Association between hypomagnesemia and serum lactate levels in patients with sepsis: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis-3 emphasizes the recognition of sepsis-induced cellular metabolic abnormalities, and utilizes serum lactate level as a biomarker of cellular metabolic abnormalities. Magnesium plays an important role as a cofactor in glucose metabolism, although it is not well known that magnesium deficiency causes elevated serum lactate levels. Additionally, it remains unclear how magnesium status affects the role of serum lactate levels as a marker of metabolic abnormalities in sepsis. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between serum magnesium and lactate levels in patients with sepsis and explore this relationship from the perspectives of time course and circulatory abnormalities. METHODS: This retrospective observational study of adult patients with sepsis was performed at the 16-bed intensive care unit of Jichi Medical University Hospital between June 2011 and December 2017. The relationship between serum magnesium and lactate levels for 5 days from intensive care unit admission was investigated along the time course. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between serum magnesium and lactate levels during intensive care unit admission. RESULTS: Among 759 patients included, 105 had hypomagnesemia (magnesium level < 1.6 mg/dL), 558 had normal serum magnesium levels (1.6-2.4 mg/dL), and 96 had hypermagnesemia (magnesium level > 2.4 mg/dL) at intensive care unit admission. From intensive care unit admission to day 5, the hypomagnesemia group had higher serum lactate levels and a higher frequency of lactic acidosis than the normal magnesium level and hypermagnesemia groups (70% vs. 51.6% vs. 50%; P < 0.001). Hypomagnesemia at intensive care unit admission was independently associated with lactic acidosis, i.e., lactic acid level > 2 mmol/L (odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.60-4.76; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hypomagnesemia was associated with serum lactate levels in the early and post-resuscitation phases of sepsis. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether the magnesium status is associated with sepsis-induced cellular and metabolic abnormalities.

Significance of Persistent Systemic Support in the Clinical Course of Delayed Post-hypoxic Leukoencephalopathy Following Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019.

A 45-year-old woman was hospitalized with severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia. Following cytokine storm-induced multiorgan failure and lethal arrhythmia, the patient developed a sustained coma with flaccid quadriplegia. A cerebrospinal fluid examination excluded infectious and immunogenic encephalopathies, and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated high-intensity areas in the white matter with a cortex-sparing distribution, suggesting delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy. As a result of intensive cardiopulmonary support for a month, the neurological function gradually recovered. Based on the reversible clinical course noted in this patient, accurate diagnosis and persistent medical approaches are important for the management of coronavirus disease 2019-related delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy.

Temporal Trend of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant and RSV in the Nasal Cavity and Accuracy of the Newly Developed Antigen-Detecting Rapid Diagnostic Test.

The aim of this work is to analyze the viral titers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at the anterior nasal site (ANS) and nasopharyngeal site (NS), evaluate their virological dynamics, and validate the usefulness of a newly developed two-antigen-detecting rapid antigen diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) that simultaneously detects SARS-CoV-2 and RSV using clinical specimens. This study included 195 asymptomatic to severely ill patients. Overall, 668 specimens were collected simultaneously from the ANS and NS. The cycle threshold (Ct) values calculated from real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze temporal changes in viral load and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Ag-RDT. The mean Ct values for SARS-CoV-2-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.8, 28.9, and 28.7, respectively. The mean Ct values for RSV-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.7, 28.8, and 28.6, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 and RSV showed the same trend in viral load, although the viral load of NS was higher than that of ANS. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed Ag-RDT were excellent in specimens collected up to 10 days after the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection and up to 6 days after the onset of RSV infection.

Clinical efficacy and safety of multipotent adult progenitor cells (invimestrocel) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pneumonia: a randomized, open-label, standard therapy-controlled, phase 2 multicenter study (ONE-BRIDGE).

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening inflammatory lung injury with high mortality; no approved medication exists. Efficacy and safety of bone marrow-derived, allogeneic, multipotent adult progenitor cells (invimestrocel) plus standard treatment in patients with ARDS caused by pneumonia was evaluated. METHODS: A randomized, open-label, standard therapy-controlled, phase 2 study (January 2019-September 2021) conducted in 29 centers in Japan. Patients with ARDS caused by pneumonia, with extensive early fibroproliferation on high-resolution computed tomography and low risk of systemic organ failure identified by an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score were included. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive a single intravenous infusion of 9.0 × 108 cells of invimestrocel (administered at a rate of up to 10 mL/min over 30-60 min by free flow) plus standard treatment (N = 20) or standard treatment (N = 10) consistent with the clinical practice guidelines of the Japanese Respiratory Society for the management of ARDS. Primary endpoint was ventilator-free days (VFDs) through day 28 after study treatment. Analysis of covariance was performed with treatment group, age, partial pressure arterial oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, and APACHE II score as covariates. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) number of VFDs was numerically higher in the invimestrocel group versus standard group (20.0 [0.0-24.0] vs 11.0 [0.0-14.0]) but was not statistically significantly different (least square [LS] means [95% confidence interval (CI)]: invimestrocel group, 11.6 [6.9-16.3]; standard group, 6.2 [- 0.4 to 12.8]; LS mean difference [95% CI], 5.4 [- 1.9 to 12.8]; p = 0.1397). Ventilator weaning rate at day 28 was 65% (13/20) versus 30% (3/10), and mortality rate was 21% (4/19) versus 29% (2/7) at day 28 and 26% (5/19 patients) versus 43% (3/7 patients) at day 180, for the invimestrocel and standard groups, respectively. No allergic or serious adverse reactions were associated with invimestrocel. CONCLUSIONS: In Japanese patients with ARDS caused by pneumonia, invimestrocel plus standard treatment resulted in no significant difference in the number of VFDs but may result in improved survival compared with standard treatment. Invimestrocel was well tolerated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03807804; January 8, 2019; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03807804 .

Bias and Precision of Continuous P0.1 Measurement by Various Ventilators: A Simulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Most ventilators measure airway occlusion pressure (occlusion P0.1) by occluding the breathing circuit; however, some ventilators can predict P0.1 for each breath without occlusion. Nevertheless, few studies have verified the accuracy of continuous P0.1 measurement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of continuous P0.1 measurement compared with that of occlusion methods for various ventilators using a lung simulator. METHODS: A total of 42 breathing patterns were validated using a lung simulator in combination with 7 different inspiratory muscular pressures and 3 different rise rates to simulate normal and obstructed lungs. PB980 and Dräger V500 ventilators were used to obtain occlusion P0.1 measurements. The occlusion maneuver was performed on the ventilator, and a corresponding reference P0.1 was recorded from the ASL5000 breathing simulator simultaneously. Hamilton-C6, Hamilton-G5, and Servo-U ventilators were used to obtain sustained P0.1 measurements (continuous P0.1). The reference P0.1 measured with the simulator was analyzed by using a Bland-Altman plot. RESULTS: The 2 lung mechanical models capable of measuring occlusion P0.1 yielded values equivalent to reference P0.1 (bias and precision values were 0.51 and 1.06, respectively, for the Dräger V500, and were 0.54 and 0.91, respectively, for the PB980). Continuous P0.1 for the Hamilton-C6 was underestimated in both the normal and obstructive models (bias and precision values were -2.13 and 1.91, respectively), whereas continuous P0.1 for the Servo-U was underestimated only in the obstructive model (bias and precision values were -0.86 and 1.76, respectively). Continuous P0.1 for the Hamilton-G5 was mostly similar to but less accurate than occlusion P0.1 (bias and precision values were 1.62 and 2.06, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of continuous P0.1 measurements varies based on the characteristics of the ventilator and should be interpreted by considering the characteristics of each system. Moreover, measurements obtained with an occluded circuit could be desirable for determining the true P0.1.

Association between hypomagnesemia and coagulopathy in sepsis: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Hypomagnesemia reportedly has significant associations with poor clinical outcomes such as increased mortality and septic shock in patients with sepsis. Although the mechanism underlying these outcomes mostly remains unclear, some experimental data suggest that magnesium deficiency could potentiate coagulation activation in sepsis. However, in sepsis, the association between serum magnesium levels and coagulopathy, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum magnesium levels and coagulation status and the association between hypomagnesemia and DIC in patients with sepsis. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital from June 2011 to December 2017. Patients older than 19 years who met the Sepsis-3 definition were included. We categorized patients into three groups according to their serum magnesium levels: hypomagnesemia (< 1.6 mg/dL), normal serum magnesium level (1.6-2.4 mg/dL), and hypermagnesemia (> 2.4 mg/dL). We investigated the association between serum magnesium levels and overt DIC at the time of ICU admission according to the criteria of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. RESULTS: Among 753 patients included in this study, 181 had DIC, 105 had hypomagnesemia, 552 had normal serum magnesium levels, and 96 had hypermagnesemia. Patients with hypomagnesemia had a more activated coagulation status indicated by lower platelet counts, lower fibrinogen levels, higher prothrombin time-international normalized ratios, higher thrombin-antithrombin complex, and more frequent DIC than those with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia (DIC: 41.9% vs. 20.6% vs. 24.0%, P < 0.001). The coagulation status in patients with hypomagnesemia was more augmented toward suppressed fibrinolysis than that in patients with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC (odds ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.84; P = 0.048) after adjusting for several confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hypomagnesemia had a significantly activated coagulation status and suppressed fibrinolysis. Hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC in patients with sepsis. Therefore, the treatment of hypomagnesemia may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of coagulopathy in sepsis.

Diagnostic accuracy of a novel SARS CoV-2 rapid antigen test and usefulness of specimens collected from the anterior nasal cavity.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to validate a newly developed antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) for SARS-CoV-2 using anterior nasal specimens. METHODS: Between February 12 and September 30, 2021, 16 patients (age range, <1 month-76 years) were enrolled, and samples were collected simultaneously from anterior nasal and nasopharyngeal sites continuously during hospitalization. The primary end points were the diagnostic accuracy of the Ag-RDT and utility of anterior nasal specimens. RESULTS: In total, 226 sets of paired samples were obtained. In 88.2% of specimens, the viral load was high at the nasopharyngeal site. The mean cycle threshold values for the anterior nasal and nasopharyngeal sites were 32.4 and 29.9, respectively. Using the real-time polymerase chain reaction results as a reference, the Ag-RDT showed a 100% sensitivity up to day 6 of the illness, using specimens with moderate or high viral load (cycle threshold <30) from either site. From day 7, the sensitivity was 70.4-90.6% and 83.9-84.6% for the anterior nasal and nasopharyngeal sites, respectively. The specificity remained at 100%. CONCLUSION: Our novel Ag-RDT meets the World Health Organization criteria and provides stable sensitivity and specificity and accurate results with anterior nasal specimens.

Upper Arm Muscular Echogenicity Predicts Intensive Care Unit-acquired Weakness in Critically Ill Patients.

Objectives: This retrospective observational study investigated whether the degree of muscular echogenicity in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) could help with the early detection of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and predict physical function at hospital discharge. Methods: Twenty-five patients who were mechanically ventilated for more than 48 h in the ICU were enrolled. We also enrolled 23 outpatients with nonmuscular diseases as the control group. The target sites for measuring muscular echogenicity were the upper arm and lower leg. First, the muscular echogenicity was compared between surviving nonsurgical patients admitted to the ICU and stable outpatients with nonmuscular diseases. Second, we investigated the relationship between muscular echogenicity and clinical features, e.g., the manual muscle test (MMT), Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Results: Muscular echogenicity in the upper arm in the ICU group was significantly higher than that in the control group. In the ICU group, the degree of muscular echogenicity of the upper arm was inversely correlated with the MMT of elbow flexion (P=0.006; r=-0.532) and the MRC sum score (P=0.002; r=-0.591). However, muscular echogenicity of the upper arm did not correlate with functional FIM (P=0.100; r=-0.344) at hospital discharge. Conclusions: Critically ill patients can experience pathological muscle weakness associated with increased muscular echogenicity in the upper arm. Additionally, the degree of muscular echogenicity in the upper arm correlated with the MRC sum score and can facilitate early detection of ICU-AW. The relationship between echogenicity and functional outcome at discharge requires elucidation.

Accuracy of two pulse-oximetry measurements for INTELLiVENT-ASV in mechanically ventilated patients: a prospective observational study.

Recently, maintaining a certain oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) range in mechanically ventilated patients was recommended; attaching the INTELLiVENT-ASV to ventilators might be beneficial. We evaluated the SpO2 measurement accuracy of a Nihon Kohden and a Masimo monitor compared to actual arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). SpO2 was simultaneously measured by a Nihon Kohden and Masimo monitor in patients consecutively admitted to a general intensive care unit and mechanically ventilated. Bland-Altman plots were used to compare measured SpO2 with actual SaO2. One hundred mechanically ventilated patients and 1497 arterial blood gas results were reviewed. Mean SaO2 values, Nihon Kohden SpO2 measurements, and Masimo SpO2 measurements were 95.7%, 96.4%, and 96.9%, respectively. The Nihon Kohden SpO2 measurements were less biased than Masimo measurements; their precision was not significantly different. Nihon Kohden and Masimo SpO2 measurements were not significantly different in the "SaO2 < 94%" group (P = 0.083). In the "94% ≤ SaO2 < 98%" and "SaO2 ≥ 98%" groups, there were significant differences between the Nihon Kohden and Masimo SpO2 measurements (P < 0.0001; P = 0.006; respectively). Therefore, when using automatically controlling oxygenation with INTELLiVENT-ASV in mechanically ventilated patients, the Nihon Kohden SpO2 sensor is preferable.Trial registration UMIN000027671. Registered 7 June 2017.

Predictive factors for successful INTELLiVENT-ASV® use: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: INTELLiVENT-ASV® (I-ASV) is a closed-loop ventilation mode that automatically controls the ventilation settings. Although a number of studies have reported the usefulness of I-ASV, the clinical situations in which it may be useful have not yet been clarified. We aimed to report our initial 3 years of experience using I-ASV, particularly the clinical conditions and the technical and organizational factors associated with its use. Furthermore, we evaluated the usefulness of I-ASV and determined the predictive factors for successful management with I-ASV. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective observational study included patients who were ventilated using the Hamilton G5® ventilator (Hamilton Medical AG, Rhäzüns, Switzerland) from January 2016 to December 2018. The patients were categorized into the "I-ASV success" group and "I-ASV failure" group (those receiving mechanical ventilation with I-ASV along with any other mode). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with successful I-ASV management. RESULTS: Of the 189 patients, 135 (71.4%) were categorized into the I-ASV success group. In the I-ASV success group, the reasons for ICU admission included post-elective surgery (94.1%), post-emergent surgery (81.5%), and other medical reasons (55.6%). I-ASV failure was associated with a low P/F ratio (278 vs. 167, P = 0.0003) and high Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (21 vs. 26, P < 0.0001). The main reasons for not using I-ASV included strong inspiratory effort and asynchrony. The APACHE II score was an independent predictive factor for successful management with I-ASV, with an odds ratio of 0.92 (95% confidential interval 0.87-0.96, P = 0.0006). The area under the receiver operating curve for the APACHE II score was 0.722 (cut-off: 24). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that 71.4% of the fully mechanically ventilated patients could be managed successfully with I-ASV. The APACHE II score was an independent factor that could help predict the successful management of I-ASV. To improve I-ASV management, it is necessary to focus on patient-ventilator interactions.

Biomarker profiles of coagulopathy and alveolar epithelial injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome with idiopathic/immune-related disease or common direct risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Altered coagulation and alveolar injury are the hallmarks of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, whether the biomarkers that reflect pathophysiology differ depending on the etiology of ARDS has not been examined. This study aimed to investigate the biomarker profiles of coagulopathy and alveolar epithelial injury in two subtypes of ARDS: patients with direct common risk factors (dARDS) and those with idiopathic or immune-related diseases (iARDS), which are classified as "ARDS without common risk factors" based on the Berlin definition. METHODS: This retrospective, observational study included adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital with a diagnosis of ARDS with no indirect risk factors. Plasma biomarkers (thrombin-antithrombin complex [TAT], plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI]-1, protein C [PC] activity, procalcitonin [PCT], surfactant protein [SP]-D, and KL-6) were routinely measured during the first 5 days of the patient's ICU stay. RESULTS: Among 138 eligible patients with ARDS, 51 were excluded based on the exclusion criteria (n = 41) or other causes of ARDS (n = 10). Of the remaining 87 patients, 56 were identified as having dARDS and 31 as having iARDS. Among the iARDS patients, TAT (marker of thrombin generation) and PAI-1 (marker of inhibited fibrinolysis) were increased, and PC activity was above normal. In contrast, PC activity was significantly decreased, and TAT or PAI-1 was present at much higher levels in dARDS compared with iARDS patients. Significant differences were also observed in PCT, SP-D, and KL-6 between patients with dARDS and iARDS. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that areas under the ROC curve for PC activity, PAI-1, PCT, SP-D, and KL-6 were similarly high for distinguishing between dARDS and iARDS (PC 0.86, P = 0.33; PAI-1 0.89, P = 0.95; PCT 0.89, P = 0.66; and SP-D 0.88, P = 0.16 vs. KL-6 0.90, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Coagulopathy and alveolar epithelial injury were observed in both patients with dARDS and with iARDS. However, their biomarker profiles were significantly different between the two groups. The different patterns of PAI-1, PC activity, SP-D, and KL-6 may help in differentiating between these ARDS subtypes.

Influence of contrast media on renal function and outcomes in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury: a propensity-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested a low potential risk for contrast medium-induced kidney injury in patients with relatively normal renal function. However, whether contrast media cause additional deterioration of renal function in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), including those with sepsis-associated AKI, remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of contrast media on renal function and mortality in patients with sepsis who already had AKI. METHODS: We performed a propensity score-matched historical cohort study in the medico-surgical intensive care unit of Jichi Medical University Hospital. Adult patients who were diagnosed with sepsis and AKI were enrolled. Records from our sepsis database from 2011 to 2017 were examined. Septic patients with AKI who received contrast media within 24 h of admission (C group) were matched 1:1 with septic patients who did not receive contrast media (NC group). The primary outcome was deterioration of kidney function (DRF), which was defined as an elevation of serum creatinine levels (> 0.3 mg/dL or 1.5-fold from baseline) or induction of renal replacement therapy. RESULTS: A total of 339 septic patients with AKI were included. After propensity score adjustment, the DRF rate was similar between the C and NC groups (34.0% versus 35.0%; P = 1.00). The 7-day mortality (3.0% versus 6.0%; P = 0.50), 28-day mortality (9.2% versus 15.0%; P = 0.25), and 90-day mortality (25.8% versus 32.1%; P = 0.45) rates were comparable between the two groups. In propensity-adjusted subsets of a high-risk subset (AKI stages 2 and 3 on admission), the rate of DRF was also similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A single administration of contrast media was not associated with exacerbation of AKI or increased short/long-term mortality in patients with sepsis.

Thrombomodulin, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Protein C Levels, and Organ Dysfunction in Sepsis.

Since endothelial function is closely related to organ dysfunction in sepsis and the relationship among endothelial injury, organ dysfunction, and other biomarkers remains unclear, we aimed to evaluate the correlation among endothelial injury, organ dysfunction, and several biomarkers in patients with sepsis. DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a university hospital with 14 mixed ICU beds. PATIENTS: ICU patients with sepsis from June 2011 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. INTERVENTIONS: Endothelial biomarkers (soluble thrombomodulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and protein C) and markers of inflammation and coagulation were evaluated during the ICU stay. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were assessed for 7 days after ICU admission to determine organ dysfunction. Variables were compared among five stratified groups according to the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-24). Regression analysis and 95% CIs were used to evaluate trends in biomarkers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The patients were divided into five stratified groups (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 0-2, n = 159 [20.5%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 3-5, n = 296 [38.2%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 6-8, n = 182 [23.5%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 9-12, n = 75 [9.7%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 13-24, n = 31 [4.0%]). Protein C activity was significantly correlated with the severity of organ dysfunction. It was lower on day 1, increased upon successful treatment, and was significantly higher in groups with lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores. CONCLUSIONS: Trends and activity of protein C were superior in predicting organ dysfunction compared with other endothelial biomarkers. Monitoring the level of protein C activity is an ideal tool to monitor organ dysfunctions in patients with sepsis.

Transient hyperlactatemia during intravenous administration of glycerol: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous glycerol treatment, usually administered in the form of a 5% fructose solution, can be used to reduce intracranial pressure. The administered fructose theoretically influences blood lactate levels, although little is known regarding whether intravenous glycerol treatment causes transient hyperlactatemia. This study aimed to evaluate blood lactate levels in patients who received intravenous glycerol or mannitol. METHODS: This single-center prospective observational study was performed at a 14-bed general intensive care unit between August 2016 and January 2018. Patients were excluded if they were < 20 years old or had pre-existing hyperlactatemia (blood lactate > 2.0 mmol/L). The included patients received intravenous glycerol or mannitol to reduce intracranial pressure and provided blood samples for lactate testing before and after the drug infusion (before the infusion and after 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, 90 min, 120 min, and 150 min). RESULTS: Among the 33 included patients, 13 patients received 200 mL of glycerol over 30 min, 13 patients received 200 mL of glycerol over 60 min, and 7 patients received 300 mL of mannitol over 60 min. Both groups of patients who received glycerol had significantly higher lactate levels than the mannitol group (2.8 mmol/L vs. 2.2 mmol/L vs. 1.6 mmol/L, P < 0.0001), with the magnitude of the increase in lactate levels corresponding to the glycerol infusion time. There were no significant inter-group differences in cardiac index, stroke volume, or stroke volume variation. In the group that received the 30-min glycerol infusion, blood lactate levels did not return to the normal range until after 120 min. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous administration of glycerol leads to higher blood lactate levels that persist for up to 120 min. Although hyperlactatemia is an essential indicator of sepsis and/or impaired tissue perfusion, physicians should be aware of this phenomenon when assessing the blood lactate levels.

Body weight definitions for evaluating a urinary diagnosis of acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the use of actual body weight might lead to more frequent misdiagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) than when ideal body weight is used in underweight and/or obese patients. We examined which definition of body weight is most effective in establishing a urinary diagnosis of AKI in septic patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients aged ≥ 20 years admitted to the intensive care unit of a university hospital between June 2011 and December 2016 were analyzed. Sepsis was defined in accordance with the Sepsis-3 criteria. AKI was defined as a urinary output of < 0.5 mL/kg/6h during intensive care unit stay. Patients were divided into one of four body mass index-based classes. The severity of illness and 90-day mortality were compared across the body mass index subgroups in patients diagnosed using the actual body weight or ideal body weight. RESULTS: Of 5764 patients, 569 septic patients were analyzed. One hundred and fifty-three (26.9%) and 140 (24.6%) patients were diagnosed as having AKI using actual body weight and ideal body weight, respectively. There were no significant differences in the severity of illness among these groups. Also, 90-day mortality did not differ significantly among these groups. According to body mass index, 90-day mortality significantly differed in patients diagnosed using their actual body weights (underweight vs. normal vs. overweight vs. obese: 76.7% vs. 39.5% vs. 26.0% vs. 35.7%, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Generally, using actual body weight to calculate the weight-adjusted hourly urine output for diagnosing AKI increased the sensitivity compared to ideal body weight, irrespective of the severity of illness in septic patients. Delayed diagnosis, however, was more common among underweight patients in this situation, and clinicians should be cautious when diagnosing urinary AKI using actual body weight.