Prevalence and Risk Factor Analysis of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome in Patients with COVID-19 Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is an emerging problem in critically ill patients and the prevalence and risk factors are unclear in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This multicenter prospective observational study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of PICS in ventilated patients with COVID-19 after ICU discharge. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered twice in surviving patients with COVID-19 who had required mechanical ventilation, concerning Barthel Index, Short-Memory Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores. The risk factors for PICS were examined using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The first and second PICS surveys were obtained at 5.5 and 13.5 months (mean) after ICU discharge, with 251 and 209 patients completing the questionnaires and with a prevalence of PICS of 58.6% and 60.8%, respectively, along with the highest percentages of cognitive impairment. Delirium (with an odds ratio of (OR) 2.34, 95% CI 1.1-4.9, and p = 0.03) and the duration of mechanical ventilation (with an OR of 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.58, and p = 0.02) were independently identified as the risk factors for PICS in the first PICS survey. CONCLUSION: Approximately 60% of the ventilated patients with COVID-19 experienced persistent PICS, especially delirium, and required longer mechanical ventilation.

Adult-onset noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy probably caused by splenorenal shunts.

This case illustrates adult-onset noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy, which is most likely caused by splenorenal shunts and is a rare but potentially fatal cause of altered mentation in the critical care setting. Splenorenal shunts should be considered as a differential in cases of hyperammonemic encephalopathy without liver cirrhosis.

A Novel and Multidisciplinary Strategy for Cesarean Delivery With Placenta Percreta: Intraoperative Embolization in a Hybrid Suite.

Cesarean deliveries in patients with placenta accreta often are accompanied by life-threatening bleeding and sometimes death. A novel, multidisciplinary approach that uses uterine embolization after cesarean delivery recently has been advocated; however, embolization in the radiology department requires transfer of postoperative patients, which could increase maternal mortality and morbidity. In a case of severe placenta accreta, we planned a stepwise treatment, including cesarean delivery without separation of the placenta followed by intraoperative uterine arterial embolization in a hybrid operating room, followed by hysterectomy a few weeks after cesarean delivery. With no postpartum bleeding, complete hysterectomy was performed uneventfully 25 days later.