Tocilizumab in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19 Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pneumonia is often associated with hyperinflammation. Despite the disproportionate incidence of Covid-19 among underserved and racial and ethnic minority populations, the safety and efficacy of the anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab in patients from these populations who are hospitalized with Covid-19 pneumonia are unclear. METHODS: We randomly assigned (in a 2:1 ratio) patients hospitalized with Covid-19 pneumonia who were not receiving mechanical ventilation to receive standard care plus one or two doses of either tocilizumab (8 mg per kilogram of body weight intravenously) or placebo. Site selection was focused on the inclusion of sites enrolling high-risk and minority populations. The primary outcome was mechanical ventilation or death by day 28. RESULTS: A total of 389 patients underwent randomization, and the modified intention-to-treat population included 249 patients in the tocilizumab group and 128 patients in the placebo group; 56.0% were Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% were Black, 12.7% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 12.7% were non-Hispanic White, and 3.7% were of other or unknown race or ethnic group. The cumulative percentage of patients who had received mechanical ventilation or who had died by day 28 was 12.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.5 to 16.9) in the tocilizumab group and 19.3% (95% CI, 13.3 to 27.4) in the placebo group (hazard ratio for mechanical ventilation or death, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.97; P = 0.04 by the log-rank test). Clinical failure as assessed in a time-to-event analysis favored tocilizumab over placebo (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.93). Death from any cause by day 28 occurred in 10.4% of the patients in the tocilizumab group and 8.6% of those in the placebo group (weighted difference, 2.0 percentage points; 95% CI, -5.2 to 7.8). In the safety population, serious adverse events occurred in 38 of 250 patients (15.2%) in the tocilizumab group and 25 of 127 patients (19.7%) in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized patients with Covid-19 pneumonia who were not receiving mechanical ventilation, tocilizumab reduced the likelihood of progression to the composite outcome of mechanical ventilation or death, but it did not improve survival. No new safety signals were identified. (Funded by Genentech; EMPACTA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04372186.).

In-Hospital Violence and Its Impact on Critical Care Practitioners.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a narrative review of hospital violence (HV) and its impact on critical care clinicians. DATA SOURCES: Detailed search strategy using PubMed and OVID Medline for English language articles describing HV, risk factors, precipitating events, consequences, and mitigation strategies. STUDY SELECTION: Studies that specifically addressed HV involving critical care medicine clinicians or their practice settings were selected. The time frame was limited to the last 15 years to enhance relevance to current practice. DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant descriptions or studies were reviewed, and abstracted data were parsed by setting, clinician type, location, social media events, impact, outcomes, and responses (agency, facility, health system, individual). DATA SYNTHESIS: HV is globally prevalent, especially in complex care environments, and correlates with a variety of factors including ICU stay duration, conflict, and has recently expanded to out-of-hospital occurrences; online violence as well as stalking is increasingly prevalent. An overlap with violent extremism and terrorism that impacts healthcare facilities and clinicians is similarly relevant. A number of approaches can reduce HV occurrence including, most notably, conflict management training, communication initiatives, and visitor flow and access management practices. Rescue training for HV occurrences seems prudent. CONCLUSIONS: HV is a global problem that impacts clinicians and imperils patient care. Specific initiatives to reduce HV drivers include individual training and system-wide adaptations. Future methods to identify potential perpetrators may leverage machine learning/augmented intelligence approaches.

What's new in whole blood resuscitation? In the trauma bay and beyond.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Transfusion therapy commonly supports patient care during life-threatening injury and critical illness. Herein we examine the recent resurgence of whole blood (WB) resuscitation for patients in hemorrhagic shock following trauma and other causes of severe bleeding. RECENT FINDINGS: A growing body of literature supports the use of various forms of WB for hemostatic resuscitation in military and civilian trauma practice. Different types of WB include warm fresh whole blood (FWB) principally used in the military and low titer O cold stored whole blood (LTOWB) used in a variety of military and civilian settings. Incorporating WB initial resuscitation alongside subsequent component therapy reduces aggregate blood product utilization and improves early mortality without adversely impacting intensive care unit length of stay or infection rate. Applications outside the trauma bay include prehospital WB and use in patients with nontraumatic hemorrhagic shock. SUMMARY: Whole blood may be transfused as FWB or LTOWB to support a hemostatic approach to hemorrhagic shock management. Although the bulk of WB resuscitation literature has appropriately focused on hemorrhagic shock following injury, extension to other etiologies of severe hemorrhage will benefit from focused inquiry to address cost, efficacy, approach, and patient-centered outcomes.

Teaching Airway Management Using Virtual Reality: A Scoping Review.

Airway management, a defined procedural and cognitive skillset embracing routine tracheal intubation and emergency airway rescue, is most often acquired through an apprenticeship model of opportunistic learning during anesthesia or acute care residency training. This training engages a host of modalities to teach and embed skill sets but is generally time- and location-constrained. Virtual reality (VR)-based simulation training offers the potential for reproducible and asynchronous skill acquisition and maintenance, an advantage that may be important with restricted trainee work hours and low frequency but high-risk events. In the absence of a formal curriculum from training bodies-or expert guidance from medical professional societies-local initiatives have filled the VR training void in an unstructured fashion. We undertook a scoping review to explore current VR-based airway management training programs to assess their approach, outcomes, and technologies to discover programming gaps. English-language publications addressing any aspect of VR simulation training for airway management were identified across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Relevant articles were used to craft a scoping review conforming to the Scale for quality Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) best-practice guidance. Fifteen studies described VR simulation programs to teach airway management skills, including flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopic intubation (n = 10), direct laryngoscopy (n = 2), and emergency cricothyroidotomy (n = 1). All studies were single institution initiatives and all reported different protocols and end points using bespoke applications of commercial technology or homegrown technologic solutions. VR-based simulation for airway management currently occurs outside of a formal curriculum structure, only for specific skill sets, and without a training pathway for educators. Medical educators with simulation training and medical professional societies with content expertise have the opportunity to develop consensus guidelines that inform training curricula as well as specialty technology use.

Dose-Dependent Tranexamic Acid Blunting of Penumbral Leukocyte Mobilization and Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Following Traumatic Brain Injury: An In Vivo Murine Study.

BACKGROUND: Early posttraumatic brain injury (TBI) tranexamic acid (TXA) may reduce blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, but it is unclear if this effect is fixed regardless of dose. We hypothesized that post-TBI TXA demonstrates a dose-dependent reduction of in vivo penumbral leukocyte mobilization, BBB microvascular permeability, and enhancement of neuroclinical recovery. METHODS: CD1 male mice (n = 40) were randomly assigned to TBI by controlled cortical impact (injury [I]) or sham TBI (S), followed by intravenous bolus of either saline (placebo [P]) or TXA (15, 30, or 60 mg/kg). At 48 h, in vivo pial intravital microscopy visualized live penumbral BBB microvascular leukocytes and albumin leakage. Neuroclinical recovery was assessed by Garcia Neurological Test scores and animal weight changes at 24 h and 48 h after injury. RESULTS: I + TXA60 reduced live penumbral leukocyte rolling compared with I + P (p < 0.001) and both lower TXA doses (p = 0.017 vs. I + TXA15, p = 0.012 vs. I + TXA30). Leukocyte adhesion was infrequent and similar across groups. Only I + TXA60 significantly reduced BBB permeability compared with that in the I + P (p = 0.004) group. All TXA doses improved Garcia Test scores relative to I + P at both 24 h and 48 h (p < 0.001 vs. I + P for all at both time points). Mean 24-h body weight loss was greatest in the I + P (- 8.7 ± 1.3%) group and lowest in the I + TXA15 (- 4.4 ± 1.0%, p = 0.051 vs. I + P) group. CONCLUSIONS: Only higher TXA dosing definitively abrogates penumbral leukocyte mobilization, preserving BBB integrity post TBI. Some neuroclinical recovery is observed, even with lower TXA dosing. Better outcomes with higher dose TXA after TBI may occur secondary to blunting of leukocyte-mediated penumbral cerebrovascular inflammation.

State-of-the-Art Evaluation of Acute Adult Disorders of Consciousness for the General Intensivist.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a concise review of knowledge and practice pertaining to the diagnosis and initial management of unanticipated adult patient disorders of consciousness (DoC) by the general intensivist. DATA SOURCES: Detailed search strategy using PubMed and OVID Medline for English language articles describing adult patient acute DoC diagnostic evaluation and initial management strategies including indications for transfer. STUDY SELECTION: Descriptive and interventional studies that address acute adult DoC, their evaluation and initial management, indications for transfer, as well as outcome prognostication. DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant descriptions or studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each manuscript were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: setting, study population, aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for adult critical care practice. DATA SYNTHESIS: Acute adult DoC may be categorized by etiology including structural, functional, infectious, inflammatory, and pharmacologic, the understanding of which drives diagnostic investigation, monitoring, acute therapy, and subsequent specialist care decisions including team-based local care as well as intra- and inter-facility transfer. CONCLUSIONS: Acute adult DoC may be initially comprehensively addressed by the general intensivist using an etiology-driven and team-based approach. Certain clinical conditions, procedural expertise needs, or resource limitations inform transfer decision-making within a complex care facility or to one with greater complexity. Emerging collaborative science helps improve our current knowledge of acute DoC to better align therapies with underpinning etiologies.

Surgical Science and the Evolution of Critical Care Medicine.

Surgical science has driven innovation and inquiry across adult and pediatric disciplines that provide critical care regardless of location. Surgically originated but broadly applicable knowledge has been globally shared within the pages Critical Care Medicine over the last 50 years.

Red Blood Cell Transfusion: 2023 AABB International Guidelines.

Importance: Red blood cell transfusion is a common medical intervention with benefits and harms. Objective: To provide recommendations for use of red blood cell transfusion in adults and children. Evidence Review: Standards for trustworthy guidelines were followed, including using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methods, managing conflicts of interest, and making values and preferences explicit. Evidence from systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials was reviewed. Findings: For adults, 45 randomized controlled trials with 20 599 participants compared restrictive hemoglobin-based transfusion thresholds, typically 7 to 8 g/dL, with liberal transfusion thresholds of 9 to 10 g/dL. For pediatric patients, 7 randomized controlled trials with 2730 participants compared a variety of restrictive and liberal transfusion thresholds. For most patient populations, results provided moderate quality evidence that restrictive transfusion thresholds did not adversely affect patient-important outcomes. Recommendation 1: for hospitalized adult patients who are hemodynamically stable, the international panel recommends a restrictive transfusion strategy considering transfusion when the hemoglobin concentration is less than 7 g/dL (strong recommendation, moderate certainty evidence). In accordance with the restrictive strategy threshold used in most trials, clinicians may choose a threshold of 7.5 g/dL for patients undergoing cardiac surgery and 8 g/dL for those undergoing orthopedic surgery or those with preexisting cardiovascular disease. Recommendation 2: for hospitalized adult patients with hematologic and oncologic disorders, the panel suggests a restrictive transfusion strategy considering transfusion when the hemoglobin concentration is less than 7 g/dL (conditional recommendations, low certainty evidence). Recommendation 3: for critically ill children and those at risk of critical illness who are hemodynamically stable and without a hemoglobinopathy, cyanotic cardiac condition, or severe hypoxemia, the international panel recommends a restrictive transfusion strategy considering transfusion when the hemoglobin concentration is less than 7 g/dL (strong recommendation, moderate certainty evidence). Recommendation 4: for hemodynamically stable children with congenital heart disease, the international panel suggests a transfusion threshold that is based on the cardiac abnormality and stage of surgical repair: 7 g/dL (biventricular repair), 9 g/dL (single-ventricle palliation), or 7 to 9 g/dL (uncorrected congenital heart disease) (conditional recommendation, low certainty evidence). Conclusions and Relevance: It is good practice to consider overall clinical context and alternative therapies to transfusion when making transfusion decisions about an individual patient.

Thematic mapping of perioperative incident reporting data to relational coordination domains.

Communication failure is a common root cause of adverse clinical events. Problematic communication domains are difficult to decipher, and communication improvement strategies are scarce. This study compared perioperative incident reports (IR) identifying potential communication failures with the results of a contemporaneous peri-operative Relational Coordination (RC) survey. We hypothesised that IR-prevalent themes would map to areas-of-weakness identified in the RC survey. Perioperative IRs filed between 2018 and 2020 (n = 6,236) were manually reviewed to identify communication failures (n = 1049). The IRs were disaggregated into seven RC theory domains and compared with the RC survey. Report disaggregation ratings demonstrated a three-way inter-rater agreement of 91.2%. Of the 1,049 communication failure-related IRs, shared knowledge deficits (n = 479, 46%) or accurate communication (n = 465, 44%) were most frequently identified. Communication frequency failures (n = 3, 0.3%) were rarely coded. Comparatively, shared knowledge was the weakest domain in the RC survey, while communication frequency was the strongest, correlating well with our IR data. Linking IR with RC domains offers a novel approach to assessing the specific elements of communication failures with an acute care facility. This approach provides a deployable mechanism to trend intra- and inter-domain progress in communication success, and develop targeted interventions to mitigate against communication failure-related adverse events.

Interfacility Transport of Critically Ill Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess recent advances in interfacility critical care transport. DATA SOURCES: PubMed English language publications plus chapters and professional organization publications. STUDY SELECTION: Manuscripts including practice manuals and standard (1990-2021) focused on interfacility transport of critically ill patients. DATA EXTRACTION: Review of society guidelines, legislative requirements, objective measures of outcomes, and transport practice standards occurred in work groups assessing definitions and foundations of interfacility transport, transport team composition, and transport specific considerations. Qualitative analysis was performed to characterize current science regarding interfacility transport. DATA SYNTHESIS: The Task Force conducted an integrative review of 496 manuscripts combined with 120 from the authors' collections including nonpeer reviewed publications. After title and abstract screening, 40 underwent full-text review, of which 21 remained for qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Since 2004, there have been numerous advances in critical care interfacility transport. Clinical deterioration may be mitigated by appropriate patient selection, pretransport optimization, and transport by a well-resourced team and vehicle. There remains a dearth of high-quality controlled studies, but notable advances in monitoring, en route management, transport modality (air vs ground), as well as team composition and training serve as foundations for future inquiry. Guidance from professional organizations remains uncoupled from enforceable regulations, impeding standardization of transport program quality assessment and verification.

Persistent Blunting of Penumbral Leukocyte Mobilization by Beta Blockade Administered for Two Weeks After Traumatic Brain Injury.

INTRODUCTION: Beta-blockers (BB) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) accelerate cognitive recovery weeks after injury. BBs also inhibit leukocyte (LEU) mobilization to the penumbral blood brain barrier (BBB) 48-h after TBI. It is unclear whether the latter effects persist longer and accompany the persistent cognitive improvement. We hypothesized that 2 wk of BB after TBI reduce penumbral BBB leukocyte-endothelial interactions. METHODS: Thirty CD1 mice underwent TBI (controlled cortical impact, CCI: 6 m/s velocity, 1 mm depth, 3 mm diameter) or sham craniotomy followed by i.p. saline (NS) or propranolol (1, 2, 4 mg/kg) every 12 h for 14 d. On day 14, in vivo pial intravital microscopy visualized endothelial-LEU interactions and BBB microvascular leakage. Day 14 Garcia neurological test scores and animal weights were compared to preinjury levels reflecting concurrent clinical recovery. RESULTS: LEU rolling was greatest in CCI + NS when compared to sham (P = 0.03). 4 mg/kg propranolol significantly reduced postCCI LEU rolling down to uninjured sham levels (P = 0.03). LEU adhesion and microvascular permeability were not impacted at this time interval. Untreated injured animals (CCI + NS) scored lower Garcia neurological test and greater weight loss recovery at day 14 when compared to preinjury (P < 0.05). Treatment with higher doses of propranolol (2, 4 mg/kg), improved weight loss recovery (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LEU rolling alone, was influenced by BB therapy 14 d after TBI suggesting that certain penumbral neuroinflammatory cellular effects of BB therapy after TBI persist up to 2 wk after injury potentially explaining the pervasive beneficial effects of BBs on learning and memory.

Volunteerism during humanitarian crises: a practical guide.

Volunteerism to provide humanitarian aid occurs in response to disasters, crises, and conflict. Each of those volunteerism triggers engenders personal risk borne by the healthcare volunteer while rendering aid and merit specific evaluation. Factors that impact decision-making with regard to volunteering are personal, structural and crisis specific. Practical approaches to travel and on-scene safety benefit volunteers and should inform planning and preparation for volunteerism-driven travel. These approaches include planning for evacuation and potential rescue. These unique skills and approaches are generally not part of medical education outside of military service. The global medical community, including medical professional organizations, should embrace this opportunity to improve medical education and professional development to support humanitarian aid volunteerism. Disaster, crisis, or conflict-driven healthcare volunteerism highlights the core elements of altruism, dedication, and humanity that permeate clinician's drive to render aid and save lives.

Sharing ICU Patient Data Responsibly Under the Society of Critical Care Medicine/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine Joint Data Science Collaboration: The Amsterdam University Medical Centers Database (AmsterdamUMCdb) Example.

OBJECTIVES: Critical care medicine is a natural environment for machine learning approaches to improve outcomes for critically ill patients as admissions to ICUs generate vast amounts of data. However, technical, legal, ethical, and privacy concerns have so far limited the critical care medicine community from making these data readily available. The Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine have identified ICU patient data sharing as one of the priorities under their Joint Data Science Collaboration. To encourage ICUs worldwide to share their patient data responsibly, we now describe the development and release of Amsterdam University Medical Centers Database (AmsterdamUMCdb), the first freely available critical care database in full compliance with privacy laws from both the United States and Europe, as an example of the feasibility of sharing complex critical care data. SETTING: University hospital ICU. SUBJECTS: Data from ICU patients admitted between 2003 and 2016. INTERVENTIONS: We used a risk-based deidentification strategy to maintain data utility while preserving privacy. In addition, we implemented contractual and governance processes, and a communication strategy. Patient organizations, supporting hospitals, and experts on ethics and privacy audited these processes and the database. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: AmsterdamUMCdb contains approximately 1 billion clinical data points from 23,106 admissions of 20,109 patients. The privacy audit concluded that reidentification is not reasonably likely, and AmsterdamUMCdb can therefore be considered as anonymous information, both in the context of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the European General Data Protection Regulation. The ethics audit concluded that responsible data sharing imposes minimal burden, whereas the potential benefit is tremendous. CONCLUSIONS: Technical, legal, ethical, and privacy challenges related to responsible data sharing can be addressed using a multidisciplinary approach. A risk-based deidentification strategy, that complies with both U.S. and European privacy regulations, should be the preferred approach to releasing ICU patient data. This supports the shared Society of Critical Care Medicine and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine vision to improve critical care outcomes through scientific inquiry of vast and combined ICU datasets.

Choosing Wisely For Critical Care: The Next Five.

OBJECTIVES: To formulate new "Choosing Wisely" for Critical Care recommendations that identify best practices to avoid waste and promote value while providing critical care. DATA SOURCES: Semistructured narrative literature review and quantitative survey assessments. STUDY SELECTION: English language publications that examined critical care practices in relation to reducing cost or waste. DATA EXTRACTION: Practices assessed to add no value to critical care were grouped by category. Taskforce assessment, modified Delphi consensus building, and quantitative survey analysis identified eight novel recommendations to avoid wasteful critical care practices. These were submitted to the Society of Critical Care Medicine membership for evaluation and ranking. DATA SYNTHESIS: Results from the quantitative Society of Critical Care Medicine membership survey identified the top scoring five of eight recommendations. These five highest ranked recommendations established Society of Critical Care Medicine's Next Five "Choosing" Wisely for Critical Care practices. CONCLUSIONS: Five new recommendations to reduce waste and enhance value in the practice of critical care address invasive devices, proactive liberation from mechanical ventilation, antibiotic stewardship, early mobilization, and providing goal-concordant care. These recommendations supplement the initial critical care recommendations from the "Choosing Wisely" campaign.

Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines on the Management of Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the ICU: First Update.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues to affect millions worldwide. Given the rapidly growing evidence base, we implemented a living guideline model to provide guidance on the management of patients with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019 in the ICU. METHODS: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Coronavirus Disease 2019 panel has expanded to include 43 experts from 14 countries; all panel members completed an electronic conflict-of-interest disclosure form. In this update, the panel addressed nine questions relevant to managing severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019 in the ICU. We used the World Health Organization's definition of severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019. The systematic reviews team searched the literature for relevant evidence, aiming to identify systematic reviews and clinical trials. When appropriate, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis to summarize treatment effects. We assessed the quality of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach, then used the evidence-to-decision framework to generate recommendations based on the balance between benefit and harm, resource and cost implications, equity, and feasibility. RESULTS: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Coronavirus Diease 2019 panel issued nine statements (three new and six updated) related to ICU patients with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019. For severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019, the panel strongly recommends using systemic corticosteroids and venous thromboprophylaxis but strongly recommends against using hydroxychloroquine. In addition, the panel suggests using dexamethasone (compared with other corticosteroids) and suggests against using convalescent plasma and therapeutic anticoagulation outside clinical trials. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Coronavirus Diease 2019 panel suggests using remdesivir in nonventilated patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 and suggests against starting remdesivir in patients with critical coronavirus disease 2019 outside clinical trials. Because of insufficient evidence, the panel did not issue a recommendation on the use of awake prone positioning. CONCLUSION: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Coronavirus Diease 2019 panel issued several recommendations to guide healthcare professionals caring for adults with critical or severe coronavirus disease 2019 in the ICU. Based on a living guideline model the recommendations will be updated as new evidence becomes available.

Treatment patterns in US patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and pulmonary involvement.

This study describes the baseline characteristics and treatment patterns of US patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pulmonary involvement. Patients hospitalized with pulmonary involvement due to COVID-19 (first hospitalization) were identified in the IBM Explorys® electronic health records database. Demographics, baseline clinical characteristics, and in-hospital medications were assessed. For evaluation of in-hospital medications, results were stratified by race, geographic region, age, and month of admission. Of 6564 hospitalized patients with COVID-19-related pulmonary involvement, 50.4% were male, and mean (SD) age was 62.6 (16.4) years; 75.2% and 23.6% of patients were from the South and Midwest, respectively, and 50.2% of patients were African American. Compared with African American patients, a numerically higher proportion of White patients received dexamethasone (19.7% vs. 31.8%, respectively), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; 27.1% vs. 34.9%), bronchodilators (19.8% vs. 29.5%), and remdesivir (9.3% vs. 21.0%). Numerically higher proportions of White patients than African American patients received select medications in the South but not in the Midwest. Compared with patients in the South, a numerically higher proportion of patients in the Midwest received dexamethasone (20.1% vs. 34.5%, respectively), NSAIDs (19.6% vs. 55.7%), bronchodilators (15.9% vs. 41.3%), and remdesivir (10.6% vs. 23.1%). Inpatient use of hydroxychloroquine decreased over time, whereas the use of dexamethasone and remdesivir increased over time. Among US patients predominantly from the South and Midwest hospitalized with COVID-19 and pulmonary involvement, differences were seen in medication use between different races, geographic regions, and months of hospitalization.

Tocilizumab for Severe and Critical COVID-19 Pneumonia in Queens, NYC.

New York City was hard hit by COVID-19. Elmhurst Hospital is a public hospital in Queens where more than 1500 patients were hospitalized with COVID. During the pandemic, various treatments were used with hopes of reducing the need for mechanical ventilation and death. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients admitted from March 25 to April 3 with severe or critical COVID-19 pneumonia who received tocilizumab compared with a similar cohort who did not. Analyses were performed to determine differences in outcomes. RESULTS: There was no observed difference in need for mechanical ventilation, length of stay, or mortality rate. In the tocilizumab-treated group, mechanical ventilation rate was 55%, and 49% of patients died. In the control group, 54% required mechanical ventilation and 46% died. Tocilizumab was overall well tolerated, although alanine aminotransferase elevation was more common in the tocilizumab-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Tocilizumab failed to show short-term benefits in clinical outcomes in patients with hypoxic COVID pneumonia at our institution.

Conflict Management in the ICU.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a concise review of data and literature pertaining to the etiologies of conflict in the ICU, as well as current approaches to conflict management. DATA SOURCES: Detailed search strategy using PubMed and OVID Medline for English language articles describing conflict in the ICU as well as prevention and management strategies. STUDY SELECTION: Descriptive and interventional studies addressing conflict, bioethics, clinical ethics consultation, palliative care medicine, conflict management, and conflict mediation in critical care. DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant descriptions or studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each manuscript were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: setting, study population, aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice and training. DATA SYNTHESIS: Conflict frequently erupts in the ICU between patients and families and care teams, as well as within and between care teams. Conflict engenders a host of untoward consequences for patients, families, clinicians, and facilities rendering abrogating conflict a key priority for all. Conflict etiologies are diverse but understood in terms of a framework of triggers. Identifying and de-escalating conflict before it become intractable is a preferred approach. Approaches to conflict management include utilizing clinical ethics consultation, and palliative care medicine clinicians. Conflict Management is a new technique that all ICU clinicians may use to identify and manage conflict. Entrenched conflict appears to benefit from Bioethics Mediation, an approach that uses a neutral, unaligned mediator to guide parties to a mutually acceptable resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Conflict commonly occurs in the ICU around difficult and complex decision-making. Patients, families, clinicians, and institutions suffer undesirable consequences resulting from conflict, establishing conflict prevention and resolution as key priorities. A variety of approaches may successfully identify, manage, and prevent conflict including techniques that are utilizable by all team members in support of clinical excellence.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Measures: Reports From a National Survey of 9,120 ICU Clinicians.

IMPORTANCE: Recent reports identify that among hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients, 30% require ICU care. Understanding ICU resource needs remains an essential component of meeting current and projected needs of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients. OBJECTIVES: This study queried U.S. ICU clinician perspectives on challenging aspects of care in managing coronavirus disease 2019 patients, current and anticipated resource demands, and personal stress. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using a descriptive survey methodology, an anonymous web-based survey was administered from April 7, 2020, to April 22, 2020 (email and newsletter) to query members of U.S. national critical care organizations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Through a 16-item descriptive questionnaire, ICU clinician perceptions were assessed regarding current and emerging critical ICU needs in managing the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected patients, resource levels, concerns about being exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and perceived level of personal stress. A total of 9,120 ICU clinicians responded to the survey, representing all 50 U.S. states, with 4,106 (56.9%) working in states with 20,000 or more coronavirus disease 2019 cases. The 7,317 respondents who indicated their profession included ICU nurses (n = 6,731, 91.3%), advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants; n = 334, 4.5%), physicians (n = 212, 2.9%), respiratory therapists (n = 31, 0.4%), and pharmacists (n = 30, 0.4%). A majority (n = 6,510, 88%) reported having cared for a patient with presumed or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019. The most critical ICU needs identified were personal protective equipment, specifically N95 respirator availability, and ICU staffing. Minimizing healthcare worker virus exposure during care was believed to be the most challenging aspect of coronavirus disease 2019 patient care (n = 2,323, 30.9%). Nurses report a high level of concern about exposing family members to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (median score of 10 on 0-10 scale). Similarly, the level of concern reached the maximum score of 10 in ICU clinicians who had provided care to coronavirus disease 2019 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This national ICU clinician survey identifies continued concerns regarding personal protective equipment supplies with the chief issue being N95 respirator availability. As the pandemic continues, ICU clinicians anticipate a number of limited resources that may impact ICU care including personnel, capacity, and surge potential, as well as staff and subsequent family members exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. These persistent concerns greatly magnify personal stress, offering a therapeutic target for professional organization and facility intervention efforts.

A Perspective from the Neurocritical Care Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine: Team-Based Care for Neurological Critical Illness.

The Neurocritical Care Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine have worked together to create a perspective regarding the Standards of Neurologic Critical Care Units (Moheet et al. in Neurocrit Care 29:145-160, 2018). The most neurologically ill or injured patients warrant the highest standard of care available; this supports the need for defining and establishing specialized neurological critical care units. Rather than interpreting the Standards as being exclusionary, it is most appropriate to embrace them in the setting of team-based care. Since there are many more patients than there are highly specialized beds, collaborative care and appropriate transfer agreements are essential in promoting excellent patient outcomes. This viewpoint addresses areas of clarification and emphasizes the need for collegiality and partnership in delivering the best specialty critical care to our patients.