Effect of admission time on mortality in an intensive care unit in Mainland China: a propensity score matching analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between admission time and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality is inconclusive and influenced by various factors. This study aims to estimate the effect of admission time on ICU outcomes in a tertiary teaching hospital in China by propensity score matching (PSM) and stratified analysis. METHODS: A total of 2,891 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study from 1 January 2009 to 29 December 2011. Multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis were performed in this retrospective study. PSM and stratified analysis were applied for confounding factors, such as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score and admission types. RESULTS: Compared with office hour subgroup (n = 2,716), nighttime (NT, n = 175) subgroup had higher APACHE II scores (14 vs. 8, P < 0.001), prolonged length of stay in the ICU (42 vs. 24 h, P = 0.011), and higher percentages of medical (8.6% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.001) and emergency (59.4% vs. 12.2%, P < 0.001) patients. Moreover, NT admissions were related to higher ICU mortality [odds ratio (OR), 1.725 (95% CI 1.118-2.744), P = 0.01] and elevated mortality risk at 28 days [14.3% vs. 3.2%; OR, 1.920 (95% CI 1.171-3.150), P = 0.01]. PSM showed that admission time remained related to ICU outcome (P = 0.045) and mortality risk at 28 days [OR, 2.187 (95% CI 1.119-4.271), P = 0.022]. However, no mortality difference was found between weekend and workday admissions (P = 0.849), even if weekend admissions were more related to higher APACHE II scores compared with workday admissions. CONCLUSIONS: NT admission was associated with poor ICU outcomes. This finding may be related to shortage of onsite intensivists and qualified residents during NT. The current staffing model and training system should be improved in the future.

Perioperative artificial nutrition in malnourished gastrointestinal cancer patients.

AIM: To investigate the potential role of perioperative nutrition in reducing complications and mortality in malnourished gastrointestinal cancer patients. METHODS: Four hundred and sixty-eight elective moderately or severely malnourished surgical patients with gastric or colorectal cancers defined by the subjective global assessment (SGA) were randomly assigned to 7 d preoperative and 7 d postoperative parenteral or enteral nutrition vs a simple control group. The nutrition regimen included 24.6+/-5.2 kcal /kg per d non-protein and 0.23+/-0.04 g nitrogen /kg per d. Control patients did not receive preoperative nutrition but received 600+/-100 kcal non-protein plus or not plus 62+/-16 g crystalline amino acids postoperatively. RESULTS: Complications occurred in 18.3% of the patients receiving nutrition and in 33.5% of the control patients (P=0.012). Fourteen patients died in the control group and 5 in those receiving nutrition. There were significant differences in the mortality between the two groups (2.1% vs 6.0%, P=0.003). The total length of hospitalization and postoperative stay of control patients were significantly longer (29 vs 22 d, P=0.014) than those of the studied patients (23 vs 12 d, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: Perioperative nutrition support is beneficial for moderately or severely malnourished gastrointestinal cancer patients and can reduce surgical complications and mortality.

Effects of bowel rehabilitation and combined trophic therapy on intestinal adaptation in short bowel patients.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of bowel rehabilitation and combined trophic therapy on intestinal adaptation in short bowel patients. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with severe short-bowel syndrome (SBS) were employed in the present study, whose average length of jejunum-ileum was 35.8+/-21.2 cm. The TPN treatment was initiated early to attain positive nitrogen balance and prevent severe weight loss. The TPN composition was designated to be individualized and altered when necessary. Enteral feeding was given as soon as possible after resection and increased gradually. Meals were distributed throughout the day. Eight patients received treatment of growth hormone (0.14 mg/kg.day) and glutamine (0.3 g/kg.day) for 3 weeks. D-xylose test, 15N-Gly trace test and 13C-palmitic acid breath test were done to determine the patients' absorption capability. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients maintained well body weight and serum albumin concentration. The average time of follow-up for 33 survival patients was 5.9+/-4.3 years. Twenty-two patients weaned from TPN with an average TPN time of 9.5+/-6.6 months. Two patients, whose whole small bowel, ascending and transverse colon were resected received home TPN. An other 9 patients received parenteral or enteral nutritional support partly as well as oral diet. Three week rhGH+GLN therapy increased nutrients absorption but the effects were transient. CONCLUSION: By rehabilitation therapy, most short bowel patients could wean from parenteral nutrition. Dietary manipulation is an integral part of the treatment of SBS. Treatment with growth hormone and glutamine may increase nutrients absorption but the effects are not sustained beyond the treatment period.

Glutamine supplemented parenteral nutrition prevents intestinal ischemia- reperfusion injury in rats.

AIM: To examine whether glutamine prevents the injury to the intestinal mucosa after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a standard parenteral nutrition (PN) group (n = 10); an I/R-PN group (n = 10); an I/R-glutamine enriched PN (I/R-Gln) group (n = 10). The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was clamped. After 60 min of ischemia, reperfusion was initiated and infusion was started. All rats received isocaloric and isonitrogenous nutritional support for 48 h. Spleen, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and intestinal segments were removed for morphological and biochemical analyses, and blood samples were collected for bacterial culture and measurement of endotoxin levels. The permeability of intestinal mucosa was assayed by measurement of D-(-)-lactate levels in plasma. RESULTS: In I/R-PN group, extensive epithelial atrophy was observed, mucosal thickness, villous height, crypt depth and villous surface area were decreased significantly compared with PN group, whereas these findings did not occur in the I/R-Gln group. The incidence of intestinal bacterial translocation to spleen, liver, MLN, and blood was significantly higher in I/R-PN group than that in other groups. Plasma endotoxin levels significantly increased in the I/R-PN group compared with the I/R-Gln group. Remarkably higher values of D-(-)-lactate were also detected in PN group compared with that in I/R-Gln group. CONCLUSION: Glutamine protects the morphology and function of intestinal mucosa from injury after I/R in rats.

Predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment score in sepsis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic power of n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in sepsis is disputable and unstable among different models. We attempt to evaluate the prognostic potential of NT-proBNP in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score in sepsis. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 100 consecutive sepsis patients were enrolled. Clinical data such as admission SOFA, the Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation score, shock prevalence, use of lung protective ventilation, vasopressors, and glucocorticoids were recorded. Additionally, serum creatinine (Scr1 and Scr3) and NT-proBNP (NT-proBNP1 and NT-proBNP3) were assayed and evaluated at admission and on day 3 respectively. RESULTS: DNT-proBNP (NT-proBNP3 minus NT-proBNP1) (P < 0.001, Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.245, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.137 - 1.362) and admission SOFA (P < 0.001, HR = 1.197, 95%CI, 1.106 - 1.295) were independently related to in-hospital mortality. Their combination was a more robust predictor for in-hospital mortality than either of them individually. Patients with high DNT-proBNP and SOFA had the poorest prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, both DNT-proBNP and SOFA were independent predictors of septic patients' prognosis. Moreover, the combination of DNT-proBNP and admission SOFA provided a novel strategy that contained information regarding both the response to treatment and sepsis severity.

[Application of enhanced recovery program after surgery(ERAS) in patients undergoing radical resection for colorectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the enhanced recovery program after surgery (ERAS) with conventional perioperative management in patients undergoing radical resection for colorectal cancer. METHODS: The ERAS protocol included a combination of evidence-based and consensus methodology. A total of 597 consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal resection were randomized to either the ERAS(n=299) or the control group(n=298). Outcomes related to nutrition and metabolism index, stress index, and recovery index were measured and recorded. RESULTS: Demographics and operative parameters were similar between the two groups(P>0.05). The nutritional status of patients in the ERAS group was improved after surgery compared with that of the control group. On postoperative day (POD) 1, the HOMA-IR in the ERAS group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.01). The cortisol level in the control group was elevated on both POD 1(P<0.01) and POD 5(P<0.01) compared to the preoperative level. However, the cortisol level was not increased until POD 5(P<0.01) in the ERAS group. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IFN-γ were reduced in the ERAS group, indicating less postoperative stress responses compared with the control group. In addition, ERAS group was associated with accelerated recovery of gastrointestinal function. The postoperative length of stay [(5.7±1.6) d vs. (6.6±2.4) d, P<0.01] and expense[(15 998±2655) RMB vs. (17 763±3059) RMB, P<0.01] were reduced in the ERAS group. Twenty-eight patients(9.4%) in the control group and 29(9.7%) in the ERAS group developed complications, while the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: ERAS protocol alleviates surgical stress response and accelerates postoperative recovery without compromising patient safety.

[Application of the protocol of enhanced recovery after surgery in colorectal surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS) protocol in colorectal surgery. METHODS: From september 2006 to February 2007, 74 patients with colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to ERAS group and control group. The stress index, nutrition and metabolism index, intraoperative index and postoperative index were evaluated. RESULTS: Six patients were excluded, 3 in ERAS group (2 cases received hepatectomy concomitantly and 1 case received partial ileum resection), and 3 in control group (1 case received hepatectomy and 1 case received colorectomy concomitantly, another presented asthma paroxysm). So there were 34 cases in ERAS group and 34 cases in control, with no statistical differences in sex, age, BMI index and operation types. Deviation of HOMA-IR index of ERAS was lower than the control (P>0.05), the same as plasma cortisol at the 1st day after operation (P<0.05), but plasma glucagons in the operation of ERAS group was higher than that of control (P<0.05). Plasma glucose 1st day after operation of ERAS group was lower than control (P<0.05), while plasma triglyceride intraoperation, at 1st day, 2nd day after operation of ERAS was higher than control (P<0.05). Nitrogen negative balance of ERAS group was higher than control at 2nd day after surgery, but is lower intraoperation and at 6th day after operation (P<0.05). The time of exhaust gas and stool, time to eat fluidity and semi-fluidity, out-of-bed time and exercise time per-day, residual time and complication rate in ERAS group were better than those of control (P<0.05). Post-operative expenses of ERAS was lower than that of control (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: ERAS can decrease surgical stress, increase functional recovery and reduce complication rate.

[Effect of glutamine and growth hormone on adaptation in short bowel syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of parenteral glutamine and growth hormone supplementation on gut adaptation for patients with short bowel syndrome. METHODS: Twenty-six patients [male 15, female 11, aged (39 +/- 23) years] with short bowel syndrome received parenteral nutrition (PN) 3-52 months after surgical resection. The median length of remnant small intestine was 42.5(0-100)cm. All patients received growth hormone (0.10+/- 0.06) mg.kg(-1).d(-1) plus glutamine (0.30 +/- 0.17) mg.kg(-1).d(-1) for two or three weeks. RESULTS: Among the 26 patients, PN was not required soon after treatment in 34.6% (n=9) of the patients, the frequency and volume of PN decreased from (6.0 +/- 1.0) d to (4.2 +/- 1.0) d, from (13.6 +/- 5.2) L per week to (8.2 +/- 3.3) L per week respectively in 30.8% (n=8) of the patients,while 34.6% (n=9) still required PN after treatment. CONCLUSION: The combined administration of glutamine and growth hormone can promote remnant intestinal adaptation in short bowel patients.