Assessing the impact of early progressive mobilization on moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurodisability worldwide, with notably high disability rates among moderately severe TBI cases. Extensive previous research emphasizes the critical need for early initiation of rehabilitation interventions for these cases. However, the optimal timing and methodology of early mobilization in TBI remain to be conclusively determined. Therefore, we explored the impact of early progressive mobilization (EPM) protocols on the functional outcomes of ICU-admitted patients with moderate to severe TBI. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at a trauma ICU of a medical center; 65 patients were randomly assigned to either the EPM group or the early progressive upright positioning (EPUP) group. The EPM group received early out-of-bed mobilization therapy within seven days after injury, while the EPUP group underwent early in-bed upright position rehabilitation. The primary outcome was the Perme ICU Mobility Score and secondary outcomes included Functional Independence Measure motor domain (FIM-motor) score, phase angle (PhA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and duration of ventilation. RESULTS: Among 65 randomized patients, 33 were assigned to EPM and 32 to EPUP group. The EPM group significantly outperformed the EPUP group in the Perme ICU Mobility and FIM-motor scores, with a notably shorter ICU stay by 5.9 days (p < 0.001) and ventilation duration by 6.7 days (p = 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in PhAs. CONCLUSION: The early progressive out-of-bed mobilization protocol can enhance mobility and functional outcomes and shorten ICU stay and ventilation duration of patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. Our study's results support further investigation of EPM through larger, randomized clinical trials. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04810273 . Registered 13 March 2021.

Reduced length of intensive care unit stay and early mechanical ventilator weaning with enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in free fibula flap surgery.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program on postoperative recovery of patients who underwent free fibula flap surgery for mandibular reconstruction. This retrospective study included 188 patients who underwent free fibula flap surgery for complex mandibular and soft tissue defects between January 2011 and December 2022. We divided them into two groups: the ERAS group, consisting of 36 patients who were treated according to the ERAS program introduced from 2021 to 2022. Propensity score matching was used for the non-ERAS group, which comprised 36 cases selected from 152 patients between 2011 and 2020, based on age, sex, and smoking history. After propensity score matching, the ERAS and non-ERAS groups included 36 patients each. The primary outcome was the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay; the secondary outcomes were flap complications, unplanned reoperation, 30-day readmission, postoperative ventilator use length, surgical site infections, incidence of delirium within ICU, lower-limb comorbidities, and morbidity parameters. There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics of the patients. However, the ERAS group showed the lower length of intensive care unit stay (ERAS vs non-ERAS: 8.66 ± 3.90 days vs. 11.64 ± 5.42 days, P = 0.003) and post-operative ventilator use days (ERAS vs non-ERAS: 1.08 ± 0.28 days vs. 2.03 ± 1.05 days, P < 0.001). Other secondary outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups. Additionally, patients in the ERAS group had lower postoperative morbidity parameters, such as postoperative nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infections, and pulmonary complications (P = 0.042). The ERAS program could be beneficial and safe for patients undergoing free fibula flap surgery for mandibular reconstruction, thereby improving their recovery and not increasing flap complications and 30-day readmission.

Effects of high flow nasal cannula following minimally invasive esophagectomy in ICU patients: A prospective pre-post study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Patients with esophageal cancer who undergo minimally invasive esophagectomy are at risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy delivers humidified, warmed positive airway pressure but has not been applied routinely after surgery. Here, we aimed to compare high-flow nasal cannula and conventional oxygen therapy in patients with esophageal cancer during intensive care unit hospitalization 48 h postoperatively. METHODS: In this prospective pre- and post-intervention study, patients with esophageal cancer who underwent elective minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) and were extubated in the operation room and admitted to the intensive care unit postoperatively were assigned to receive either high-flow nasal cannula (HFNCO) or standard oxygen (SO) therapy. Participants in the SO group were recruited before January 2020, and those in the HFNCO group were enrolled after January 2020. The primary outcome was the difference in postoperative pulmonary complication incidence. Secondary outcomes were the occurrence of desaturation within 48 h, PaO2/FiO2 within 48 h, anastomotic leakage, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and mortality. RESULTS: The standard oxygen and high-flow nasal cannula oxygen groups comprised 33 and 36 patients, respectively. Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. In the HFNCO group, postoperative pulmonary complication incidence was significantly reduced (22.2% vs 45.5%) and PaO2/FiO2 was significantly increased. No other between-group differences were observed. CONCLUSION: HFNCO therapy significantly reduced postoperative pulmonary complication incidence after elective MIE in patients with esophageal cancer without increasing the risk of anastomotic leakage.

Comparison between non-surgical and surgical management of rib fractures in major trauma patients without brain injuries.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the different outcomes between the non-surgical and surgical groups in patients with major trauma without brain injuries. METHODS: This study prospectively collected data from patients with traumatic rib fractures without brain injuries from June 2017 to November 2019. The primary outcomes were the pain score at admission and discharge and the length of hospital stay. We performed multiple regression analysis to compare the outcomes and surgical risk as the severity of chest trauma between both groups. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were enrolled. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline characteristics between both groups. However, the surgical group had more severe chest trauma than the non-surgical group. After the analysis, the pain score improved significantly in the surgical group. The hospital stay of the surgical group was four days shorter than that of the non-surgical group, and there was severe chest trauma in the surgical group. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of rib fractures can reduce pain and hospital stay in major trauma patients.

Quality of life outcomes after surgical intervention in patients with multiple rib fractures: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Optimized conservative treatment of rib fractures has long been practiced, but surgical fixation has not been promising until recently. We aimed to examine and analyze immediate postoperative outcomes and 6-month quality of life after injury in patients with moderately severe traumatic rib fractures. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study between July 2017 and June 2019 at the National Taiwan University Hospital. Seventy-two patients with moderately severe thoracic trauma were enrolled; 38 received conservative treatment and 34 underwent surgical fixation. Quality of life was measured using the 36-item Short Form Survey at; the first 3 days of hospitalization; before discharge; and at 1-, 2-, and 6-month follow-ups (visits 1-5). Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were recorded, and linear regression analysis was conducted using the generalized estimating equation. RESULTS: Among patients with moderately severe thoracic injury (chest Abbreviated Injury Scale score≥ 2), the operative group had more severe injuries and longer intensive care unit and in-hospital stays. However, they had a comparable quality of life 6 months after injury and higher physical component scores in the early postoperative period. Linear regression analysis obtained an equation with several factors positively affecting prediction of the mean physical component score, such as body mass index ≤25, age ≤36 years, fewer ribs requiring fixation, and diabetes mellitus. Mental component score did not show an upward trend, but the Work Quality Index largely determined the predicted mean value of the mental component score. CONCLUSION: Surgical rib fixations hasten recovery in patients with severe thoracic injury (chest Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥3) to achieve 6-month quality of life comparable to patients injured less severely (chest Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥2). The ability to resume previous work positively influenced the mental component score; thus, surgical intervention should also aim to help patients regain their social function.

The effectiveness of cold oral stimuli in quenching postoperative thirst: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of cold oral stimuli in quenching postoperative thirst in patients undergoing surgery. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies. SETTING: Postoperative care units. METHODS: Seven electronic databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINHAL, PsycInfo, and EMBASE) were systematically searched from their inception to January 12, 2022. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was followed. Two researchers examined the study quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tools. A meta-analysis with a subgroup analysis was performed. Sensitivity analysis, funnel plots and Egger's test were used to examine publication bias. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A thirst intensity score was used to rate postoperative thirst. RESULTS: Data were collected from 11 interventional studies for this systematic review. Eight studies underwent a meta-analysis with a total of 1504 patients. Our meta-analysis showed that the thirst intensity scores decreased in the experimental groups by 1.42 points (95% confidence interval: -2.162 to -0.684) more than those of the control groups. Subgroup analysis indicated that Asian patients and age were two factors that moderated the thirst intensity score after applying cold oral stimuli. CONCLUSION: Cold oral stimuli were effective in mitigating postoperative thirst. Ice products such as ice cubes, or ice chips are easily available in postoperative units. When applying cold oral stimuli, health professionals should be aware of that in Asian and older patients. Cultural acceptance and physiological degeneration, respectively, may influence the thirst ratings. Future research should investigate various factors underlying the perioperative period. Network meta-analysis can be used to examine multiple strategies for thirst management.

Functional mobility effects of progressive early mobilization protocol on people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: A pre-post intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Brain plasticity evoked by environmental enrichment through early mobilization may improve sensorimotor functions of patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Increasing evidence also suggests that early mobilization increases verticalization, which is beneficial to TBI patients in critical care. However, there are limited data on early mobilization interventions provided to patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the possible enhancing effects of revised progressive early mobilization on functional mobility and the rate of out-of-bed mobility attained by patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. METHODS: This is a quantitative study with a retrospective and prospective pre-post intervention design. We implemented a revised progressive early mobilization protocol for patients with moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (ICU) within the previous seven days. The outcome parameters were the rate of patients attaining early mobilization (sitting on the edge of the bed) and the Perme ICU Mobility Score at discharge from the ICU. The outcome parameters in the intervention cohort were compared with those from a historical control cohort who received standard medical care a year previously. Differences in the Perme ICU Mobility Score between the two cohorts were assessed using univariate analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were included in the progressive early mobilization program and were compared with 44 patients who underwent standard medical care. In the intervention cohort, 100% and 57.2% of the patients completed early rehabilitation and early mobilization, respectively, compared to 0% in the control cohort. The intervention cohort at ICU discharge showed significantly improved the Perme ICU Mobility Scores. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the revised progressive early mobilization program for patients with moderate-to-severe TBI resulted in significantly improved mobility at ICU discharge; however, the length of overall stay in the ICU may be not affected.

Improving patient safety during intrahospital transportation of mechanically ventilated patients with critical illness.

AIM: Intrahospital transportation (IHT) of patients under mechanical ventilation (MV) significantly increases the risk of patient harm. A structured process performed by a well-prepared team with adequate communication among team members plays a vital role in enhancing patient safety during transportation. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION: We conducted this quality improvement programme at the intensive care units of a university-affiliated medical centre, focusing on the care of patients under MV who received IHT for CT or MRI examinations. With the interventions based on the analysis finding of the IHT process by healthcare failure mode and effects analysis, we developed and implemented strategies to improve this process, including standardisation of the transportation process, enhancing equipment maintenance and strengthening the teamwork among the transportation teammates. In a subsequent cycle, we developed and implemented a new process with the practice of reminder-assisted briefing. The reminders were printed on cards with mnemonics including 'VITAL' (Vital signs, Infusions, Tubes, Alarms and Leave) attached to the transportation monitors for the intensive care unit nurses, 'STOP' (Secretions, Tubes, Oxygen and Power) attached to the transportation ventilators for the respiratory therapists and 'STOP' (Speak-out, Tubes, Others and Position) attached to the examination equipment for the radiology technicians. We compared the incidence of adverse events and completeness and correctness of the tasks deemed to be essential for effective teamwork before and after implementing the programme. RESULTS: The implementation of the programme significantly reduced the number and incidence of adverse events (1.08% vs 0.23%, p=0.01). Audits also showed improved teamwork during transportation as the team members showed increased completeness and correctness of the essential IHT tasks (80.8% vs 96.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The implementation of reminder-assisted briefings significantly enhanced patient safety and teamwork behaviours during the IHT of mechanically ventilated patients with critical illness.

[Improve the Ability of Nurses to Implement Continuous Veno-Venous Hemodialysis].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEM: Many critically ill patients require continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVH) due to their hemodynamic instability and high-dose inotropic use. However, our surgical intensive care unit nursing staffs are often unable to set up the dialysis circuit in a correct and timely manner, which necessitates requesting the assistance of nearby units. After detailed investigation and analysis, this problem is attributable to the lack of nursing staff hands-on practice, an over reliance on oral instructions, the insufficiency of in-service education, and a lack of familiarity with CVVH set-up equipment. PURPOSE: This project was designed to augment the comprehension and accuracy rates of clinical CVVH practice among nursing staff to >90%. RESOLUTIONS: In order to help our nursing staffs master the skills necessary to manage the CVVH device, we employed versatile and effective strategies that included providing electronic teaching materials and instruction handbooks as well as practical hands-on sessions and clinical scenario simulations. Moreover, we conducted serial core courses and held case conferences that focused on the topic of CVVH nursing care. Furthermore, training programs for new members were devised, the standard CVVH device checklist was modified, and a specialized preparation area was delineated in hopes of improve nursing-care standards. RESULTS: Under these schemes, the rate of comprehension of CVVH among nursing staffs increased from 55.2% to 90.8% and the accuracy rate of clinical practice increased from 61.9% to 90.5%. CONCLUSION: Our implementation of various effective strategies not only promoted the CVVH management ability of nursing staffs but also provided quality care to critically ill patients.

Laparoscopic percutaneous jejunostomy with intracorporeal V-Loc jejunopexy in esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Barbed sutures are widely used in various laparoscopic digestive surgeries. The purpose of this paper is to present our initial experience of laparoscopic percutaneous jejunostomy with unidirectional barbed sutures in esophageal cancer patients and compare it with our early cases using traditional transabdominal sutures. METHODS: A total of 118 esophageal cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic percutaneous jejunostomy were identified in a single institution in Taiwan from June 2014 to May 2016. The authors' traditional technique consisted of using transabdominal sutures with bolsters to fix a jejunum loop onto the anterior abdominal wall. A novel technique was introduced using intracorporeal suturing with knotless unidirectional barbed monofilament absorbable sutures (V-Loc) to attain a seal around the feeding catheter. A comparison between these two techniques was performed. RESULTS: Twenty cases with barbed V-Loc sutures and 98 cases with transabdominal sutures were identified. The V-Loc sutures appeared to reduce peristomal skin ulcers (19.4 vs. 0 %, p = 0.040), postoperative pain scores during the first 24 h (1.8 ± 1.4 vs. 0.9 ± 1.1, p = 0.007) and on postoperative day 2 (1.7 ± 1.4 vs. 1.0 ± 0.8, p = 0.026) when compared to patients receiving transabdominal sutures. The mean suturing time using V-Loc sutures was 22 min (14-60 min). The mean onset to resumption of enteral feeding was 1.8 ± 0.8 days and the mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 8 ± 5.1 days, both of which were comparable in the two groups. There was no surgical mortality in our series. CONCLUSIONS: In the study cohort, the use of knotless unidirectional barbed sutures instead of traditional transabdominal sutures had similar outcomes and appears to be a feasible option for intracorporeal jejunopexy when performing laparoscopic jejunostomy in patients with esophageal cancer.