The interplay between frailty status and persistent critical illness on the outcomes of patients with critical COVID-19: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Persistent critical illness (PerCI) occurs when the patient's prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay results in complications that become the primary drivers of their condition, rather than the initial reason for their admission. Patients with frailty have a higher risk of developing and dying from PerCI. We aimed to investigate the interplay of frailty and PerCI in critically ill patients with COVID-19. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective multicentre cohort study including 103 Australian and New Zealand ICUs over the period of January 2020 to December 2021. We included all adult patients with COVID-19 and documented the Clinical Frailty Scale (frail ≥ 5). PerCI is defined as an ICU length of stay of ≥10 days. We aimed to investigate the hospital mortality with and without PerCI across varying degrees of frailty and examined the potential interaction effect between frailty status and PerCI. RESULTS: The prevalence of PerCI was similar between patients with and without frailty (25.4% vs. 27.9%; p = 0.44). Hospital mortality was higher in patients with PerCI than in those without (28.8% vs. 9.3%; p < 0.001). Mortality in patients with PerCI also increased with increasing frailty (p < 0.001). Frailty independently predicted hospital mortality. When adjusted for Australia and New Zealand risk of death mortality prediction model and sex, the impact of frailty was no different in patients with and without PerCI (odds ratio = 1.30 [95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.49] vs. (odds ratio = 1.46 [95% confidence interval: 1.29-1.64]). Furthermore, increasing frailty did not influence mortality in patients with PerCI more (or less) than in those without PerCI (pinteraction = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of frailty independently predicted hospital mortality in patients with PerCI with COVID-19, but the impact of frailty on mortality was no different in those who developed PerCI from those without PerCI.

A propensity matched cost analysis of medical emergency team calls led by nurse practitioners versus intensive care registrars.

OBJECTIVES: Nurse practitioner-led MET calls have been shown to improve clinical outcomes versus ICU registrar-led MET calls. However, the cost implications of a nurse practitioner-led MET call system is not known. We conducted cost analysis from the healthcare service perspective to compare the costs of nurse practitioner- and ICU registrar-led MET calls. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study of MET calls between 1 June 2016 and 9 March 2018 including patients with first MET call during their hospital admission. The cost analysis compared MET calls attended by nurse practitioners against those attended by ICU registrars. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatient costs for nurse practitioner- and ICU registrar-led MET calls. RESULTS: 1,343 MET calls were included in the full dataset with a mean cost per ICU registrar-led MET calls and nurse practitioner led MET calls of AU$19,836 (95 % CI: AU$15,778 - AU$23,895) versus AU$16,404 (95 % CI: AU$14,988 - AU$17,820) respectively and a difference of AU$3,432 (95 % CI: -AU$38 - AU$6,903, p = 0.053). In the propensity-score matched analysis, the mean cost per ICU registrar-led MET calls and nurse practitioner led MET calls was AU$19,009 (95 % CI: AU$15,439 - AU$22,578) and AU$13,937 (95 % CI: AU$12,038 - AU$15,835) respectively, with a difference of AU$5,072 (95 % CI: AU$1,061 - AU$9,082, p = 0.013). A 24-hour nurse practitioners-led MET call service would break even at 101 MET calls leading to ICU admissions per year. CONCLUSION: Nurse practitioners-led MET calls saved significant costs compared to ICU registrar-led MET calls. Assuming that the difference in costs is due to shorter ICU length of stay, a health service that receives more than 101 MET calls leading to ICU admissions per year can save costs with a 24-hour nurse practitioner-led MET call service. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study helps in identifying the healthcare services where nurse practitioners -led MET systems could be implemented to be cost saving from health service perspective.

Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal With the Hemolung in Patients With Acute-on-Chronic Respiratory Failure: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) devices are increasingly used in treating acute-on-chronic respiratory failure caused by chronic lung diseases. There are no large studies that investigated safety, efficacy, and the independent association of prognostic variables to survival that could define the role of ECCO2R devices in such patients. This multicenter, multinational, retrospective study investigated the efficacy, safety of a single ECCO2R device (Hemolung) in patients with acute on chronic respiratory failure and identified variables independently associated with intensive care unit (ICU) survival. The primary outcome was improvement in blood gasses with the use of Hemolung. Secondary outcomes included reduction in tidal volume, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, survival to ICU discharge, and complication profile. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify variables that are independently associated with ICU survival. A total of 62 patients were included. There was a significant improvement in pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) along with a reduction in respiratory rate, tidal volume, and minute ventilation with Hemolung therapy. The complication profile did not differ between survivors and nonsurvivors. Multivariable analysis identified the duration of Hemolung therapy to be independently associated with survival to ICU discharge (adjusted odds ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.040-1.518; p = 0.01).

Prognostic value of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin in non-cardiac surgical patients in intensive care units.

Type II myocardial injury following surgical procedures is associated with adverse outcomes. The prognostic value of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) due to type II myocardial injury in surgical patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess prognostic value of hs-cTn in type II acute myocardial injury in non-cardiac surgical patients requiring post-operative ICU admission. Retrospective analysis of patients admitted to two level III ICUs following surgery and had hs-cTn measured on the day of ICU admission. Patients who had type I acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during their admission were excluded from the study. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included ICU mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS) and hospital LOS. A total of 420 patients were included. On univariable analysis, higher hs-cTn was associated with increased hospital mortality (14.6% vs 6.3%, p = 0.008), ICU LOS (41.1 h, vs 25 h, p = 0.004) and hospital LOS (253 h vs 193 h, p = 0.02). On multivariable analysis, hs-cTn was not independently associated with increased risk of hospital mortality. However, in patients who had elective surgery, hs-cTn was associated with increased risk (OR 1.048; 95% CI 1.004-1.094; p = 0.031) of hospital mortality with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.753 (95% CI 0.598-0.908). In elective surgical patients, hs-cTn was associated with increased risk of mortality. Larger multicentre studies are required to confirm this association that may assist in risk stratification of elective surgical patients requiring ICU admission.

Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal in the critically ill using the PrismaLung+ device.

BACKGROUND: Several extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) devices are currently in use with variable efficacy and safety profiles. PrismaLung+ is an ECCO2R device that was recently introduced into clinical practice. It is a minimally invasive, low flow device that provides partial respiratory support with or without renal replacement therapy. Our aim was to describe the clinical characteristics, efficacy, and safety of PrismaLung+ in patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. METHODS: All adult patients who required ECCO2R with PrismaLung+ for hypercapnic respiratory failure in our intensive care unit (ICU) during a 6-month period between March and September 2022 were included. RESULTS: Ten patients were included. The median age was 55.5 (IQR 41-68) years, with 8 (80%) male patients. Six patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and two patients each had exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All patients were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation at the time of initiation of ECCO2R. The median duration of ECCO2R was 71 h (IQR 57-219). A significant improvement in pH and PaCO2 was noted within 30 min of initiation of ECCO2R. Nine patients (90%) survived to weaning of ECCO2R, eight (80%) survived to ICU discharge and seven (70%) survived to hospital discharge. The median duration of ICU and hospital stays were 14.5 (IQR 8-30) and 17 (IQR 11-38) days, respectively. There were no patient-related complications with the use of ECCO2R. A total of 18 circuits were used in ten patients (median 2 per patient; IQR 1-2). Circuit thrombosis was noted in five circuits (28%) prior to reaching the expected circuit life with no adverse clinical consequences. CONCLUSION(S): PrismaLung+ rapidly improved PaCO2 and pH with a good clinical safety profile. Circuit thrombosis was the only complication. This data provides insight into the safety and efficacy of PrismaLung+ that could be useful for centres aspiring to introduce ECCO2R into their clinical practice.

Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal With the Hemolung in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO 2 R) devices are effective in reducing hypercapnia and mechanical ventilation support but have not been shown to reduce mortality. This may be due to case selection, device performance, familiarity, or the management. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a single ECCO 2 R device (Hemolung) in patients with acute respiratory failure and identify variables associated with survival that could help case selection in clinical practice as well as future research. DESIGN: Multicenter, multinational, retrospective review. SETTING: Data from the Hemolung Registry between April 2013 and June 2021, where 57 ICUs contributed deidentified data. PATIENTS: Patients with acute respiratory failure treated with the Hemolung. The characteristics of patients who survived to ICU discharge were compared with those who died. Multivariable logistical regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with ICU survival. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 159 patients included, 65 (41%) survived to ICU discharge. The survival was highest in status asthmaticus (86%), followed by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (52%) and COVID-19 ARDS (31%). All patients had a significant reduction in Pa co2 and improvement in pH with reduction in mechanical ventilation support. Patients who died were older, had a lower Pa o2 :F io2 (P/F) and higher use of adjunctive therapies. There was no difference in the complications between patients who survived to those who died. Multivariable regression analysis showed non-COVID-19 ARDS, age less than 65 years, and P/F at initiation of ECCO 2 R to be independently associated with survival to ICU discharge (P/F 100-200 vs <100: odds ratio, 6.57; 95% CI, 2.03-21.33). CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvement in hypercapnic acidosis along with reduction in ventilation supports was noted within 4 hours of initiating ECCO 2 R. Non-COVID-19 ARDS, age, and P/F at commencement of ECCO 2 R were independently associated with survival.

Activin A level is associated with physical function in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Activin A is a potent negative regulator of muscle mass elevated in critical illness. It is unclear whether muscle strength and physical function in critically ill humans are associated with elevated activin A levels. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum activin A levels, muscle strength, and physical function at discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital. METHODS: Thirty-six participants were recruited from two tertiary ICUs in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were included if they were mechanically ventilated for >48 h and expected to have a total ICU stay of >5 days. The primary outcome measure was the Six-Minute Walk Test distance at hospital discharge. Secondary outcome measures included handgrip strength, Medical Research Council Sum Score, Physical Function ICU Test Scored, Six-Minute Walk Test, and Timed Up and Go Test assessed throughout the hospital admission. Total serum activin A levels were measured daily in the ICU. RESULTS: High peak activin A was associated with worse Six-Minute Walk Test distance at hospital discharge (linear regression coefficient, 95% confidence interval, p-value: -91.3, -154.2 to -28.4, p = 0.007, respectively). Peak activin A concentration was not associated with the secondary outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Higher peak activin A may be associated with the functional decline of critically ill patients. Further research is indicated to examine its potential as a therapeutic target and a prospective predictor for muscle wasting in critical illness. STUDY REGISTRATION: ACTRN12615000047594.

Treatment limitations and clinical outcomes in critically ill frail patients with and without COVID-19 pneumonitis.

BACKGROUND: The presence of treatment limitations in patients with frailty at intensive care unit (ICU) admission is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the presence and predictors of treatment limitations in patients with and without COVID-19 pneumonitis in those admitted to Australian and New Zealand ICUs. METHODS: This registry-based multicenter, retrospective cohort study included all frail adults (≥16 years) with documented clinical frailty scale (CFS) scores, admitted to ICUs with admission diagnostic codes for viral pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) over 2 years between January 01, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Frail patients (CFS ≥5) coded as having viral pneumonitis or ARDS due to COVID-19 were compared to those with other causes of viral pneumonitis or ARDS for documented treatment limitations. RESULTS: 884 frail patients were included in the final analysis from 129 public and private ICUs. 369 patients (41.7%) had confirmed COVID-19. There were more male patients in COVID-19 (55.3% vs 47.0%; p = 0.015). There were no differences in age or APACHE-III scores between the two groups. Overall, 36.0% (318/884) had treatment limitations, but similar between the two groups (35.8% [132/369] vs 36.1% [186/515]; p = 0.92). After adjusting for confounders, increasing frailty (OR = 1.72; 95%-CI 1.39-2.14), age (OR = 1.05; 95%-CI 1.04-1.06), and presence of chronic respiratory condition (OR = 1.58; 95%-CI 1.10-2.27) increased the likelihood of instituting treatment limitations. However, the presence of COVID-19 by itself did not influence treatment limitations (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39; 95%-CI 0.98-1.96). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of treatment limitations was similar in patients with frailty with or without COVID-19 pneumonitis at ICU admission.

Management of Clostridioides difficile infection in adults and challenges in clinical practice: review and comparison of current IDSA/SHEA, ESCMID and ASID guidelines.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a significant clinical challenge both in the management of severe and severe-complicated disease and the prevention of recurrence. Guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (IDSA/SHEA) and ESCMID had some consensus as well as some discrepancies in disease severity classification and treatment recommendations. We review and compare the key clinical strategies from updated IDSA/SHEA, ESCMID and current Australasian guidelines for CDI management in adults and discuss relevant issues for clinicians, particularly in the management of severe-complicated infection. Updated IDSA/SHEA and ESCMID guidelines now reflect the increased efficacy of fidaxomicin in preventing recurrence and have both promoted fidaxomicin to first-line therapy with an initial CDI episode in both non-severe and severe disease and endorsed the role of bezlotoxumab in the prevention of recurrent infection. Vancomycin remains acceptable therapy and metronidazole is not preferred. For severe-complicated infection the IDSA/SHEA recommends high-dose oral ±â€Šrectal vancomycin and IV metronidazole, whilst in an important development, ESCMID has endorsed fidaxomicin and tigecycline as part of combination anti-CDI therapy, for the first time. The role of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in second CDI recurrence is now clearer, but timing and mode of FMT in severe-complicated refractory disease still requires further study.

Comparing the Clinical Frailty Scale and an International Classification of Diseases-10 Modified Frailty Index in Predicting Long-Term Survival in Critically Ill Patients.

The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is the most used frailty measure in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Recently, the modified frailty index (mFI), derived from 11 comorbidities has also been used. It is unclear to what degree the mFI is a true measure of frailty rather than comorbidity. Furthermore, the mFI cannot be freely obtained outside of specific proprietary databases. OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of CFS and a recently developed International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) mFI (ICD-10mFI) as frailty-based predictors of long-term survival for up to 1 year. DESIGN: A retrospective multicentric observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All adult (≥16 yr) critically ill patients with documented CFS scores admitted to sixteen Australian ICUs in the state of Victoria between April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 were included. We used probabilistic methods to match de-identified ICU admission episodes listed in the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database with the Victorian Admission Episode Dataset and the Victorian Death Index via the Victorian Data Linkage Centre. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the longest available survival following ICU admission. We compared CFS and ICD-10mFI as primary outcome predictors, after adjusting for key confounders. RESULTS: The CFS and ICD-10mFI were compared in 7,001 ICU patients. The proportion of patients categorized as frail was greater with the CFS than with the ICD-10mFI (18.9% [n = 1,323] vs. 8.8% [n = 616]; p < 0.001). The median (IQR) follow-up time was 165 (82-276) days. The CFS predicted long-term survival up to 6 months after adjusting for confounders (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.26, 95% CI, 1.21-1.31), whereas ICD-10mFI did not (HR = 1.04, 95% CI, 0.98-1.10). The ICD-10mFI weakly correlated with the CFS (Spearman's rho = 0.22) but had a poor agreement (kappa = 0.06). The ICD-10mFI more strongly correlated with the Charlson comorbidity index (Spearman's rho 0.30) than CFS (Spearman's rho = 0.25) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CFS, but not ICD-10mFI, predicted long-term survival in ICU patients. ICD-10mFI correlated with co-morbidities more than CFS. These findings suggest that CFS and ICD-10mFI are not equivalent. RELEVANCE: CFS and ICD-10mFI are not equivalent in screening for frailty in critically ill patients and therefore ICD-10mFI in its current form should not be used.

Impact of frailty on clinical outcomes in patients with and without COVID-19 pneumonitis admitted to intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand: a retrospective registry data analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear if the impact of frailty on mortality differs between patients with viral pneumonitis due to COVID-19 or other causes. We aimed to determine if a difference exists between patients with and without COVID-19 pneumonitis. METHODS: This multicentre, retrospective, cohort study using the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database included patients aged ≥ 16 years admitted to 153 ICUs between 01/012020 and 12/31/2021 with admission diagnostic codes for viral pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome, and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The primary outcome was hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 4620 patients were studied, and 3077 (66.6%) had COVID-19. The patients with COVID-19 were younger (median [IQR] 57.0 [44.7-68.3] vs. 66.1 [52.0-76.2]; p < 0.001) and less frail (median [IQR] CFS 3 [2-4] vs. 4 [3-5]; p < 0.001) than non-COVID-19 patients. The overall hospital mortality was similar between the patients with and without COVID-19 (14.7% vs. 14.9%; p = 0.82). Frailty alone as a predictor of mortality showed only moderate discrimination in differentiating survivors from those who died but was similar between patients with and without COVID-19 (AUROC 0.68 vs. 0.66; p = 0.42). Increasing frailty scores were associated with hospital mortality, after adjusting for Australian and New Zealand Risk of Death score and sex. However, the effect of frailty was similar in patients with and without COVID-19 (OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.19-1.41 vs. OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.11-1.37). CONCLUSION: The presence of frailty was an independent risk factor for mortality. However, the impact of frailty on outcomes was similar in COVID-19 patients compared to other causes of viral pneumonitis.

Defining ICD-10 surrogate variables to estimate the modified frailty index: a Delphi-based approach.

BACKGROUND: There are currently no validated globally and freely available tools to estimate the modified frailty index (mFI). The widely available and non-proprietary International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) coding could be used as a surrogate for the mFI. We aimed to establish an appropriate set of the ICD-10 codes for comorbidities to be used to estimate the eleven-variable mFI. METHODS: A three-stage, web-based, Delphi consensus-building process among a panel of intensivists and geriatricians using iterative rounds of an online survey, was conducted between March and July 2021. The consensus was set a priori at 75% overall agreement. Additionally, we assessed if survey responses differed between intensivists and geriatricians. Finally, we ascertained the level of agreement. RESULTS: A total of 21 clinicians participated in all 3 Delphi surveys. Most (86%, 18/21) had more than 5-years' experience as specialists. The agreement proportionately increased with every Delphi survey. After the third survey, the panel had reached 75% consensus in 87.5% (112/128) of ICD-10 codes. The initially included 128 ICD-10 variables were narrowed down to 54 at the end of the 3 surveys. The inter-rater agreements between intensivists and geriatricians were moderate for surveys 1 and 3 (κ = 0.728, κ = 0.780) respectively, and strong for survey 2 (κ = 0.811). CONCLUSIONS: This quantitative Delphi survey of a panel of experienced intensivists and geriatricians achieved consensus for appropriate ICD-10 codes to estimate the mFI. Future studies should focus on validating the mFI estimated from these ICD-10 codes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Comparison of the predictive ability of clinical frailty scale and hospital frailty risk score to determine long-term survival in critically ill patients: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is the most commonly used frailty measure in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The hospital frailty risk score (HFRS) was recently proposed for the quantification of frailty. We aimed to compare the HFRS with the CFS in critically ill patients in predicting long-term survival up to one year following ICU admission. METHODS: In this retrospective multicentre cohort study from 16 public ICUs in the state of Victoria, Australia between 1st January 2017 and 30th June 2018, ICU admission episodes listed in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database registry with a documented CFS, which had been linked with the Victorian Admitted Episode Dataset and the Victorian Death Index were examined. The HFRS was calculated for each patient using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes that represented pre-existing conditions at the time of index hospital admission. Descriptive methods, Cox proportional hazards and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) were used to investigate the association between each frailty score and long-term survival up to 1 year, after adjusting for confounders including sex and baseline severity of illness on admission to ICU (Australia New Zealand risk-of-death, ANZROD). RESULTS: 7001 ICU patients with both frailty measures were analysed. The overall median (IQR) age was 63.7 (49.1-74.0) years; 59.5% (n = 4166) were male; the median (IQR) APACHE II score 14 (10-20). Almost half (46.7%, n = 3266) were mechanically ventilated. The hospital mortality was 9.5% (n = 642) and 1-year mortality was 14.4% (n = 1005). HFRS correlated weakly with CFS (Spearman's rho 0.13 (95% CI 0.10-0.15) and had a poor agreement (kappa = 0.12, 95% CI 0.10-0.15). Both frailty measures predicted 1-year survival after adjusting for confounders, CFS (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.21-1.31) and HFRS (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15). The CFS had better discrimination of 1-year mortality than HFRS (AUROC 0.66 vs 0.63 p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Both HFRS and CFS independently predicted up to 1-year survival following an ICU admission with moderate discrimination. The CFS was a better predictor of 1-year survival than the HFRS.

Timely goals of care documentation in patients with frailty in the COVID-19 era: a retrospective multi-site study.

BACKGROUND: Older frail patients are more likely to have timely goals of care (GOC) documentation than non-frail patients. AIMS: To investigate whether timely documentation of GOC within 72 h differed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), compared with the pre-COVID-19 era (2019) for older frail patients. METHODS: Multi-site retrospective cohort study was conducted in two public hospitals where all consecutive frail adult patients aged ≥65 years were admitted under medical units for at least 24 h between 1 March 31 and October in 2019 and between 1 March and 31 October 2020 were included. The GOC was derived from electronic records. Frailty status was derived from hospital coding data using hospital frailty risk score (frail ≥5). The primary outcome was the documentation of GOC within 72 h of hospital admission. Secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, rapid response call, intensive care unit admission, prolonged hospital length of stay (≥10 days) and time to the documentation of GOC. RESULTS: The study population comprised 2021 frail patients admitted in 2019 and 1849 admitted in 2020, aged 81.2 and 90.9 years respectively. The proportion of patients with timely GOC was lower in 2020, than 2019 (48.3% (893/1849) vs 54.9% (1109/2021); P = 0.021). After adjusting for confounding factors, patients in 2020 were less likely to receive timely GOC (odds ratio = 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68-0.88). Overall time to GOC documentation was longer in 2020 (hazard ratio = 0.86; 95% CI 0.80-0.93). CONCLUSION: Timely GOC documentation occurred less frequently in frail patients during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the pre-COVID-19 era.

Association between frailty and clinical outcomes in surgical patients admitted to intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative frailty may be a strong predictor of adverse postoperative outcomes. We investigated the association between frailty and clinical outcomes in surgical patients admitted to the ICU. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE were searched for relevant articles. We included full-text original English articles that used any frailty measure, reporting results of surgical adult patients (≥18 yr old) admitted to ICUs with mortality as the main outcome. Data on mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital length of stay, and discharge destination were extracted. The quality of included studies and risk of bias were assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Data were synthesised according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. RESULTS: Thirteen observational studies met inclusion criteria. In total, 58 757 patients were included; 22 793 (39.4%) were frail. Frailty was associated with an increased risk of short-term (risk ratio [RR]=2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.99-3.56) and long-term mortality (RR=2.66; 95% CI: 1.32-5.37). Frail patients had longer ICU length of stay (mean difference [MD]=1.5 days; 95% CI: 0.8-2.2) and hospital length of stay (MD=3.9 days; 95% CI: 1.4-6.5). Duration of mechanical ventilation was longer in frail patients (MD=22 h; 95% CI: 1.7-42.3) and they were more likely to be discharged to a healthcare facility (RR=2.34; 95% CI: 1.36-4.01). CONCLUSION: Patients with frailty requiring postoperative ICU admission for elective and non-elective surgeries had increased risk of mortality, lengthier admissions, and increased likelihood of non-home discharge. Preoperative frailty assessments and risk stratification are essential in patient and clinician planning, and critical care resource utilisation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020210121.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on hospital presentations and admissions in the context of low community transmission: evidence from time series analysis in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Melbourne, Australia, successfully halted exponential transmission of COVID-19 via two strict lockdowns during 2020. The impact of such restrictions on healthcare-seeking behaviour is not comprehensively understood, but is of global importance. We explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute, subacute and emergency department (ED) presentations/admissions within a tertiary, metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia, over two waves of community transmission (1 March to 20 September 2020). METHODS: We used 4 years of historical data and novel forecasting methods to predict counterfactual hospital activity for 2020, assuming absence of COVID-19. Observed activity was compared with forecasts overall, by age, triage category and for myocardial infarction and stroke. Data were analysed for all patients residing in the health service catchment area presenting between 4 January 2016 and 20 September 2020. RESULTS: ED presentations (n=401 805), acute admissions (n=371 723) and subacute admissions (n=15 676) were analysed. Substantial departures from forecasted presentation levels were observed during both waves in the ED and acute settings, and during the second wave in subacute. Reductions were most marked among those aged >80 and <18 years. Presentations persisted at expected levels for urgent conditions, and ED triage categories 1 and 5, with clear reductions in categories 2-4. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses suggest citizens were willing and able to present with life-threatening conditions during Melbourne's lockdowns, and that switching to telemedicine did not cause widespread spill-over from primary care into ED. During a pandemic, lockdowns may not inhibit appropriate hospital attendance where rates of infectious disease are low.

Risk perception and emotional wellbeing in healthcare workers involved in rapid response calls during the COVID-19 pandemic: A substudy of a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has effected major changes to healthcare delivery within acute care settings. Rapid response calls (RRCs) in healthcare organisations have been effective at identifying and urgently managing acute clinical deterioration. Code-95 RRC were introduced to prewarn healthcare workers (HCWs) attending to patients suspected or confirmed with COVID-19 infection. AIMS: The primary aim of the study was to identify the personal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCWs involved in attending Code-95 RRC. We sought to evaluate their perception of risks and effects on wellbeing and identify potential opportunities for improvement at organisational levels. METHODS: We undertook a detailed survey on HCWs attending Code-95 RRCs, including questions that sought to understand the impact of the pandemic as well as their perception of infection risk and emotional wellbeing. This was a substudy of the prospective cross-sectional single-centre survey of HCWs that was conducted over a 3-week period at Frankston Hospital, Victoria, Australia. We adopted a quantitative content analysis approach for free-text responses in this secondary analysis. RESULTS: Four hundred two free-text comments were received from 297 respondents and were analysed. More than two-thirds (68%, 223/297) were female. Of all comments, 39% (155/402) were related to organisational issues including communication, confusion due to constantly changing infection control policies, and insufficient training. Thirty-three percent of comments (133/402) raised issues regarding the adequacy of personal protective equipment. Anxiety was reported in 25% of comments (101/402) with concerns predominantly relating to emotional stress and fatigue, risks of virus exposure and transmitting the infection to others, and COVID-19 precautions impairing care delivery. CONCLUSION(S): Our study raises important issues that have relevance for all healthcare organisations in the management of patients with COVID-19. These include the importance of improving communication, especially when infection control policies are revised, optimising training, maintaining adequate personal protective equipment, and HCW support. Early recognition and management of these issues are crucial to maintain optimal healthcare delivery.