Development of an ICU discharge instrument predicting psychological morbidity: a multinational study.

PURPOSE: To develop an instrument for use at ICU discharge for prediction of psychological problems in ICU survivors. METHODS: Multinational, prospective cohort study in ten general ICUs in secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Adult patients with an ICU stay ≥ 12 h were eligible for inclusion. Patients in need of neurointensive care, with documented cognitive impairment, unable to communicate in the local language, without a home address or with more than one limitation of therapy were excluded. Primary outcome was psychological morbidity 3 months after ICU discharge, defined as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) subscale score ≥ 11 or Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Checklist-14 (PTSS-14) part B score > 45. RESULTS: A total of 572 patients were included and 78% of patients alive at follow-up responded to questionnaires. Twenty percent were classified as having psychological problems post-ICU. Of 18 potential risk factors, four were included in the final prediction model after multivariable logistic regression analysis: symptoms of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.50], traumatic memories (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13-1.82), lack of social support (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.47-7.32) and age (age-dependent OR, peak risk at age 49-65 years). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) for the instrument was 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: We developed an instrument to predict individual patients' risk for psychological problems 3 months post-ICU, http://www.imm.ki.se/biostatistics/calculators/psychmorb/ . The instrument can be used for triage of patients for psychological ICU follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02679157.

The relation between skin conductance responses and recovery from symptoms of PTSD.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to investigate if potentially stressful reminders of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay influenced variability in transient skin conductance responses, and whether such changes were associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and development of symptoms over time. METHODS: Thirty patients with an ICU length of stay > 48 h were included in the study. Within the week after ICU discharge (T1), patients were exposed to authentic ICU sound and questions regarding traumatic ICU memories while skin conductance reactivity was monitored. PTSS was assessed using PTSS-10 at T1 and again 3 months later (T2). Changes in number of skin conductance fluctuations per second (NSCF) between baseline and during the cueing conditions and in relation to PTSS scores (T1) were investigated. PTSS scores at T2 and changes between T1 and T2 (PTSS-CS) were used to investigate if reactivity in NSCF could predict symptoms of PTSD. RESULTS: The results showed increases in NSCF during both situational and verbal cueing, compared to baseline. However, no relation to PTSS scores was indicated. Negative correlations between NSCF during situational cueing and both PTSS-T2 and PTSS-CS were found among women, but not among men. CONCLUSION: A low variability, or reactivity in skin conductance responses to situational cues could imply a risk of developing, or not being able to recover from, symptoms of PTSD in women. As such, the measurement could be used to predict this risk in women. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate this area of application.

Pain rather than induced emotions and ICU sound increases skin conductance variability in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Assessing pain in critically ill patients is difficult. Skin conductance variability (SCV), induced by the sympathetic response to pain, has been suggested as a method to identify pain in poorly communicating patients. However, SCV, a derivate of conventional skin conductance, could potentially also be sensitive to emotional stress. The purpose of the study was to investigate if pain and emotional stress can be distinguished with SCV. METHODS: In a series of twelve 1-min sessions with SCV recording, 18 healthy volunteers were exposed to standardized electric pain stimulation during blocks of positive, negative, or neutral emotion, induced with pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Additionally, authentic intensive care unit (ICU) sound was included in half of the sessions. All possible combinations of pain and sound occurred in each block of emotion, and blocks were presented in randomized order. RESULTS: Pain stimulation resulted in increases in the number of skin conductance fluctuations (NSCF) in all but one participant. During pain-free baseline sessions, the median NSCF was 0.068 (interquartile range 0.013-0.089) and during pain stimulation median NSCF increased to 0.225 (interquartile range 0.146-0.3175). Only small increases in NSCF were found during negative emotions. Pain, assessed with the numeric rating scale, during the sessions with pain stimulation was not altered significantly by other ongoing sensory input. CONCLUSION: In healthy volunteers, NSCF appears to reflect ongoing autonomous reactions mainly to pain and to a lesser extent, reactions to emotion induced with IAPS pictures or ICU sound.

Recalibration of the delirium prediction model for ICU patients (PRE-DELIRIC): a multinational observational study.

PURPOSE: Recalibration and determining discriminative power, internationally, of the existing delirium prediction model (PRE-DELIRIC) for intensive care patients. METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was performed in eight intensive care units (ICUs) in six countries. The ten predictors (age, APACHE-II, urgent and admission category, infection, coma, sedation, morphine use, urea level, metabolic acidosis) were collected within 24 h after ICU admission. The confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU) was used to identify ICU delirium. CAM-ICU screening compliance and inter-rater reliability measurements were used to secure the quality of the data. RESULTS: A total of 2,852 adult ICU patients were screened of which 1,824 (64%) were eligible for the study. Main reasons for exclusion were length of stay <1 day (19.1%) and sustained coma (4.1%). CAM-ICU compliance was mean (SD) 82 ± 16% and inter-rater reliability 0.87 ± 0.17. The median delirium incidence was 22.5% (IQR 12.8-36.6%). Although the incidence of all ten predictors differed significantly between centers, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of the eight participating centers remained good: 0.77 (95% CI 0.74-0.79). The linear predictor and intercept of the prediction rule were adjusted and resulted in improved re-calibration of the PRE-DELIRIC model. CONCLUSIONS: In this multinational study, we recalibrated the PRE-DELIRIC model. Despite differences in the incidence of predictors between the centers in the different countries, the performance of the PRE-DELIRIC-model remained good. Following validation of the PRE-DELIRIC model, it may facilitate implementation of strategies to prevent delirium and aid improvements in delirium management of ICU patients.

Levels and sources of sound in the intensive care unit - an observational study of three room types.

BACKGROUND: Many intensive care unit (ICU) patients describe noise as stressful and precluding sleep. No previous study in the adult setting has investigated whether room size impacts sound levels or the frequency of disruptive sounds. METHODS: A-frequency S-time weighted equivalent continuous sound (LAS eq), A-frequency S-time weighted maximum sound level (LAS max) and decibel C peak sound pressure (LC peak) were measured during five 24-h periods in each of the following settings: three-bed room with nursing station (NS) alcove, single-bed room with NS alcove (1-BR with NSA) and single-bed room with bedside NS. Cumulative restorative time (CRT) (> 5 min with LAS max < 55 dB and LC peak < 75 dB) was calculated to describe calm periods. Two 8-h bedside observations were performed in each setting in order to note the frequency and sources of disruptive sounds. RESULTS: Mean sound pressure levels (LAS eq) ranged between 52 and 58 dBA, being lowest during night shifts. There were no statistically significant differences between the room types in mean sound levels or in CRT. However, disruptive sounds were 40% less frequent in the 1-BR with NSA than in the other settings. Sixty-four percent of disruptive sounds were caused by monitor alarms and conversations not related to patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Single-bed rooms do not guarantee lower sound levels per se but may imply less frequent disruptive sounds. Sixty-four percent of disruptive sounds were avoidable. Our findings warrant sound reducing strategies for ICU patients.

Body image and psychological outcome after severe skin and soft tissue infection requiring intensive care.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) stay are commonly treated with antibiotics, surgery and in some centers also with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Long-term follow-up of body image and psychological outcome has not been described despite extensive surgery, potentially altered body image and subsequent psychological problems. The aim was to describe perceived body image and its relation to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms in patients with severe SSTI 1 year after ICU stay. Specifically, we aimed to assess potential differences related to gender and anatomic site of infection. METHODS: Fifty patients treated for severe SSTI in the General ICU, Karolinska University Hospital 2008-2010 received the body image scale (BIS), impact of event scale (IES), and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) 1 year after ICU discharge. RESULTS: Abdominoperineal SSTI was associated with more body image problems than other anatomic sites of infection in both men and women. Generally, women reported higher BIS scores than men (median 9.5 vs. 3.0 of total 30, P < 0.03) indicating more negative body image. A substantial number of patients reported scar dissatisfaction (63.9%), body dissatisfaction (51.1%) and body feeling less whole (51.0%). BIS scores correlated with HADS anxiety (r = 0.59, P < 0.01), depression (r = 0.60, P < 0.01) and IES (r = 0.61, P < 0.01) scores. CONCLUSION: One year after severe SSTI requiring intensive care, women and patients with abdominoperineal SSTI reported significantly more body image problems. Negative body image was associated with anxiety, depression and PTSD-related symptoms. Specific follow-up for SSTI patients is warranted.

Cardiac outcome after sevoflurane versus propofol sedation following coronary bypass surgery: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Studies of volatile anesthetic administration during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) report reduced serum levels of post-operative cardiac troponin-T (cTnT). Our primary objective was to evaluate whether short-term sedation with sevoflurane in the intensive care unit (ICU)--after CABG--could affect the release of cTnT, compared with propofol sedation. METHODS: Following isolated CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass, 100 patients were randomized to either sevoflurane via the Anesthetic Conserving Device (AnaConDa(®)) or propofol for ICU sedation. Study drugs were administered for 2 h during mechanical ventilation and thereafter until extubation criteria were met. The primary endpoint was cTnT 12 h post-operatively. Crude cTnT data were not normally distributed and therefore compared with the Mann-Whitney U-test. Because of the skewed pre-operative and post-operative cTnT data, we performed a post hoc analysis of the change in cTnT between pre-operative values and 12 h post-operatively. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between groups in the primary endpoint cTnT values at 12 h post-operatively, cardiac events or the need for hemodynamic support. In the post hoc analysis, the cTnT increase from pre-operative values to 12 h post-operatively was less pronounced in the sevoflurane group (P=0.008). CONCLUSION: Post-operative short-term sevoflurane sedation following CABG, in comparison with propofol, did not affect the cTnT values at 12 h post-operatively and clinical outcome was equal between groups. The result from the post hoc analysis, with less cTnT change over time, is nevertheless hypothesis-generating and warrants a larger study.

A preliminary validation of the Swedish version of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool in adults.

BACKGROUND: Assessing pain in critically ill patients can be complicated, especially for those unable to communicate. A recently developed pain assessment tool, the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), has been shown to be a reliable tool for pain assessment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The aim of the study was to validate the Swedish version of the CPOT. METHODS: Conscious and unconscious adults were observed during two procedures: one non-nociceptive procedure (NNP) (arm- and face wash) and one nociceptive procedure (NP) (turning). In total, there were 240 patient assessments pre-, per- and post-procedure performed by two independent staff members at rest, during and 15 min after the different procedures. Measures of interrater reliability, internal consistency and discriminant validity of the CPOT were obtained to examine the properties of the Swedish version of CPOT. RESULTS: The results provide indications of good agreement between the independent raters (ICC=0.84). There was an adequate discriminant validity of the Swedish version of CPOT established by a significant peak for CPOT scores during the NP (per-procedure). There was also a consistent pattern of significant correlations between CPOT and the mean artery pressure (ρ=0.32-0.45). CONCLUSION: The Swedish version of the CPOT is a suitable instrument for assessing pain in critically ill adults. The overall reliability and validity measures converge with findings from previous studies of the CPOT, but in order to achieve enhanced generalizability of the CPOT, we encourage further evaluation of CPOT in broader groups of critically ill patients.

Bispectral index as a predictor of sedation depth during isoflurane or midazolam sedation in ICU patients.

Bispectral index (BIS) is used for monitoring anaesthetic depth with inhaled anaesthetic agents in the operating room but has not been evaluated as a monitor of sedation depth in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting with these agents. If BIS could predict sedation depth in ICU patients, patient disturbances could be reduced and oversedation avoided. Twenty ventilator-dependent ICU patients aged 27 to 80 years were randomised to sedation with isoflurane via the AnaConDa or intravenous midazolam. BIS (A-2000 XP, version 3.12), electromyogram activity (EMG) and Signal Quality Index were measured continuously. Hourly clinical evaluation of sedation depth according to Bloomsbury Sedation Score (Bloomsbury) was performed. The median BIS value during a 10-minute interval prior to the clinical evaluation at the bedside was compared with Bloomsbury. Nurses performing the clinical sedation scoring were blinded to the BIS values. End-tidal isoflurane concentration was measured and compared with Bloomsbury. Correlation was poor between BIS and Bloomsbury in both groups (Spearman's rho 0.012 in the isoflurane group and -0.057 in the midazolam group). Strong correlation was found between BIS and EMG (Spearman's rho 0.74). Significant correlation was found between end-tidal isoflurane concentration and Bloomsbury (Spearman's rho 0.47). In conclusion, BIS XP does not reliably predict sedation depth as measured by clinical evaluation in non-paralysed ICU patients sedated with isoflurane or midazolam. EMG contributes significantly to BIS values in isoflurane or midazolam sedated, non-paralysed ICU patients. End-tidal isoflurane concentration appeared to be a better indicator of clinical sedation depth than BIS.