Syndecan-1 in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure--Association With Renal Function and Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization throughout the world, and the mortality rate remains elevated. HF is frequently complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI), worsening the patient's prognosis. There have been no studies evaluating the role that endothelial glycocalyx damage plays in HF patients and its association with AKI and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured several endothelial biomarkers in 201 consecutive patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF) during emergency department (ED) admission. In-hospital mortality, AKI development and 6-month mortality rates were assessed. ADHF patients with worsening renal function had higher levels of syndecan-1 but not those patients with stable chronic kidney disease. Syndecan-1 levels during ED admission were predictive for AKI during the hospital stay (AUC 0.741, P<0.001) and had an even better discriminatory capacity in more severe AKI (AUC 0.812, P<0.001). Additionally, after adjusting for several confounding factors, including biomarkers of endothelial function and endothelial cell activation, syndecan-1 remained associated with in-hospital mortality rates. On a Cox multivariate analysis regression, syndecan-1 was associated with 6-month mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: The concentration of syndecan-1, a marker of glycocalyx damage measured during ED admission, is valuable in assessing the risk of developing AKI and in-hospital mortality. Its association with mortality is strong after 6-month follow-up.

Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes or creatinine kinetics criteria in acute kidney injury: a proof of concept study.

BACKGROUND: It has been recently mathematically demonstrated that the percentage increase in serum creatinine (SCr) can delay acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnosis in patients with previous chronic kidney disease (CKD). Based on creatinine (Cr) kinetics, it was suggested a new AKI classification using absolute increase in SCr elevation over specified time periods. However, this classification has not been evaluated in clinical studies. METHODS: A prospective cohort study evaluated myocardial infarction patients during the first 7 days of hospital stay with daily SCr measurements. They were classified using Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) and Cr kinetics systems. Both classifications were compared by net reclassification improvement (NRI) and area under the receiver operator characteristic (AuROC) curve regarding hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 584 patients were included, of which 34.1% had previous CKD. Patients had more AKI by KDIGO than by Cr kinetics criteria (25.7 versus 18.0%, P < 0.001) and 81 patients (13.9%) had different AKI severity classification. Patients with AKI by KDIGO criteria and non-AKI by Cr kinetics had higher hospital mortality rates than patients with non-AKI using both classifications [adjusted mortality odds ratios (ORs): 4.753; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.119-9.023, P = 0.014]. In patients with previous CKD, NRI analysis was 6.2% favoring Cr kinetics criteria. However, there was no difference using the AuROC curve analysis. In patients with no previous CKD, NRI analysis was 33.0%, favoring KDIGO, and this was in accordance with a better AuROC curve (0.828 versus 0.664, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AKI classification proposed by a Cr kinetics model can be superior when diagnosing patients with previous CKD. However, KDIGO had a better performance in patients with no previous CKD.

Renal Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Propofol or Midazolam.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Propofol has been shown to provide protection against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury experimentally, but clinical evidence is limited to patients undergoing cardiac surgery. There are no data about its association with oliguria and AKI in critically ill patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We obtained data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II database (2001-2008). Patient selection criteria included adult patients in their first intensive care unit (ICU) admission, need for mechanical ventilation, and treatment with propofol or midazolam. Propensity score analysis (1:1) was used and renal-related outcomes (AKI, oliguria, cumulative fluid balance, and need for RRT) were evaluated during the first 7 days of ICU stay. RESULTS: There were 1396 propofol/midazolam-matched patients. AKI in the first 7-day ICU time period was statistically lower in propofol-treated patients compared with midazolam-treated patients (55.0% versus 67.3%, P<0.001). Propofol was associated with lower AKI incidence using both urine output (45.0% versus 55.7%, P<0.001) and serum creatinine criteria (28.8% versus 37.2%, P=0.001). Patients receiving propofol had oliguria (<400 ml/d) less frequently (12.4% versus 19.6%, P=0.001) and had diuretics prescribed less often (8.5% versus 14.3%, P=0.001). In addition, during the first 7 days of ICU stay, patients receiving propofol less frequently achieved cumulative fluid balance >5% of body weight (50.1% versus 58.3%, P=0.01). The need for RRT in the first 7 days of ICU stay was also less frequent in propofol-treated patients (3.4% versus 5.9%, P=0.03). ICU mortality was lower in propofol-treated patients (14.6% versus 29.7%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, propensity-matched ICU population, patients treated with propofol had a lower risk of AKI, fluid-related complications, and need for RRT.

AKI complications in critically ill patients: association with mortality rates and RRT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: AKI is associated with short- and long-term mortality. However, the exact contribution of AKI complications to the burden of mortality and whether RRT has any beneficial effect on reducing mortality rates in critically ill AKI patients are unknown. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This was a retrospective analysis using data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II project. A total of 18,410 adult patients were enrolled from four intensive care units from a university hospital from 2001 to 2008. RESULTS: Overall, 10,245 patients developed AKI. After adjustments, the odds ratios (ORs) for hospital mortality were 1.73 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.52 to 1.98) for AKI stage 1, 1.88 (95% CI, 1.57 to 2.25) for stage 2, and 2.89 (95% CI, 2.41 to 3.46) for stage 3. Totals of 33%, 59%, and 70% of the excess mortality rates associated with AKI stages 1, 2, and 3, respectively, were attenuated by the inclusion of each AKI-related complication in the model. The main burden of excess hospital mortality associated with AKI was attenuated by metabolic acidosis and cumulative fluid balance. Long-term mortality was not attenuated by any of the associated complications. Next, we used two different approaches to explore the associations between RRT, AKI complications, and hospital mortality: multivariate analysis and propensity score matching. In both approaches, the sensitivity analysis for RRT was associated with a better hospital survival in only the following AKI-related subgroups: hyperkalemia (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.85), metabolic acidosis (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.92), cumulative fluid balance >5% of body weight (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.88), and azotemia (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: A majority of the excess risk of mortality associated with AKI was attenuated by its fluid volume and metabolic complications, particularly in severe AKI. In addition, this study demonstrated that RRT is associated with a better outcome in patients with AKI-related complications.

Endothelial glycocalyx damage is associated with leptospirosis acute kidney injury.

Leptospirosis is a common disease in tropical countries, and the kidney is one of the main target organs. Membrane proteins of Leptospira are capable of causing endothelial damage in vitro, but there have been no studies in humans evaluating endothelial glycocalyx damage and its correlation with acute kidney injury (AKI). We performed a cohort study in an outbreak of leptospirosis among military personnel. AKI was diagnosed in 14 of 46 (30.4%) patients. Leptospirosis was associated with higher levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; 483.1 ± 31.7 versus 234.9 ± 24.4 mg/L, P < 0.001) and syndecan-1 (73.7 ± 15.9 versus 21.2 ± 7.9 ng/mL, P < 0.001) compared with exposed controls. Patients with leptospirosis-associated AKI had increased level of syndecan-1 (112.1 ± 45.4 versus 41.5 ± 11.7 ng/mL, P = 0.021) and ICAM-1 (576.9 ± 70.4 versus 434.9 ± 35.3, P = 0.034) compared with leptospirosis patients with no AKI. Association was verified between syndecan-1 and ICAM-1 with serum creatinine elevation and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels. This association remained even after multivariate analysis including other AKI-associated characteristics. Endothelial injury biomarkers are associated with leptospirosis-associated renal damage.

Estresse dos profissionais enfermeiros que atuam na unidade de terapia intensiva / Stress among professional nurses working in intensive care units

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o estresse no ambiente de trabalho dos profissionais enfermeiros dentro das Unidades de Terapia Intensiva e identificar os agentes estressores associados ao desencadeamento do estresse segundo a Escala Bianchi de Estresse. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, desenvolvido com 22 enfermeiros da unidade de terapia intensiva de um hospital público pediátrico. RESULTADOS: Enfermeiro da UTI, apesar de sua completa e efetiva atuação frente à instabilidade do estado do paciente, as condições externas a essa situação são mais estressantes. CONCLUSÃO: Os enfermeiros apresentaram maiores índices de estresse nas atividades relacionadas às condições de trabalho para o desempenho das atividades e relacionadas à administração de pessoal.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate stress in the work environment of professional nurses inside Intensive Care Units and identify the stressing agents associated to the triggering of stress, according to the Bianchi Stress Scale. METHODS: Cross-sectional study developed with 22 nurses at the intensive therapy unit of a public pediatric hospital. RESULTS: Despite the complete and effective performance of ICU nurses in face of the patient's instability, the conditions external to this situation are more stressing. CONCLUSION: The nurses have presented higher stress levels in the activities related to work conditions to perform activities and those related to personnel administration.