Outcomes of patients with altered level of consciousness and abnormal electroencephalogram: A retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) are frequent in hospitalized patients and may further aggravate injury in the already damaged brain, potentially worsening outcomes in encephalopathic patients. Therefore, both early seizure recognition and treatment have been advocated to prevent further neurological damage. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the main EEG patterns seen in patients with impaired consciousness and address the effect of treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), continuous intravenous anesthetic drugs (IVADs), or the combination of both, on outcomes. METHODS: This was a single center retrospective cohort study conducted in a private, tertiary care hospital. Consecutive adult patients with altered consciousness submitted to a routine EEG between January 2008 and February 2011 were included in this study. Based on EEG pattern, patients were assigned to one of three groups: Group Interictal Patterns (IP; EEG showing only interictal epileptiform discharges or triphasic waves), Group Rhythmic and Periodic Patterns (RPP; at least one EEG with rhythmic or periodic patterns), and Group Ictal (Ictal; at least one EEG showing ictal pattern). Groups were compared in terms of administered antiepileptic treatment and frequency of unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale ≥3 and in-hospital mortality). RESULTS: Two hundred and six patients (475 EEGs) were included in this analysis. Interictal pattern was observed in 35.4% (73/206) of patients, RPP in 53.4% (110/206) and ictal in 11.2% (23/206) of patients. Treatment with AEDs, IVADs or a combination of both was administered in half of the patients. While all Ictal group patients received treatment (AEDs or IVADs), only 24/73 (32.9%) IP group patients and 55/108 (50.9%) RPP group patients were treated (p<0.001). Hospital length of stay (LOS) and frequency of unfavorable outcomes did not differ among the groups. In-hospital mortality was higher in IVADs treated RPP patients compared to AEDs treated RPP patients [11/19 (57.9%) vs. 11/36 (30.6%) patients, respectively, p = 0.049]. Hospital LOS, in-hospital mortality and frequency of unfavorable outcomes did not differ between Ictal patients treated exclusively with AEDs or IVADs. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute altered consciousness and abnormal routine EEG, antiepileptic treatment did not improve outcomes regardless of the presence of periodic, rhythmic or ictal EEG patterns.

Performance of noninvasive ventilation in acute respiratory failure in critically ill patients: a prospective, observational, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is used in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) to avoid endotracheal intubation. However, the impact of NIV use on ARF patient's outcomes is still unclear. Our objectives were to evaluate the rate of NIV failure in hypoxemic patients with an arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) < 45 mmHg or ≥ 45 mmHg at ICU admission, the predictors of NIV failure, ICU and hospital length of stay and 28-day mortality. METHODS: Prospective single center cohort study. All consecutive patients admitted to a mixed ICU during a three-month period who received NIV, except for palliative care purposes, were included in this study. Demographic data, APACHE II score, cause of ARF, number of patients that received NIV, incidence of NIV failure, length of ICU, hospital stay and mortality rate were compared between NIV failure and success groups. RESULTS: Eighty-five from 462 patients (18.4 %) received NIV and 26/85 (30.6 %) required invasive mechanical ventilation. NIV failure patients were comparatively younger (67 ± 21 vs. 77 ± 14 years; p = 0.031), had lower arterial bicarbonate (p = 0.005), lower PaCO2 levels (p = 0.032), higher arterial lactate levels (p = 0.046) and APACHE II score (p = 0.034) compared to NIV success patients. NIV failure occurred in 25.0 % of patients with PaCO2 ≥ 45 mmHg and in 33.3 % of patients with PaCO2 < 45 mmHg (p = 0.435). NIV failure was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death (OR 4.64, 95 % CI 1.52 to 14.18; p = 0.007) and length [median (IQR)] of ICU [12 days (8-31) vs. 2 days (1-4); p < 0.001] and hospital [30 (19-42) vs. 15 (9-33) days; p = 0.010] stay. Predictors of NIV failure included age (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.93 to 0.99; p = 0.007) and APACHE II score (OR 1.13, 95 % CI 1.02 to 1.25; p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: NIV failure was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death, ICU and hospital stay and was not affected by baseline PaCO2 levels. Patients that failed were comparatively younger and had higher APACHE II score, suggesting the need for a careful selection of patients that might benefit from NIV. A well-designed study on the impact of a short monitored NIV trial on outcomes is needed.

Clinical and economic impact of procalcitonin to shorten antimicrobial therapy in septic patients with proven bacterial infection in an intensive care setting.

Biomarkers such as procalcitonin (PCT) have been studied to guide duration of antibiotic therapy. We aimed to assess whether a decrease in PCT levels could be used to reduce the duration of antibiotic therapy in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with a proven infection without risking a worse outcome. We assessed 265 patients with suspected sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock in our ICU. Of those, we randomized 81 patients with a proven bacterial infection into 2 groups: an intervention group in which the duration of the antibiotic therapy was guided by a PCT protocol and a control group in which there was no PCT guidance. In the per-protocol analysis, the median antibiotic duration was 9 days in the PCT group (n = 20) versus 13 days in the non-PCT group (n = 31), P = 0.008. This study demonstrates that PCT can be a useful tool for limiting antimicrobial therapy in ICU patients with documented bacterial infection.