Occurrence and predictors of delirium in critically ill older patients: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the occurrence of delirium in critically ill older patients and to identify predictors of delirium. Methods: This prospective study included critically ill older patients admitted into level II units of Intensive Care Medicine Department of a University Hospital. Patients with Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤11, traumatic brain injury, terminal disease, history of psychosis, blindness/deafness, or inability to understanding/speaking Portuguese were excluded. The Confusion Assessment Method-Short Form (CAM-4) was used to assess the presence of delirium. Results: The final sample (n = 105) had a median age of 80 years, most being female (56.2%), widowed (49.5%), and with complete primary education (53%). Through CAM-4, 36.2% of the patients had delirium. The delirium group was more likely to have previous cognitive decline (48.6% vs 19.6%, P = .04) and severe dependency in instrumental activities of daily living (34.3% vs 14.8%, P = .032), comparing with patients without delirium. The final multiple logistic regression model explained that patients with previous cognitive decline presented a higher risk for delirium (odds ratio: 4.663, 95% confidence Interval: 1.055-20.599, P = .042). Conclusions: These findings corroborate previous studies, showing that cognitive decline is an independent predictor for delirium in older patients. This study is an important contribution for the knowledge regarding the predictors of delirium. The recognition of these factors will help to identify patients who are at high risk for this syndrome and implement early screening and prevention strategies. However, further studies with larger samples, recruited from other clinical settings as well as analyzing other potential factors for delirium, will be needed.

Recall of delirium and related distress in elderly hospitalized patients: A prospective study.

Background: Delirium is a very common neuropsychiatric disorder in the elderly, with a significant physical and psychological burden. Much is still unknown about its psychological effects. This study aims to identify the proportion of patients who recall delirium and to analyze the distress caused by it. In addition, this study aims to analyze the association between delirium recall and related distress and global psychological distress regarding hospitalization. Methods: This is a prospective study with elderly hospitalized patients in level-2 units of intensive care medicine department of a university hospital. Exclusion criteria were a Glasgow Coma Scale total ≤11, brain injury, blindness, deafness, or inability to communicate. Delirium was daily assessed with the Confusion Assessment Method. Delirium recall and related distress in patients were measured using the Delirium Experience Questionnaire. Global psychological distress was assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results: From 105 patients, 38 (36.2%) developed delirium. Most patients did not remember the delirium episode (64.7%). Among those who remembered (35.3%), most described delirium as a distressing experience (75%). Delirium recall was associated with high global psychological distress (P = .029). Conclusions: Distress related to delirium is high, namely in patients who recall the episode. Global psychological distress during hospitalization is associated with delirium recall. This study highlights the need to assess the experience of delirium in these patients, as well as the importance of providing support and psychological interventions to minimize the associated distress.

What effect does delirium have on family and nurses of older adult patients?

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the level of distress caused by delirium in patients' family and their nurses, and to identify factors associated with psychological distress in families of older adult inpatients in Intermediate Care Units/IMCUs regarding their global experience during hospitalization. METHOD: A prospective pilot study was carried out with families and nurses of older adult patients (≥65 y.o.) consecutively recruited from two IMCUs in Intensive Care Medicine Service in a University Hospital. Patients with Glasgow Coma Scale ≤11, brain injury, blindness/deafness and inability to communicate were excluded. Delirium was daily assessed with Confusion Assessment Method/CAM. The distress level regarding this episode in family and nurses was measured with Delirium Experience Questionnaire/DEQ. Family psychological distress of all recruited patients was assessed with Kessler Psychological Distress Scale/K10. RESULTS: This study included 42 inpatients (mean age/MA = 78 y.o., 50% women), 32 families (68.8% sons/daughters, MA = 50.6 y.o., 81.3% women) and 12 nurses caring for delirium patients (MA = 33 y.o., all women). A total of 12 (28.6%) patients had delirium. Distress related to this episode were higher for families than for nurses (M = 3 vs. M = 2), but differences did not reach statistical significance (Z = -1.535, p = 0.125). The hierarchical regression model explained 44.3% of variability in family psychological distress. Higher levels of psychological distress were associated with living with the patient (p = 0.029), presence of previous cognitive decline (p = 0.048) and development of delirium (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: These preliminary results show that family psychological distress is higher, when older adult patients developed delirium during hospitalization. Particular attention to these family carers should be given in future development of psychological support and psychoeducational interventions.

Potential Impact of Flow Cytometry Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing on the Clinical Management of Gram-Negative Bacteremia Using the FASTinov® Kit.

Laboratory assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility is a prerequisite for adequate management of infections. The aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of the novel FASTinov® kit for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Gram negative bacilli directly on positive blood cultures. One hundred and two positive blood cultures from patients of a Portuguese University Hospital were included. AST were performed with routine method, Vitek2, with FASTinov® kit, and with the gold standard microdilution. Bacteria directly extracted from blood cultures were used to inoculate the FASTinov® kit. Time-to-result as well as the number of patients receiving initially inappropriate therapy (and those in whom de-escalation would have been done) and length of stay (LOS) was recorded. Seventy percent of patients were over 70 years old and 18.6% were admitted in intensive care units. Regarding the isolates, 88.2% were Enterobacteriaceae, 9.8% Pseudomonas spp. and 1% Acinetobacter spp. Extended spectrum ß-lactamases producing-Enterobacteriaceae were found in 7.8% of cases and 10.8% were multi-drug resistant. Fifty-one hours was the mean of time-to-result for routine test (Vitek2) vs. 2 h response regarding Fastinov® test. The overall agreement between FASTinov® and the reference microdilution method was 98%. According to the susceptibility phenotype, 16.7% of patients received initially inappropriate therapy and the mean hospital LOS of these patients was significantly higher. FASTinov® kit revealed an excellent correlation with the AST standard method and provided much earlier results than Vitek2.

Higher BMI in heart failure patients is associated with longer survival only in the absence of diabetes.

AIMS: Obesity and diabetes are associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Paradoxically, higher BMI is associated with longer survival in heart failure patients. The association between BMI and risk of death in heart failure patients depends on diabetes history. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 503 ambulatory systolic heart failure patients attending a heart failure clinic, based on abstraction of data from clinical records. Patients were compared according to diabetes history. BMI was analyzed as a continuous variable and dichotomized using 25 kg/m as cut-off. Patients' follow-up was censored at 5 years and all-cause death was the endpoint under study. RESULTS: The median age was 69 years and 68% were men; 184 (36.6%) patients had diabetes upon referral. During follow-up, 95 nondiabetic and 69 diabetic patients died. Higher BMI was associated with longer survival in the whole sample, but this association was only reproduced in the subgroup of patients without diabetes [hazard ratio = 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-0.98 per kg/m vs. hazard ratio = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.94-1.04 in diabetic patients; P for interaction = 0.009]. BMI below 25 kg/m increased the risk of death by 1.90-fold (95% CI: 1.23-2.94) with a null association in diabetic patients (P for interaction = 0.012). The association between BMI and mortality in nondiabetic heart failure patients was independent of other predictors of prognosis. CONCLUSION: The reported obesity paradox in heart failure can only be observed in nondiabetic patients.

A challenging case of an ectopic cushing syndrome.

Bronchopulmonary carcinoids are rare pulmonary neoplasms although they account for most cases of ectopic ACTH syndromes. When feasible, the mainstay treatment is surgical resection of the tumor. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with signs and symptoms suggestive of hypercortisolism for 12 months, admitted to our department because of community acquired pneumonia. Blood hormone analysis showed increased levels of ACTH and urinary free cortisol and nonsuppressibility to high- and low-dose dexamethasone tests. Pituitary MRI showed no lesion and no central-to-peripheral ACTH gradient was present in bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling. CRH stimulation test suggested an ectopic ACTH source. Thoracic CT scan revealed a nodular region measuring 12 mm located in the inferior lingular lobule of the left superior lung with negative uptake by (18)-FDG-PET scan and negative SRS. The patient was successfully treated with an atypical lung resection and histology revealed an atypical bronchial carcinoid tumor with positive ACTH immunoreactivity. This was an interesting case because the patient was admitted due to pneumonia that may have been associated with her untreated and chronic hypercortisolism and a challenging case of ectopic ACTH syndrome due to conflicting results on the diagnostic exams.

Atrial Septal Defect in a Very Old Woman.

Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is one of the most frequently congenital heart diseases in adults and it is often asymptomatic until adulthood. We report a case of a 90-year-old woman admitted to hospital with dyspnea and orthopnea insidiously progressing over the preceding 5 years and becoming severe with dyspnea on minimal activities, orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, in the last 2 weeks. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an atrial septal defect ostium secundum type, with left-to-right shunt, moderate to severe tricuspid insufficiency, severe pulmonary hypertension (72 mmHg) and preserved biventricular function. With diuretic therapy optimization the patient showed symptomatic improvement. This present case represents and unusual and very late presentation of an atrial septal defect ostium secundum type, which is usually diagnosed at the mild adult age. Our patient lived symptom-free for over 80 years.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in the diagnosis of type 1 cardio-renal syndrome in the general ward.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The early identification of acute heart failure (HF) patients with type 1 cardio-renal syndrome should be the first step for developing prevention and treatment strategies for these patients. This study aimed to assess the performance of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C in the early detection of type 1 cardio-renal syndrome in patients with acute HF. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: One-hundred nineteen patients admitted with acute HF were studied. NGAL and creatinine were measured in the first hospitalization morning; creatinine was also measured at least after 48 to 72 hours. Physicians were blinded to NGAL and cystatin C levels. Type 1 cardio-renal syndrome was defined as an increase in the creatinine level of at least 0.3 mg/dl or 50% of basal creatinine. RESULTS: Type 1 cardio-renal syndrome developed within 48 to 72 hours in 14 patients (11.8%). Admission NGAL levels were higher in these patients: 212 versus 83 ng/dl. At a cutoff value of 170 ng/L, NGAL determined type 1 cardio-renal syndrome with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 86.7%. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of NGAL was 0.93 and that of cystatin C was 0.68. CONCLUSIONS: Above a cutoff value of 170 ng/L, NGAL predicts 48- to 72-hour development of type 1 cardio-renal syndrome with a negative predictive value of 100% and a positive predictive value of 50%. NGAL independently associates with type 1 cardio-renal syndrome and might be a useful biomarker in the early recognition of these patients.