Safety, feasibility, and impact on the gut microbiome of kefir administration in critically ill adults.

BACKGROUND: Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is frequent in the intensive care unit (ICU), potentially leading to a heightened risk of nosocomial infections. Enhancing the gut microbiome has been proposed as a strategic approach to mitigate potential adverse outcomes. While prior research on select probiotic supplements has not successfully shown to improve gut microbial diversity, fermented foods offer a promising alternative. In this open-label phase I safety and feasibility study, we examined the safety and feasibility of kefir as an initial step towards utilizing fermented foods to mitigate gut dysbiosis in critically ill patients. METHODS: We administered kefir in escalating doses (60 mL, followed by 120 mL after 12 h, then 240 mL daily) to 54 critically ill patients with an intact gastrointestinal tract. To evaluate kefir's safety, we monitored for gastrointestinal symptoms. Feasibility was determined by whether patients received a minimum of 75% of their assigned kefir doses. To assess changes in the gut microbiome composition following kefir administration, we collected two stool samples from 13 patients: one within 72 h of admission to the ICU and another at least 72 h after the first stool sample. RESULTS: After administering kefir, none of the 54 critically ill patients exhibited signs of kefir-related bacteremia. No side effects like bloating, vomiting, or aspiration were noted, except for diarrhea in two patients concurrently on laxatives. Out of the 393 kefir doses prescribed for all participants, 359 (91%) were successfully administered. We were able to collect an initial stool sample from 29 (54%) patients and a follow-up sample from 13 (24%) patients. Analysis of the 26 paired samples revealed no increase in gut microbial α-diversity between the two timepoints. However, there was a significant improvement in the Gut Microbiome Wellness Index (GMWI) by the second timepoint (P = 0.034, one-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test); this finding supports our hypothesis that kefir administration can improve gut health in critically ill patients. Additionally, the known microbial species in kefir were found to exhibit varying levels of engraftment in patients' guts. CONCLUSIONS: Providing kefir to critically ill individuals is safe and feasible. Our findings warrant a larger evaluation of kefir's safety, tolerability, and impact on gut microbiome dysbiosis in patients admitted to the ICU. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05416814; trial registered on June 13, 2022.

Determining Goal Concordant Care in the Intensive Care Unit Using Electronic Health Records.

BACKGROUND: Goal concordant care (GCC) is the alignment of care to patient values and preferences. GCC is a major outcome of communication with patients and families in serious/critical illness. Using the electronic health record (EHR) to study the provision of GCC would be pragmatic and cost-effective for research and quality improvement efforts. RESEARCH QUESTION: Do EHRs contain information to identify GCC? METHODS: This is a feasibility retrospective chart review performed by two independent reviewers. An existing framework containing four questions for identifying GCC was adopted. Two clinicians reviewed multi-disciplinary notes and extracted pertinent information. The primary outcomes were whether the four key questions for determining goal concordance could be answered using information in the EHR. The secondary outcome was the type of goals identified. Cohen's kappa was used to measure agreement between two reviewers. RESULTS: Patient care was considered goal concordant in 35 (85%) of 41 patients in a random sample comprising of 36 survivors and five who died in hospital. Inter-rater agreement on identifying data to determine GCC was excellent (Kappa 0.70). Patient goals were identified in 80% of charts reviewed. Note sources informative of patient preferences, included social work (39%), hospital progress notes (29%), palliative care (20%), and physical/occupational therapy (15%). "Returning home" and "getting better/ stronger" were among the most common patient goals captured in EHR. CONCLUSION: The EHR can be used to understand patient goals, but the information is scattered across the multi-disciplinary notes. Improving EHR and external validation will facilitate ascertainment of goal concordance as an important outcome measure.

A 51-year-old man with seizures and progressive behavioral changes.

A 51-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of new-onset generalized seizures in the context of progressive and significant behavioral change. His medical history was only notable for previous outbreaks of genital herpes. He took no medications. He had occasional social alcohol use and no illicit drug use but was a 35-pack-year current smoker. The patient had no relevant occupational exposure history but had recently traveled to Panama. Initially, the patient's significant other noticed a progressive flattening of his affect. The patient then started to experience episodes of "passing out" that led to injuries prompting ED visits. He was prescribed antiseizure medications and scheduled for an outpatient workup. However, with progressive gait instability, lethargy, and an increase in frequency of generalized seizures, the patient was admitted for treatment of suspected viral encephalitis. Despite initiation of antimicrobial and antiviral therapy, the patient's level of alertness continued to decline, ultimately leading to intubation for airway protection.

A 60-year-old woman with PET scan-avid lung nodules and a history of a ruptured silicone breast implant.

A 60-year-old woman was referred to the pulmonary clinic for evaluation of lung nodules. Her medical history was notable for hypothyroidism, anxiety, and a ruptured breast implant for which incomplete surgical resection and evacuation had been performed 10 years previously. She was a lifelong nonsmoker and worked as a gym instructor. The patient denied occupational exposures and had not traveled recently. Medications included levothyroxine and alprazolam. Except for a 1-month history of occasional dry cough, the review of systems was negative. The patient's physician queried whether the previously ruptured silicone breast implant may have played a role in the genesis of the nodules and referred the patient to our institution for further management. The lack of systemic symptoms relative to the degree of lung involvement provided an early diagnostic clue.

Effect of therapeutic hypothermia on gas exchange and respiratory mechanics: a retrospective cohort study.

Targeted temperature management (TTM) may improve respiratory mechanics and lung inflammation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) based on animal and limited human studies. We aimed to assess the pulmonary effects of TTM in patients with respiratory failure following cardiac arrest. Retrospective review of consecutive cardiac arrest cases occurring out of hospital or within 24 hours of hospital admission (2002-2012). Those receiving TTM (n=44) were compared with those who did not (n=42), but required mechanical ventilation (MV) for at least 4 days following the arrest. There were no between-group differences in age, gender, body mass index, APACHE II, or fluid balance during the study period. The TTM group had lower ejection fraction, Glasgow Coma Score, and more frequent use of paralytics. Matched data analyses (change at day 4 compared with baseline of the individual subject) showed favorable, but not statistically significant trends in respiratory mechanics endpoints (airway pressure, compliance, tidal volume, and PaO2/FiO2) in the TTM group. The PaCO2 decreased significantly more in the TTM group, as compared with controls (-12 vs. -5 mmHg, p=0.02). For clinical outcomes, the TTM group consistently, although not significantly, did better in survival (59% vs. 43%) and hospital length of stay (12 vs. 15 days). The MV duration and Cerebral Performance Category score on discharge were significantly lower in the TTM group (7.3 vs. 10.7 days, p=0.04 and 3.2 vs. 4, p=0.01). This small retrospective cohort suggests that the effect of TTM ranges from equivalent to favorable, compared with controls, for the specific respiratory and clinical outcomes in patients with respiratory failure following cardiac arrest.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy complicating a stroke caused by an air embolism.

Systemic air embolism is a very rare (<0.1%) complication of computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle aspiration and can result in serious neurological and/or cardiac sequelae. Stroke and stress cardiomyopathy can have a variety of etiologies; however, an association of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy with cerebrovascular events precipitated by an air embolus has not been reported. We report a patient with stress-induced cardiomyopathy after an air embolus-induced stroke. The patient was managed with hyperbaric oxygenation and her cardiomyopathy was initially treated as per the acute coronary syndrome protocol until coronary angiography confirmed patent arteries. We review the pathophysiology and management recommendations for both events. Prompt recognition of air embolism-induced cerebrovascular events and stress cardiomyopathy by clinicians is imperative to the timely initiation of appropriate management and a successful treatment outcome.