemia without the presence of multiple myeloma, should be taken into account.

Emergency resection of an extra-adrenal phaeochromocytoma: wrong or right? A case report and a review of literature.

Phaeochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours that produce symptoms through excess release of catecholamines. Treatment of choice is elective, complete surgical removal after pretreatment with alpha-adrenergic blocking drugs, to prevent dangerous haemodynamic fluctuations. In rare cases a 'catecholamine crisis' develops presenting with pulmonary oedema and circulatory shock. We report such a case of a patient with familial extra-adrenal phaeochromocytoma who successfully underwent emergency surgery. Pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed. Although pretreatment with alpha-adrenergic blocking drugs seems advisable in terms of morbidity and mortality, the concept is based on theory rather than clinical evidence. Surgical management of a catecholamine crisis is associated with high mortality rates. However, proof of better outcome by avoidance or discontinuation of emergency surgery is not available. Based on literature and on this case, we conclude that emergency surgery in phaeochromocytoma does not have to be structurally avoided and may be considered under life-threatening circumstances.

[Arterial hypoxemia due to packing of the nose]. / Arteriële hypoxemie door tamponnade van de neus.

In a 75-year-old man who had experienced a serious nosebleed, as a consequence of collapsing, the nose was packed bilaterally. An evaluation of the dyspnoeic complaints revealed abnormal blood gas values which indicated hypoxemia. Ventilation perfusion scintigraphy and a lung function test did not reveal any abnormalities. Prior to additional investigations, the packing was removed and then the complaints disappeared and the blood gas values returned to normal. That nose packing can lead to arterial hypoxemia, with or without hypercapnia, has already been described. The underlying mechanism is probably determined multifactorially and is not completely clear. Control of the oxygen saturation seems to be indicated for patients with packing, and nasal obstruction should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypoxemia.

Toxicokinetics of nortriptyline and amitriptyline: two case reports.

Two cases are presented of intentional intoxications with the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) nortriptyline (NT) and amitriptyline (AT). The peak plasma concentrations were 2290 microg/L and 2900 microg/L, respectively. The active metabolites E-10-hydroxynortriptyline (EHNT) and Z-10-hydroxynortriptyline (ZHNT) profiles were quite different as monitored for 5 to 10 days after presumed drug intake. In conclusion, these cases illustrate that (1) metabolite formation and elimination after intake of an overdose dose of NT and AT are stereoselective, and (2) NT and EHNT toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics are quite different. It also shows that a patient with a severe TCA overdose can still survive if he or she receives appropriate and quick supportive care, even if the prognostic markers QRS time, coma grade, and serum TCA levels predict poor outcome.

[Sinusitis as a major cause of fever in intubated patients]. / Sinusitis als hoofdoorzaak van koorts bij de beademde patiënt.

Because sinusitis is usually clinically silent in intubated patients, it is not widely appreciated as an important source of infection and fever in critically ill patients. Three such patients, two men aged 22 and 36 years, and a woman aged 50 years, suffered from respiratory insufficiency due to pneumonia. The course of the disease was determined by the sinusitis, which did not resolve during antibiotic therapy of the pneumonia, notwithstanding the fact that the causative micro-organism was susceptible to the antibiotics administered, and that both the tracheal and gastric tubes were led through the mouth instead of the nose. Flushing of the sinuses caused the fever to disappear and led to recovery of the patients. An aggressive approach to diagnose sinusitis in the intubated patient with fever in the intensive care unit is needed. A maxillary sinus lavage and culture, followed by treatment with specific antibiotics should be an integral part of the diagnosis and treatment in these patients. Surgery is indicated in the event of persistent sepsis.

Bilateral pleural effusion and a subsegmental infiltrate due to Chlamydia pneumoniae in a mechanically ventilated patient.

A case of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection with bilateral pleural effusion and a subsegmental pulmonary infiltrate in an intubated and mechanically ventilated critically ill patient is described. Diagnosis was made by polymerase chain reaction on both pleural effusions.

[Clinical thinking and decision making in practice. The internist as a consultant for a patient with unexplained anemia in the cardiology department]. / Klinisch denken en beslissen in de praktijk. De internist als consulent bij een patiënt met onverklaarde anemie op de afdeling cardiologie.

A man aged 73, admitted because of unstable angina pectoris also had a anaemia with a haemoglobin concentration of 2.8 mmol/l. The department of Consultative Internal Medicine was asked to elucidate this anaemia. The anamnesis proved to contain extensive diagnostic tests concerning the anaemia which had had no results. In spite of a negative anamnesis, the low serum iron level had prompted an unsuccessful search for a source of haemorrhage in the proximal and distal parts of the digestive tract. The bone marrow had been examined three times without a clear diagnosis. It was also found that there had been a deviation from the classification of anaemia which should be guided by the size of the erythrocyte and the reticulocyte count. This had resulted in diagnostics that where inconvenient to the patient; also the patient had been treated without success with ferrofumarate. Ultimately, he proved to suffer from autoimmune hypothyroidism; the anaemia was resolved by substitution therapy.

Accuracy and reliability of APACHE II scoring in two intensive care units Problems and pitfalls in the use of APACHE II and suggestions for improvement.

Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scoring is widely used as an index of illness severity, for outcome prediction, in research protocols and to assess intensive care unit performance and quality of care. Despite its widespread use, little is known about the reliability and validity of APACHE II scores generated in everyday clinical practice. We retrospectively re-assessed APACHE II scores from the charts of 186 randomly selected patients admitted to our medical and surgical intensive care units. These 'new' scores were compared with the original scores calculated by the attending physician. We found that most scores calculated retrospectively were lower than the original scores; 51% of our patients would have received a lower score, 26% a higher score and only 23% would have remained unchanged. Overall, the original scores changed by an average of 6.4 points. We identified various sources of error and concluded that wide variability exists in APACHE II scoring in everyday clinical practice, with the score being generally overestimated. Accurate use of the APACHE II scoring system requires adherence to strict guidelines and regular training of medical staff using the system.