Usefulness of the qSOFA score for predicting hospital mortality in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The quick Sequential Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) is a score that has been proposed to quickly identify patients at higher risk of death. OBJECTIVE: To describe the usefulness of the qSOFA score to predict in-hospital mortality in cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study carried out between January 2021 and December 2022. Hospital mortality was the dependent variable. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to determine the discriminative ability of qSOFA to predict in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 587 cancer patients were included. A qSOFA score higher than 1 obtained a sensitivity of 57.2%, specificity of 78.5%, a positive predictive value of 55.4% and negative predictive value of 79.7%. The AUC of qSOFA for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.70. In-hospital mortality of patients with qSOFA scores of 2 and 3 points was 52.7 and 64.4%, respectively. In-hospital mortality was 31.9% (187/587). CONCLUSION: qSOFA showed acceptable discriminative ability for predicting in-hospital mortality in cancer patients.

ANTECEDENTES: El quick Sequential Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) es una puntuación propuesta para identificar de forma rápida a pacientes con mayor probabilidad de morir. OBJETIVO: Describir la utilidad de la puntuación qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes con cáncer. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal realizado entre enero de 2021 y diciembre de 2022. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue la variable dependiente. Se calculó el área bajo la curva ROC (ABC) para determinar la capacidad discriminativa de qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 587 pacientes con cáncer. La puntuación qSOFA < 1 obtuvo una sensibilidad de 57.2 %, una especificidad de 78.5 %, un valor predictivo positivo de 55.4 % y un valor predictivo negativo de 79.7 %. El ABC de qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria fue de 0.70. La mortalidad hospitalaria de los pacientes con qSOFA de 2 y 3 puntos fue de 52.7 y 64.4 %, respectivamente. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue de 31.9 % (187/587). CONCLUSIÓN: qSOFA mostró capacidad discriminativa aceptable para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes con cáncer.

Utilidad de la puntuación qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes con cáncer / Usefulness of the qSOFA score for predicting hospital mortality in cancer patients

Resumen Antecedentes: El quick Sequential Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) es una puntuación propuesta para identificar de forma rápida a pacientes con mayor probabilidad de morir. Objetivo: Describir la utilidad de la puntuación qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes con cáncer. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado entre enero de 2021 y diciembre de 2022. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue la variable dependiente. Se calculó el área bajo la curva ROC (ABC) para determinar la capacidad discriminativa de qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria. Resultados: Se incluyeron 587 pacientes con cáncer. La puntuación qSOFA < 1 obtuvo una sensibilidad de 57.2 %, una especificidad de 78.5 %, un valor predictivo positivo de 55.4 % y un valor predictivo negativo de 79.7 %. El ABC de qSOFA para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria fue de 0.70. La mortalidad hospitalaria de los pacientes con qSOFA de 2 y 3 puntos fue de 52.7 y 64.4 %, respectivamente. La mortalidad hospitalaria fue de 31.9 % (187/587). Conclusión: qSOFA mostró capacidad discriminativa aceptable para predecir mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes con cáncer.

Abstract Background: The quick Sequential Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) is a score that has been proposed to quickly identify patients at higher risk of death. Objective: To describe the usefulness of the qSOFA score to predict in-hospital mortality in cancer patients. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study carried out between January 2021 and December 2022. Hospital mortality was the dependent variable. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to determine the discriminative ability of qSOFA to predict in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 587 cancer patients were included. A qSOFA score higher than 1 obtained a sensitivity of 57.2 %, specificity of 78.5 %, a positive predictive value of 55.4 % and negative predictive value of 79.7 %. The AUC of qSOFA for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.70. In-hospital mortality of patients with qSOFA scores of 2 and 3 points was 52.7 and 64.4 %, respectively. In-hospital mortality was 31.9 % (187/587). Conclusions: qSOFA showed acceptable discriminative ability for predicting in-hospital mortality in cancer patients.

Renal arterial resistive index, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, for predicting acute kidney injury in critically ill cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the renal arterial resistive index (RRI), urine monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (uMCP-1), and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill cancer patients. METHODS: In this prospective study, we included patients without AKI. We compared the area under the curve (AUC) of RRI, uMCP-1, and uNGAL to predict any stage of AKI and stage-3 AKI with the DeLong method, and we established cutoff points with the Youden index. RESULTS: We included 64 patients, and 43 (67.2%) developed AKI. The AUC to predict AKI were: 0.714 (95% CI 0.587-0.820) for the RRI, 0.656 (95% CI 0.526-0.770) for uMCP-1, and 0.677 (95% CI 0.549-0.789) for uNGAL. The AUC to predict stage-3 AKI were: 0.740 (95% CI 0.615-0.842) for the RRI, 0.757 (95% CI 0.633-0.855) for uMCP-1, and 0.817 (95% CI 0.701-0.903) for uNGAL, without statistical differences among them. For stage 3 AKI prediction, the sensitivity and specificity were: 56.3% and 87.5% for a RRI > 0.705; 70% and 79.2% for an uMCP-1 > 2169 ng/mL; and 87.5% and 70.8% for a uNGAL > 200 ng/mL. The RRI was significantly correlated to age (r = 0.280), estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = - 0.259), mean arterial pressure (r = - 0.357), and serum lactate (r = 0.276). CONCLUSION: The RRI, uMCP-1, and uNGAL have a similar ability to predict AKI. The RRI is more specific, while urine biomarkers are more sensitive to predict stage 3 AKI. The RRI correlates with hemodynamic variables. The novel uMCP-1 could be a useful biomarker that needs to be extensively studied.

Acute kidney injury in critically ill patients after oncological surgery: Risk factors and 1-year mortality.

AIM: We aimed to identify risk factors associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and to analyse 1-year mortality after oncological surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively included 434 adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after oncological surgery, and classified AKI according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. We performed logistic regression and Cox regression analyses to evaluate AKI and mortality risk factors. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of patients (n = 264) developed AKI. Previous abdominal radiotherapy and abdominal surgical packing were independently associated with stage 2 and 3 AKI, with adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-5.5, p = .010) and OR of 2.6 (95% CI 1.2-5.5, p = .014), respectively. Other independent risk factors were: glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73m2 (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.2-11.4, p = .028), abdominal surgery 2.6 (1.4-4.9, p = .003), intraoperative diuresis <1 ml/k/h (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-4.0, p = .001), sepsis (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3-4.6, p = .002) and mechanical ventilation at ICU admission (OR 7.7, 95% CI 3.2-18.6, p < .001). Stage 2 and stage 3 AKI were independently associated with 1-year mortality, with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of 2.6 (95% CI 1.3-5.0, p = .005) and HR of 5.0 (95% CI 2.6-9.6, p < .001), respectively. Additionally, patients who had postsurgical AKI, had a lower eGFR at 1-year follow-up. These findings may be limited by the retrospective single centre design of our study. CONCLUSION: In addition to the conventional risk factors, our results suggest that abdominal radiotherapy and abdominal surgical packing could be independent risk factors for AKI after oncological surgery.

Access to Palliative Care for Critically Ill Cancer Patients in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes of hospitalized cancer patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) intervention and receiving palliative care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational retrospective study was completed at a single academic critical care unit in Mexico City. All hospitalized cancer patients who were evaluated by the intensive care team to assess need for ICU were included between January and December 2018. RESULTS: During the study period, the ICU group made 408 assessments of critically ill cancer patients in noncritical hospitalized areas. In total, 24.2% (99/408) of the patients in this population were consulted by the palliative care team. Of the patients evaluated, 46.5% (190/408) had advanced stage, but only 28.4% were receiving care by the palliative care team. The only risk factor for hospital mortality in the multivariate analysis was the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score at the time of the consultation by the ICU group (HR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.34-3.29, p = 0.001). The median time between palliative care consultation and death was 3 days (IQR = 2-22). A total of 63% (37/58) of patients who were discharged from the hospital died during follow-up. The median follow-up time was 55 days (95% CI = 26.9-83.0). The overall mortality rate for the entire group during hospitalization and after hospital discharge was 80.8% (80/99). CONCLUSION: Fewer than 3 out of 10 hospitalized cancer patients requiring admission to the ICU were evaluated by the palliative care team despite having incurable cancer. The qSOFA score of patients at the time of the ICU consultation was the only risk factor for mortality during hospitalization. Future research efforts in Mexico should focus on earlier integration of palliation care with usual oncology care in incurable cancer patients.

Recomendaciones de tratamiento para pacientes adultos graves con COVID-19 / Recommendations for the management of critically ill adult patients with COVID-19

Resumen Con excepción de las mujeres embarazadas, el manejo de los pacientes adultos graves con COVID-19 durante la pandemia incluye los procedimientos estándar que se llevan a cabo en cualquier paciente que requiere atención en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, así como la administración limitada de las soluciones cristaloides, la intubación orotraqueal, la ventilación mecánica invasiva ante deterioro clínico del paciente y la relajación muscular en infusión continua solo cuando sea necesaria. No se recomienda la ventilación mecánica no invasiva, la oxigenoterapia de alto flujo debido a la generación de aerosol (asociado con riesgo de propagación del virus entre el personal de salud), la oxigenación por membrana extracorpórea ni el empleo de esteroides. Hasta el momento no hay tratamiento antiviral específico para pacientes con COVID-19 ni resultados de estudios controlados que avalen su uso.

Abstract Except for pregnant women, the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic includes the standard procedures that are used for any patient that requires to be attended to at the intensive care unit, as well as limited administration of crystalloid solutions, orotracheal intubation, invasive mechanical ventilation in the event of patient clinical deterioration, and muscle relaxants continuous infusion only if necessary. Non-invasive mechanical ventilation and high-flow oxygen therapy are not recommended due to the generation of aerosol (associated with risk of viral spread among health personnel), and neither is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or the use of steroids. So far, there is no specific antiviral treatment for patients with COVID-19, and neither are there results of controlled trials supporting the use of any.

Usefulness of qSOFA and ECOG Scores for Predicting Hospital Mortality in Postsurgical Cancer Patients without Infection.

BACKGROUND: The quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and the Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group (ECOG) scale are simple and easy parameters to measure because they do not require laboratory tests. The objective of this study was to compare the discriminatory capacity of the qSOFA and ECOG to predict hospital mortality in postsurgical cancer patients without infection. METHODS: During the period 2013-2017, we prospectively collected data of all patients without infection who were admitted to the ICU during the postoperative period, except those who stayed in the ICU for <24 hours or patients under 18 years. The ECOG score during the last month before hospitalization and the qSOFA performed during the first hour after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) were collected. The primary outcome for this study was the in-hospital mortality rate. RESULTS: A total of 315 patients were included. The ICU and hospital mortality rates were 6% and 9.2%, respectively. No difference was observed between the qSOFA [AUC=0.75 (95% CI = 0.69-0.79)] and the ECOG scores [AUC=0.68 (95%CI =0.62-0.73)] (p=0.221) for predicting in-hospital mortality. qSOFA greater than 1 predicted in-hospital mortality with a high sensitivity (100%) but low specificity (38.8%); positive predictive value of 26.3% and negative predictive value of 93.1% compared to 74.4% of specificity, 55.1% of sensitivity%; positive predictive value of 18% and negative predictive value of 94.2% for an ECOG score greater than 1. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified two independent predicting factors of in-hospital mortality, which included ECOG score during the last month before hospitalization (HR: 1.46; 95 % CI: 1.06-2.00); qSOFA calculated in the first hours after ICU admission (OR: 3.17; 95 % CI: 1.79-5.63). CONCLUSION: No difference was observed between the qSOFA and ECOG for predicting in-hospital mortality. The qSOFA score performed during the first hour after admission to the ICU and ECOG scale during the last month before hospitalization were associated with in-hospital mortality in postsurgical cancer patients without infection. The qSOFA and ECOG score have a potential to be included as early warning tools for hospitalized postsurgical cancer patients without infection.

Cuidado de Alto Valor en Medicina Crítica / High Value Care in Critical Care Medicine / Cuidados de alto valor em medicina de cuidados críticos

Resumen: Es deseable que el sistema de salud en México pueda tener acceso a mayor presupuesto para brindar atención médica; sin embargo, esto no necesariamente significa que se tendrá un impacto en la salud de la población, dado que para lograrlo se debe utilizar el presupuesto de forma efectiva y eficiente. Siempre hay que tener presente que quienes pagan, de una u otra forma, los costos de los servicios de salud son los pacientes, los familiares o su red de soporte. Según datos publicados en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el costo por día en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) es de 37,410 pesos (1,875.1 dólares). El cuidado de alto valor es una intervención que confiere beneficio para los pacientes, superior a la probabilidad de causar algún daño basado en evidencia científica y que se genera con un balance entre el beneficio clínico, los costos y la probabilidad de daño, en un esfuerzo de mejorar constantemente la seguridad del paciente.

Abstract: It is desirable that the health system in Mexico can have access to a larger budget to provide medical care, however, this does not necessarily mean that it will have an impact on the health of the population, given that in order to achieve this, the budget must be used efficiently and effectively. We should always keep in mind that the cost of health services are usually paid directly by the patient or their family members. According to data published by the Official Gazette of the Federation, It has been estimated that daily intensive care unit cost in the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) is 37,410 pesos (1,875.1 dollars). High-value care is an intervention in which evidence suggests it confers benefit on patients, or probability of benefit exceeds probable harm, or, more broadly, the added costs of the intervention provide proportional added benefits relative to alternatives focused on continually improving the safety of patients.

Resumo: É desejável que o sistema de saúde no México possa ter acesso a um orçamento maior para prestar cuidados médicos, no entanto isso não significa necessariamente que terá um impacto sobre a saúde da população, uma vez que para alcançar este objetivo o orçamento deve ser usado de forma eficiente e eficaz. Devemos ter em mente que aqueles que pagam de uma maneira ou outra os custos dos serviços de saúde são pacientes, familiares ou sua rede de apoio. De acordo com dados publicados no Diário Oficial da Federação, o custo por dia em uma unidade de terapia intensiva do Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) é de 34.232 pesos (1.796,9 dólares). O cuidado de alto valor é uma intervenção na qual as evidências sugerem que confere benefício aos pacientes, ou a probabilidade de benefício excede o dano provável, ou mais amplamente, os custos adicionais da intervenção proporcionam benefícios adicionais proporcionais em relação a alternativas focadas em melhorar continuamente a segurança dos pacientes.

Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and factors related to acute kidney injury and mortality in critically ill cancer patients.

RATIONALE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in critically ill cancer patients. OBJECTIVES: To assess plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels and risks factors associated with AKI and mortality. METHODS: We recruited 96 critically ill cancer patients and followed them prospectively. Plasma NGAL levels were determined at intensive care unit (ICU) admission and at 48 hours. We generated receiver operating characteristic curves to assess the ability of NGAL to predict AKI. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risks factors associated with AKI. Cox-regression analysis was performed to evaluate 6-month mortality. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: From 96 patients, 60 (63%) developed AKI and 33 (55%) were classified as stages 2 and 3. In patients without AKI at admission, plasma NGAL levels revealed an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.522 for all AKI stages and an AUC = 0.573 for stages 2 and 3 AKI (85% sensitivity and 67% specificity for a 50.66 ng/mL cutoff). We identified sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (without renal parameters) at admission as an independent factor for developing stages 2 and 3 AKI, and haemoglobin as a protective factor. We observed that metastatic disease, dobutamine use and stage 3 AKI were independent factors associated with 6-month mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of critically ill cancer patients, NGAL did not predict AKI. SOFA score was a risk factor for developing AKI, and haemoglobin level was a protective factor for developing AKI. The independent factors associated with 6-month mortality included metastatic disease, dobutamine use, lactate and stage 3 AKI.

Sepsis in Intensive Care Unit Patients: Worldwide Data From the Intensive Care over Nations Audit.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to better define the epidemiology of sepsis in intensive care units (ICUs) around the globe. METHODS: The Intensive Care over Nations (ICON) audit prospectively collected data on all adult (>16 years) patients admitted to the ICU between May 8 and May 18, 2012, except those admitted for less than 24 hours for routine postoperative surveillance. Data were collected daily for a maximum of 28 days in the ICU, and patients were followed up for outcome data until death, hospital discharge, or for 60 days. Participation was entirely voluntary. RESULTS: The audit included 10069 patients from Europe (54.1%), Asia (19.2%), America (17.1%), and other continents (9.6%). Sepsis, defined as infection with associated organ failure, was identified during the ICU stay in 2973 (29.5%) patients, including in 1808 (18.0%) already at ICU admission. Occurrence rates of sepsis varied from 13.6% to 39.3% in the different regions. Overall ICU and hospital mortality rates were 25.8% and 35.3%, respectively, in patients with sepsis, but it varied from 11.9% and 19.3% (Oceania) to 39.5% and 47.2% (Africa), respectively. After adjustment for possible confounders in a multilevel analysis, independent risk factors for in-hospital death included older age, higher simplified acute physiology II score, comorbid cancer, chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association Classification III/IV), cirrhosis, use of mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy, and infection with Acinetobacter spp. CONCLUSIONS: Sepsis remains a major health problem in ICU patients worldwide and is associated with high mortality rates. However, there is wide variability in the sepsis rate and outcomes in ICU patients around the globe.

Incidence of Delirium in Critically Ill Cancer Patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of delirium and its risk factors among critically ill cancer patients in an intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) was measured daily at morning to diagnose delirium by a physician. Delirium was diagnosed when the daily was positive during a patient's ICU stay. All patients were followed until they were discharged from the ICU. Using logistic regression, we estimated potential risk factors for developing delirium. The primary outcome was the development of ICU delirium. Results: There were 109 patients included in the study. Patients had a mean age of 48.6 ± 18.07 years, and the main reason for admission to the ICU was septic shock (40.4%). The incidence of delirium was 22.9%. The mortality among all subjects was 15.6%; the mortality rate in patients who developed delirium was 12%. The only variable that had an association with the development of delirium in the ICU was the days of use of mechanical ventilation (OR: 1.06; CI 95%: 0.99-1.13;p=0.07). Conclusion: Delirium is a frequent condition in critically ill cancer patients admitted to the ICU. The duration in days of mechanical ventilation is potential risk factors for developing delirium during an ICU stay. Delirium was not associated with a higher rate of mortality in this group of patients.

Outcome of Critically Ill Patients with Testicular Cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients with testicular cancer (TC) admitted to an oncological intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This was a prospective observational study. There were no interventions. RESULTS: During the study period, 1,402 patients with TC were admitted to the Department of Oncology, and 60 patients (4.3%) were admitted to the ICU. The most common histologic type was nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (55/91.7%). The ICU, hospital, and 6-month mortality rates were 38.3%, 45%, and 63.3%, respectively. The Cox multivariate analysis identified the white blood cells count (HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01-1.11, and P = 0.005), ionized calcium (iCa) level (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.01-1.50, and P = 0.037), and 2 or more organ failures during the first 24 hours after ICU admission (HR = 3.86, 95% CI = 1.96-7.59, and P < 0.001) as independent predictors of death for up to 6 months. CONCLUSION: The ICU, hospital, and 6-month mortality rates were 38.3%, 45%, and 63.3%, respectively. The factors associated with an increased 6-month mortality rate were white blood cells count, iCa level, and 2 or more organ failures during the first 24 hours after ICU admission.

Clinical characteristics of critically ill cancer patients who are undergoing isolated limb perfusion.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of organ dysfunction, and to describe the clinical characteristics and intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes of critically ill cancer patients who were admitted to an oncological ICU during the isolated limb perfusion post-operative period. The present study was an observational investigation of 42 critically ill cancer patients who were admitted to the ICU of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, during the isolated limb perfusion post-operative period, between July 2010 and February 2016. The mean age of the patients was 45.7±16.9 years, and 45.2% (19 cases) were female. Soft tissue sarcoma was the most common pre-operative diagnosis (38.1%), and the mean duration of surgery was 267.6±50.1 min. Furthermore, a mean blood loss volume of 732.3±526.1 ml during the procedure was recorded, and the patients received a mean volume of 3.88±1.28 l crystalloid fluid during the surgical procedure, subsequently requiring an additional 2.95±6.28 l on the first post-operative day. The incidence of organ dysfunction was 90.5% and was most frequently noted in the respiratory (81%), hepatic (33%), hematologic (31%) and renal (11.9%) systems. No patients succumbed to the disease during the ICU and hospital stay. Nevertheless, <10% of the patients required vasopressors. Additionally, <5% of the patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. Therefore, ICU admission directly following isolated limb perfusion should not be standardized.

Acute Kidney Injury Classified by Serum Creatinine and Urine Output in Critically Ill Cancer Patients.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients and is associated with higher mortality. Cancer patients are at an increased risk of AKI. Our objective was to determine the incidence of AKI in our critically ill cancer patients, using the criteria of serum creatinine (SCr) and urine output (UO) proposed by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of a prospectively collected database at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología from January 2013 to March 2015. Results. We classified AKI according to the KDIGO definition. We included 389 patients; using the SCr criterion, 192 (49.4%) had AKI; using the UO criterion, 219 (56.3%) had AKI. Using both criteria, we diagnosed AKI in 69.4% of patients. All stages were independently associated with six-month mortality; stage 1 HR was 2.04 (95% CI 1.14-3.68, p = 0.017), stage 2 HR was 2.73 (95% CI 1.53-4.88, p = 0.001), and stage 3 HR was 4.5 (95% CI 2.25-8.02, p < 0.001). Patients who fulfilled both criteria had a higher mortality compared with patients who fulfilled just one criterion (HR 3.56, 95% CI 2.03-6.24, p < 0.001). Conclusion. We diagnosed AKI in 69.4% of patients. All AKI stages were associated with higher risk of death at six months, even for patients who fulfilled just one AKI criterion.

Usefulness of ultrasonographic measurement of the diameter of the inferior vena cava to predict responsiveness to intravascular fluid administration in patients with cancer.

We conducted an observational, longitudinal prospective study in which we measured the diameters of the inferior vena cava (IVC) of 47 patients using ultrasonography. The aim of our study was to assess the state of blood volume and to determine the percentage of patients who responded to intravascular volume expansion. Only 17 patients (36%) responded to fluid management. A higher number of responding patients had cardiovascular failure compared with nonresponders (82% vs. 50%, P = 0.03). Among the patients with cardiovascular failure, the probability of finding responders was 4.6 times higher than that of not finding responders (odds ratio, 4.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-19.6; P = 0.04). No significant difference was observed in the mortality rate between the two groups (11% vs. 23%, P = 0.46). In conclusion, responding to intravascular volume expansion had no impact on patient survival in the intensive care unit.