Managing critical care during COVID-19 pandemic: The experience of an ICU of a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has strained ICUs worldwide. To learn from our experience, we described the critical care response to the outbreak. METHODS: This is a case study of the response of the Intensive Care Department (75-bed capacity) at a tertiary-care hospital to COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a high number of critically ill patients. RESULTS: Between March 1 and July 31, 2020, 822 patients were admitted to the adult non-cardiac ICUs with suspected (72%)/confirmed (38%) COVID-19. At the peak of the surge, 125 critically ill patients with COVID-19 were managed on single day. To accommodate these numbers, the bed capacity of 4 ICUs was increased internally from 58 to 71 beds (+40%) by cohorting 2 patients/room in selected rooms; forty additional ICUs beds were created in 2 general wards; one cardiac ICU was converted to managed non-COVID-19 general ICU patients and one ward was used as a stepdown for COVID-19 patients. To manage respiratory failure, 53 new ICU ventilators, 90 helmets for non-invasive ventilation and 47 high-flow nasal cannula machines were added to the existing capacity. Dedicated medical teams cared for the COVID-19 patients to prevent cross-contamination. The nurse-to-patient and RT-to-patient ratio remained mostly 1:1 and 1:6, respectively. One-hundred-ten ward nurses were up-skilled to care for COVID-19 and other ICU patients using tiered staffing model. Daily executive rounds were conducted to identify patients for transfer and at least 10 beds were made available for new COVID-19 admissions/day. The consumption of PPE increased multiple fold compared with the period preceding the pandemic. Regular family visits were not allowed and families were updated daily by videoconferencing and phone calls. CONCLUSIONS: Our ICU response to the COVID-19 pandemic required almost doubling ICU bed capacity and changing multiple aspects of ICU workflow to be able to care for high numbers of affected patients.

Caloric intake and the fat-to-carbohydrate ratio in hypercapnic acute respiratory failure: Post-hoc analysis of the PermiT trial.

BACKGROUND: The effect of moderate caloric enteral intake in critically ill patients with hypercapnic acute respiratory failure (HCARF) is unclear. We studied the impact of permissive underfeeding (PUF) compared with standard feeding (SF) on various HCARF outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PermiT trial randomized 894 patients to either PUF (40-60% caloric requirement) or SF (70-100% requirement) with similar protein intake and found no difference in mortality, mechanical ventilation (MV) duration and ventilator-free days. In this post-hoc study, we restricted analysis to mechanically-ventilated patients with HCARF (PaCO2 >45 mmHg on the first two study days) and assessed the impact of trial interventions and fat-to-carbohydrate ratio on outcomes. RESULTS: One-hundred-twenty patients had HCARF (59 PUF and 61 SF, age 53.7 ± 17.8 years, body mass index 31.1 ± 11.2 kg/m2, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 21.7 ± 7.1 and day-1 PaCO2 61 ± 16 mmHg). Caloric intake was 815 ± 270 kcal/day in PUF group and 1289 ± 407 kcal/day in SF group. The two groups had similar PaCO2 levels during ICU stay. The 90-day mortality (33.9% versus 35.6%, p = 0.85), MV duration (10.7 ± 6.8 versus 11.1 ± 8.1 days, p = 0.56) and ventilator-free days (52.9 ± 38.6 versus 51.2 ± 38.0 days, p = 0.80) were also similar in PUF and SF groups, respectively. Ventilator-free days and 90-day mortality were similar when the fat-to-carbohydrate ratio was < or ≥ the median value (0.73) in all patients and in PUF and SF groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HCARF, SF and PUF were associated with similar PaCO2, MV duration, ventilator-free days and mortality. Fat-to-carbohydrate ratio was not associated with mortality or ventilator-free days. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN68144998.

Permissive Underfeeding or Standard Enteral Feeding in High- and Low-Nutritional-Risk Critically Ill Adults. Post Hoc Analysis of the PermiT Trial.

RATIONALE: The optimal nutritional strategy for critically ill adults at high nutritional risk is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of permissive underfeeding with full protein intake compared with standard feeding on 90-day mortality in patients with different baseline nutritional risk. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis of the PermiT (Permissive Underfeeding versus Target Enteral Feeding in Adult Critically Ill Patients) trial. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Nutritional risk was categorized by the modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill score, with high nutritional risk defined as a score of 5-9 and low nutritional risk as a score of 0-4. Additional analyses were performed by categorizing patients by body mass index, prealbumin, transferrin, phosphate, urinary urea nitrogen, and nitrogen balance. Based on the Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill score, 378 of 894 (42.3%) patients were categorized as high nutritional risk and 516 of 894 (57.7%) as low nutritional risk. There was no association between feeding strategy and mortality in the two categories; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-1.27) for high nutritional risk and 1.01 (95% CI, 0.64-1.61) for low nutritional risk (interaction P = 0.53). Findings were similar in analyses using other definitions, with the exception of prealbumin. The association of permissive underfeeding versus standard feeding and 90-day mortality differed when patients were categorized by baseline prealbumin level (≤0.10 g/L: aOR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.31-1.05]; >0.10 and ≤0.15 g/L: aOR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.42-1.48]; >0.15 g/L: aOR, 1.55 [95% CI, 0.80, 3.01]; interaction P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with high and low nutritional risk, permissive underfeeding with full protein intake was associated with similar outcomes as standard feeding.

The critical care response to a hospital outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has caused several hospital outbreaks, including a major outbreak at King Abdulaziz Medical City, a 940-bed tertiary-care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (August-September 2015). To learn from our experience, we described the critical care response to the outbreak. METHODS: This observational study was conducted at the Intensive Care Department which covered 5 ICUs with 60 single-bedded rooms. We described qualitatively and, as applicable, quantitatively the response of intensive care services to the outbreak. The clinical course and outcomes of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had MERS were noted. RESULTS: Sixty-three MERS patients were admitted to 3 MERS-designated ICUs during the outbreak (peak census = 27 patients on August 25, 2015, and the last new case on September 13, 2015). Most patients had multiorgan failure. Eight HCWs had MERS requiring ICU admission (median stay = 28 days): Seven developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, four were treated with prone positioning, four needed continuous renal replacement therapy and one had extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The hospital mortality of ICU MERS patients was 63.4 % (0 % for the HCWs). In response to the outbreak, the number of negative-pressure rooms was increased from 14 to 38 rooms in 3 MERS-designated ICUs. Patients were managed with a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:0.8. Infection prevention practices were intensified. As a surrogate, surface disinfectant and hand hygiene gel consumption increased by ~30 % and 17 N95 masks were used per patient/day on average. Family visits were restricted to 2 h/day. Although most ICU staff expressed concerns about acquiring MERS, all reported to work normally. During the outbreak, 27.0 % of nurses and 18.4 % of physicians working in the MERS-designated ICUs reported upper respiratory symptoms, and were tested for MERS-CoV. Only 2/196 (1.0 %) ICU nurses and 1/80 (1.3 %) physician tested positive, had mild disease and recovered fully. The total sick leave duration was 138 days for nurses and 30 days for physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Our hospital outbreak of MERS resulted in 63 patients requiring organ support and prolonged ICU stay with a high mortality rate. The ICU response required careful facility and staff management and proper infection control and prevention practices.

Computerized physician order entry of a sedation protocol is not associated with improved sedation practice or outcomes in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) analgesia-sedation protocols may improve sedation practice and patients' outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the introduction of CPOE protocol. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational cohort study of adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation, requiring intravenous infusion of analgesics and/or sedatives, and expected to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) ≥24 h. As a quality improvement project, the study had three phases: phase 1, no protocol, July 1st to September 30th, 2010; phase 2, post implementation of CPOE protocol, October 1st to December 31st, 2010; and phase 3, revised (age, kidney and liver function adjusted) CPOE protocol, August 1st to October 31st, 2011. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine the independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy nine patients were included (no protocol = 91, CPOE protocol = 97, revised CPOE protocol = 91). Implementation of CPOE protocol was associated with increase of the average daily dose of fentanyl (3720 ± 3286 vs. 2647 ± 2212 mcg/day; p = 0.009) and decrease of hospital length of stay (40 ± 37 vs. 63 ± 85 days, p = 0.02). The revised CPOE protocol was associated with, compared to the CPOE protocol, a decrease of the average daily dose of fentanyl (2208 ± 2115 vs. 3720 ± 3286 mcg/day, p = 0.0002) and lorazepam (0 ± 0 vs. 0.06 ± 0.26 mg/day, p = 0.04), sedation-related complications during ICU stay (3.3 % vs. 29.9 %, p <0.0001), and ICU mortality (18 % vs. 39 %, p = 0.001). The impact of the revised CPOE protocol was more evident on patients aged >70 years or with severe kidney or liver impairment. Both the original CPOE protocol and the revised CPOE protocol were not independent predictors of ICU (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.85, confidence interval [CI] = 0.90-3.78; p = 0.09; aOR = 0.70, CI = 0.32-1.53, p = 0.37; respectively) or hospital mortality (aOR = 1.12, CI = 0.57-2.21, p = 0.74; aOR = 0.80, CI = 0.40-1.59, p = 0.52; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a CPOE analgesia-sedation protocol was not associated with improved sedation practices or patients' outcome but with unpredicted increases of an analgesic dose. However, the revised CPOE protocol (age, kidney and liver function adjusted) was associated with improved sedation practices. This study highlights the importance of carefully evaluating the impact of changes in practice to detect unanticipated outcomes.

Permissive Underfeeding or Standard Enteral Feeding in Critically Ill Adults.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate caloric goal for critically ill adults is unclear. We evaluated the effect of restriction of nonprotein calories (permissive underfeeding), as compared with standard enteral feeding, on 90-day mortality among critically ill adults, with maintenance of the full recommended amount of protein in both groups. METHODS: At seven centers, we randomly assigned 894 critically ill adults with a medical, surgical, or trauma admission category to permissive underfeeding (40 to 60% of calculated caloric requirements) or standard enteral feeding (70 to 100%) for up to 14 days while maintaining a similar protein intake in the two groups. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups; 96.8% of the patients were receiving mechanical ventilation. During the intervention period, the permissive-underfeeding group received fewer mean (±SD) calories than did the standard-feeding group (835±297 kcal per day vs. 1299±467 kcal per day, P<0.001; 46±14% vs. 71±22% of caloric requirements, P<0.001). Protein intake was similar in the two groups (57±24 g per day and 59±25 g per day, respectively; P=0.29). The 90-day mortality was similar: 121 of 445 patients (27.2%) in the permissive-underfeeding group and 127 of 440 patients (28.9%) in the standard-feeding group died (relative risk with permissive underfeeding, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 1.16; P=0.58). No serious adverse events were reported; there were no significant between-group differences with respect to feeding intolerance, diarrhea, infections acquired in the intensive care unit (ICU), or ICU or hospital length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Enteral feeding to deliver a moderate amount of nonprotein calories to critically ill adults was not associated with lower mortality than that associated with planned delivery of a full amount of nonprotein calories. (Funded by the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center; PermiT Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN68144998.).

Profile, outcome and predictors of mortality of abdomino-pelvic trauma patients in a tertiary intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of countries with the world's highest number of deaths per 100,000 populations from road traffic accidents (RTAs). Numerous trauma victims sustain abdomino-pelvic injuries, which are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to describe profile, outcomes and predictors of mortality of patients with abdomino-pelvic trauma admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care trauma centre in Riyadh, KSA. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected ICU database. All consecutive patients older than 14 years with abdomino-pelvic trauma from March 1999 to June 2013 were included. The followings were extracted: demographics, injury severity, mechanism and type of injury, associated injuries, use of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation, and worst laboratory results in the first 24h. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. We compared profile and outcomes between survivors and non-survivors and reported predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Of the 11,374 trauma patients who were admitted to the hospital during the study period, 2120 (18.6%) patients had abdomino-pelvic injuries, out of which 702 (33.1%) patients were admitted to the ICU. The mean age was 30.7 (SD 14.4) years and the majority was male (89.5%). RTA was the most common cause of abdomino-pelvic trauma (70.4%). Pelvis (46.2%), liver (25.8%), and spleen (23.1%) were the most frequently injured organs; and chest (55.6%), head (41.9%), and lower extremities (27.5%) were the most commonly associated injuries. Mechanical ventilation was required in 89.6% with a mean duration of 9.1 (SD 9.2) days and emergency surgery was performed in 45.0% of the patients with prolonged ICU and hospital length of stay (10.8 [SD 10.8], 56.9 [SD 96.7] days; respectively). Of the 702 patients with abdomino-pelvic trauma, 115 (16.4%) patients did not survive. Associated head trauma and retroperitoneal haematoma, higher level of lactic acid on admission and ISS, and advanced age were potential risk factors for hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Abdomino-pelvic injuries are common in trauma patients, affecting mainly young male victims, and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and resource utilisation.

Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection.

BACKGROUND: Since September 2012, 170 confirmed infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported to the World Health Organization, including 72 deaths. Data on critically ill patients with MERS-CoV infection are limited. OBJECTIVE: To describe the critical illness associated with MERS-CoV. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: 3 intensive care units (ICUs) at 2 tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS: 12 patients with confirmed or probable MERS-CoV infection. MEASUREMENTS: Presenting symptoms, comorbid conditions, pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations, measures of severity of illness and organ failure, ICU course, and outcome are described, as are the results of surveillance of health care workers (HCWs) and patients with potential exposure. RESULTS: Between December 2012 and August 2013, 114 patients were tested for suspected MERS-CoV; of these, 11 ICU patients (10%) met the definition of confirmed or probable cases. Three of these patients were part of a health care-associated cluster that also included 3 HCWs. One HCW became critically ill and was the 12th patient in this case series. Median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 28 (range, 16 to 36). All 12 patients had underlying comorbid conditions and presented with acute severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. Most patients (92%) had extrapulmonary manifestations, including shock, acute kidney injury, and thrombocytopenia. Five (42%) were alive at day 90. Of the 520 exposed HCWs, only 4 (1%) were positive. LIMITATION: The sample size was small. CONCLUSION: MERS-CoV causes severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and considerable extrapulmonary organ dysfunction and is associated with high mortality. Community-acquired and health care-associated MERS-CoV infection occurs in patients with chronic comorbid conditions. The health care-associated cluster suggests that human-to-human transmission does occur with unprotected exposure. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: None.

Demographics and outcomes of critically ill patients transferred from other hospitals to a tertiary care academic referral center in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the outcomes of critically ill patients who were transferred from other hospitals to a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia as a quality improvement project. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of adult patients admitted to the medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital. Patients were divided according to the source of referral into three groups: transfers from other hospitals, and direct admissions from emergency department (ED) and from hospital wards. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Of the 7,654 patients admitted to the ICU, 611 patients (8%) were transferred from other hospitals, 2,703 (35.3%) were direct admissions from ED and 4,340 (56.7%) from hospital wards. Hospital mortality for patients transferred from other hospitals was not significantly different from those who were directly admitted from ED (35% vs. 33.1%, p = 0.37) but was lower than those who were directly admitted from hospital wards (35% vs. 51.2%, p < 0.0001). SMRs did not differ significantly across the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients who were transferred from other hospitals constituted 8% of all ICU admissions. Mortality of these patients was similar to patients with direct admission from the ED and lower than that of patients with direct admission from hospital wards. However, risk-adjusted mortality was not different from the other two groups.

Venous thromboembolism in critically ill cirrhotic patients: practices of prophylaxis and incidence.

Objectives. We compared venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis practices and incidence in critically ill cirrhotic versus noncirrhotic patients and evaluated cirrhosis as a VTE risk factor. Methods. A cohort of 798 critically ill patients followed for the development of clinically detected VTE were categorized according to the diagnosis of cirrhosis. VTE prophylaxis practices and incidence were compared. Results. Seventy-five (9.4%) patients had cirrhosis with significantly higher INR (2.2 ± 0.9 versus 1.3 ± 0.6, P < 0.0001), lower platelet counts (115,000 ± 90,000 versus 258,000 ± 155,000/ µ L, P < 0.0001), and higher creatinine compared to noncirrhotic patients. Among cirrhotics, 31 patients received only mechanical prophylaxis, 24 received pharmacologic prophylaxis, and 20 did not have any prophylaxis. Cirrhotic patients were less likely to receive pharmacologic prophylaxis (odds ratio, 0.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.04-0.14). VTE occurred in only two (2.7%) cirrhotic patients compared to 7.6% in noncirrhotic patients (P = 0.11). The incidence rate was 2.2 events per 1000 patient-ICU days for cirrhotic patients and 3.6 events per 1000 patient-ICU days for noncirrhotics (incidence rate ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.15-2.52). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, cirrhosis was not associated with VTE risk (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.10-1.67). Conclusions. In critically ill cirrhotic patients, VTE incidence did not statistically differ from that in noncirrhotic patients.

Permissive underfeeding versus target enteral feeding in adult critically ill patients (PermiT Trial): a study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional support is an essential part of the management of critically ill patients. However, optimal caloric intake has not been systematically evaluated. We aim to compare two strategies of enteral feeding: permissive underfeeding versus target feeding. METHOD/DESIGN: This is an international multi-center randomized controlled trial in critically ill medical- surgical adult patients. Using a centralized allocation, 862 patients will be randomized to permissive underfeeding or target feeding. Patients in the permissive group receive 50% (acceptable range is 40% to 60%) of the calculated caloric requirement, while those in the targeted group receive 100% (acceptable range 70% to 100%) of the calculated caloric requirement. The primary outcome is 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes include ICU and hospital mortality, 28-day, and 180-day mortality as well as health care-associated infections, organ failure, and length of stay in the ICU and hospital. The trial has 80% power to detect an 8% absolute reduction in 90-day mortality assuming a baseline risk of death of 25% at an alpha level of 0.05. DISCUSSION: Patient recruitment started in November 2009 and is currently active in five centers. The Data Monitoring Committee advised continuation of the trial after the first interim analysis. The study is expected to finish by November 2013. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68144998.

Trauma profile at a tertiary intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Trauma is a leading cause of death worldwide and in Saudi Arabia. This study describes the injury profiles and ICU outcomes of patients in a tertiary trauma care referral center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective analysis of ICU data collected prospectively over 5 years in a 21-bed medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected ICU data on all patients admitted secondary to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), excluding patients younger than 18 years, brain dead patients and readmissions. We collected data on age, gender, and Glasgow coma scale score at admission, injury severity scores, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and other data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of mortality. RESULTS: During the study period, of 1659 patients, MVA was the most common cause of injury (78.4%), followed by pedestrian accident (12.7%). ICU mortality included 221 patients (13.3%) during the study period. Severe head injury, age > 60 years, Glascow coma scale score, injury severity scores, APACHE II and international normalized ratio were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: MVA is very common in our country and leads to significant mortality and morbidity. Public education and strict law enforcement are needed to reduce these adverse events.

End-of-life practices in a tertiary intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia.

Our aim was to evaluate end-of-life practices in a tertiary intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia. A prospective observational study was conducted in the medical-surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over the course of the one-year study period, 176 patients died and 77% of these deaths were preceded by end-of-life decisions. Of these, 66% made do-not-resuscitate decisions, 30% decided to withhold life support and 4% withdrew life support. These decisions were made after a median time of four days (Q1 to Q3: 1 to 9) and at least one day before death (Q1 to Q3: 1 to 4). The patients' families or surrogates were informed for 88% of the decisions and all decisions were documented in the patients' medical records. Despite religious and cultural values, more than three-quarters of the patients whose deaths were preceded by end-of-life decisions gave do-not-resuscitate decisions before death. These decisions should be made early in the patients' stay in the intensive care unit.

In-hospital mortality among a cohort of cirrhotic patients admitted to a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To determine the mortality rate in a cohort of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and examine their resuscitation status at admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients with cirrhosis who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009. RESULTS: We reviewed 226 cirrhotic patients during the study period. The hospital mortality rate was 35%. A univariate analysis revealed that worse outcomes were seen in patients with advanced age or who had worse child-turcotte-pugh (CPT) scores, worse model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, low albumin and high serum creatinine. Using a multivariate analysis, we found that advanced age (P=0.004) and high MELD (P=0.001) scores were independent risk factors for the mortality of cirrhotic patients. The end-of-life decision were made in 34% of cirrhotic patients, and the majority of deceased patients were "no resuscitation" status (90% vs. 4%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high mortality in cirrhotic patients admitted for care in a tertiary hospital, Saudi Arabia was comparable to that reported in the literature. Furthermore, end-of-life discussions should be addressed early in the hospitalization of cirrhotic patients.

Intensive insulin therapy versus conventional insulin therapy for critically ill trauma patients admitted to ICU.

PURPOSE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of IIT in reducing mortality and morbidity in critically ill trauma patients admitted to ICU. METHOD AND MATERIAL: Nested cohort study within a Randomized Controlled Trial. All trauma patients with GCS < or = 9 included in the original trial were included in this study. Primary outcome was ICU mortality. RESULT: There was no difference in ICU mortality between IIT and CIT groups (6.5% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.67). After adjustment for baseline characteristics, IIT therapy was also not associated with mortality (Adjusted Hazard Ratio 1.33, 95% CI 0.35-5.05). IIT therapy was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of hypoglycemia as compared to CIT, at least one hypoglycemia episode occurred in 18.5% of patients in IIT and 1.3% in the CIT group (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: IIT was not associated with survival improvement in trauma patients admitted to ICU and was associated with increased incidence of hypoglycemia.

Magnesium supplementation and the potential association with mortality rates among critically ill non-cardiac patients.

OBJECTIVE: Recent literature showed that development of hypomagnesemia is associated with higher mortality. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of magnesium supplementation on mortality rates of critically ill patients. METHODS: All patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia since September 2003 were included. We recorded the demographics data, APACHE score, daily magnesium levels and magnesium supplementation. We collected the data for 30 days or until discharge from ICU. Statistical analysis was performed using the student t-test for continuous data and the Fischers exact test for categorical data. Nothing was carried out to influence the behavior of intensivists in replacing magnesium. RESULTS: During the study period, 71 patients (45 males and 26 females) were admitted to the ICU, the mean age was 54 +/- 18 years for males and 56 +/- 19.2 years for females. The mean magnesium level on admission was 0.78 +/- 0.2 mmol/L and the majority of the patients were medical admissions. Approximately 39.4% had hypomagnesemia on admission and the overall mortality rate was 31%. In able to standardize the supplementation of magnesium among groups, the daily magnesium supplementation index (DMSI = total magnesium supplement in grams/length of stay in days) was calculated. The mortality rates for DMSI with <1 grm/day (low groups) was statistically significant higher than that of DMSI with >or=1 grm/day (high group) (43.5% versus 17%, p=0.035). There was no statistically significant differences between magnesium levels of both groups of DMSI except at admission where DMSI group had higher magnesium levels (<1 grm/day). CONCLUSION: Daily magnesium supplementation index higher than 1 grm/day is associated with lower mortality rates for critically ill patients. This effect was not found to be independent and may be related to severity of illness. Given that magnesium levels were similar between the 2 groups of DMSI at almost all points of the study, magnesium supplementation per se may be beneficial in lowering mortality rates. The exact cause of this effect is unknown. An aggressive magnesium supplementation protocol may be warranted. A larger scale randomized study is necessary to evaluate this effect.

Isolated unilateral pleural effusion as the only manifestation of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Isolated unilateral pleural effusion is uncommon presentation of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome. The pathogenesis of this syndrome involved an increased permeability of the ovarian capillaries and of the mesothelial vessels triggered by the release of vasoactive substances by the ovaries under human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation. Early recognition of this unusual presentation of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome should allow for physicians to ensure a better and minimally invasive management of these potentially pregnant patients.

Use of antiplatelets and lipid lowering therapy in patients with peripheral vascular disease undergoing surgery [corrected].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of antiplatelet and lipid lowering therapy among patients undergoing peripheral vascular surgery, and to compare their use with that reported among a similar population of patients in Canada. METHODS: Chart review of a cohort of 52 patients undergoing peripheral vascular surgery. The study was carried out at King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in May 2000. RESULTS: On discharge, less than 50% of the patients received any antiplatelet or antithrombotic medication. Only 13% of the patients received lipid-lowering therapy. Those findings parallel those of Canadian publications. CONCLUSION: Current literature supports the use of anti platelet and lipid-lowering therapy among patients with peripheral vascular disease. In King Fahad Hopsital, National Guard, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the use of those beneficial interventions is likely sub-optimal. Factors other than randomized clinical trail derived evidence likely influence practice and behavior. Whether dissemination of evidence may change such a pattern of behavior requires further study.