High-PEEP Noninvasive Ventilation By Means of Mask as the Respiratory Support in COVID-19 ARDS Patients: Experience From General Hospital Slavonski Brod.

OBJECTIVE: Despite widespread use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in some coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hypoxemic patients, its clinical application is still subject of debate. METHODS: This is a retrospective, observational study with data collected from 91 consecutive patients treated in COVID intensive care unit (ICU) in our institution between October 2020 and February 2021. Outcomes were represented as ventilation hours, ICU and hospital length of stay, and ICU and hospital mortality. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 66 ± 11 y and severe COVID-19 pneumonia with mean paO2/FiO2 137 ± 57 was observed in 90% of the patients. High positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) NIV by means of total face mask was initially applied in 58 (64%) patients, high flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) in 25 (27%) patients, whilst invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) started at the moment of admission in 8 (9%) patients. NIV and high flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) have been kept on throughout ICU stay in 50 (55%) patients, while 41 (45%) patients were put on IMV. Overall ICU mortality was 41%, while ICU mortality of patients on NIV was 14%. CONCLUSIONS: High PEEP NIV was convenient and safe as initial respiratory support and in some COVID-19 ARDS patients remained an optimal respiratory support throughout their disease.

Experiences and attitudes of medical professionals on treatment of end-of-life patients in intensive care units in the Republic of Croatia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Decisions about limitations of life sustaining treatments (LST) are made for end-of-life patients in intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this research was to explore the professional and ethical attitudes and experiences of medical professionals on treatment of end-of-life patients in ICUs in the Republic of Croatia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians and nurses working in surgical, medical, neurological, and multidisciplinary ICUs in the total of 9 hospitals throughout Croatia using a questionnaire with closed and open type questions. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to reduce data to a smaller set of summary variables. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse the differences between two groups and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the differences between more than two groups. RESULTS: Less than third of participants (29.2%) stated they were included in the decision-making process, and physicians are much more included than nurses (p < 0.001). Sixty two percent of participants stated that the decision-making process took place between physicians. Eighteen percent of participants stated that 'do-not-attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitations' orders were frequently made in their ICUs. A decision to withdraw inotropes and antibiotics was frequently made as stated by 22.4% and 19.9% of participants, respectively. Withholding/withdrawing of LST were ethically acceptable to 64.2% of participants. Thirty seven percent of participants thought there was a significant difference between withholding and withdrawing LST from an ethical standpoint. Seventy-nine percent of participants stated that a verbal or written decision made by a capable patient should be respected. Physicians were more inclined to respect patient's wishes then nurses with high school education (p = 0.038). Nurses were more included in the decision-making process in neurological than in surgical, medical, or multidisciplinary ICUs (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, p = 0.023 respectively). Male participants in comparison to female (p = 0.002), and physicians in comparison to nurses with high school and college education (p < 0.001) displayed more liberal attitudes about LST limitation. CONCLUSIONS: DNACPR orders are not commonly made in Croatian ICUs, even though limitations of LST were found ethically acceptable by most of the participants. Attitudes of paternalistic and conservative nature were expected considering Croatia's geographical location in Southern Europe.

Hidden Carbapenem Resistance in OXA-48 and Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamase-Positive Escherichia coli.

The purpose of this study was to report the identification OXA-48 carbapenemase in seven extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-positive Escherichia coli clinical isolates, fully susceptible to all carbapenems by disk diffusion and E-test methods, but with borderline minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of ertapenem. This report points to the necessity for determination of carbapenem MICs in ESBL-positive E. coli isolates and additional phenotypic testing for carbapenemases in all isolates with borderline ertapenem MIC defined by EUCAST. The isolates showed a high level of resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins because of the production of an additional ESBL belonging to CTX-M family. All isolates and their respective tranconjugants were found to possess L plasmid. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis revealed two clusters containing highly related isolates. The global spread of multidrug-resistant E. coli should be monitored closely because of the ability of isolates to rapidly obtain additional antibiotic resistance traits such as plasmid-mediated OXA-48 genes.

Volatile anaesthetics and cardiac protection in abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies have shown that sevoflurane is cardio-protective in cardiac surgery patients, but this effect is doubtful in general surgery patients. This study has researched the influence of sevoflurane on the perioperative cardiac function and the incidence of cardiac ischaemic events in abdominal surgical patients. METHODS: Out of 80 patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgery, 42 received balanced sevoflurane-fentanyl anaesthesia, while 38 received intravenous midazolam-fentanyl anaesthesia. The cardiac index (CI) and cardiac function index (CFI) were measured by the PiCCO device, and Troponin I levels were measured at the beginning of surgery, as well as 4, 12 and 24 h afterwards. BNP was measured at the beginning of surgery, and 24 h afterwards. The data analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in perioperative Troponin I, BNP, CI and CFI values between the SEVO and TIVA groups throughout the perioperative period. CONCLUSIONS: Sevoflurane had no effect on the cardiac biomarkers Troponin I and BNP, and on the PiCCO parameters of cardiac function in abdominal surgical patients. Further research on the preconditioning effect of volatile anaesthetics in general surgical population should be concentrated on the population of patients with a high perioperative cardiac risk.

Expanding the use of noninvasive ventilation during an epidemic.

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a proved and effective therapeutic option for some patients with respiratory failure. During an epidemic, NIV can free up respirators and other intensive care unit equipment for patients with respiratory insufficiency whose survival depends exclusively on invasive ventilation. Some guidelines have indicated that NIV is potentially hazardous and should not be recommended for use during epidemics, given the perceived potential risk of transmission from aerosolized pathogen dispersion to other patients or medical staff. Conversely, some reports of previous epidemics describe NIV as a very efficient and safe modality of respiratory support, if strict infection control measures are implemented. We discuss NIV use during epidemics and indicate the need for prospective randomized clinical studies on the efficacy of NIV in epidemic conditions to provide important information to the current body of literature. Meanwhile, the use of NIV under strict infection control guidelines should be incorporated into epidemic preparedness planning.

[Invasive trichosporonosis caused by Trichosporon asahii in a polytraumatized neurosurgical patient: case report]. / Invazivna trihosporonoza uzrokovana gljivom Trichosporon asahii u politraumatiziranog neurokirurskog bolesnika.

Trichosporon asahii (formerly T. beigelii) is a rare cause of human infections with very varied clinical manifestations ranging from superficial infections to severe and systemic diseases. T. asahii is a life-threatening opportunistic pathogen especially for granulocytopenic, immunocompromised and immunodeficient patients. It is the possible cause of summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Japan and systemic infections in transplant patients, patients on corticosteroid therapy, patients with solid tumors and burn patients. Cases of infection in non-immunocompromised surgical patients and patients with long-term stay in ICU are described in the literature. We report on T. asahii fungemia in a polytraumatized neurosurgical patient with long-term stay in the hospital. Urinary tract was the source of fungemia, with the same pathogen isolated from urine and blood at the same time. In the Referral Center for Systemic Mycoses, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, the strain from the urine and blood culture was identified as T. asahii, with good susceptibility to fluconazole, voriconazole and 5 fluorocytosine, reduced susceptibility to itraconazole and resistance to amphotericin B. The patient responded to fluconazole therapy very well. Since systemic trichosporonoses are generally associated with immunocompromised patients (hematologic, granulocytopenic and AIDS patients), this case confirms the possibility of infection with this pathogen in patients with long-term hospital stay and reduced local immunity, but without classic immunodeficiency.

[Streptococcus suis infection, a zoonosis we should have in mind--2 case reports]. / Infekcija uzrokovana sa Streptococcus suis, zoonoza na koju treba misliti--prikaz dvaju bolesnika.

Streptococcus suis is primarily pig's pathogen, but can cause disease in a man exposed to contact with pigs (butchers, abatoir workers, farmers). Infection in man is most frequently manifested as purulent meningitis, with deafness and ataxia, but there are rare reports on septic shock with multiple organ failure and death. We report two patients with Streptococcus suis type 1 infection, treated in "Dr Josip Bencevic" General Hospital, Slavonski Brod. The first patient suffered a very abrupt and severe illness, with septic shock, multiple organ failure and lethal outcome. The second patient had purulent meningitis with deafness. Both of them had a defect in immunologic function before infection. They were probably infected during manipulation with pork meat at home. Our patients had infection with Streptococcus suis type 1, contrary to reports on prevalent human infection with type 2. It is necessary to make epidemiologic survey on human infection with that pathogen, especially in those professionally exposed to pigs and pork meat.