Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Oncological Surgeries: CORONAL Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on postoperative recovery from oncology surgeries should be understood for the clinical decision-making. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the postoperative cumulative 28-day mortality and the morbidity of surgical oncology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients consecutively admitted to intensive care units (ICU) of three centres for postoperative care of oncologic surgeries between March to June 2019 (first phase) and March to June 2020 (second phase). The primary outcome was cumulative 28-day postoperative mortality. Secondary outcomes were postoperative organic dysfunction and the incidence of clinical complications. Because of the possibility of imbalance between groups, adjusted analyses were performed: Cox proportional hazards model (primary outcome) and multiple logistic regression model (secondary outcomes). RESULTS: After screening 328 patients, 291 were included. The proportional hazard of cumulative 28-day mortality was higher in the second phase than that in the first phase in the Cox model, with the adjusted hazard ratio of 4.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.15-8.82). The adjusted incidences of respiratory complications (odds ratio [OR] 5.35; 95% CI 1.42-20.11) and pulmonary infections (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.08-2.17) were higher in the second phase. However, the adjusted incidence of other infections was lower in the second phase (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.67-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical oncology patients who underwent postoperative care in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic had higher hazard of 28-day mortality. Furthermore, these patients had higher odds of respiratory complications and pulmonary infections. Trials registration The study is registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials under the code RBR-8ygjpqm, UTN code U1111-1293-5414.

Adverse events leading to intensive care unit admission in a low-and-middle-income-country: A prospective cohort study and a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Adverse events (AE) are frequent in critical care and could be even more prevalent in LMIC due to a shortage of ICU beds and Human resources. There is limited data on how relevant AE are among the reasons for ICU admission, being all of which published by High-Income-Countries services. Our main goal is to describe the rate of adverse events-related ICU admissions and their preventability in a LMIC scenario, comparing our results with previous data. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study, during a one-year period, in two general ICUs from a tertiary public academic hospital. Our exposure of interest was ICU admission related to an AE in adult patients, we further characterized their preventability and clinical outcomes. We also performed a systematic review to identify and compare previous published data on ICU admissions due to AE. RESULTS: Among all ICU admissions, 12.1% were related to an AE (9.8% caused by an AE, 2.3% related but not directly caused by an AE). These ICU admissions were not associated with a higher risk of death, but most of them were potentially preventable (70.9% of preventability rate, representing 8.6% of all ICU admissions). The meta-analysis resulted in a proportion of ICU admissions due to AE of 11% (95% CI 6%-16%), with a preventability rate of 54% (95% CI 42%-66%). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort, adverse events were a relevant reason for ICU admission. This result is consistent with data retrieved from non-LMIC as shown in our meta-analysis. The high preventability rate described reinforces that quality and safety programs could work as a tool to optimize scarce resources.

High versus low mean arterial pressure target in liver transplant patients. An open, controlled, single-center, randomized clinical trial - Protocol and methods (LIVER-PAM).

OBJECTIVE: To explain the rationale and protocol of the methods and analyses to be used in the LIVER-PAM randomized clinical trial, which seeks to understand whether a higher mean arterial pressure is capable of reducing the incidence of renal dysfunction postoperatively after liver transplantation. METHODS: LIVER-PAM is an open-label, randomized, controlled, singlecenter clinical trial. Patients randomized to the intervention group will have a mean arterial pressure of 85 - 90mmHg in the initial 24 hours of postoperative management, while patients in the control group will have a mean arterial pressure of 65 - 70mmHg in the same period. A sample of 174 patients will be required to demonstrate a 20% reduction in the absolute incidence of renal dysfunction, with a power of 80% and an alpha of 0.05. CONCLUSION: If a 20% reduction in the absolute incidence of renal dysfunction in the postoperative period of liver transplantation is achieved with higher target mean arterial pressure in the first 24 hours, this would represent an inexpensive and simple therapy for improving current outcomes in the management of liver transplant patients.ClinicalTrials.gov Registry: NCT05068713.

Can a Therapeutic Strategy for Hypotension Improve Cerebral Perfusion and Oxygenation in an Experimental Model of Hemorrhagic Shock and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury?

BACKGROUND: Restoration of brain tissue perfusion is a determining factor in the neurological evolution of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock (HS). In a porcine model of HS without neurological damage, it was observed that the use of fluids or vasoactive drugs was effective in restoring brain perfusion; however, only terlipressin promoted restoration of cerebral oxygenation and lower expression of edema and apoptosis markers. It is unclear whether the use of vasopressor drugs is effective and beneficial during situations of TBI. The objective of this study is to compare the effects of resuscitation with saline solution and terlipressin on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation in a model of TBI and HS. METHODS: Thirty-two pigs weighing 20-30 kg were randomly allocated into four groups: control (no treatment), saline (60 ml/kg of 0.9% NaCl), terlipressin (2 mg of terlipressin), and saline plus terlipressin (20 ml/kg of 0.9% NaCl + 2 mg of terlipressin). Brain injury was induced by lateral fluid percussion, and HS was induced through pressure-controlled bleeding, aiming at a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 40 mmHg. After 30 min of circulatory shock, resuscitation strategies were initiated according to the group. The systemic and cerebral hemodynamic and oxygenation parameters, lactate levels, and hemoglobin levels were evaluated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance for repeated measures. The significance level established for statistical analysis was p < 0.05. RESULTS: The terlipressin and saline plus terlipressin groups showed an increase in MAP that lasted until the end of the experiment (p < 0.05). There was a notable increase in intracranial pressure in all groups after starting treatment for shock. Cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral oximetry showed no improvement after hemodynamic recovery in any group. The groups that received saline at resuscitation had the lowest hemoglobin concentrations after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of hypotension in HS with saline and/or terlipressin cannot restore cerebral perfusion or oxygenation in experimental models of HS and severe TBI. Elevated MAP raises intracranial pressure owing to brain autoregulation dysfunction caused by TBI.

Association of antimicrobial use and incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia in critically ill trauma patients with pulmonary contusion: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia occurs in about 20% of trauma patients with pulmonary contusions. This study aims to evaluate the association between empirical antibiotic therapy and nosocomial pneumonia in this population. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted to a trauma-surgical ICU. The Antibiotic Therapy Group (ATG) was defined by intravenous antibiotic use for more than 48 h starting on hospital admission, while the Conservative Group (CG) was determined by antibiotic use no longer than 48 h. Primary outcome was microbiologically documented nosocomial pneumonia within 14 days after hospital admission. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between group allocation and primary outcome. Exploratory analyses evaluating the association between resistant strains in pneumonia and antibiotic use were performed. RESULTS: The study included 177 patients with chest trauma and pulmonary contusion on CT scan. ATG were more severely ill than CG, as shown by higher Injury Severity Score, SAPS3, SOFA score, higher rates, and longer duration of mechanical ventilation. In the multivariate analysis, ATG was associated with a lower incidence of primary outcome (OR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.64; p < 0.01). Similar results were found in the sensitivity analysis with another set of variables. However, each day of antibiotic use was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia by resistant bacteria (OR = 1.18 per day, 95% CI 1.05-1.36; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Empiric antibiotic therapy was independently associated with lower incidence of nosocomial pneumonia in critically ill patients with pulmonary contusion. However, each day of antibiotic use was associated with increased resistant strains in infected patients.

Critical Closing Pressure and Cerebrovascular Resistance Responses to Intracranial Pressure Variations in Neurocritical Patients.

BACKGROUND: Critical closing pressure (CrCP) and resistance-area product (RAP) have been conceived as compasses to optimize cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and monitor cerebrovascular resistance, respectively. However, for patients with acute brain injury (ABI), the impact of intracranial pressure (ICP) variability on these variables is poorly understood. The present study evaluates the effects of a controlled ICP variation on CrCP and RAP among patients with ABI. METHODS: Consecutive neurocritical patients with ICP monitoring were included along with transcranial Doppler and invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring. Internal jugular veins compression was performed for 60 s for the elevation of intracranial blood volume and ICP. Patients were separated in groups according to previous intracranial hypertension severity, with either no skull opening (Sk1), neurosurgical mass lesions evacuation, or decompressive craniectomy (DC) (patients with DC [Sk3]). RESULTS: Among 98 included patients, the correlation between change (Δ) in ICP and the corresponding ΔCrCP was strong (group Sk1 r = 0.643 [p = 0.0007], group with neurosurgical mass lesions evacuation r = 0.732 [p < 0.0001], and group Sk3 r = 0.580 [p = 0.003], respectively). Patients from group Sk3 presented a significantly higher ΔRAP (p = 0.005); however, for this group, a higher response in mean arterial pressure (change in mean arterial pressure p = 0.034) was observed. Exclusively, group Sk1 disclosed reduction in ICP before internal jugular veins compression withholding. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates that CrCP reliably changes in accordance with ICP, being useful to indicate ideal CPP in neurocritical settings. In the early days after DC, cerebrovascular resistance seems to remain elevated, despite exacerbated arterial blood pressure responses in efforts to maintain CPP stable. Patients with ABI with no need of surgical procedures appear to remain with more effective ICP compensatory mechanisms when compared with those who underwent neurosurgical interventions.

Impact of withholding early antibiotic therapy in nonseptic surgical patients with suspected nosocomial infection: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammatory responses mimicking infectious complications are often present in surgical patients. METHODS: The objective was to assess the association between withholding early antimicrobial therapy while investigating alternative diagnoses and worse outcomes in nonseptic patients with suspected nosocomial infection in a retrospective cohort of critically ill surgical patients. The initiation of antibiotic therapy within 24 h of the suspicion of infection was defined as the Early Empirical Antibiotic strategy (EEA) group and the initiation after 24 h of suspicion or not prescribed was defined as the Conservative Antibiotic strategy (CA) group. Primary outcome was composite: death, sepsis, or septic shock within 14 days. Main exclusion criteria were sepsis or an evident source of infection at inclusion. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty patients were eligible for inclusion (74% trauma patients). Age, sex, reason for hospital admission, SAPS3 score, SOFA score, and use of vasopressors or mechanical ventilation were not different between the groups. Within 14 days of inclusion, 100% (130/130) of EEA patients received antibiotics compared to 57% (120/210) of CA patients. After adjusting for confounding variables, there was no association between primary outcome and the groups. In a post hoc subgroup analysis including only patients with a posteriori confirmed infection (by microbiological cultures), delay in initiation of adequate antimicrobial therapy was independently associated with the primary outcome (Odds Ratio = 1.19 per day of delay; 95% CI 1.05-1.37). CONCLUSIONS: Withholding early empiric antibiotic therapy was not associated with progression of organ dysfunction within 14 days in nonseptic surgical patients with suspected nosocomial infection without an obvious source.

High versus low mean arterial pressure target in liver transplant patients. An open, controlled, single-center, randomized clinical trial - Protocol and methods (LIVER-PAM) / Alto versus baixo alvo de pressão arterial média em pacientes submetidos a transplante hepático. Um estudo clínico aberto, controlado, unicêntrico e randomizado -Protocolo e métodos (LIVER-PAM)

ABSTRACT Objective: To explain the rationale and protocol of the methods and analyses to be used in the LIVER-PAM randomized clinical trial, which seeks to understand whether a higher mean arterial pressure is capable of reducing the incidence of renal dysfunction postoperatively after liver transplantation. Methods: LIVER-PAM is an open-label, randomized, controlled, singlecenter clinical trial. Patients randomized to the intervention group will have a mean arterial pressure of 85 - 90mmHg in the initial 24 hours of postoperative management, while patients in the control group will have a mean arterial pressure of 65 - 70mmHg in the same period. A sample of 174 patients will be required to demonstrate a 20% reduction in the absolute incidence of renal dysfunction, with a power of 80% and an alpha of 0.05. Conclusion: If a 20% reduction in the absolute incidence of renal dysfunction in the postoperative period of liver transplantation is achieved with higher target mean arterial pressure in the first 24 hours, this would represent an inexpensive and simple therapy for improving current outcomes in the management of liver transplant patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Registry:NCT05068713

RESUMO Objetivo: Explicitar o racional e o protocolo de métodos e análises a serem utilizadas no ensaio clínico randomizado LIVER-PAM, que busca entender se um nível mais alto de pressão arterial média é capaz de reduzir a incidência de disfunção renal no pós-operatório de transplante hepático. Métodos: O LIVER-PAM é um estudo clínico randomizado, controlado, unicêntrico e aberto. Pacientes randomizados para o grupo intervenção terão como alvo de pressão arterial média 85 - 90mmHg nas 24 horas iniciais do manejo pós-operatório, enquanto pacientes do grupo controle terão como alvo de pressão arterial média 65 - 70mmHg no mesmo período. Uma amostra de 174 pacientes será necessária para demonstrar redução de 20% na incidência absoluta de disfunção renal, com poder de 80% e alfa de 0,05. Conclusão: Se a redução de 20% da incidência absoluta de disfunção renal no pós-operatório de transplante hepático for obtida com alvos maiores de pressão arterial média nas primeiras 24 horas, o manejo do paciente nesse cenário encontraria uma terapia barata e simples para a melhoria dos desfechos atuais. Registro Cliniclatrials.gov:NCT05068713

Noninvasive intracranial pressure waveforms for estimation of intracranial hypertension and outcome prediction in acute brain-injured patients.

Analysis of intracranial pressure waveforms (ICPW) provides information on intracranial compliance. We aimed to assess the correlation between noninvasive ICPW (NICPW) and invasively measured intracranial pressure (ICP) and to assess the NICPW prognostic value in this population. In this cohort, acute brain-injured (ABI) patients were included within 5 days from admission in six Intensive Care Units. Mean ICP (mICP) values and the P2/P1 ratio derived from NICPW were analyzed and correlated with outcome, which was defined as: (a) early death (ED); survivors on spontaneous breathing (SB) or survivors on mechanical ventilation (MV) at 7 days from inclusion. Intracranial hypertension (IHT) was defined by ICP > 20 mmHg. A total of 72 patients were included (mean age 39, 68% TBI). mICP and P2/P1 values were significantly correlated (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). P2/P1 ratio was significantly higher in patients with IHT and had an area under the receiving operator curve (AUROC) to predict IHT of 0.88 (95% CI 0.78-0.98). mICP and P2/P1 ratio was also significantly higher for ED group (n = 10) than the other groups. The AUROC of P2/P1 to predict ED was 0.71 [95% CI 0.53-0.87], and the threshold P2/P1 > 1.2 showed a sensitivity of 60% [95% CI 31-83%] and a specificity of 69% [95% CI 57-79%]. Similar results were observed when decompressive craniectomy patients were excluded. In this study, P2/P1 derived from noninvasive ICPW assessment was well correlated with IHT. This information seems to be as associated with ABI patients outcomes as ICP.Trial registration: NCT03144219, Registered 01 May 2017 Retrospectively registered, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03144219 .

Prone Positioning: A Safe and Effective Procedure in Pregnant Women Presenting with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Prone positioning (PP) improves oxygenation and survival in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Data regarding feasibility and effectiveness of PP in pregnancy are lacking. This subgroup analysis of a cohort study that included mechanically ventilated pregnant women presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced ARDS who underwent PP aims to assess the efficacy and safety of PP. Ventilatory and gasometric parameters were evaluated at baseline (T0) and in prone (T1) and supine (T2) positions. Obstetric outcomes were also assessed. Sixteen cases at an average of 27.0 (22.0−31.1) gestational weeks of pregnancy were included. Obesity and hypertension were frequent comorbidities. PP was associated with a >20% increase in PaO2 levels and in PaO2/FiO2 ratios in 50% and 100% of cases, respectively. The PaO2/FiO2 ratio increased 76.7% (20.5−292.4%) at T1 and 76.9% (0−182.7%) at T2. PP produced sustained improvements in mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p < 0.001) and PaCO2 level (p = 0.028). There were no cases of emergency delivery or suspected fetal distress in pregnancies ≥25 weeks during the 24 h period following PP. PP is safe and feasible during pregnancy, improving PaO2/FiO2 ratios and helping to delay preterm delivery in severe ARDS.

Terlipressin combined with conservative fluid management attenuates hemorrhagic shock-induced acute kidney injury in rats.

Hemorrhagic shock (HS), a major cause of trauma-related mortality, is mainly treated by crystalloid fluid administration, typically with lactated Ringer's (LR). Despite beneficial hemodynamic effects, such as the restoration of mean arterial pressure (MAP), LR administration has major side effects, including organ damage due to edema. One strategy to avoid such effects is pre-hospitalization intravenous administration of the potent vasoconstrictor terlipressin, which can restore hemodynamic stability/homeostasis and has anti-inflammatory effects. Wistar rats were subjected to HS for 60 min, at a target MAP of 30-40 mmHg, thereafter being allocated to receive LR infusion at 3 times the volume of the blood withdrawn (liberal fluid management); at 2 times the volume (conservative fluid management), plus terlipressin (10 µg/100 g body weight); and at an equal volume (conservative fluid management), plus terlipressin (10 µg/100 g body weight). A control group comprised rats not subjected to HS and receiving no fluid resuscitation or treatment. At 15 min after fluid resuscitation/treatment, the blood previously withdrawn was reinfused. At 24 h after HS, MAP was higher among the terlipressin-treated animals. Terlipressin also improved post-HS survival and provided significant improvements in glomerular/tubular function (creatinine clearance), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin expression, fractional excretion of sodium, aquaporin 2 expression, tubular injury, macrophage infiltration, interleukin 6 levels, interleukin 18 levels, and nuclear factor kappa B expression. In terlipressin-treated animals, there was also significantly higher angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression and normalization of arginine vasopressin 1a receptor expression. Terlipressin associated with conservative fluid management could be a viable therapy for HS-induced acute kidney injury, likely attenuating such injury by modulating the inflammatory response via the arginine vasopressin 1a receptor.

Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Intervention Associated with the Rapid Identification of Microorganisms by MALDI-TOF and Detection of Resistance Genes in ICU Patients with Gram-Negative Bacteremia.

Combination of strategies for rapid diagnostics tests (RDT) with real-time intervention could improve patient outcomes. We aimed to assess the impact on clinical outcomes, antimicrobial consumption, and costs in patients with gram-negative bacteremia. We designed a quasi-experimental study among 216 episodes of gram-negative bacteremia using RDT (MALDI-TOF and detection of resistance genes) directly from blood culture bottles combined with real-time communication of results. Our study did not demonstrate impact on 30-day mortality (25% vs. 35%; p = 0.115). Hospital and ICU length of stay were significantly lower in the intervention period ((44 days vs. 39 days; p = 0.005) and (17 days vs. 13 days; p = 0.033)), respectively. The antimicrobial consumption was 1381 DOT/1000 days in the pre-intervention period compared to 1262 DOT/1000 days in the intervention period (p = 0.032). Antimicrobials against gram-positive and carbapenems had a significantly reduced consumption in the intervention period. Our intervention showed no impact on 30 days-mortality, but demonstrated an impact on hospital and ICU length of stay, as well as antimicrobials consumption and costs. Knowledge of resistance genes adds value and information for safe decision making that can result in direct and indirect benefits related to the economic burden of antibiotic overuse and bacterial resistance.

Impact of customised ICU handover protocol on the quality of ICU discharge reports.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of implementing a handover protocol, based on a standardised mnemonic tool specific for a cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU), on the quality of information transferred during ICU discharge. METHODS: In this prospective pre-post study, we evaluated the implementation of an ICU discharge handover protocol in 168 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The primary outcome was the quality of the information. In the preintervention phase, 84 ICU standard discharge reports were evaluated. During the intervention period, a new handover protocol which included a written discharge report based on the I-PASS (illness severity, patient summary, action list, situation awareness and contingency plans, and synthesis by receiver) mnemonic tool was implemented. After the intervention, 84 new reports were assessed. The reports were evaluated by the ward physicians and by an external independent examiner using a standardised questionnaire. ICU discharge time and postoperative length of stay were also analysed. RESULTS: The overall quality of the reports was evaluated as 'completely understood' by the ward physicians in 17 patients (21%) in the preintervention phase compared with 45 patients (54.9%) in the postintervention phase (p<0.001). The independent examiner classified one report (1.2% of the total number) as 'excellent' in the preintervention phase and 30 (35.7%) in the postintervention phase (p<0.001). After protocol implementation, patients were released from the ICU 58 min later (p<0.001). There was no difference in the length of postoperative hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a customised handover protocol when discharging patients from the ICU was associated with improvement in the quality of the information transferred but also with ICU discharge occurring at a later time of day.

Stress and substance abuse among workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in an intensive care unit: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Professionals working in intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been exposed to stressful situations and increased workload. The association between symptoms of traumatic stress disorders, substance abuse and personal/occupational characteristics of Brazilian COVID-19-ICU workers is still to be addressed. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of those conditions and to find if those associations exist. METHODS: In this observational, single-center, cross-sectional study, all professionals working in a COVID-19 ICU were invited to fill an anonymous form containing screening tools for traumatic stress disorders and substance abuse, and a section with questions regarding personal and occupational information. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-six ICU professionals participated. Direct exposure to patients infected by COVID-19, history of relatives infected by COVID-19, and sex (female) were significantly associated with signs and symptoms of traumatic stress disorders. 76.5% of the participants had scores compatible with a diagnosis of traumatic stress disorders. Moreover, the prevalence of scores suggestive of Tobacco and Alcohol abuse were 11.7% and 24.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: ICU workers had significantly elevated scores on both screening forms. Providing psycho-social support to ICU professionals may prevent future problems with traumatic stress disorders or substance abuse.

Urinary sodium excretion is low prior to acute kidney injury in patients in the intensive care unit.

Background: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is high in intensive care units (ICUs), and a better understanding of AKI is needed. Early chronic kidney disease is associated with urinary concentration inability and AKI recovery with increased urinary solutes in humans. Whether the inability of the kidneys to concentrate urine and excrete solutes at appropriate levels could occur prior to the diagnosis of AKI is still uncertain, and the associated mechanisms have not been studied. Methods: In this single-center prospective observational study, high AKI risk in ICU patients was followed up for 7 days or until ICU discharge. They were grouped as "AKI" or "No AKI" according to their AKI status throughout admission. We collected daily urine samples to measure solute concentrations and osmolality. Data were analyzed 1 day before AKI, or from the first to the fifth day of admission in the "No AKI" group. We used logistic regression models to evaluate the influence of the variables on future AKI diagnosis. The expression of kidney transporters in urine was evaluated by Western blotting. Results: We identified 29 patients as "No AKI" and 23 patients as "AKI," the latter being mostly low severity AKI. Urinary sodium excretion was lower in "AKI" patients prior to AKI diagnosis, particularly in septic patients. The expression of Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE3), a urinary sodium transporter, was higher in "AKI" patients. Conclusions: Urinary sodium excretion is low before an AKI episode in ICU patients, and high expressions of proximal tubule sodium transporters might contribute to this.

A Novel Noninvasive Technique for Intracranial Pressure Waveform Monitoring in Critical Care.

BACKGROUND: We validated a new noninvasive tool (B4C) to assess intracranial pressure waveform (ICPW) morphology in a set of neurocritical patients, correlating the data with ICPW obtained from invasive catheter monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring were consecutively evaluated using the B4C sensor. Ultrasound-guided manual internal jugular vein (IJV) compression was performed to elevate ICP from the baseline. ICP values, amplitudes, and time intervals (P2/P1 ratio and time-to-peak [TTP]) between the ICP and B4C waveform peaks were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 41 patients, the main causes for ICP monitoring included traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and stroke. Bland-Altman's plot indicated agreement between the ICPW parameters obtained using both techniques. The strongest Pearson's correlation for P2/P1 and TTP was observed among patients with no cranial damage (r = 0.72 and 0.85, respectively) to the detriment of those who have undergone craniotomies or craniectomies. P2/P1 values of 1 were equivalent between the two techniques (area under the receiver operator curve [AUROC], 0.9) whereas B4C cut-off 1.2 was predictive of intracranial hypertension (AUROC 0.9, p < 000.1 for ICP > 20 mmHg). CONCLUSION: B4C provided biometric amplitude ratios correlated with ICPW variation morphology and is useful for noninvasive critical care monitoring.

The effects of acute kidney injury in a multicenter cohort of high-risk surgical patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients who develop post-operative acute kidney injury (AKI) have a poor prognosis, especially when undergoing high-risk surgery. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with AKI acquired after non-cardiac surgery and the possible risk factors for this complication. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective cohort study with patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) after non-cardiac surgery was conducted to assess whether they developed AKI. The patients who developed AKI were then compared to non-AKI patients. RESULTS: A total of 29 ICUs participated, of which 904 high-risk surgical patients were involved in the study. The occurrence of AKI in the post-operative period was 15.8%, and the mortality rate of post-operative AKI patients at 28 days was 27.6%. AKI was strongly associated with 28-day mortality (OR = 2.91; 95% CI 1.51-5.62; p = 0.001), and a higher length of ICU and hospital stay (p < 0.001). Independent factors for the risk of developing AKI were pre-operative anemia (OR = 7.01; 95% CI 1.69-29.07), elective surgery (OR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.21-0.97), SAPS 3 (OR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.06), post-operative vasopressor use (OR = 2.47; 95% CI 1.34-4.55), post-operative infection (OR = 8.82; 95% CI 2.43-32.05) and the need for reoperation (OR= 7.15; 95% CI 2.58-19.79). CONCLUSION: AKI was associated with the risk of death in surgical patients and those with anemia before surgery, who had a higher SAPS 3, needed a post-operative vasopressor, or had a post-operative infection or needed reoperation were more likely to develop AKI post-operatively.

Intracranial Compliance Assessed by Intracranial Pressure Pulse Waveform.

BACKGROUND: Morphological alterations in intracranial pressure (ICP) pulse waveform (ICPW) secondary to intracranial hypertension (ICP >20 mmHg) and a reduction in intracranial compliance (ICC) are well known indicators of neurological severity. The exclusive exploration of modifications in ICPW after either the loss of skull integrity or surgical procedures for intracranial hypertension resolution is not a common approach studied. The present study aimed to assess the morphological alterations in ICPW among neurocritical care patients with skull defects and decompressive craniectomy (DC) by comparing the variations in ICPW features according to elevations in mean ICP values. METHODS: Patients requiring ICP monitoring because of acute brain injury were included. A continuous record of 10 min-length for the beat-by-beat analysis of ICPW was performed, with ICP elevation produced by means of ultrasound-guided manual internal jugular vein compression at the end of the record. ICPW features (peak amplitude ratio (P2/P1), time interval to pulse peak (TTP) and pulse amplitude) were counterweighed between baseline and compression periods. Results were distributed for three groups: intact skull (exclusive burr hole for ICP monitoring), craniotomy/large fractures (group 2) or DC (group 3). RESULTS: 57 patients were analyzed. A total of 21 (36%) presented no skull defects, 21 (36%) belonged to group 2, whereas 15 (26%) had DC. ICP was not significantly different between groups: ±15.11 for intact, 15.33 for group 2 and ±20.81 mmHg for group 3, with ICP-induced elevation also similar between groups (p = 0.56). Significant elevation was observed for the P2/P1 ratio for groups 1 and 2, whereas a reduction was observed in group 3 (elevation of ±0.09 for groups 1 and 2, but a reduction of 0.03 for group 3, p = 0.01), and no significant results were obtained for TTP and pulse amplitudes. CONCLUSION: In the present study, intracranial pressure pulse waveform analysis indicated that intracranial compliance was significantly more impaired among decompressive craniectomy patients, although ICPW indicated DC to be protective for further influences of ICP elevations over the brain. The analysis of ICPW seems to be an alternative to real-time ICC assessment.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Intracranial Compliance Impairment in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: One of the possible mechanisms by which the new coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) could induce brain damage is the impairment of cerebrovascular hemodynamics (CVH) and intracranial compliance (ICC) due to the elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP). The main objective of this study was to assess the presence of CVH and ICC alterations in patients with COVID-19 and evaluate their association with short-term clinical outcomes. Methods: Fifty consecutive critically ill COVID-19 patients were studied with transcranial Doppler (TCD) and non-invasive monitoring of ICC. Subjects were included upon ICU admission; CVH was evaluated using mean flow velocities in the middle cerebral arteries (mCBFV), pulsatility index (PI), and estimated cerebral perfusion pressure (eCPP), while ICC was assessed by using the P2/P1 ratio of the non-invasive ICP curve. A CVH/ICC score was computed using all these variables. The primary composite outcome was unsuccessful in weaning from respiratory support or death on day 7 (defined as UO). Results: At the first assessment (n = 50), only the P2/P1 ratio (median 1.20 [IQRs 1.00-1.28] vs. 1.00 [0.88-1.16]; p = 0.03) and eICP (14 [11-25] vs. 11 [7-15] mmHg; p = 0.01) were significantly higher among patients with an unfavorable outcome (UO) than others. Patients with UO had a significantly higher CVH/ICC score (9 [8-12] vs. 6 [5-7]; p < 0.001) than those with a favorable outcome; the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) for CVH/ICC score to predict UO was 0.86 (95% CIs 0.75-0.97); a score > 8.5 had 63 (46-77)% sensitivity and 87 (62-97)% specificity to predict UO. For those patients undergoing a second assessment (n = 29), after a median of 11 (5-31) days, all measured variables were similar between the two time-points. No differences in the measured variables between ICU non-survivors (n = 30) and survivors were observed. Conclusions: ICC impairment and CVH disturbances are often present in COVID-19 severe illness and could accurately predict an early poor outcome.

Protective ventilation and outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 5% of COVID-19 patients develop respiratory failure and need ventilatory support, yet little is known about the impact of mechanical ventilation strategy in COVID-19. Our objective was to describe baseline characteristics, ventilatory parameters, and outcomes of critically ill patients in the largest referral center for COVID-19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during the first surge of the pandemic. METHODS: This cohort included COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of an academic hospital with 94 ICU beds, a number expanded to 300 during the pandemic as part of a state preparedness plan. Data included demographics, advanced life support therapies, and ventilator parameters. The main outcome was 28-day survival. We used a multivariate Cox model to test the association between protective ventilation and survival, adjusting for PF ratio, pH, compliance, and PEEP. RESULTS: We included 1503 patients from March 30 to June 30, 2020. The mean age was 60 ± 15 years, and 59% were male. During 28-day follow-up, 1180 (79%) patients needed invasive ventilation and 666 (44%) died. For the 984 patients who were receiving mechanical ventilation in the first 24 h of ICU stay, mean tidal volume was 6.5 ± 1.3 mL/kg of ideal body weight, plateau pressure was 24 ± 5 cmH2O, respiratory system compliance was 31.9 (24.4-40.9) mL/cmH2O, and 82% of patients were ventilated with protective ventilation. Noninvasive ventilation was used in 21% of patients, and prone, in 36%. Compliance was associated with survival and did not show a bimodal pattern that would support the presence of two phenotypes. In the multivariable model, protective ventilation (aHR 0.73 [95%CI 0.57-0.94]), adjusted for PF ratio, compliance, PEEP, and arterial pH, was independently associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: During the peak of the epidemic in Sao Paulo, critically ill patients with COVID-19 often required mechanical ventilation and mortality was high. Our findings revealed an association between mechanical ventilation strategy and mortality, highlighting the importance of protective ventilation for patients with COVID-19.