Assessing quality of critical care during an ongoing health emergency-a novel approach to evaluate quality of care at Lebanese public ICUs during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Quality of care has been systematically monitored in hospitals in high-income countries to ensure adequate care. However, in low- and middle-income countries, quality indicators are not readily measured. The primary aim of this study was to assess to what extent it was feasible to monitor the quality of intensive care in an ongoing health emergency, and the secondary aim was to assess a quality of care intervention (twinning project) focused on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) quality of care in public hospitals in Lebanon. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study nested within an intervention implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) together with partners. To assess the quality of care throughout the project, a monitoring system framed in the Donabedian model and included structure, process, and outcome indicators was developed and implemented. Data collection consisted of a checklist performed by external healthcare workers (HCWs) as well as collection of data from all admitted patients performed by each unit. The association between the number of activities within the interventional project and ICU mortality was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1679 patients were admitted to five COVID-19 ICUs during the study period. The project was conducted fully across four out of five hospitals. In these hospitals, a significant reduction in ICU mortality was found (OR: 0.83, P < 0.05, CI: 0.72-0.96). CONCLUSION: We present a feasible way to assess quality of care in ICUs and how it can be used in assessing a quality improvement project during ongoing crises in resource-limited settings. By implementing a quality of care intervention in Lebanon's public hospitals, we have shown that such initiatives might contribute to improvement of ICU care. The observed association between increased numbers of project activities and reduced ICU mortality underscores the potential of quality assurance interventions to improve outcomes for critically ill patients in resource-limited settings. Future research is needed to expand this model to be applicable in similar settings.

Are patient volume and care level in teaching hospitals variables affecting clinical outcomes in adult intensive care units?

Teixeira et al. showed that patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in a non-metropolitan region needed more support, had worse prognostic indices, and had a higher nursing workload in the first 24 hours of admission. In addition, worse outcomes, including mortality, need for dialysis, pressure injury, infection, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and prolonged hospital stay, were observed in the teaching hospital. Worse outcomes were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. Understanding the importance of teaching hospitals to implement well-established care protocols is critical. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of teaching (HI) and nonteaching (without an academic affiliation; H2) hospitals. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, adult patients hospitalized between August 2018 and July 2019, with a minimum length of stay of 24 hours in the intensive care unit, were included. Patients with no essential information in their medical records to evaluate the study outcomes were excluded. Resuslts: Overall, 219 patients participated in this study. The clinical and demographic characteristics of patients in H1 and H2 were similar. The most prevalent clinical outcomes were death, need for dialysis, pressure injury, length of hospital stay, mechanical ventilation >48 hours, and infection, all of which were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. CONCLUSION: Worse outcomes were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. There was no difference between the institutions concerning the survival rate of patients as a function of length of hospital stay; however, a difference was observed in intensive care unit admissions.

Clinical guidelines for stroke management: chapter 3 of 8: acute medical and surgical management

The Stroke Foundation is a national charity that partners with the community to prevent, treat and beat stroke. We stand alongside stroke survivors and their families, healthcare professionals and researchers. We build community awareness and foster new thinking and innovative treatments. We support survivors on their journey to live the best possible life after stroke. We are the voice of stroke in Australia and we work to: • Raise awareness of the risk factors, signs of stroke and promote healthy lifestyles. • Improve treatment for stroke to save lives and reduce disability. • Improve life after stroke for survivors. • Encourage and facilitate stroke research. • Advocate for initiatives to prevent, treat and beat stroke. • Raise funds from the community, corporate sector and government to continue our mission. The Stroke Foundation has been developing stroke guidelines since 2002 and in 2017 released the fourth edition. In order for the Australian Government to ensure up-to-date, best-practice clinical advice is provided and maintained to healthcare professionals, the NHMRC requires clinical guidelines be kept current and relevant by reviewing and updating them at least every five years. As a result, the Stroke Foundation, in partnership with Cochrane Australia, have moved to a model of living guidelines, in which recommendations are continually reviewed and updated in response to new evidence. This approach was piloted in a three year project (July 2018 -June 2021) funded by the Australian Government via the Medical Research Future Fund. This online version of the Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management updates and supersedes the Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2017. The Clinical Guidelines have been updated in accordance with the 2011 NHMRC Standard for clinical practice guidelines and therefore recommendations are based on the best evidence available. The Clinical Guidelines cover the whole continuum of stroke care, across 8 chapters. Review of the Clinical Guidelines used an internationally recognised guideline development approach, known as GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation), and an innovative guideline development and publishing platform, known as MAGICapp (Making Grade the Irresistible Choice). GRADE ensures a systematic process is used to develop recommendations that are based on the balance of benefits and harms, patient values, and resource considerations. MAGICapp enables transparent display of this process and access to additional practical information useful for guideline recommendation implementation.

Panorama da qualidade biológica da água destinada ao tratamento dialítico em pacientes sob cuidados críticos em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva / Overview of the biological quality of water intended for dialysis treatment in patients under critical care in Intensive Care Units

A incidência da lesão renal aguda caracteriza-se como evento frequente em pacientes críticos internados em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva e está associada ao aumento de mortalidade, causando grande impacto à Saúde Pública. As intercorrências clínicas são minimizadas com intervenções dialíticas, acarretando a exposição do paciente a volumes expressivos de água tratada durante a terapia renal em leito. As análises microbiológicas e de determinação de endotoxinas bacterianas em amostras de água tratada e em soluções de dialisato foram executadas em dois hospitais públicos do município de São Paulo, seguindo metodologias analíticas preconizadas em compêndios oficiais. A avaliação demonstrou que a porcentagem de resultados satisfatórios no período de 2010 a 2022 variou entre 35,2 a 100% e de 40 a 100% para as unidades hospitalares I e II para a água tratada, respectivamente; e, 100% para as soluções de dialisato para a unidade hospitalar I. A eficácia de ações delineadas pelas equipes técnicas das unidades hospitalares, na adequação da água destinada à terapia dialítica, aponta para a importância em estimular outras instituições hospitalares na padronização e implantação de melhoria contínua de seus sistemas de tratamento de água para uso em procedimento dialítico, prevenindo riscos adicionais aos pacientes expostos à terapia renal.

The incidence of acute kidney is high among critically ill patients admitted to Intensive Care Units and is associated with increased mortality, having a major impact on public health. Clinical complications are minimized with dialysis interventions, which expose patients to significant volumes of treated water during in-bed renal therapy. Microbiological analyzes and determination of bacterial endotoxins were performed on treated water samples and dialysate solutions in two public hospitals in São Paulo city, using analytical methodologies recommended in official compendia. The evaluation showed that the percentage of satisfactory results for treated water ranged from 35.2% to 100% in Hospital Unit I and from 40% to 100% in Hospital Unit II between 2010 and 2022. For dialysate solutions in Hospital Unit I, the percentage of satisfactory results was 100% during the same period. The effectiveness of actions implemented by the technical hospital teams, in adapting water for dialysis therapy, points to the importance of encouraging other hospital institutions to standardize and implement a program of continuous improvement for their water treatment systems used in dialysis procedures. This will help to prevent additional risks to patients exposed to renal therapy.

Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020.

This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.

Adaptación cultural y propiedades psicométricas de la versión en español-chileno del cuestionario Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit – 24 item / Cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Chilean-Spanish version of the 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit questionnaire

Objetivo Adaptar y validar la versión en español del cuestionario 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit (FS ICU-24) en familiares de pacientes críticos en un hospital universitario en Chile. Diseño Estudio observacional, prospectivo, de adaptación y validación de un instrumento de medición. Ámbito Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos médico-quirúrgica de un hospital universitario en Chile. Pacientes o participantes Doscientos cuarenta familiares de pacientes críticos con estadía superior a 48h, mayores de 18 años y con al menos una visita al paciente. Intervenciones Ninguna. Variables de interés principales Se evaluó la validez de contenido, la validez de constructo y se realizó un análisis de confiabilidad de la versión en español del FS ICU-24. Resultados La versión en español del FS ICU-24 fue adaptada, mejorando su comprensión y claridad. El análisis factorial de la versión español-chilena del FS ICU-24 mostró una solución óptima de 3 factores, los cuales explican un 51% de la varianza total. La confiabilidad fue adecuada para la escala global (α=0,93) y las dimensiones de satisfacción con el cuidado del paciente y familia (α=0,82), satisfacción con la comunicación (α=0,91) y satisfacción con la toma de decisiones (α=0,71). Conclusiones La versión español-chilena del FS ICU-24 demostró ser válida y confiable para la evaluación de la satisfacción familiar en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. El contar con un instrumento válido permitirá a las instituciones de salud objetivar e identificar posibles áreas de mejora en el cuidado de la familia y el paciente crítico (AU)

Objective To adapt and validate the Spanish version of the 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit (FS ICU-24) questionnaire among relatives of critically ill patients in a teaching hospital in Chile. Design Prospective observational study aimed to validate a measuring instrument. Setting Medical-surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Chile. Patients or participants Two hundred and forty relatives of critically ill patients with at least 48h in the ICU, older than 18 years, and with at least one visit to the patient. Interventions None. Main variables of interest Content validity, construct validity, and reliability analysis of the Spanish version of the FS ICU-24 were evaluated. Results The Spanish version of the FS ICU-24 was adapted, improving its understanding and clarity. The factor analysis showed an optimal solution of 3 factors for the Chilean-Spanish version of the FS ICU-24, which explain 51% of the total variance. Reliability was adequate for the global scale (α=0.93) and the dimensions of satisfaction with patient and family care (α=0.82), satisfaction with communication (α=0.91) and satisfaction with decision-making (α=0.71). Conclusions The Chilean-Spanish version of the FS ICU-24 proved to be valid and reliable for the evaluation of family satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit. Having a valid instrument will allow health institutions to accurately identify areas for improvement in the care of the family members and the critically ill patient (AU}

Result of the implementation of a quality management system based on the ISO 9001:2015 standard in a surgical intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION: The implementation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) is one of the fundamental and future-oriented elements for the improvement of modern health systems. The objective of implementing a QMS in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001: 2015 Standard is to effectively carry out its activities, covering both technical and management aspects, guaranteeing the satisfaction of the needs and expectations of all its stakeholders, as well as compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It must contemplate all those aspects that have an impact on the final quality of the product or service provided by the organization. OBJECTIVE: The main objective is to describe the process of implementing a QMS under the ISO 9001: 2015 Standard in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of the General University Hospital of Elche and evaluate its results. METHODOLOGY: Carrying out and implementing a QMS in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of the General University Hospital of Elche applying the points of the ISO 9001: 2015 Standard. The SGC has followed the benchmark of management by processes, identifying from its strategic core of mission, vision and values, the different processes involved and their interrelation reflected in the process map. Based on it, the necessary documents have been developed to describe the operation of the Unit both at an operational level through the key processes (admission and initial assessment of the patient, stabilization, follow-up, complementary tests, interconsultations, transfers and discharge) as well as which refers to procedures of a strategic or support type. RESULTS: The strategic lines that marked the beginning of the deployment of our QMS were defined with the drafting of 7 objectives, achieving 100% compliance. The key processes (7) that described the functioning of our organization were elaborated, as well as those of a strategic type (14) and support or support (5), complemented with 55 medical and nursing protocols. 20 monitoring indicators were analyzed: 6 organizational and planning type, and 14 clinical. 46 incidents were detected in the first year of implementation of the QMS that were analyzed by the Quality Commission, emerging 7 corrective actions. 14 improvement actions were developed after the application of the AMFE methodology for key processes, achieving an average of greater than 70% effectiveness after reassessment. From the analysis of patient and family satisfaction through SAIP case management, 41 of a total of 52 cases were acknowledgments in writing. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a QMS in our Surgical Intensive Care Unit has made it possible to define the strategic lines of our organization, develop objectives, establish monitoring indicators, standardize the work of the Unit through procedures and protocols, increase safety at work through the use of lists of verification, initiate improvement actions to strengthen the weak points of the QMS itself, as well as know the degree of satisfaction and needs of our patients and the personnel who work in it.

Effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions to prevent adverse events in the intensive care unit: A review of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Different types of interventions have been assessed for the prevention of adverse events. However, determining which patient-safety practice is most effective can be challenging when there is no systematised evidence synthesis. An overview following the best methodological standards can provide the best reliable integrative evidence. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to provide an overview of effectiveness nonpharmacological interventions aimed at preventing adverse events in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A review of systematic reviews (SRs) was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA recommendations. PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched for SRs published until March 2022. Two reviewers independently assessed the study's quality, using AMSTAR-2, and extracted data on intervention characteristics and effect on prevention of adverse events. RESULTS: Thirty-seven SRs were included, and 27 nonpharmacological interventions were identified to prevent 11 adverse events. Most of the reviews had critically low methodological quality. Among all the identified interventions, subglottic secretion drainage, semirecumbent position, and kinetic bed therapy were effective in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia; the use of earplugs, early mobilisation, family participation, and music in reducing delirium; physical rehabilitation in improving muscle strength; use of respiratory support in preventing reintubation; the use of a computerised physician order entry system in reducing risk of medication errors; and the use of heated water humidifier was effective in reducing artificial airway occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Some nonpharmacological interventions reduced adverse events in the intensive care setting. These findings should be interpreted carefully due to the low methodological quality. SRs on preventing adverse events in the intensive care unit should adhere to quality assessment tools so that best evidence can be used in decision-making.

Prevention of unplanned endotracheal extubation in intensive care unit: An overview of systematic reviews.

AIMS: This study was performed to identify and summarize systematic reviews focusing on the prevention of unplanned endotracheal extubation in the intensive care unit. DESIGN: Overview of systematic reviews. METHODS: This overview was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Systematic Reviews, including the harms checklist. A literature search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, CINAH, Embase, Web of Science, SINOMED and PROSPERO was performed from January 1, 2005-June 1, 2021. A systematic review focusing on unplanned extubation was included, resulting in an evidence summary. RESULTS: Thirteen systematic reviews were included. A summary of evidence on unplanned endotracheal extubation was developed, and the main contents were risk factors, preventive measures and prognosis. The most important nursing measures were restraint, fixation of the tracheal tube, continuous quality improvement, psychological care and use of a root cause analysis for the occurrence of unplanned endotracheal extubation. CONCLUSIONS: This overview re-evaluated risk factors and preventive measures for unplanned endotracheal extubation in the intensive care unit, resulting in a summary of evidence for preventing unplanned endotracheal extubation and providing direction for future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION DETAILS: The study was registered on the PROSPERO website.

Development and validation of a deep learning model to predict the survival of patients in ICU.

BACKGROUND: Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are often in critical condition and have a high mortality rate. Accurately predicting the survival probability of ICU patients is beneficial to timely care and prioritizing medical resources to improve the overall patient population survival. Models developed by deep learning (DL) algorithms show good performance on many models. However, few DL algorithms have been validated in the dimension of survival time or compared with traditional algorithms. METHODS: Variables from the Early Warning Score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, and APACHE IV models were selected for model development. The Cox regression, random survival forest (RSF), and DL methods were used to develop prediction models for the survival probability of ICU patients. The prediction performance was independently evaluated in the MIMIC-III Clinical Database (MIMIC-III), the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU), and Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital Database (SPH). RESULTS: Forty variables were collected in total for model development. 83 943 participants from 3 databases were included in the study. The New-DL model accurately stratified patients into different survival probability groups with a C-index of >0.7 in the MIMIC-III, eICU, and SPH, performing better than the other models. The calibration curves of the models at 3 and 10 days indicated that the prediction performance was good. A user-friendly interface was developed to enable the model's convenience. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional algorithms, DL algorithms are more accurate in predicting the survival probability during ICU hospitalization. This novel model can provide reliable, individualized survival probability prediction.

Intensive Care Unit- Acquired Weakness and Hospital Functional Mobility Outcomes Following Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with COVID-19: A Single-Centre Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Acute physical function outcomes in ICU survivors of COVID-19 pneumonia has received little attention. Critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection who require invasive mechanical ventilation may undergo greater exposure to some risk factors for ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW). Purpose: To determine incidence and factors associated with ICUAW at ICU discharge and gait dependence at hospital discharge in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: Single-centre, prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain. We evaluated ICUAW with the Medical Research Council Summary Score (MRC-SS). Gait dependence was assessed with the Functional Status Score for the ICU (FSS-ICU) walking subscale. Results: During the pandemic second wave, between 27 July and 15 December, 2020, 70 patients were enrolled. ICUAW incidence was 65.7% and 31.4% at ICU discharge and hospital discharge, respectively. Gait dependence at hospital discharge was observed in 66 (54.3%) patients, including 9 (37.5%) without weakness at ICU discharge. In univariate analysis, ICUAW was associated with the use of neuromuscular blockers (crude odds ratio [OR] 9.059; p = 0.01) and duration of mechanical ventilation (OR 1.201; p = 0.001), but not with the duration of neuromuscular blockade (OR 1.145, p = 0.052). There was no difference in corticosteroid use between patients with and without weakness. Associations with gait dependence were lower MRC-SS at ICU discharge (OR 0.943; p = 0.015), older age (OR 1.126; p = 0.001), greater Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.606; p = 0.011), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (OR 1.128; p = 0.001) and longer duration of neuromuscular blockade (OR 1.150; p = 0.029). Conclusions: In critically ill COVID-19 patients, the incidence of ICUAW and acute gait dependence were high. Our study identifies factors influencing both outcomes. Future studies should investigate optimal COVID-19 ARDS management and impact of dyspnea on acute functional outcomes of COVID-19 ICU survivors.

Use of dexmedetomidine for sedation in mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients: a rapid practice guideline

The aim of this Intensive Care Medicine Rapid Practice Guideline (ICM­RPG) was to formulate evidence­based guidance for the use of dexmedetomidine for sedation in invasively mechanically ventilated adults in the intensive care unit (ICU). We adhered to the methodology for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines, including use of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach to assess the certainty of evidence, and the Evidence-to-Decision framework to generate recommendations. The guideline panel comprised 28 international panelists, including content experts, ICU clinicians, methodologists, and patient representatives. Through teleconferences and web­based discussions, the panel provided input on the balance and magnitude of the desirable and undesirable effects, the certainty of evidence, patients' values and preferences, costs and resources, feasibility, acceptability, and research priorities. The ICM­RPG panel issued one weak recommendation (suggestion) based on overall moderate certainty of evidence: "In invasively mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients, we suggest using dexmedetomidine over other sedative agents, if the desirable effects including a reduction in delirium are valued over the undesirable effects including an increase in hypotension and bradycardia". This ICM-RPG provides updated evidence-based guidance on the use of dexmedetomidine for sedation in mechanically ventilated adults, and outlines uncertainties and research priorities.

Impact of MRI on decision-making in ICU patients with disorders of consciousness.

BACKGROUND: Recovery of consciousness is the most important survival factor in patients with acute brain injury and disorders of consciousness (DoC). Since most deaths in the intensive care unit (ICU) occur after withdrawal of life-support, medical decision-making is crucial for acute DoC patients. Neuroimaging informs decision-making, yet the precise effects of MRI on decision-making in the ICU are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of brain MRI on prognostication, therapeutic decisions and physician confidence in ICU patients with DoC. METHODS: In this simulated decision-making study utilizing a prospective ICU cohort, a panel of neurocritical experts first reviewed clinical information (without MRI) from 75 acute DoC patients and made decisions about diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Following review of the MRI, the panel then decided if the initial decisions needed revision. In parallel, a blinded neuroradiologist reassessed all neuroimaging. RESULTS: MRI led to changes in clinical management of 57 (76%) of patients (Number-Needed-to-Test for any change: 1.32), including revised diagnoses (20%), levels of care (21%), diagnostic confidence (43%) and prognostications (33%). Decisions were revised more often with stroke than with other brain injuries (p = 0.02). However, although MRI revealed additional pathology in 81%, this did not predict revised clinical decision-making (p-values ≥0.08). CONCLUSION: MRI results changed decision-making in 3 of 4 ICU patients, but radiological findings were not predictive of clinical decision-making. This highlights the need to better understand the effects of neuroimaging on management decisions. How MRI influences decision-making in the ICU is an important avenue for research to improve acute DoC management.

Utilizing triage rates to improve ICU admission guidelines of elderly rib fracture patients.

BACKGROUND: Elderly rib fracture patients are generally admitted to an ICU which may result in overutilization of scarce resources. We hypothesized that this practice results in significant overtriage. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients over age 70 with acute rib fracture(s) as sole indication for ICU admission. Primary outcomes were adverse events (intubation, pneumonia, death), which we classified as meriting ICU admission. We utilized Cribari matrices to calculate triage rates. RESULTS: 101 patients met study criteria. 12% had adverse events occurring on average at day 5. Our undertriage rate was 6% and overtriage rate 87%. The 72 overtriaged patients utilized 295 total ICU days. Evaluating guideline modification, ≥3 fractures appears optimal. Changing to this would have liberated 50 ICU days with 3% undertriage. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with small numbers of rib fractures are overtriaged to ICUs. Modifying guidelines to ≥3 rib fractures will improve resource utilization and save ICU beds.

Mechanical ventilation in COVID-19: A physiological perspective.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the topic of this review? This review presents the fundamental concepts of respiratory physiology and pathophysiology, with particular reference to lung mechanics and the pulmonary phenotype associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. What advances does it highlight? The review provides a critical summary of the main physiological aspects to be considered for safe and effective mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. ABSTRACT: Severe respiratory failure from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia not responding to non-invasive respiratory support requires mechanical ventilation. Although ventilation can be a life-saving therapy, it can cause further lung injury if airway pressure and flow and their timing are not tailored to the respiratory system mechanics of the individual patient. The pathophysiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can lead to a pattern of lung injury in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia typically associated with two distinct phenotypes, along a temporal and pathophysiological continuum, characterized by different levels of elastance, ventilation-to-perfusion ratio, right-to-left shunt, lung weight and recruitability. Understanding the underlying pathophysiology, duration of symptoms, radiological characteristics and lung mechanics at the individual patient level is crucial for the appropriate choice of mechanical ventilation settings to optimize gas exchange and prevent further lung injury. By critical analysis of the literature, we propose fundamental physiological and mechanical criteria for the selection of ventilation settings for COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. In particular, the choice of tidal volume should be based on obtaining a driving pressure < 14 cmH2 O, ensuring the avoidance of hypoventilation in patients with preserved compliance and of excessive strain in patients with smaller lung volumes and lower lung compliance. The level of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) should be informed by the measurement of the potential for lung recruitability, where patients with greater recruitability potential may benefit from higher PEEP levels. Prone positioning is often beneficial and should be considered early. The rationale for the proposed mechanical ventilation settings criteria is presented and discussed.

Infection control in the intensive care unit: expert consensus statements for SARS-CoV-2 using a Delphi method.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health-care workers and uninfected patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 as a result of transmission from infected patients and health-care workers. In the absence of high-quality evidence on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, clinical practice of infection control and prevention in ICUs varies widely. Using a Delphi process, international experts in intensive care, infectious diseases, and infection control developed consensus statements on infection control for SARS-CoV-2 in an ICU. Consensus was achieved for 31 (94%) of 33 statements, from which 25 clinical practice statements were issued. These statements include guidance on ICU design and engineering, health-care worker safety, visiting policy, personal protective equipment, patients and procedures, disinfection, and sterilisation. Consensus was not reached on optimal return to work criteria for health-care workers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 or the acceptable disinfection strategy for heat-sensitive instruments used for airway management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Well designed studies are needed to assess the effects of these practice statements and address the remaining uncertainties.

Implementation and evaluation of sepsis surveillance and decision support in medical ICU and emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the timely diagnosis and treatment of sepsis many institutions implemented automated sepsis alerts. Poor specificity, time delays, and a lack of actionable information lead to limited adoption by bedside clinicians and no change in practice or clinical outcomes. We aimed to compare sepsis care compliance before and after a multi-year implementation of a sepsis surveillance coupled with decision support in a tertiary care center. DESIGN: Single center before and after study. SETTING: Large academic Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Emergency Department (ED). POPULATION: Patients 18 years of age or older admitted to *** Hospital MICU and ED from 09/4/2011 to 05/01/2018 with severe sepsis or septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: Electronic medical record-based sepsis surveillance system augmented by clinical decision support and completion feedback. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 1950 patients admitted to the MICU with the diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock during the study period. The baseline characteristics were similar before (N = 854) and after (N = 1096) implementation of sepsis surveillance. The performance of the alert was modest with a sensitivity of 79.9%, specificity of 76.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) 27.9%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 97.2%. There were 3424 unique alerts and 1131 confirmed sepsis patients after the sniffer implementation. During the study period average care bundle compliance was higher; however after taking into account improvements in compliance leading up to the intervention, there was no association between intervention and improved care bundle compliance (Odds ratio: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.89; p-value 0.554). Similarly, the intervention was not associated with improvement in hospital mortality (Odds ratio: 1.55; 95% CI: 0.95 to 2.52; p-value: 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: A sepsis surveillance system incorporating decision support or completion feedback was not associated with improved sepsis care and patient outcomes.