Severe hyperlactatemia, lactate clearance and mortality in unselected critically ill patients.

PURPOSE: Hyperlactatemia may occur for a variety of reasons and is a predictor of poor clinical outcome. However, only limited data are available on the underlying causes of hyperlactatemia and the mortality rates associated with severe hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients. We therefore aimed to evaluate the etiology of severe hyperlactatemia (defined as a lactate level >10 mmol/L) in a large cohort of unselected ICU patients. We also aimed to evaluate the association between severe hyperlactatemia and lactate clearance with ICU mortality. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study at an University hospital department with 11 ICUs during the study period between 1 April 2011 and 28 February 2013, we screened 14,040 ICU patients for severe hyperlactatemia (lactate >10 mmol/L). RESULTS: Overall mortality in the 14,040 ICU patients was 9.8 %. Of these, 400 patients had severe hyperlactatemia and ICU mortality in this group was 78.2 %. Hyperlactatemia was associated with death in the ICU [odds ratio 1.35 (95 % CI 1.23; 1.49; p < 0.001)]. The main etiology for severe hyperlactatemia was sepsis (34.0 %), followed by cardiogenic shock (19.3 %), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (13.8 %). Patients developing severe hyperlactatemia >24 h of ICU treatment had a significantly higher ICU mortality (89.1 %, 155 of 174 patients) than patients developing severe hyperlactatemia ≤ 24 h of ICU treatment (69.9 %, 158 of 226 patients; p < 0.0001). Lactate clearance after 12 h showed a receiver-operating-characteristics area under the curve (ROC-AUC) value of 0.91 to predict ICU mortality (cut-off showing highest sensitivity and specifity was a 12 h lactate clearance of 32.8 %, Youden Index 0.72). In 268 patients having a 12-h lactate clearance <32.8 % ICU mortality was 96.6 %. CONCLUSIONS: Severe hyperlactatemia (>10 mmol/L) is associated with extremely high ICU mortality especially when there is no marked lactate clearance within 12 h. In such situations, the benefit of continued ICU therapy should be evaluated.

Value of Computed Tomography of the Chest in Subjects With ARDS: A Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The value of computed tomography (CT) of the chest in the management of patients with ARDS is poorly defined. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of thoracic CT scans in subjects with ARDS using the Berlin definition. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study in a university hospital ARDS center on all subjects with ARDS in whom a CT scan of the chest was performed immediately before or during an ICU stay between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2013. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 1,781 thoracic CT scans were performed, of which 204 cases met inclusion criteria. The most common pathologic findings of the lung parenchyma were consolidations (94.1% of cases) and ground glass opacities (85.3%). Furthermore, CT scans showed pleural effusions (80.4%), mediastinal lymphadenopathy (66.7%), signs of right ventricular strain and pulmonary hypertension (53.9%), pericardial effusion (37.3%), emphysema of the chest wall (12.3%), pneumothorax (11.8%), emphysema of the mediastinum (7.4%), and pulmonary embolism (2.5%). Results of CT scans led to changes in management in 26.5% of cases. Mortality was significantly increased in subjects with involvement of lung parenchyma of >80% (P = .004). Intrahospital transport was associated with critical incidents in 8.3% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic evaluation of thoracic CT scans yielded information useful for making a diagnosis, predicting prognosis, and recognizing concomitant disorders requiring therapeutic interventions. Results obtained from CT scans led to changes in management in 26.5% of cases.

The use of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal to avoid intubation in patients failing non-invasive ventilation--a cost analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the economic implications of the pre-emptive use of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) to avoid invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in patients with hypercapnic ventilatory insufficiency failing non-invasive ventilation (NIV). METHODS: Retrospective ancillary cost analysis of data extracted from a recently published multicentre case-control-study (n = 42) on the use of arterio-venous ECCO2R to avoid IMV in patients with acute on chronic ventilatory failure. Cost calculations were based on average daily treatment costs for intensive care unit (ICU) and normal medical wards as well as on the specific costs of the ECCO2R system. RESULTS: In the group treated with ECCO2R IMV was avoided in 90 % of cases and mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was shorter than in the matched control group treated with IMV (23.0 vs. 42.0 days). The overall average hospital treatment costs did not differ between the two groups (41.134 vs. 39.366 €, p = 0.8). A subgroup analysis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed significantly lower median ICU length of stay (11.0 vs. 35.0 days), hospital length of stay (17.5 vs. 51.5 days) and treatment costs for the ECCO2R group (19.610 vs. 46.552 €, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Additional costs for the use of arterio-venous ECCO2R to avoid IMV in patients with acute-on-chronic ventilatory insufficiency failing NIV may be offset by a cost reducing effect of a shorter length of ICU and hospital stay.

Death after percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: a systematic review and analysis of risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: Since the introduction and widespread acceptance of percutaneous techniques in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, the number of critically ill patients undergoing tracheostomy has steadily increased. However, this procedure can be associated with major complications, including death. The purpose of this study is to estimate the incidence and analyze the causes of lethal complications due to percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT). METHODS: We analyzed cases of lethal outcome due to complications from PDT including cases published between 1985 and April 2013. A systematic literature search was performed and unpublished cases from our own departmental records were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 71 cases of lethal outcome following PDT were identified including 68 published cases and 3 of our own patients. The incidence of lethal complications was calculated to be 0.17%. Of the fatal complications, 31.0% occurred during the procedure and 49.3% within seven days of the procedure. The main causes of death were: hemorrhage (38.0%), airway complications (29.6%), tracheal perforation (15.5%), and pneumothorax (5.6%). We found specific risk factors for complications in 73.2% of patients, 25.4% of patients had more than one risk factor. Bronchoscopic guidance was used in only 46.5% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: According to this analysis, PDT-related death occurs in 1 out of 600 patients receiving a PDT. Careful patient selection, bronchoscopic guidance, and securing the tracheal cannula with sutures are likely to reduce complication rates.

Avoiding invasive mechanical ventilation by extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal in patients failing noninvasive ventilation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal by means of a pumpless extracorporeal lung-assist (PECLA) device could be an effective and safe alternative to invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with chronic pulmonary disease and acute hypercapnic ventilatory failure not responding to noninvasive ventilation (NIV). METHODS: In this multicentre, retrospective study, 21 PECLA patients were compared with respect to survival and procedural outcomes to 21 matched controls with conventional invasive mechanical ventilation. Matching criteria were underlying diagnosis, age, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and pH at ICU admission. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients treated with PECLA, 19 (90 %) did not require intubation. Median PaCO(2) levels and pH in arterial blood prior to PECLA were 84.0 mmHg (54.2-131.0) and 7.28 (7.10-7.41), respectively. Within 24 h, median PaCO(2) levels and pH had significantly improved to 52.1 (33.0-70.1; p < 0.001) and 7.44 (7.27-7.56; p < 0.001), respectively. Two major and seven minor bleeding complications related to the device occurred. Further complications were one pseudoaneurysm and one heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type 2. Compared to the matched control group, there was a trend toward a shorter hospital length of stay in the PECLA group (adjusted p = 0.056). There was no group difference in the 28-day (24 % vs. 19 %, adjusted p = 0.845) or 6-month mortality (33 % vs. 33 %). CONCLUSIONS: In this study the use of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal allowed avoiding intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation in the majority of patients with acute on chronic respiratory failure not responding to NIV. Compared to conventional invasive ventilation, short- and long-term survivals were similar.