The incidence, characteristics, impact and risk factors of post-COVID chronic pain in Thailand: A single-center cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of individuals worldwide. Pain has emerged as a significant post-COVID-19 symptom. This study investigated the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of post-COVID chronic pain (PCCP) in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted in participants who had been infected, including those hospitalized and monitored at home by SARS-CoV-2 from August to September 2021. Data were collected for screening from medical records, and phone interviews were done between 3 to 6 months post-infection. Participants were classified into 1) no-pain, 2) PCCP, 3) chronic pain that has been aggravated by COVID-19, or 4) chronic pain that has not been aggravated by COVID-19. Pain interference and quality of life were evaluated with the Brief Pain Inventory and EuroQol Five Dimensions Five Levels Questionnaire. From 1,019 participants, 90% of the participants had mild infection, assessed by WHO progression scale. The overall incidence of PCCP was 3.2% (95% CI 2.3-4.5), with 2.8% (95% CI 2.0-4.1) in mild infection, 5.2% (95% CI 1.2-14.1) in moderate infection and 8.5% (95% CI 3.4-19.9) in severe infection. Most participants (83.3%) reported pain in the back and lower extremities and were classified as musculoskeletal pain and headache (8.3%). Risk factors associated with PCCP, included female sex (relative risk [RR] 2.2, 95% CI 1.0-4.9) and greater COVID-19 severity (RR 3.5, 95% CI 1.1-11.7). Participants with COVID-19-related exacerbated chronic pain displayed higher pain interferences and lower utility scores than other groups. In conclusion, this study highlights the incidence, features, and risk factors of post-COVID chronic pain (PCCP) in Thailand. It emphasizes the need to monitor and address PCCP, especially in severe cases, among females, and individuals with a history of chronic pain to improve their quality of life in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A high-protein peptide-based enteral formula improves diarrhea in tube-fed patients: A prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is a common problem in tube-fed patients. The relevant guidelines suggest using a peptide-based enteral formula in patients with diarrhea; however, sufficient evidence to support this recommendation is currently lacking. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a high-protein peptide-based formula on gastrointestinal intolerance, mainly focusing on diarrhea symptoms in patients who were intolerant to polymeric formula feeding. METHODS: This prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter study was conducted from March 2021 to March 2022 at two tertiary-care hospitals. Patients who presented with diarrhea during tube feeding with polymeric formula were assigned to receive a high-protein peptide-based formula for ≤7 days. Stool weight and frequency were monitored at baseline, on day 3, and on day 7 (or end of the study) as the primary outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-eight tube-fed patients with diarrhea were recruited. After switching their feeding formula from polymeric to peptide based, significant improvements in stool frequency and stool weight were observed on day 3 and day 7 compared with the baseline (median [IQR] stool frequency: 5 (2), 2.5 (3.5), and 3 (3) times/day, respectively, p <0.001; median stool weight: 500 (370), 170 (285), and 275 (385) gram/day, respectively, p = 0.015). Stool consistency was assessed using the Bristol Stool Score and showed significant improvement with time. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: A high-protein peptide-based enteral formula was effective in reducing stool weight and frequency in patients who experienced diarrhea during tube feeding with a polymeric formula.Trial registration: TCTR20210302006.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients: outcomes and predictive factors.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important rescue therapy for patients with refractory respiratory or circulatory failure. High cost and associated complications warrant careful case selection. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes and factors associated with mortality in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients who received ECMO support, and to externally validate preexisting ECMO survival prediction scoring systems. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients who received veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial (VA) ECMO support at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) from 2010 to 2020. All relevant baseline patient characteristics including ECMO survival prediction scores were recorded. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results: Of a total of 65 patients, 34 (52%) were male, the median (IQR) age was 61 years (49-70 years), the median body mass index (BMI) was 22.6 kg/m2 (20.6-28 kg/m2), and the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 13 [11-16]. Forty-three patients (66%) received VV-ECMO, and 22 (34%) received VA-ECMO support. In-hospital mortality was 69%. Multivariate analysis identified a SOFA score >14, hospitalized >72 hours before ECMO initiation, PaO2/FiO2 ratio <60, and pH <7.2 as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. These four parameters were combined to create the SHOP (S: SOFA >14, H: hospitalize >72 hours, O: PF ratio <60, and P: pH <7.2) score. Compared with three different preexisting ECMO survival prediction scoring systems, the SHOP score had the highest area under the curve (AUC) for predicting in-hospital mortality (overall: 0.873, VV-EMCO: 0.866, and VA-EMCO: 0.891). Conclusions: In-hospital mortality among ECMO-supported patients was high at 69%. SOFA score >14, hospitalized >72 hours, PaO2/FiO2 ratio <60, and pH <7.2 were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. A SHOP score of 2 or higher significantly predicts in-hospital mortality in EMCO-supported patients. Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov (reg. No. NCT04031794).

Understanding the Potential Impact of Different Drug Properties on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Transmission and Disease Burden: A Modelling Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The public health impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has motivated a rapid search for potential therapeutics, with some key successes. However, the potential impact of different treatments, and consequently research and procurement priorities, have not been clear. METHODS: Using a mathematical model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, COVID-19 disease and clinical care, we explore the public-health impact of different potential therapeutics, under a range of scenarios varying healthcare capacity, epidemic trajectories; and drug efficacy in the absence of supportive care. RESULTS: The impact of drugs like dexamethasone (delivered to the most critically-ill in hospital and whose therapeutic benefit is expected to depend on the availability of supportive care such as oxygen and mechanical ventilation) is likely to be limited in settings where healthcare capacity is lowest or where uncontrolled epidemics result in hospitals being overwhelmed. As such, it may avert 22% of deaths in high-income countries but only 8% in low-income countries (assuming R = 1.35). Therapeutics for different patient populations (those not in hospital, early in the course of infection) and types of benefit (reducing disease severity or infectiousness, preventing hospitalization) could have much greater benefits, particularly in resource-poor settings facing large epidemics. CONCLUSIONS: Advances in the treatment of COVID-19 to date have been focused on hospitalized-patients and predicated on an assumption of adequate access to supportive care. Therapeutics delivered earlier in the course of infection that reduce the need for healthcare or reduce infectiousness could have significant impact, and research into their efficacy and means of delivery should be a priority.

Characteristics, outcomes, and risk factors for in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study in Thailand.

Introduction: Data on the characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Thailand are limited. Objective: To determine characteristics and outcomes and identify risk factors for hospital mortality for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had COVID-19 infection and were admitted to the cohort ward or ICUs at Siriraj Hospital between January 2020 and December 2021. Results: Of the 2,430 patients included in this study, 229 (9.4%) died; the mean age was 54 years, 40% were men, 81% had at least one comorbidity, and 13% required intensive care unit (ICU). Favipiravir (86%) was the main antiviral treatment. Corticosteroids and rescue anti-inflammatory therapy were used in 74 and 6%, respectively. Admission to the ICU was the only factor associated with reduced mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01-0.05, P < 0.001], whereas older age (OR 14.3, 95%CI 5.76-35.54, P < 0.001), high flow nasal cannula (HFNC; OR 9.2, 95% CI 3.9-21.6, P < 0.001), mechanical ventilation (OR 269.39, 95%CI 3.6-2173.63, P < 0.001), septic shock (OR 7.79, 95%CI, 2.01-30.18, P = 0.003), and hydrocortisone treatment (OR 27.01, 95%CI 5.29-138.31, P < 0.001) were factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: The overall mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 9%. The only factor associated with reduced mortality was admission to the ICU. Therefore, appropriate selection of patients for admission to the ICU, strategies to limit disease progression and prevent intubation, and early detection and prompt treatment of nosocomial infection can improve survival in these patients.

Lactate kinetics in ICU patients using a bolus of 13C-labeled lactate.

BACKGROUND: Plasma lactate concentrations and their trends over time are used for clinical prognosis, and to guide treatment, in critically ill patients. Although heavily relied upon for clinical decision-making, lactate kinetics of these patients is sparsely studied. AIM: To establish and validate a feasible method to study lactate kinetics in critically ill patients. METHODS: Healthy volunteers (n = 6) received a bolus dose of 13C-labeled lactate (20 µmol/kg body weight), and 43 blood samples were drawn over 2 h to determine the decay in labeled lactate. Data was analyzed using non-compartmental modeling calculating rates of appearance (Ra) and clearance of lactate. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using a linear-up log-down trapezoidal approach with extrapolation beyond 120 min using the terminal slope to obtain the whole AUC. After evaluation, the same protocol was used in an unselected group of critically ill patients (n = 10). RESULTS: Ra for healthy volunteers and ICU patients were 12.8 ± 3.9 vs 22.7 ± 11.1 µmol/kg/min and metabolic clearance 1.56 ± 0.39 vs 1.12 ± 0.43 L/min, respectively. ICU patients with normal lactate concentrations showed kinetics very similar to healthy volunteers. Simulations showed that reducing the number of samples from 43 to 14 gave the same results. Our protocol yielded results on lactate kinetics very similar to previously published data using other techniques. CONCLUSION: This simple and user-friendly protocol using an isotopically labeled bolus dose of lactate was accurate and feasible for studying lactate kinetics in critically ill ICU patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR, ACTRN12617000626369, registered 8 March 2017. https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372507&isReview=true.

Optimal cut-off for hourly lactate reduction in ICU-treated patients with septic shock.

BACKGROUND: A decrease in lactate concentration over time during septic shock is associated with favourable outcomes. However, if this applies to hourly intervals during the initial time period in the ICU is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an early hourly reduction rate of lactate that is related to clinical outcome in septic shock patients treated in the ICU. METHODS: A cohort of adult septic shock patients admitted to the ICU with an initial lactate level >2 mmol/L and receiving vasopressor was retrospectively analysed. Mean hourly reduction rate of lactate (ΔLact/h) was calculated individually from all lactate concentrations measured from inclusion until normalization of lactate (≤1.5 mmol/L) within 24 hours. The mortality at 30 days following ICU admission was evaluated. RESULTS: Among 1405 ICU admissions during 2 years, 104 patients were eligible. Mortality rate at 30 days was 34%. The optimal cut-off values of baseline lactate and ΔLact/h for 30-day mortality were 4 mmol/L and 2.5%/h. When stratifying the patients by these cut-points, those with baseline lactate > 4 mmol/L and ΔLact/h < 2.5%/h had lowest probability of survival (27%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that ΔLact/h <2.5%/h, baseline lactate >4 mmol/L and high Simplified Acute Physiology Score III were independent risk factors of 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective pilot cohort, a mean reduction rate of lactate <2.5%/h within the first 24 hours of ICU stay was associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality in septic shock patients.

Diagnosis of corticosteroid insufficiency in Thai patients with septic shock.

BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) varies widely, depending on the patient population studied and the diagnostic criteria used. Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines suggest that corticosteroid therapy should be considered for adult septic shock when hypotension responds poorly to adequate fluid resuscitation and vasopressors, regardless of any results of diagnostic tests. However, steroid treatment may be associated with an increase risk of infection. This study aims to identify the best diagnostic tool for predicting responsiveness to corticosteroid therapy in Thai septic shock patients with poorly responsive to fluid resuscitation and vasopressors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty-nine septic shock patients who were poorly responsive to fluid therapy and vasopressors were studied. A baseline serum total cortisol was measured in all patients and then 250 mcg corticotropin was injected to patients. Cortisol level was obtained 30 and 60 minutes after injection. All patients were given hydrocortisone (100 mg i.v., then 200 mg i.v. in 24 hrs for at least 5 days). Patients were considered steroid responsive if vasopressor agent could be discontinued within 48 hrs after the first dose of hydrocortisone. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 62% in which 45% of the patients were steroid responsive. Baseline serum cortisol was 27.6 +/- 11.4 microg/dl in the steroid-responsive patients compared with 40 +/- 16.9 microg/dl in the steroid-nonresponsive patients (p = 0.03). The area under the ROC curves for predicting steroid responsiveness was 0.72 for baseline cortisol level. Serum cortisol level of 35 microg/dl or less was the most accurate diagnostic threshold to determine hemodynamic response to hydrocortisone treatment (p = 0.04). Using baseline cortisol level of < or = 35 microg/dl to diagnose adrenal insufficiency, the sensitivity was 85%, the specificity was 62% and the accuracy was 72%. A use of (delta cortisol) showed sensitivity of 50%, specificity of 30% and accuracy of 41%. CONCLUSION: Baseline cortisol level < or = 35 microg/dl is a useful diagnostic threshold for diagnosis of steroid responsiveness in Thai patients with septic shock and ACTH stimulation test should not be used.