The benefits of 24/7 in-house intensivist coverage for prolonged-stay cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of 24/7 in-house intensivist care for patients requiring prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay following cardiac surgery. METHODS: A propensity-matched retrospective before-and-after observational study comparing 2 models of ICU physician staffing was undertaken. Previously, residents (with intensivist backup) provided care for patients after cardiac surgery (surgical ICU cohort). ICU physician staffing was modified with the implementation of 24/7 in-house board-certified intensivist coverage in a cardiac surgery ICU (cardiac surgery ICU cohort) for postoperative care. Patients with a prolonged ICU stay (ie, >48 hours) were identified and their outcomes analyzed for both models of care. RESULTS: Propensity matching between cohorts was successful for 271 patients (75.7%), with matched patients being used for comparison. There was no difference in ICU or 30-day mortality. There was also no difference in ICU length of stay (LOS); however, the median hospital LOS was significantly shorter in the cardiac surgery ICU cohort (12.3 vs 11.0 days; P < .01). There was a decrease in the proportion of patients receiving transfused red blood cells in the cardiac surgery ICU cohort (80.8% vs 65.7%; P < .001). The cardiac surgery ICU cohort had reduced complications relating to sepsis (4.7% vs 0.7%; P < .01) and renal failure (22.5% vs 12.5%; P < .01); however, the identification of neurologic dysfunction was significantly higher (11.1% vs 20.7%; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: For patients requiring a prolonged ICU stay, our model of 24/7 in-house intensivist coverage was not associated with changes in ICU LOS, nor ICU and 30-day mortality. However a reduction in blood product use, ICU complications, and total hospital LOS was observed.

Variation in diagnostic testing in ICUs: a comparison of teaching and nonteaching hospitals in a regional system.

OBJECTIVES: To explore variation in the use of diagnostic testing in ICUs, with emphasis on differences between teaching and nonteaching ICUs. DESIGN: Retrospective review of a prospective clinical ICU database. SETTING: Five teaching and four nonteaching ICUs in Winnipeg, Canada, during 2006-2010. PATIENTS: All adults admitted to the nine ICUs during the study period were eligible. After excluding subgroups restricted to teaching ICUs, inter-ICU transfers, prior ICU admission within 90 days, ICU length of stay less than 12 hours, and missing death dates, 10,262 patients were evaluated. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Our primary outcome variable (TotalTesting) was the cumulative number of nine common laboratory tests, three radiologic tests, and electrocardiograms performed in each ICU. We used multivariable median regression to identify factors associated with TotalTesting, including length of stay, demographics, admission details, type and severity of acute illness, and specific medical interventions. We estimated the predictive power of variables as the decline in pseudo-R2 (a goodness-of-fit measure for median regression) when omitting those variables from the model. Median (interquartile range) TotalTesting was 27 (18-49) in teaching ICUs and 20 (13-36) in nonteaching units. With multivariable adjustment, median TotalTesting was 7.1 higher (95% CI, 6.6-7.7) in teaching ICUs. The most influential variable was length of stay, accounting for almost half of the variation. ICU teaching status was the second most important factor, greater than the degree of physiologic derangement and details of medical management. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for confounding variables, patients in teaching ICUs had slightly but significantly more diagnostic tests done than those in nonteaching ICUs. In addition to increasing costs, prior studies have shown that excessive testing can cause harm in various ways and does not improve outcomes. Interventions to reduce testing should be directed to all caregivers with responsibility for ordering diagnostic tests, in both teaching and nonteaching institutions.

Impact of 24-hour in-house intensivists on a dedicated cardiac surgery intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) physician staffing models for cardiac surgery patients vary widely and correlate poorly with outcomes. Clinical outcomes associated with 24-hour, in-house intensivists working in a dedicated post-cardiac surgical unit has not been previously investigated. We sought to examine the safety and efficacy of such a model. METHODS: A retrospective, propensity-matched, cohort study of all patients undergoing a cardiac surgical procedure at a single tertiary center was performed. The control cohort (n = 1,467) consisted of patients admitted to the traditional, mixed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) from January 2005 to January 2007. The intervention cohort (n = 1,089) consisted of patients admitted to a newly created "hybrid" cardiac surgery ICU (CICU) from January 2007 to January 2008, which was staffed by 24-hour in-house consultant intensivists and a daytime, fast track cardiac anesthesiologist. The primary outcomes were blood product utilization, requirement for ventilation, and ICU recidivism. RESULTS: The proportion of patients in the CICU cohort who received transfused red blood cells was decreased compared with the SICU cohort (30.2% versus 42.3%, p < 0.001). Similar reductions in platelets and fresh frozen plasma were also observed. The CICU patients were less likely to arrive to the ICU intubated (43.7% versus 66.5%, p < 0.001). There were no differences in postoperative complications. Overall hospital length of stay was reduced in the CICU cohort by a median of 1 day (6 days [interquartile range, 5 to 8] versus 7 days [5 to 9], p < 0.001). Significant reductions in mortality and ICU recidivism were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The current Manitoba CICU model of 24-hour intensive care physician/cardiac anesthesiologist staffing in postoperative cardiac surgery care is associated with reduced transfusion of blood components, decreased requirement for mechanical ventilation, and shorter hospital length of stay.

Historical perspectives in critical care medicine: blood transfusion, intravenous fluids, inotropes/vasopressors, and antibiotics.

Significant progress in critical care medicine has been the result of tireless observation, dedicated research, and well-timed serendipity. This article provides a historical perspective for four meaningful therapies in critical care medicine: blood transfusion, fluid resuscitation, vasopressor/inotropic support, and antibiotics. For each therapy, key discoveries and events that have shaped medical history and helped define current practice are discussed. Prominent medical and social pressures that have catalyzed research and innovation in each domain are also addressed, as well as current and future challenges.

Management following resuscitation from cardiac arrest: recommendations from the 2003 Rocky Mountain Critical Care Conference.

PURPOSE: To propose a strategy for the management of patients admitted to critical care units after resuscitation from cardiac arrest. SOURCE: Prior to the conference relevant studies were identified via literature searches and brief reviews circulated on the following topics: glucose and blood pressure management; therapeutic hypothermia; prearrest outcome prediction; post-arrest outcome prediction; and management of myocardial ischemia. Two days were devoted to assessing evidence and developing a management strategy at the conference. Consensus opinion of conference participants [intensive care unit (ICU) physicians] was used when high grade evidence was unavailable. Additional literature searches and data grading were performed post-conference. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: High grade evidence was lacking in most areas. Specific goals of treatment were proposed for: general care; neurologic care; respiratory care; cardiac care; and gastrointestinal care. There was adequate evidence to recommend therapeutic hypothermia for comatose patients who had witnessed ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia arrests. Conference participants supported extending therapeutic hypothermia to other presenting rhythms in selected circumstances. Additional goals included mean arterial pressure 80 to 100 mmHg, glucose 5 to 8 mmol.L(-1) using insulin infusions, and PaO(2) > 100 mmHg for the first 24 hr. Absent withdrawal to pain 72 hr after resuscitation should prompt consideration of palliative care. The level of evidence for other recommendations was low. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed management strategy represents an approach to manage patients in the ICU following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Most of the recommendations are based on low grade evidence. Additional research is needed to improve the evidence base. A standard post-arrest management strategy could help facilitate future research.

Variable ventilation improves perioperative lung function in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy.

BACKGROUND: Optimizing perioperative mechanical ventilation remains a significant clinical challenge. Experimental models indicate that "noisy" or variable ventilation (VV)--return of physiologic variability to respiratory rate and tidal volume--improves lung function compared with monotonous control mode ventilation (CV). VV was compared with CV in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy, a patient group known to be at risk of deteriorating lung function perioperatively. METHODS: After baseline measurements under general anesthesia (CV with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and a respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min), patients were randomized to continue CV or switch to VV (computer control of the ventilator at the same minute ventilation but with 376 combinations of respiratory rate and tidal volume). Lung function was measured hourly for the next 6 h during surgery and recovery. RESULTS: Forty-one patients for aneurysmectomy were studied. The characteristics of the patients in the two groups were similar. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (group x time interaction) revealed greater arterial oxygen partial pressure (P = 0.011), lower arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (P = 0.012), lower dead space ventilation (P = 0.011), increased compliance (P = 0.049), and lower mean peak inspiratory pressure (P = 0.013) with VV. CONCLUSIONS: The VV mode of ventilation significantly improved lung function over CV in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy.