Unveiling Pathophysiological Insights: Serum Metabolic Dysregulation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients with Acute Kidney Injury.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high mortality rates, which are further exacerbated when accompanied by acute kidney injury (AKI). Presently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies thoroughly elucidating the metabolic dysregulation in ARDS patients with AKI leading to poor outcomes. We hypothesized that metabolomics can be a potent tool to highlight the differences in the metabolic profile unraveling unidentified pathophysiological mechanisms of ARDS patients with and without AKI. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to identify key metabolites in the serum samples of 75 patients. Distinct clusters of both groups were obtained as the study's primary outcome using multivariate analysis. Notable alternations in the levels of nine metabolites were identified. Pathway analysis revealed the dysregulation of five significant cycles, which resulted in various complications, such as hyperammonemia, higher energy requirements, and mitochondrial dysfunction causing oxidative stress. Identified metabolites also showed a significant correlation with clinical scores, indicating severity. This study shows the alterations in the metabolite concentration highlighting the difference in the pathophysiology of both patient groups and its association with outcome, pointing in the direction of a personalized medicine approach and holding significant promise for application in critical care settings to improve clinical outcomes.

Emerging Colistin Resistance: Experience from an Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Center in India.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to the currently available classes of antimicrobials has emerged as a major health concern, with a growing number of isolated organisms demonstrating resistance to available antimicrobials. With the escalation of carbapenem resistance, the use of polymyxin B/E (colistin) has increased over the years, which has, in turn, contributed to the worldwide emergence of colistin resistance. The available data on colistin resistance from Southeast Asian nations, including India, is limited, especially in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. The primary objective of our study was to analyze the clinical profile of patients with polymyxin B/E (colistin) resistant positive cultures and to study their outcome in terms of length of ICU stay and outcome at discharge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational, single-center, prospective study was conducted in a 20-bed adult ICU serving both medical and surgical patients at a 1,600-bed tertiary care institute in northern India between Jan 2020 and Dec 2021. In this study, all adult patients, defined as individuals older than 18 years of age, admitted to our ICU with cultures detecting polymyxin B/E (colistin) resistant organisms were included as cases, and all adult ICU patients (age >18 years) with polymyxin B/E (colistin) sensitive cultures were taken as controls. Clinical, laboratory, and demographic parameters, along with ICU variables like severity of illness, length of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation, days of shock, renal replacement therapy (RRT), etc., and outcome at discharge were collected. Identification of resistance to colistin and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin is based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. For statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, and binary logistic regression were used. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases and 55 controls (n = 83) were included for analysis. Abdominal [gastrointestinal (GI)] sepsis was the most common diagnosis (41.8%) at admission to the ICU, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common species isolated in both the cases (96.4%) and the controls (50.9%). The most common site of isolation of Gram-negative bacteria in both cases and controls was blood (71.4 vs 74.5%), followed by deep-seated pus (21.4 vs 23.64%). The most common class of drugs to which the cases were sensitive was tetracyclines in 60.7%, followed by ceftazidime-avibactam. Factors such as prior exposure to colistin, exposure to monobactams in the ICU, and ICU stay in days were identified as independent predictors for colistin resistance. Overall mortality was not statistically different between cases and controls (p -value 0.38). CONCLUSION: Factors like prolonged ICU stay, exposure to monobactams in the ICU, and a history of prior exposure to colistin in the previous 90 days are independent predictors of colistin resistance. The most common organism to develop colistin resistance identified was K. pneumoniae, and the most common site of isolation was blood. There was no difference in mortality between colistin-resistant and colistin-sensitive patients.

Serial Trend of Neutrophil CD64, C-reactive Protein, and Procalcitonin as a Prognostic Marker in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis/Septic Shock: A Prospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care ICU.

Aim and background: Neutrophil CD64 (nCD64) is evolving as a prognostic biomarker in sepsis. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether serial trend of nCD64, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) predict 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis/septic shock, as per Sepsis-3 criteria. Materials and methods: This prospective, observational single-center cohort study included 60 adult patients (age ≥18 years) with sepsis. Serial biomarker levels with SOFA score were measured at admission (day 0), on day 4, and on day 8. Results: Of the 60 patients, 42 (70%) had septic shock. Biomarker levels at admission did not differ between patients with sepsis and septic shock. Thirty-seven patients survived and 23 were non-survivors by day 28. There was a significant fall in serial trend of all three biomarkers from admission till day 8 (Friedman p < 0.001) in survivors compared to a non-significant change in non-survivors. On multivariate analysis, SOFA score at admission (OR 1.731), more days with vasopressor support (OR 1.077), rise in CD64 from day 0 to day 8 (OR 1.074), and rise in CRP from day 0 to 8 (OR 1.245) were the significant predictors of 28-day mortality (p < 0.05). The highest area under the ROC curve was obtained for more days of vasopressor therapy (0.857), followed by a rise in CD64 from day 0 to day 8 (0.798). Conclusion: Serial trend of biomarkers has prognostic utility. The rise in CD64 from day 0 to day 8 was a good predictor of mortality compared to the trend of other biomarkers. How to cite this article: Patnaik R, Azim A, Singh K, Agarwal V, Mishra P, Poddar B, et al. Serial Trend of Neutrophil CD64, C-reactive Protein, and Procalcitonin as a Prognostic Marker in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis/Septic Shock: A Prospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care ICU. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(8):777-784.

Role of Gabapentin in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Comparative Study.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality among young individuals, accounting for 65% of deaths in road traffic accidents. Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) is a common syndrome associated with TBI. This study represents the first prospective investigation aimed at assessing the impact of gabapentin on TBI patients, focusing on the prevention of secondary brain injury and brain edema while enhancing the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Materials and methods: The study was conducted from September 2019 to July 2021 after receiving ethical committee approval. It included adult ICU patients (≥18 years) with moderate and severe GCS. Patients below 18 years, death within 48 hours, non-consenting, pregnant females, and individuals allergic to gabapentin were excluded from the study. Patients were randomly allocated in two groups: study group received 300 mg of gabapentin orally twice daily and control group received multivitamin tablets twice daily. The treatment period spanned 2 weeks. Follow-up occurred in the ICU and continued for up to 3 months post-discharge, including telephonic conversations. Results: About 60 patients were involved for analysis. Significant differences were found in GCS change from admission to discharge, Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 30 and 90 days, PSH episodes, and sedation bolus per day. Glasgow Coma Scale change was 53% in the study group compared with 25% in the control group (p = 0.009). Mortality was significantly lower in the study group. Glasgow Outcome Scale change between 30 and 90 days showed a 25% improvement in cases and no change in controls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This pioneering study underscores the potential of gabapentin in managing traumatic brain injuries. How to cite this article: Singh R, Ambasta S, Bais PS, Azim A, Kumar S, Upreti B, et al. Role of Gabapentin in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Comparative Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(2):120-125.

Metabolic fingerprint of patients showing responsiveness to treatment of septic shock in intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: An early metabolic signature associated with the responsiveness to treatment can be useful in the better management of septic shock patients. This would help clinicians in designing personalized treatment protocols for patients showing non-responsiveness to treatment. METHODS: We analyzed the serum on Day 1 (n = 60), Day 3 (n = 47), and Day 5 (n = 26) of patients with septic shock under treatment using NMR-based metabolomics. Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed to generate the list of metabolites that can be identified as potential disease biomarkers having statistical significance (that is, metabolites that had a VIP score > 1, and p value < 0.05, False discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). RESULTS: Common significant metabolites amongst the three time points were obtained that distinguished the patients being responsive (R) and non-responsive (NR) to treatments, namely 3 hydroxybutyrate, lactate, and phenylalanine which were lower, whereas glutamate and choline higher in patients showing responsiveness. DISCUSSION: The study gave these metabolic signatures identifying patients' responsiveness to treatment. The results of the study will aid in the development of targeted therapy for ICU patients.

Administration of 3% hypertonic saline via peripheral route: Is it really safe?

BACKGROUND: Administration of 3% sodiumchloride through a peripheral venous catheter is associated with risk of infusion-related adverse events (IRAE) due to its high osmolarity. Given this concern and the paucity of data regarding these events,many hospitals have policies that require central line administration of 3% sodiumchloride. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the incidence of IRAE associated with peripheral administration of 3% sodium chloride. METHODS: This analysis included patients who received 3% sodium chloride via a peripheral venous catheter between May 2017 and August 2019. The major endpoint of this analysiswas the overall incidence of IRAE, defined as the documentation of infiltration or phlebitis. Amultivariable logistic regression was performed to identify potential risk factors (e.g., age, infusion rate, infusion duration, peripheral venous catheter location, and needle gauge) for development of IRAE. RESULTS: A total of 706 administrations in 422 patientswere included. Seventy-four (10.5%) administrations were associated with a documented event. Based on the Infusion Nurses grading scale for infiltration or phlebitis, 48% of the events in this analysiswere grade 1 in severity. Duration of infusion of 3% sodiumchloride was found to be associated with an increased odds of an IRAE (OR per 1 h 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.02) in the multivariable analysis. Age, infusion rate, peripheral venous catheter location, and needle gauge were not independently associated with an increased risk of an IRAE. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that IRAE occurred more frequently when 3% sodium chloride was administered over a longer duration and themajority of events weremild with no permanent tissue injury. Itmay be reasonable to consider peripheral administration of 3% sodium chloride in the acute care setting for a short duration, although additional studies are needed to continue to evaluate its safety.

The evolution of clot strength in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a prospective observational thromboelastography study.

The authors have done commendable work in exploring the utility of a comprehensive viscoelastic test for assessment of the coagulation cascade in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. This article published in your esteemed journal in November 2021 "The evolution of clot strength in critically-ill COVID-19 patients: a prospective observational thromboelastography study" found hypercoagulability in most of the patients at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and also noted a persistently increased fibrin contribution to clot strength. However, we would like to comment upon a few points which may be of importance to the readers.

Association of hyperglycaemia at-admission & diabetes mellitus with 28 day mortality in patients admitted with moderate-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection: A retrospective study.

Background & objectives: The association between hyperglycaemia at admission, diabetes mellitus (DM) status and mortality in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between DM, at-admission hyperglycaemia and 28 day mortality in patients admitted with moderate-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring intensive care. Methods: All consecutive moderate-to-severe patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) over six months were enrolled in this single-centre, retrospective study. The predicators for 28 day mortality were analysed from the independent variables including DM status and hyperglycaemia at-admission. Results: Four hundred and fifty two patients with SARS-CoV-2 were admitted to the ICU, with a mean age of 58.5±13.4 yr, 78.5 per cent being male, HbA1c of 7.2 per cent (6.3-8.8) and 63.7 per cent having DM. Overall, 28 day mortality was 48.9 per cent. In univariate analysis, mortality in diabetes patients was comparable with non-diabetes (47.9 vs. 50.6%, P=0.58), while it was significantly higher in hyperglycaemic group (60.4 vs. 35.8%, P<0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities, hyperglycaemia at-admission was an independent risk factor of mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.06-1.99), P<0.05]. Interpretation & conclusions: This study showed that the presence of hyperglycaemia at-admission in critically ill SARS-CoV-2 patients was an independent predictor of 28 day mortality. However, the findings may be susceptible to unmeasured confounding, and more research from prospective studies is required.

New insights into development and mortality of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in a homogenous cohort of 1161 intensive care patients.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has been widely reported but homogenous large cohort studies are needed to gain real-world insights about the disease. METHODS: We collected clinical and laboratory data of 1161 patients hospitalised at our Institute from March 2020 to August 2021, defined their CAPA pathology, and analysed the data of CAPA/non-CAPA and deceased/survived CAPA patients using univariable and multivariable models. RESULTS: The overall prevalence and mortality of CAPA in our homogenous cohort of 1161 patients were 6.4% and 47.3%, respectively. The mortality of CAPA was higher than that of non-CAPA patients (hazard ratio: 1.8 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.8]). Diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.92 [1.15-3.21]); persistent fever (2.54 [1.17-5.53]); hemoptysis (7.91 [4.45-14.06]); and lung lesions of cavitation (8.78 [2.27-34.03]), consolidation (9.06 [2.03-40.39]), and nodules (8.26 [2.39-28.58]) were associated with development of CAPA by multivariable analysis. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (2.68 [1.09-6.55]), a high computed tomography score index (OR 1.18 [1.08-1.29]; p < .001), and pulse glucocorticoid treatment (HR 4.0 [1.3-9.2]) were associated with mortality of the disease. Whereas neutrophilic leukocytosis (development: 1.09 [1.03-1.15] and mortality: 1.17 [1.08-1.28]) and lymphopenia (development: 0.68 [0.51-0.91] and mortality: 0.40 [0.20-0.83]) were associated with the development as well as mortality of CAPA. CONCLUSION: We observed a low but likely underestimated prevalence of CAPA in our study. CAPA is a disease with high mortality and diabetes is a significant factor for its development while ARDS and pulse glucocorticoid treatment are significant factors for its mortality. Cellular immune dysregulation may have a central role in CAPA from its development to mortality.

Analysis of Causes of Hepatic Dysfunction in Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiology of liver disease in obstetric patients shows geographical variation depending upon the prevalence of preeclampsia, viral hepatitis, and tropical vector-borne diseases like malaria, leptospirosis, etc. We undertook the current systematic review to analyze the causes of hepatic dysfunction in obstetric patients in India and identify the gaps in the literature and reporting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We did a systematic review of studies reporting the causes of hepatic dysfunction in obstetric patients in India. A methodological quality assessment was done using a five-point questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies qualified for evaluation. The rate of hepatic dysfunction among obstetric patients in India ranged from 0.15 to 3.3% with a mean and median rate of 1.49 and 0.93%, respectively. Preeclampsia/HELLP (mean = 36.0%, median = 31.4%, range: 3.6-83.8%) and viral hepatitis (mean = 34.1%, median = 35.5%, range: 5.1-61.8%) were the commonest causes of hepatic dysfunction. Other causes were intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, tropical fever (malaria, leptospirosis, dengue, scrub typhus), etc. Maternal mortality ranged from 1.4 to 40% (mean = 12.6%, median = 10.0%) and perinatal mortality was between 16.4 and 38.70% (mean = 31.75%, median = 35.5%). CONCLUSION: There is moderate quality evidence to show that preeclampsia/HELLP and viral hepatitis are the commonest causes of hepatic dysfunction in obstetric patients in India. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Ahmed A, Saxena S, Pandey A, Mishra P, Azim A. Analysis of Causes of Hepatic Dysfunction in Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(1):114-122.

Etiology of Pregnancy-related Acute Kidney Injury among Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review.

Background: Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (PRAKI) is an important cause of fetomaternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. We undertook a systematic review to identify the causes of PRAKI among obstetric patients in India. Materials and methods: We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar using appropriate search terminology between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021. Studies reporting the etiology of PRAKI among obstetric patients (pregnant and within 42 days postpartum) in India were included for evaluation. Studies done in any other geographical location besides India were excluded. We also excluded studies done in any one trimester or any specific subgroup of patients [e.g., postpartum acute kidney injury (AKI), postabortal AKI]. A five-point questionnaire was used to assess the risk of bias in included studies. The results were synthesized as per preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: A total number of 7 studies with 477 participants were included for analysis. All were single-center descriptive observational studies either done in tertiary care public or private hospitals. Sepsis (mean, 41.9%; median, 49.4%; and range, 6-56.1%) was the most common cause of PRAKI followed by hemorrhage (mean, 22.1%; median, 23.5%; and range, 8.3-38.5%) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (mean, 20.9%; median, 20.7; and range, 11.5-39%). Among these seven studies, five were of moderate quality, one was of high quality, and another one was of low quality. Our study is limited due to the lack of consensus definition of PRAKI in literature and heterogeneity in reporting methods. Our study highlights the need for a structured reporting format for PRAKI to understand the true disease burden and take control measures. Conclusion: There is a moderate quality of evidence to suggest that sepsis followed by hemorrhage and pregnancy-induced hypertension are the commonest causes of PRAKI in India. How to cite this article: Gautam M, Saxena S, Saran S, Ahmed A, Pandey A, Mishra P, et al. Etiology of Pregnancy-related Acute Kidney Injury among Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(10):1141-1151.

Presepsin: A Promising Biomarker for Sepsis.

Sepsis is the most common cause of mortality in non-cardiac ICUs. The quest for early diagnosis and treatment has led to the discovery of many biomarkers. In this issue, Abdelshafey et al. have evaluated presepsin, a novel biomarker for early detection of sepsis. Presepsin is formed by cleavage of N-terminal of soluble CD14 (sCD14) which is a member of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Studies have found a higher level of presepsin in septic patients and values above 946 ng/L correlated well with gram-negative bacterial sepsis. How to cite this article: Azim A. Presepsin: A Promising Biomarker for Sepsis. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(2):117-118.

Less Costlier and Emergency Options for Intubation during Coronavirus Disease Times.

How to cite this article: Saran S, Dube M, Azim A. Less Costlier and Emergency Options for Intubation during Coronavirus Disease Times. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(12):1462-1463.

Engineering Solutions for Preventing Airborne Transmission in Hospitals with Resource Limitation and Demand Surge.

Among the various strategies for the prevention of airborne transmission, engineering measures are placed high in the hierarchy of control. Modern hospitals in high-income countries have mechanical systems of building ventilation also called HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) but installation and maintenance of such systems is a challenging and resource-intensive task. Even when the state-of-the-art technology was used to build airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs), recommended standards were often not met in field studies. The current coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has highlighted the need to find cost-effective and less resource-intensive engineering solutions. Moreover, there is a need for the involvement of interdisciplinary teams to find innovative infection control solutions and doctors are frequently lacking in their understanding of building ventilation-related problems as well as their possible solutions. The current article describes building ventilation strategies (natural ventilation and hybrid ventilation) for hospitals where HVAC systems are either lacking or do not meet the recommended standards. Other measures like the use of portable air cleaning technologies and temporary negative-pressure rooms can be used as supplementary strategies in situations of demand surge. It can be easily understood that thermal comfort is compromised in buildings that are not mechanically fitted with HVAC systems, therefore the given building ventilation strategies are more helpful when climatic conditions are moderate or other measures are combined to maintain thermal comfort. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Zia H, Singh R, Seth M, Ahmed A, Azim A. Engineering Solutions for Preventing Airborne Transmission in Hospitals with Resource Limitation and Demand Surge. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(4):453-460.

Breathability and Safety Testing of Personal Protective Equipment: "Human-comfort" Factor Remains Undefined.

Healthcare systems all over the world have been enormously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) taking care of these patients need personal protective equipments (PPEs) standardized for full protection from droplets and aerosols carrying viral load to variable distances. There has been a surge of manufacturers supplying these protective gears in India and regulatory agencies have issued technical specifications pertaining to PPEs focusing solely on synthetic blood penetration tests (SBPTs) and keeping the upper limit of non-woven fabric to 95 g/m2 (GSM). These PPE specifications are silent on air permeability (AP) and water/moisture vapor transmission rate (WVTR/MVTR) of the fabric. As a result, most of the PPE kits, despite having appropriate SBPT certifications from regulatory agencies, have extremely poor permeability and breathability. The acceptability of PPEs by HCWs can be vastly improved when the end-users are proactively invited to participate in "comfort testing" of PPEs before getting issuance of certification for marketing. "Field testing" or "end-user trials" in which HCWs don the PPE and assess it for comfort while performing different types of clinical work, e.g., in intensive care units (ICUs), operation theaters, cath labs, etc., also takes into account a hitherto often ignored "human-comfort-factor" that not only enhances the understanding of HCWs about the need for the PPEs but can also motivate them to use it without worrying about discomfort. We hereby propose that comfort fit testing (COmfort and Material Fit is an Obviously Required Test) should be a part of the mandatory testing and certification process for PPE, so that the industry invests wisely in manufacturing PPE kits that are not only certified for fabric but are also tested for comfort factors. How to cite this article: Kapoor A, Baronia AK, Azim A, Agarwal G, Prasad N, Mishra R, et al. Breathability and Safety Testing of Personal Protective Equipment: "Human-comfort" Factor Remains Undefined. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(1):12-15.

Incorporating Lung Ultrasound in Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score as an Added Tool for Diagnosing Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Prospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: Clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) is an established diagnostic parameter for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an evolving tool for diagnosing VAP. Various scores have been proposed for the diagnosis of VAP, taking LUS as a parameter. We proposed whether replacing LUS with chest radiograph in CPIS criteria will add to the diagnosis of VAP. The current study was done to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of LUS alone and in combination with clinical and microbiological criteria for VAP by replacing chest radiograph with LUS in CPIS. Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective single-center observational study including 110 patients with suspected VAP to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of LUS. Quantitative mini-bronchoalveolar lavage (mini-BAL) culture was considered the gold standard for diagnosis of VAP. Here, the authors have explored the combination of LUS, clinical, and microbiology parameters for diagnosing VAP. On replacing chest radiograph with LUS, sono-pulmonary infection score (SPIS) and modified SPIS (SPIS-mic, SPIS-cult) was formulated as a substitute for CPIS. Results: Overall LUS performance for VAP diagnosis was good with sensitivity, specificity, positive or negative predictive value, and positive or negative likelihood ratios of 91.3%, 70%, 89%, 75%, 3, and 0.1, respectively. Adding microbiology culture to LUS increased diagnostic accuracy. The areas under the curve for SPIS and modified SPIS were 0.808, 0.815, and 0.913, respectively. Conclusion: The diagnosis of VAP requires agreement between clinical, microbiological, and radiological criteria. Replacing chest radiograph with LUS in CPIS criteria (SPIS) increases diagnostic accuracy for VAP. Adding clinical and culture data to SPIS provided the highest diagnostic accuracy. Clinical parameters along with lung ultrasound increase diagnostic accuracy for VAP. How to cite this article: Samanta S, Patnaik R, Azim A, Gurjar M, Baronia AK, Poddar B, et al. Incorporating Lung Ultrasound in Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score as an Added Tool for Diagnosing Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Prospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Center. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(3):284-291.

An NMR based panorama of the heterogeneous biology of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from the standpoint of metabolic biomarkers.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), manifested by intricate etiology and pathophysiology, demands careful clinical surveillance due to its high mortality and imminent life support measures. NMR based metabolomics provides an approach for ARDS which culminates from a wide spectrum of illness thereby confounding early manifestation and prognosis predictors. 1 H NMR with its manifold applications in critical disease settings can unravel the biomarker of ARDS thus holding potent implications by providing surrogate endpoints of clinical utility. NMR metabolomics which is the current apogee platform of omics trilogy is contributing towards the possible panacea of ARDS by subsequent validation of biomarker credential on larger datasets. In the present review, the physiological derangements that jeopardize the whole metabolic functioning in ARDS are exploited and the biomarkers involved in progression are addressed and substantiated. The following sections of the review also outline the clinical spectrum of ARDS from the standpoint of NMR based metabolomics which is an emerging element of systems biology. ARDS is the main premise of intensivists textbook, which has been thoroughly reviewed along with its incidence, progressive stages of severity, new proposed diagnostic definition, and the preventive measures and the current pitfalls of clinical management. The advent of new therapies, the need for biomarkers, the methodology and the contemporary promising approaches needed to improve survival and address heterogeneity have also been evaluated. The review has been stepwise illustrated with potent biometrics employed to selectively pool out differential metabolites as diagnostic markers and outcome predictors. The following sections have been drafted with an objective to better understand ARDS mechanisms with predictive and precise biomarkers detected so far on the basis of underlying physiological parameters having close proximity to diseased phenotype. The aim of this review is to stimulate interest in conducting more studies to help resolve the complex heterogeneity of ARDS with biomarkers of clinical utility and relevance.

Short versus long axis ultrasound guided approach for internal jugular vein cannulations: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein cannulation is a standard procedure performed in ICUs worldwide. According to the guidelines, the short-axis approach is recommended over the long-axis approach for IJV cannulation. Double-operator cannulation is more convenient for the said procedure. However, the guidelines favor single-operator cannulation due to limited trials. We hypothesized that double-operator long-axis cannulation will be faster and have fewer complications than double-operator short-axis cannulation. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized trial of patients who needed central venous catheterization in the intensive care unit. The eligible patients were randomized into two groups. In one group, the short-axis view by two operators was used for cannulation, and the long-axis view by 2 operators was used in the other group. The time elapsed from skin puncture to guide-wire insertion. RESULTS: The central venous catheter was placed by ultrasound guidance in all 100 patients. No significant differences were observed in the patient characteristics between the two groups. The mean time of insertion was 74.2 ±â€¯110.1 s with the short-axis approach compared with 70.3 ±â€¯97.3 s with the long-axis approach. The frequency of complications was also significantly lower with the long-axis approach. DISCUSSION: The long-axis view for IJV cannulation has similar insertion and procedure timings to the short-axis view. However, the complication rate and number of needle punctures required were less with the long-axis view than with those with the short-axis view.

Emergency Laparotomies: Causes, Pathophysiology, and Outcomes.

Emergency laparotomies have remained a challenging entity since many decades. Only during the past 10 years, serious efforts have been made to improve their outcome by conducting audits and designing care pathways. Indications for emergency laparotomies can be broadly classified into trauma and non-trauma surgeries, which are either done for control of hemorrhage or/and done for control of sepsis and organ dysfunction. Goal-directed resuscitation for septic/hemorrhagic shock, consultant-led multidisciplinary teams, and timely transfer to intensive care units form core principles of management for these patients. Global inequity in access to standard and affordable emergency surgeries is an area of concern requiring integrated efforts at international level. How to cite this article: Ahmed A, Azim A. Emergency Laparotomies: Causes, Pathophysiology, and Outcomes. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(Suppl 4):S183-S189.

Drug Dosing in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury and on Renal Replacement Therapy.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) complicates in around 40-50% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs), and this can account for up to 80% mortality, especially in those patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). Appropriate drug dosing in such patients is a challenge to the intensivists due to various factors such as patient related (appropriate body weight, organ clearance, serum protein concentration), drug related [molecular weight (MW), protein binding, volume of distribution (V d), hydrophilicity, or hydrophobicity], and RRT related (type, modality of solute removal, filter characteristics, dose, and duration). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of drugs can be a promising solution to this complex scenario to titrate a drug to its clinical response, but it is available only for a few drugs. In this review, we discussed drug dosing aspects of antimicrobials, sedatives, and antiepileptics in critically ill patients with AKI on RRT. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Saran S, Rao NS, Azim A. Drug Dosing in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury and on Renal Replacement Therapy. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(Suppl 3):S129-S134.