[Recommendations for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units]. / Recomendaciones para el manejo de los pacientes críticos con COVID-19 en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the admission of a high number of patients to the ICU, generally due to severe respiratory failure. Since the appearance of the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the end of 2019, in China, a huge number of treatment recommendations for this entity have been published, not always supported by sufficient scientific evidence or with methodological rigor necessary. Thanks to the efforts of different groups of researchers, we currently have the results of clinical trials, and other types of studies, of higher quality. We consider it necessary to create a document that includes recommendations that collect this evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, but also aspects that other guidelines have not considered and that we consider essential in the management of critical patients with COVID-19. For this, a drafting committee has been created, made up of members of the SEMICYUC Working Groups more directly related to different specific aspects of the management of these patients.

Brain death organ donation potential and life support therapy limitation in neurocritical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the profile, incidence of life support therapy limitation (LSTL) and donation potential in neurocritical patients. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter prospective study was carried out. SETTING: Nine hospitals authorized for organ harvesting for transplantation. PATIENTS: All patients consecutively admitted to the hospital with GCS < 8 during a 6-month period were followed-up until discharge or day 30 of hospital stay. STUDY VARIABLES: Demographic data, cause of coma, clinical status upon admission and outcome were analyzed. LSTL, brain death (BD) and organ donation incidence were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 549 patients were included, with a mean age of 59.0 ± 14.5 years. The cause of coma was cerebral hemorrhage in 27.0% of the cases.LSTL was applied in 176 patients (32.1%). In 78 cases LSTL consisted of avoiding ICU admission. Age, the presence of contraindications, and specific causes of coma were associated to LSTL. A total of 58.1% of the patients died (n=319). One-hundred and thirty-three developed BD (24.2%), and 56.4% of these became organ donors (n=75). The presence of edema and mid-line shift on the CT scan, and transplant coordinator evaluation were associated to BD. LSTL was associated to a no-BD outcome. Early LSTL (first 4 days) was applied in 9 patients under 80 years of age, with no medical contraindications for donation and a GCS ≤ 4 who finally died in asystole. CONCLUSIONS: LSTL is a frequent practice in neurocritical patients. In almost one-half of the cases, LSTL consisted of avoiding admission to the ICU, and on several occasions the donation potential was not evaluated by the transplant coordinator.

Recommendations for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the admission of a high number of patients to the ICU, generally due to severe respiratory failure. Since the appearance of the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the end of 2019, in China, a huge number of treatment recommendations for this entity have been published, not always supported by sufficient scientific evidence or with methodological rigor necessary. Thanks to the efforts of different groups of researchers, we currently have the results of clinical trials, and other types of studies, of higher quality. We consider it necessary to create a document that includes recommendations that collect this evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, but also aspects that other guidelines have not considered and that we consider essential in the management of critical patients with COVID-19. For this, a drafting committee has been created, made up of members of the SEMICYUC Working Groups more directly related to different specific aspects of the management of these patients.

How to achieve more accurate comparisons in organ donation activity: time to effectiveness indicators.

We are used to comparisons of activity using donation or transplantation population (pmp) rates between regions or countries, without a further evaluation of the process. But crude pmp rates do not clearly reflect real transplantation capacity, because organ procurement does not finish with the donation step; it is also necessary to know the utilization of the obtained organs. The objective of this study was to present methods and indicators deemed necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the process. We have proposed the use of simple definitions and indicators to more accurately measure and compare the effectiveness of the total organ procurement process. To illustrate the use and performance of these indicators, we have presented the donation and transplantation activity in Catalonia from 2002 to 2007.

[Evaluation of the potential organ and tissue donor within the pandemic of influenza H1N1]. / Valoración del potencial donante de órganos y tejidos en el seno de la pandemia por gripe A H1N1.

The pandemic strain of H1N1 supposes a challenge to the health care system in general and for Intensive Care Units (ICU) in particular. Therefore, it will undoubtedly have repercussions on the organ and tissue donation process. In a possible scenario of bed shortage in the ICU and difficulties in maintaining the surgical activity at a normal pace, a significant effort must be made to assure the maintenance of normal transplant activity, which should not be considered as an elective surgical procedure. Another problem related with the impact of the pandemic on the organ donation process is the possibility that a donor with influenza virus could transmit the disease to recipients. This work aims to clarify this issue, reviewing existing data on the potential transmission of influenza viruses with transplanted organs or tissue, the recommendations published in other countries and those developed in Spain by an ad hoc work group that is made up by representatives from the National Transplant Organization, the Ministry of Health and Social Policy, Regional Offices of Transplant Coordination, and various scientific societies, including SEMICYUC.

Potencialidad de donación de órganos en muerte encefálica y limitación del tratamiento de soporte vital en los pacientes neurocríticos / Potential of organ donation in brain death and limitation of life support treatment in neurocritical patients

Objetivo. Analizar el perfil, la incidencia de limitaciónde tratamiento de soporte vital (LTSV) y la potencialidad de donación de órganos enpacientes neurocríticos. Diseño Multicéntrico prospectivo. Ámbito Nueve centros autorizados para extracción de órganos para trasplante...