Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Adult Circulatory Shock: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Circulatory shock affects every third patient in intensive care units and is associated with high mortality. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could serve as a means for monitoring tissue perfusion in circulatory shock. PURPOSE: To assess the evidence of NIRS monitoring in circulatory shock, we conducted a systematic review of the literature. METHODS: The study protocol was registered in International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). We searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and EBM Reviews databases. The reference lists of included articles, last volumes of key journals, and NIRS monitor manufacturers' webpages were searched manually. Two reviewers independently selected included studies. The quality of studies was assessed. The qualitative synthesis was guided by 3 questions: First, does NIRS monitoring improve patient-centered outcomes in adult circulatory shock patient? Second, do NIRS-derived parameters predict patient-centered outcomes, such as mortality and organ dysfunction, and third, does NIRS monitoring give additional information to guide treatment decisions? MAIN RESULTS: Eighteen observational studies with 927 patients were included. Because of considerable clinical heterogeneity of the data, we were not able to perform a meta-analysis. Also, due to lack of randomized controlled trials, the first review question could not be answered. Based on the current review, baseline tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) however seems to predict mortality and identify patients with most severe forms of circulatory shock. CONCLUSIONS: Near-infrared spectroscopy-derived StO2 can predict mortality in circulatory shock, but high-quality data on the impact of NIRS monitoring are lacking. Furthermore, the marked heterogeneity of the studies makes combining the results of individual studies difficult. Standardization of methodology and clinical randomized trials are needed before wider clinical use.

Evolution of Blood Lactate and 90-Day Mortality in Septic Shock. A Post Hoc Analysis of the FINNAKI Study.

Hyperlactatemia predicts mortality in patients with sepsis and septic shock, and its normalization is a potential treatment goal. We investigated the association of blood lactate and its changes over time with 90-day mortality in septic shock. We performed a post hoc analysis of 513 septic shock patients with admission blood lactate measurements in the prospective, observational, multicenter FINNAKI study. Repetitive lactate measurements were available in 496 patients for analyses of change in lactate values during intensive care unit stay.The 90-day mortality for all patients was 33.3%. Patients with admission lactate >2 mmol/L had higher 90-day mortality than those with admission lactate ≤2 mmol/L (43.4% vs. 22.6%, P < 0.001). Patients with persistent hyperlactatemia (>2 mmol/L) at ≥72 h had higher 90-day mortality compared with those with a lactate value of ≤2.0 mmol/L (52.0% vs. 24.3%, P < 0.001). Time-weighted mean lactate values were higher in non-survivors than in survivors, (median [IQR] 2.05 [1.38-4.22] mmol/L vs. 1.29 [0.98-1.77] mmol/L, P < 0.001). Time to normalization of lactate was comparable for 90-day non-survivors and survivors (median [IQR] 17.0 [3.5-43.5] vs. 15.0 [5.0-35.0] h, P = 0.67). In separate models, time-weighted mean lactate, lactate value at ≥72 h, and hyperlactatemia at ≥72 h were independently associated with 90-day mortality, but admission lactate and time to normalization of lactate were not. These findings may inform future clinical trials using combined surrogate endpoints for mortality in septic shock patients.

Additions to the myxobiota of the Åland Islands.

Six myxomycete species new to the Åland Islands are presented: Comatrichaelegans, Cribrariaintricata, Didymiumminus, Hemitrichiaclavata, Liceavariabilis and Trichiafavoginea. The record of Cribrariaintricata is the third in Finland. Specimens were collected in September 2014. Altogether the number of myxomycete species found from the Åland Islands is now 55.