Fluid bolus increases plasma hyaluronan concentration compared to follow-up strategy without a bolus in oliguric intensive care unit patients.

Fluid therapy is a fundamental part of supportive therapy in critical care. However, it is also a suspected risk for endothelial glycocalyx degradation which is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This secondary analysis of RESPONSE randomized trial compares the effect of follow-up strategy (FU) on endothelial biomarkers to that of 500 ml crystalloid fluid bolus (FB) in oliguric, hemodynamically optimized intensive care unit (ICU) patients. 130 adult subjects were enrolled in two Finnish ICUs from January 2017 to November 2020. Blood and urine samples of 63 patients in FU group and 67 patients in FB group were collected before and after the intervention and analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Single fluid bolus, given after median of 3887 ml (interquartile range 2842; 5359 ml) resuscitation fluids in the preceding 24 h, increased plasma hyaluronan concentration compared to the follow-up strategy (difference in medians 29.2 ng/ml with 95% CI [14.5ng/ml; 55.5ng/ml], P < 0.001). No treatment effect was detected in the plasma levels of syndecan-1, , angiopoietin-2, angiopoietin receptors Tie2 and Tie1, or in soluble thrombomodulin in the adjusted median regression analysis. The increase in hyaluronan was independent of its simultaneous renal clearance but correlated moderately with the increase in endothelium-specific Tie1. The follow-up strategy did not show consistent endothelium-sparing effect but protected against hyaluronan increase. The mechanisms and consequences of hyaluronan fluctuations need further clarification. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02860572. Registered 1 August 2016, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02860572?term=NCT02860572&rank=1.

Regional Practice Variation and Outcomes in the Standard Versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) Trial: A Post Hoc Secondary Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Among patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) admitted to the ICU in high-income countries, regional practice variations for fluid balance (FB) management, timing, and choice of renal replacement therapy (RRT) modality may be significant. DESIGN: Secondary post hoc analysis of the STandard vs. Accelerated initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02568722). SETTING: One hundred-fifty-three ICUs in 13 countries. PATIENTS: Altogether 2693 critically ill patients with AKI, of whom 994 were North American, 1143 European, and 556 from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Total mean FB to a maximum of 14 days was +7199 mL in North America, +5641 mL in Europe, and +2211 mL in ANZ (p < 0.001). The median time to RRT initiation among patients allocated to the standard strategy was longest in Europe compared with North America and ANZ (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Continuous RRT was the initial RRT modality in 60.8% of patients in North America and 56.8% of patients in Europe, compared with 96.4% of patients in ANZ (p < 0.001). After adjustment for predefined baseline characteristics, compared with North American and European patients, those in ANZ were more likely to survive to ICU (p < 0.001) and hospital discharge (p < 0.001) and to 90 days (for ANZ vs. Europe: risk difference [RD], -11.3%; 95% CI, -17.7% to -4.8%; p < 0.001 and for ANZ vs. North America: RD, -10.3%; 95% CI, -17.5% to -3.1%; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Among STARRT-AKI trial centers, significant regional practice variation exists regarding FB, timing of initiation of RRT, and initial use of continuous RRT. After adjustment, such practice variation was associated with lower ICU and hospital stay and 90-day mortality among ANZ patients compared with other regions.

Phase-3 trial of recombinant human alkaline phosphatase for patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (REVIVAL).

PURPOSE: Ilofotase alfa is a human recombinant alkaline phosphatase with reno-protective effects that showed improved survival and reduced Major Adverse Kidney Events by 90 days (MAKE90) in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) patients. REVIVAL, was a phase-3 trial conducted to confirm its efficacy and safety. METHODS: In this international double-blinded randomized-controlled trial, SA-AKI patients were enrolled < 72 h on vasopressor and < 24 h of AKI. The primary endpoint was 28-day all-cause mortality. The main secondary endpoint was MAKE90, other secondary endpoints were (i) days alive and free of organ support through day 28, (ii) days alive and out of the intensive care unit (ICU) through day 28, and (iii) time to death through day 90. Prior to unblinding, the statistical analysis plan was amended, including an updated MAKE90 definition. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty patients were treated and analyzed for safety; and 649 for efficacy data (ilofotase alfa n = 330; placebo n = 319). The observed mortality rates in the ilofotase alfa and placebo groups were 27.9% and 27.9% at 28 days, and 33.9% and 34.8% at 90 days. The trial was stopped for futility on the primary endpoint. The observed proportion of patients with MAKE90A and MAKE90B were 56.7% and 37.4% in the ilofotase alfa group vs. 64.6% and 42.8% in the placebo group. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] days alive and free of organ support were 17 [0-24] and 14 [0-24], number of days alive and discharged from the ICU through day 28 were 15 [0-22] and 10 [0-22] in the ilofotase alfa and placebo groups, respectively. Adverse events were reported in 67.9% and 75% patients in the ilofotase and placebo group. CONCLUSION: Among critically ill patients with SA-AKI, ilofotase alfa did not improve day 28 survival. There may, however, be reduced MAKE90 events. No safety concerns were identified.

Initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy versus intermittent hemodialysis in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury: a secondary analysis of STARRT-AKI trial.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the optimal renal-replacement therapy (RRT) modality for critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the STandard versus Accelerated Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) trial to compare outcomes among patients who initiated RRT with either continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) or intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). We generated a propensity score for the likelihood of receiving CRRT and used inverse probability of treatment with overlap-weighting to address baseline inter-group differences. The primary outcome was a composite of death or RRT dependence at 90-days after randomization. RESULTS: We identified 1590 trial participants who initially received CRRT and 606 who initially received IHD. The composite outcome of death or RRT dependence at 90-days occurred in 823 (51.8%) patients who commenced CRRT and 329 (54.3%) patients who commenced IHD (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75-1.09). After balancing baseline characteristics with overlap weighting, initial receipt of CRRT was associated with a lower risk of death or RRT dependence at 90-days compared with initial receipt of IHD (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.66-0.99). This association was predominantly driven by a lower risk of RRT dependence at 90-days (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.39-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill patients with severe AKI, initiation of CRRT, as compared to IHD, was associated with a significant reduction in the composite outcome of death or RRT dependence at 90-days.

Immunomodulatory Properties of Packed Red Blood Cells during Storage.

Introduction: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion may affect the recipient immune system. During RBC storage in an unphysiological environment, RBC quality and function are impaired, the cells bleb extracellular vesicles (EVs), and other bioactive substances accumulate in the storage medium. EVs can carry reactive biomolecules and mediate cell-cell interactions. Thus, EVs could explain RBC transfusion related immunomodulation, particularly after prolonged storage. Methods: We exposed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to allogeneic RBC supernatant (SN) and EVs from fresh and longer-stored RBC units, diluted plasma, and storage solution SAGM, and studied activation and proliferation of T-cells by flow cytometry, and cytokine secretion of LPS-stimulated PBMCs by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Both fresh and longer-stored RBC SN but not EVs induced immunomodulation in recipient cells. RBC SN and diluted plasma augmented the proliferation of particularly CD8+ T-cells in a 4-day proliferation assay. T-cell activation by SN was evident already after 5 h as shown by upregulation of CD69. SN suppressed monocyte TNF-α and increased IL-10 secretion while diluted plasma increased secretion of both cytokines. Conclusion: This in vitro study demonstrates that stored RBC SN will have mixed immunomodulatory effects depending on responder cells and conditions, independent of RBC storage age. Fresh RBCs containing relatively few EVs can induce immune responses. Residual plasma in the products may contribute to these effects.

Prospective evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and optimal biomarker enrichment strategy for nangibotide, a TREM-1 inhibitor, in patients with septic shock (ASTONISH): a double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 2b trial.

BACKGROUND: Activation of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) pathway is associated with septic shock outcomes. Data suggest that modulation of this pathway in patients with activated TREM-1 might improve survival. Soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1), a potential mechanism-based biomarker, might facilitate enrichment of patient selection in clinical trials of nangibotide, a TREM-1 modulator. In this phase 2b trial, we aimed to confirm the hypothesis that TREM1 inhibition might improve outcomes in patients with septic shock. METHODS: This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial assessed the efficacy and safety of two different doses of nangibotide compared with placebo, and aimed to identify the optimum treatment population, in patients across 42 hospitals with medical, surgical, or mixed intensive care units (ICUs) in seven countries. Non-COVID-19 patients (18-85 years) meeting the standard definition of septic shock, with documented or suspected infection (lung, abdominal, or urinary [in patients ≥65 years]), were eligible within 24 h of vasopressor initiation for the treatment of septic shock. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to intravenous nangibotide 0·3 mg/kg per h (low-dose group), nangibotide 1·0 mg/kg per h (high-dose group), or matched placebo, using a computer-generated block randomisation scheme (block size 3). Patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. Patients were grouped according to sTREM-1 concentrations at baseline (established from sepsis observational studies and from phase 2a change to data) into high sTREM-1 (≥ 400 pg/mL). The primary outcome was the mean difference in total Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score from baseline to day 5 in the low-dose and high-dose groups compared with placebo, measured in the predefined high sTREM-1 (≥ 400 pg/mL) population and in the overall modified intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints included all-cause 28-day mortality, safety, pharmacokinetics, and evaluation of the relationship between TREM-1 activation and treatment response. This study is registered with EudraCT, 2018-004827-36, and Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04055909. FINDINGS: Between Nov 14, 2019, and April 11, 2022, of 402 patients screened, 355 were included in the main analysis (116 in the placebo group, 118 in the low-dose group, and 121 in the high-dose group). In the preliminary high sTREM-1 population (total 253 [71%] of 355; placebo 75 [65%] of 116; low-dose 90 [76%] of 118; high-dose 88 [73%] of 121), the mean difference in SOFA score from baseline to day 5 was 0·21 (95% CI -1·45 to 1·87, p=0·80) in the low-dose group and 1·39 (-0·28 to 3·06, p=0·104) in the high-dose group versus placebo. In the overall population, the difference in SOFA score from baseline to day 5 between the placebo group and low-dose group was 0·20 (-1·09 to 1·50; p=0·76),and between the placebo group and the high-dose group was 1·06 (-0·23 to 2·35, p=0·108). In the predefined high sTREM-1 cutoff population, 23 (31%) patients in the placebo group, 35 (39%) in the low-dose group, and 25 (28%) in the high-dose group had died by day 28. In the overall population, 29 (25%) patients in the placebo, 38 (32%) in the low-dose, and 30 (25%) in the high-dose group had died by day 28. The number of treatment-emergent adverse events (111 [96%] patients in the placebo group, 113 [96%] in the low-dose group, and 115 [95%] in the high-dose group) and serious treatment-emergent adverse events (28 [24%], 26 [22%], and 31 [26%]) was similar between all three groups. High-dose nangibotide led to a clinically relevant improvement in SOFA score (of two points or more) from baseline to day 5 over placebo in those with higher cutoff concentrations (≥532 pg/mL) of sTREM-1 at baseline. Low dose nangibotide displayed a similar pattern with lower magnitude of effect across all cutoff values. INTERPRETATION: This trial did not achieve the primary outcome of improvement in SOFA score at the predefined sTREM-1 value. Future studies are needed to confirm the benefit of nangibotide at higher concentrations of TREM-1 activation. FUNDING: Inotrem.

Study protocol of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm parallel-group, multi-centre phase 3 pivotal trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of recombinant human alkaline phosphatase for treatment of patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury.

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis, the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an endogenous detoxifying enzyme. A recombinant human ALP compound, ilofotase alfa, showed no safety or tolerability concerns in a phase 2 trial. Renal function improvement over 28 days was significantly greater in the ilofotase alfa group. Moreover, a significant relative reduction in 28-day all-cause mortality of >40% was observed. A follow-up trial has been designed to confirm these findings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a phase 3, global, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, sequential design trial in which patients are randomly assigned to either placebo or 1.6 mg/kg ilofotase alfa. Randomisation is stratified by baseline modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (mSOFA) score and trial site. The primary objective is to confirm the survival benefit with ilofotase alfa by demonstrating a reduction in 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with sepsis-associated AKI requiring vasopressors. A maximum of 1400 patients will be enrolled at ∼120 sites in Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Up to four interim analyses will take place. Based on predefined decision rules, the trial may be stopped early for futility or for effectiveness. In addition, patients with COVID-19 disease and patients with 'moderate to severe' chronic kidney disease are analysed as 2 separate cohorts of 100 patients each. An independent Data Monitoring Committee evaluates safety data at prespecified intervals throughout the trial. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial is approved by relevant institutional review boards/independent ethics committees and is conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, guidelines of Good Clinical Practice, Code of Federal Regulations and all other applicable regulations. Results of this study will determine the potential of ilofotase alfa to reduce mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis-associated AKI and will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT CT Number 2019-0046265-24. US IND Number 117 605 Pre-results. CLINICALTRIALS: gov number: NCT04411472.

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: We studied the prognostic ability of serum ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), compared to that of neuron-specific enolase (NSE). METHODS: In this post-hoc analysis of the FINNRESUSCI study, we measured serum concentrations of UCH-L1 in 249 OHCA patients treated in 21 Finnish intensive care units in 2010-2011. We evaluated the ability of UCH-L1 to predict unfavourable outcome at 12 months (defined as cerebral performance category 3-5) by assessing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), in comparison with NSE. RESULTS: The concentrations of UCH-L1 were higher in patients with unfavourable outcome than for those with favourable outcome: median concentration 10.8 ng/mL (interquartile range, 7.5-18.5 ng/mL) versus 7.8 ng/mL (5.9-11.8 ng/mL) at 24 h (p < .001), and 16.2 ng/mL (12.2-27.7 ng/mL) versus 11.5 ng/mL (9.0-17.2 ng/mL) (p < .001) at 48 h after OHCA. For UCH-L1 as a 12-month outcome predictor, the AUROC was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.73) at 24 h and 0.66 (0.59-0.74) at 48 h. For NSE, the AUROC was 0.66 (0.59-0.73) at 24 h and 0.72 (0.65-0.80) at 48 h. The prognostic ability of UCH-L1 was not different from that of NSE at 24 h (p = .82) and at 48 h (p = .23). CONCLUSION: Concentrations of UCH-L1 in serum were higher in patients with unfavourable outcome than in those with favourable outcome. However, the ability of UCH-L1 to predict unfavourable outcome after OHCA was only moderate and not superior to that of NSE.

Non-interventional follow-up versus fluid bolus in RESPONSE to oliguria in hemodynamically stable critically ill patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Fluid bolus therapy is a common intervention to improve urine output. Data concerning the effect of a fluid bolus on oliguria originate mainly from observational studies and remain controversial regarding the actual benefit of such therapy. We compared the effect of a follow-up approach without fluid bolus to a 500 mL fluid bolus on urine output in hemodynamically stable critically ill patients with oliguria at least for 2 h (urine output < 0.5 mL/kg/h) in randomized setting. METHODS: We randomized 130 patients in 1:1 fashion to receive either (1) non-interventional follow-up (FU) for 2 h or (2) 500 mL crystalloid fluid bolus (FB) administered over 30 min. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who doubled their urine output, defined as 2-h urine output post-randomization divided by urine output 2 h pre-randomization. The outcomes were adjusted for the stratification variables (presence of sepsis or AKI) using two-tailed regression. Obtained odds ratios were converted to risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The between-group difference in the continuous variables was compared using mean or median regression and expressed with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Altogether 10 (15.9%) of 63 patients in the FU group and 22 (32.8%) of 67 patients in FB group doubled their urine output during the 2-h period, RR (95% CI) 0.49 (0.23-0.71), P = 0.026. Median [IQR] change in individual urine output 2 h post-randomization compared to 2 h pre-randomization was - 7 [- 19 to 17] mL in the FU group and 19[0-53] mL in the FB group, median difference (95% CI) - 23 (- 36 to - 10) mL, P = 0.001. Median [IQR] duration of oliguria in the FU group was 4 [2-8] h and in the FB group 2 [0-6] h, median difference (95%CI) 2 (0-4) h, P = 0.038. Median [IQR] cumulative fluid balance on study day was lower in the FU group compared to FB group, 678 [518-1029] mL versus 1071 [822-1505] mL, respectively, median difference (95%CI) - 387 (- 635 to - 213) mL, P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Follow-up approach to oliguria compared to administering a fluid bolus of 500 mL crystalloid in oliguric patients improved urine output less frequently but lead to lower cumulative fluid balance. Trial registration clinical. TRIALS: gov, NCT02860572. Registered 9 August 2016.

Cystatin C and derived measures of renal function as risk factors for mortality and acute kidney injury in sepsis - A post-hoc analysis of the FINNAKI cohort.

PURPOSE: To assess the association between cystatin C-derived estimates of kidney function and mortality and acute kidney injury (AKI) in sepsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of sepsis patients in the FINNAKI-cohort (n = 802). Primary outcome was 90-day mortality. We measured plasma cystatin C and creatinine at intensive care unit (ICU) admission and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRcys, eGFRcrea) and shrunken pore syndrome (SPS; defined as eGFRcys/eGFRcrea ratio < 0.7). Associations were assessed using Cox- or logistic regression. RESULTS: Increased cystatin C and decreased eGFRcys were associated with mortality in unadjusted analyses and in analyses adjusted for illness severity and creatinine. Hazard ratios (HRs) in unadjusted analyses were 3.30 (95% CI; 2.12-5.13, p < 0.001) and 3.26 (95% CI; 2.12-5.02, p < 0.001) respectively. SPS was associated with mortality in an unadjusted- (HR 1.78, 95% CI; 1.33-2.37, p < 0.001) and in an adjusted analysis (HR 1.54, 95% CI; 1.07-2.22, p = 0.021). All cystatin C-derived measures were associated with mortality also after adjustment for AKI development. Cystatin C was associated with AKI in unadjusted analyses but not in analyses adjusted for creatinine. CONCLUSION: Cystatin C and derived measures of kidney function at ICU admission are associated with an increased 90-day mortality. Increased AKI incidence does not fully explain this association.

Effect of 4% Albumin Solution vs Ringer Acetate on Major Adverse Events in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: In cardiac surgery, albumin solution may maintain hemodynamics better than crystalloids and reduce the decrease in platelet count and excessive fluid balance, but randomized trials are needed to compare the effectiveness of these approaches in reducing surgical complications. Objective: To assess whether 4% albumin solution compared with Ringer acetate as cardiopulmonary bypass prime and perioperative intravenous volume replacement solution reduces the incidence of major perioperative and postoperative complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized, double-blind, single-center clinical trial in a tertiary university hospital during 2017-2020 with 90-day follow-up postoperatively involving patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting; aortic, mitral, or tricuspid valve surgery; ascending aorta surgery without hypothermic circulatory arrest; and/or the maze procedure were randomly assigned to 2 study groups (last follow-up was April 13, 2020). Interventions: The patients received in a 1:1 ratio either 4% albumin solution (n = 693) or Ringer acetate solution (n = 693) as cardiopulmonary bypass priming and intravenous volume replacement intraoperatively and up to 24 hours postoperatively. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the number of patients with at least 1 major adverse event: death, myocardial injury, acute heart failure, resternotomy, stroke, arrhythmia, bleeding, infection, or acute kidney injury. Results: Among 1407 patients randomized, 1386 (99%; mean age, 65.4 [SD, 9.9] years; 1091 men [79%]; 295 women [21%]) completed the trial. Patients received a median of 2150 mL (IQR, 1598-2700 mL) of study fluid in the albumin group and 3298 mL (IQR, 2669-3500 mL) in the Ringer group. The number of patients with at least 1 major adverse event was 257 of 693 patients (37.1%) in the albumin group and 234 of 693 patients (33.8%) in the Ringer group (relative risk albumin/Ringer, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.95-1.27; P = .20), an absolute difference of 3.3 percentage points (95% CI, -1.7 to 8.4). The most common serious adverse events were pulmonary embolus (11 [1.6%] in the albumin group vs 8 [1.2%] in the Ringer group), postpericardiotomy syndrome (9 [1.3%] in both groups), and pleural effusion with intensive care unit or hospital readmission (7 [1.0%] in the albumin group vs 9 [1.3%] in the Ringer group). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, treatment with 4% albumin solution for priming and perioperative intravenous volume replacement solution compared with Ringer acetate did not significantly reduce the risk of major adverse events over the following 90 days. These findings do not support the use of 4% albumin solution in this setting. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02560519.

Beta-blocker treatment in the critically ill: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Critical illness may lead to activation of the sympathetic system. The sympathetic stimulation may be further increased by exogenous catecholamines, such as vasopressors and inotropes. Excessive adrenergic stress has been associated with organ dysfunction and higher mortality. ß-Blockers may reduce the adrenergic burden, but they may also compromise perfusion to vital organs thus worsening organ dysfunction. To assess the effect of treatment with ß-blockers in critically ill adults, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a search from three major databases: Ovid Medline, the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials and Scopus database. Two independent reviewers screened, selected, and assessed the included articles according to prespecified eligibility criteria. We assessed risk of bias of eligible articles according to the Cochrane guidelines. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: Sixteen randomized controlled trials comprising 2410 critically ill patients were included in the final review. A meta-analysis of 11 trials including 2103 patients showed a significant reduction in mortality in patients treated with ß-blockers compared to control (risk ratio 0.65, 95%CI 0.53-0.79; p < .0001). There was no significant difference in mean arterial pressure or vasopressor load. Quality of life, biventricular ejection fraction, blood lactate levels, cardiac biomarkers and mitochondrial function could not be included in meta-analysis due to heterogenous reporting of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we found that ß-blocker treatment reduced mortality in critical illness. Use of ß-blockers in critical illness thus appears safe after initial hemodynamic stabilization. High-quality RCT's are needed to answer the questions concerning optimal target group of patients, timing of ß-blocker treatment, choice of ß-blocker, and choice of physiological and hemodynamic parameters to target during ß-blocker treatment in critical illness.KEY MESSAGESA potential outcome benefit of ß-blocker treatment in critical illness exists according to the current review and meta-analysis. Administration of ß-blockers to resuscitated patients in the ICU seems safe in terms of hemodynamic stability and outcome, even during concomitant vasopressor administration. However, further studies, preferably large RCTs on ß-blocker treatment in the critically ill are needed to answer the questions concerning timing and choice of ß-blocker, patient selection, and optimal hemodynamic targets.

Restriction of Intravenous Fluid in ICU Patients with Septic Shock.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous fluids are recommended for the treatment of patients who are in septic shock, but higher fluid volumes have been associated with harm in patients who are in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: In this international, randomized trial, we assigned patients with septic shock in the ICU who had received at least 1 liter of intravenous fluid to receive restricted intravenous fluid or standard intravenous fluid therapy; patients were included if the onset of shock had been within 12 hours before screening. The primary outcome was death from any cause within 90 days after randomization. RESULTS: We enrolled 1554 patients; 770 were assigned to the restrictive-fluid group and 784 to the standard-fluid group. Primary outcome data were available for 1545 patients (99.4%). In the ICU, the restrictive-fluid group received a median of 1798 ml of intravenous fluid (interquartile range, 500 to 4366); the standard-fluid group received a median of 3811 ml (interquartile range, 1861 to 6762). At 90 days, death had occurred in 323 of 764 patients (42.3%) in the restrictive-fluid group, as compared with 329 of 781 patients (42.1%) in the standard-fluid group (adjusted absolute difference, 0.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -4.7 to 4.9; P = 0.96). In the ICU, serious adverse events occurred at least once in 221 of 751 patients (29.4%) in the restrictive-fluid group and in 238 of 772 patients (30.8%) in the standard-fluid group (adjusted absolute difference, -1.7 percentage points; 99% CI, -7.7 to 4.3). At 90 days after randomization, the numbers of days alive without life support and days alive and out of the hospital were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among adult patients with septic shock in the ICU, intravenous fluid restriction did not result in fewer deaths at 90 days than standard intravenous fluid therapy. (Funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and others; CLASSIC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03668236.).

GFAp and tau protein as predictors of neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A post hoc analysis of the COMACARE trial.

AIM: To determine the ability of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAp) and tau protein to predict neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: We measured plasma concentrations of GFAp and tau of patients included in the previously published COMACARE trial (NCT02698917) on intensive care unit admission and at 24, 48, and 72 h after OHCA, and compared them to neuron specific enolase (NSE). NSE concentrations were determined already during the original trial. We defined unfavourable outcome as a cerebral performance category (CPC) score of 3-5 six months after OHCA. We determined the prognostic accuracy of GFAp and tau using the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUROC). RESULTS: Overall, 39/112 (35%) patients had unfavourable outcomes. Over time, both markers were evidently higher in the unfavourable outcome group (p < 0.001). At 48 h, the median (interquartile range) GFAp concentration was 1514 (886-4995) in the unfavourable versus 238 (135-463) pg/ml in the favourable outcome group (p < 0.001). The corresponding tau concentrations were 99.6 (14.5-352) and 3.0 (2.2-4.8) pg/ml (p < 0.001). AUROCs at 48 and 72 h were 0.91 (95% confidence interval 0.85-0.97) and 0.91 (0.85-0.96) for GFAp and 0.93 (0.86-0.99) and 0.95 (0.89-1.00) for tau. Corresponding AUROCs for NSE were 0.86 (0.79-0.94) and 0.90 (0.82-0.97). The difference between the prognostic accuracies of GFAp or tau and NSE were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: At 48 and 72 h, serum both GFAp and tau demonstrated excellent accuracy in predicting outcomes after OHCA but were not superior to NSE. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02698917 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02698917).

Variation in severity-adjusted resource use and outcome in intensive care units.

PURPOSE: Intensive care patients have increased risk of death and their care is expensive. We investigated whether risk-adjusted mortality and resources used to achieve survivors change over time and if their variation is associated with variables related to intensive care unit (ICU) organization and structure. METHODS: Data of 207,131 patients treated in 2008-2017 in 21 ICUs in Finland, Estonia and Switzerland were extracted from a benchmarking database. Resource use was measured using ICU length of stay, daily Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System Scores (TISS) and purchasing power parity-adjusted direct costs (2015-2017; 17 ICUs). The ratio of observed to severity-adjusted expected resource use (standardized resource use ratio; SRUR) was calculated. The number of expected survivors and the ratio of observed to expected mortality (standardized mortality ratio; SMR) was based on a mortality prediction model covering 2015-2017. Fourteen a priori variables reflecting structure and organization were used as explanatory variables for SRURs in multivariable models. RESULTS: SMR decreased over time, whereas SRUR remained unchanged, except for decreased TISS-based SRUR. Direct costs of one ICU day, TISS score and ICU admission varied between ICUs 2.5-5-fold. Differences between individual ICUs in both SRUR and SMR were up to > 3-fold, and their evolution was highly variable, without clear association between SRUR and SMR. High patient turnover was consistently associated with low SRUR but not with SMR. CONCLUSION: The wide and independent variation in both SMR and SRUR suggests that they should be used together to compare the performance of different ICUs or an individual ICU over time.

Mortality prediction in intensive care units including premorbid functional status improved performance and internal validity.

OBJECTIVE: Prognostic models are key for benchmarking intensive care units (ICUs). They require up-to-date predictors and should report transportability properties for reliable predictions. We developed and validated an in-hospital mortality risk prediction model to facilitate benchmarking, quality assurance, and health economics evaluation. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We retrieved data from the database of an international (Finland, Estonia, Switzerland) multicenter ICU cohort study from 2015 to 2017. We used a hierarchical logistic regression model that included age, a modified Simplified Acute Physiology Score-II, admission type, premorbid functional status, and diagnosis as grouping variable. We used pooled and meta-analytic cross-validation approaches to assess temporal and geographical transportability. RESULTS: We included 61,224 patients treated in the ICU (hospital mortality 10.6%). The developed prediction model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.886, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.882-0.890; a calibration slope 1.01, 95% CI (0.99-1.03); a mean calibration -0.004, 95% CI (-0.035 to 0.027). Although the model showed very good internal validity and geographic discrimination transportability, we found substantial heterogeneity of performance measures between ICUs (I-squared: 53.4-84.7%). CONCLUSION: A novel framework evaluating the performance of our prediction model provided key information to judge the validity of our model and its adaptation for future use.

Responsiveness Index versus the RASS-Based Method for Adjusting Sedation in Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Sedation of intensive care patients is needed for patient safety, but deep sedation is associated with adverse outcomes. Frontal electromyogram-based Responsiveness Index (RI) aims to quantify the level of sedation and is scaled 0-100 (low index indicates deep sedation). We compared RI-based sedation to Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale- (RASS-) based sedation. Our hypothesis was that RI-controlled sedation would be associated with increased total time alive without mechanical ventilation at 30 days without an increased number of adverse events. METHODS: 32 critically ill adult patients with mechanical ventilation and administration of sedation were randomized to either RI- or RASS-guided sedation. Patients received propofol and oxycodone, if possible. The following standardized sedation protocol was utilized in both groups to achieve the predetermined target sedation level: either RI 40-80 (RI group) or RASS -3 to 0 (RASS group). RI measurement was blinded in the RASS group, and the RI group was blinded to RASS assessments. State Entropy (SE) values were registered in both groups. RESULTS: RI and RASS groups did not differ in total time alive in 30 days without mechanical ventilation (p=0.72). The incidence of at least one sedation-related adverse event did not differ between the groups. Hypertension was more common in the RI group (p=0.01). RI group patients were in the target RI level 22% of the time and RASS group patients had 57% of scores within the target RASS level. The RI group spent significantly more time in their target sedation level than the RASS group spent in the corresponding RI level (p=0.03). No difference was observed between the groups (p=0.13) in the corresponding analysis for RASS. Propofol and oxycodone were administered at higher RI and SE values and lower RASS values in the RI group than in the RASS group. CONCLUSION: Further studies with a larger sample size are warranted to scrutinize the optimal RI level during different phases of critical illness.

Fluid balance-adjusted creatinine in diagnosing acute kidney injury in the critically ill.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is often diagnosed based on plasma creatinine (Cr) only. Adjustment of Cr for cumulative fluid balance due to potential dilution of Cr and subsequently missed Cr-based diagnosis of AKI has been suggested, albeit the physiological rationale for these adjustments is questionable. Furthermore, whether these adjustments lead to a different incidence of AKI when used in conjunction with urine output (UO) criteria is unknown. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of the Finnish Acute Kidney Injury study. Hourly UO and daily plasma Cr were measured during the first 5 days of intensive care unit admission. Cr values were adjusted following the previously used formula and combined with the UO criteria. Resulting incidences and mortality rates were compared with the results based on unadjusted values. RESULTS: In total, 2044 critically ill patients were analyzed. The mean difference between the adjusted and unadjusted Cr of all 7279 observations was 5 (±15) µmol/L. Using adjusted Cr in combination with UO and renal replacement therapy criteria resulted in the diagnosis of 19 (1%) additional AKI patients. The absolute difference in the incidence was 0.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3%-1.6%). Mortality rates were not significantly different between the reclassified AKI patients using the full set of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. CONCLUSION: Fluid balance-adjusted Cr resulted in little change in AKI incidence, and only minor differences in mortality between patients who changed category after adjustment and those who did not. Using adjusted Cr values to diagnose AKI does not seem worthwhile in critically ill patients.