Prediction of culture-positive sepsis and selection of empiric antibiotics in critically ill patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To compare the mortality rates between culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis in complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) and investigate the predictors of culture-positivity and their causative microorganisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 1581 adult patients who underwent emergency gastrointestinal surgery between January 2013 and December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 239 patients with sepsis or septic shock who were admitted to an emergency department, underwent emergency surgery for cIAI, and needed postoperative intensive care unit care were included and divided into two groups according to their initial blood and peritoneal culture results. RESULTS: Among the 239 patients, 200 were culture-negative and 39 were culture-positive. The culture-positive group had higher in-hospital (35.9% vs 14.5%; P = .001) and 30-day mortality (30.8% vs 12.0%; P = .003) than the culture-negative group. Colon involvement (OR 4.211; 95% CI 1.909-9.287; P < .001) and higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (OR 1.169; 95% CI 1.065-1.282; P = .001) were shown to be the predictors of culture-positive sepsis for cIAI. Regarding antibiotic sensitivity, 31.6% of the gram-positive bacteria were methicillin-resistant and 42.1% of the gram-negative bacteria were extended spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cIAI had higher mortality rates in culture-positive sepsis than in culture-negative sepsis. High SOFA score and colon involvement were the risk factors associated with culture-positivity. The most common single species grown in the blood or peritoneal cultures was Escherichia coli, and the most common group was Gram-positive cocci.

Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Marker of High Meld Patients Is Associated With Early Mortality After Liver Transplantation.

The scarcity of deceased donor livers has led to allocation of grafts to only the most seriously ill patients with a high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, which has resulted in a high mortality rate after deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for posttransplant mortality and thereby reduce futile outcomes in DDLT. Between 2013 and 2019, 57 recipients with MELD scores ≥30 underwent DDLT in our center. We retrieved data and identified the risk factors for 90-day posttransplant mortality. The perioperative clinical and laboratory parameters of patients who did or did not survive for 90 days were subjected to logistic regression analysis. Twelve patients died within 90 days. Results of univariate analysis indicated that the differences in patient survival were determined by the amount of intraoperative platelets transfused, the presence of posttransplant septicemia, and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) at the time of listing with MELD scores ≥30. Multivariate analysis revealed that an SII ≥870 (× 109/L) and posttransplant septicemia were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality. Twenty-two patients had SIIs ≥870, and 13 of these patients had posttransplant septicemia. Of the 13 patients, 90-day mortality occurred in 10 cases. However, in 35 patients with SIIs <870, 90-day mortality due to posttransplant septicemia was recorded only in 1 patient. In conclusion, a preoperative SII ≥870 in a patient with a high MELD score may be a significant risk factor for early posttransplant mortality. Because posttransplant septicemia in patients with high SIIs can lead to fatality, a more intensive effort to prevent infection is needed for patients undergoing DDLT carrying such risk factors to avoid futile liver transplantation.

Early supplemental parenteral nutrition is associated with reduced mortality in critically ill surgical patients with high nutritional risk.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Adequate nutritional provision is important for critically ill patients to improve clinical outcomes. Starting enteral nutrition (EN) as early as possible is recommended and preferred to parenteral nutrition (PN). However, patients who undergo emergency abdominal operations may have alterations in their intra-abdominal environment and gastrointestinal motility leading to limitation in starting an enteral diet. Therefore, our study was designed to evaluate the benefit of early supplemental PN to achieve adequate calorie and protein supply in critically ill patients undergoing surgery who are not eligible for early EN. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 317 patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery for complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) between January 2013 and December 2018. The nutritional data of the patients were collected for 7 days in maximum, starting on the day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The patients were divided by low or high malnutrition risk using the modified Nutrition Risk in Critically ill (mNUTRIC) score and body mass index. The low- and high-risk groups were subdivided into the following two categories: those who received PN within 48 h ("early") and those who did not ("usual"). Data regarding the baseline characteristics, initial severity of illness, morbidity, and mortality rates were also obtained. The average calorie and protein supply per day were calculated in these groups. RESULTS: Patients in all groups showed no significant differences in baseline characteristics, initial status, and infectious complications. In terms of outcomes, patients with low malnutrition risk had no significant difference in mortality. However, among patients with high malnutrition risk, the "Early" group had lower rates of 30-day mortality (7.6% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.006) and in-hospital mortality (13.6% vs. 28.9%, p = 0.048) than those of the "Usual" group. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for 30-day mortality in these groups also showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). The caloric adequacy of the "Early" group and the "Usual" group were 0.88 ± 0.34 and 0.6 ± 0.29, respectively. Amounts of protein received were 0.94 ± 0.39 g/kg in the "Early" group and 0.47 ± 0.34 g/kg in the "Usual" group, respectively. There was no significant difference in infectious complications between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality in patients with high malnutrition risk who received early PN supply within 48 h after emergency surgery for cIAI was lower than those who did not receive PN earlier. PN may be necessary to fulfill the caloric and protein requirements for critically ill patients who cannot achieve their nutritional requirements to the fullest with EN alone.

Association between postoperative fluid balance and mortality and morbidity in critically ill patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative fluid overload may increase the risk of developing pulmonary complications and other adverse outcomes. We evaluated the impact of excessive fluid administration on postoperative outcomes in critically ill patients. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 320 patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after emergency abdominal surgery for complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) between January 2013 and December 2018. The fluid balance data of the patients were reviewed for a maximum of 7 days. The patients were grouped based on average daily fluid balance with a cutoff value of 20 ml/kg/day. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce the underlying differences between the groups. RESULTS: Patients with an average daily fluid balance of ≥20 ml/kg/day were associated with higher rates of 30-day mortality (11.8% vs. 2.4%; P=0.036) than those with lower fluid balance (<20 ml/kg/day). Kaplan-Meier survival curves for 30-day mortality in these groups also showed a better survival rate in the lower fluid balance group with a statistical significance (P=0.020). The percentage of patients who developed pulmonary consolidation during ICU stay (47.1% vs. 24.7%; P=0.004) was higher in the fluid-overloaded group. Percentages of newly developed pleural effusion (61.2% vs. 57.7%; P=0.755), reintubation (18.8% vs. 10.6%; P=0.194), and infectious complications (55.3% vs. 49.4%; P=0.539) showed no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative fluid overload in patients who underwent emergency surgery for cIAI was associated with higher 30-day mortality and more frequent occurrence of pulmonary consolidation. Postoperative fluid balance should be adjusted carefully to avoid adverse clinical outcomes.

Impact of a multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative to reduce inappropriate usage of stress ulcer prophylaxis in hospitalized patients.

AIMS: To promote effective methods to improve overutilization patterns of acid-suppressive therapy in hospitalized patients and to evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary team efforts to reduce inappropriate use of stress ulcer prophylaxis in low-risk patients. METHODS: A multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative incorporating education, medication use reviews and reconciliation, and pharmaceutical intervention was implemented in June 2018 for surgical patients hospitalized via emergency department. For the pre-post analysis and time series analysis, patients admitted during April and May were classified into the pre-intervention cohort and those admitted during July and August into the post-intervention cohort. RESULTS: Three hundred and seventeen patients were included in this study (153 and 164 in the pre- and post-intervention cohorts, respectively). The multidisciplinary program was effective in reducing overuse of stress ulcer prophylaxis and healthcare expenses associated with it. Biweekly education on risk factors warranting stress ulcer prophylaxis was provided for clinicians, and acid-suppressive therapy was removed from a preset list of admission orders. The incidence of inappropriate prophylaxis use declined substantially following intervention in overall patients (OR = 0.51, P = 0.01) and a significant decrease was primarily observed among non-ICU patients (OR = 0.50, P = 0.01). Interrupted time series analysis confirmed the significant decline in inappropriate use post intervention (coefficient = -0.63, P < 0.001). The total healthcare expenses associated with such overuse decreased by 58.5% from US$ 19.39 to US$ 8.04 per 100 patient-days. CONCLUSIONS: Our multidisciplinary team efforts were associated with improvement in stress ulcer prophylaxis overuse patterns, resulting in a substantial decrease in the incidence of inappropriate use, especially in general wards, and associated healthcare costs.

Risk factor for ischemic-type biliary lesion after ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation.

AIM: To evaluate the risk factors for ischemic-type biliary lesion (ITBL) after ABO-incompatible (ABO-I) adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT). METHODS: Among 141 ALDLTs performed in our hospital between 2008 and 2014, 27 (19%) were ABO-I ALDLT and 114 were ABO-identical/compatible ALDLT. In this study, we extensively analyzed the clinico-pathological data of the 27 ABO-I recipients to determine the risk factors for ITBL after ABO-I ALDLT. All ABO-I ALDLT recipients underwent an identical B-cell depletion protocol with preoperative rituximab, plasma exchange (PE), and operative splenectomy. The median follow-up period after transplantation was 26 mo. The clinical outcomes of the 27 ABO-I ALDLT recipients were compared with those of 114 ABO-identical/compatible ALDLT recipients. RESULTS: ITBL occurred in four recipients (14.8%) between 45 and 112 d after ABO-I ALDLT. The overall survival rates were not different between ABO-I ALDLT and ABO-identical/compatible ALDLT (P = 0.303). Among the ABO-I ALDLT recipients, there was no difference between patients with ITBL and those without ITBL in terms of B-cell and T-cell count, serum isoagglutinin titers, number of PEs, operative time and transfusion, use of graft infusion therapy, or number of remnant B-cell follicles and plasma cells in the spleen. However, the perioperative NK cell counts in the blood of patients with ITBL were significantly higher than those in the patients without ITBL (P < 0.05). Preoperative NK cell count > 150/µL and postoperative NK cell count > 120/µL were associated with greater relative risks (RR) for development of ITBL (RR = 20 and 14.3, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High NK cell counts in a transplant recipient's blood are associated with ITBL after ABO-I ALDLT. Further research is needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of NK cell involvement in the development of ITBL.

Quantitative Assessment of the Portal Pressure for the Liver Surgery Using Serological Tests.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a reliable equation to predict hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) using serological tests for surgical patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of portal pressure for surgical patients with HCC is important for safe hepatic resection (HR). The HVPG is regarded as the most reliable method to detect portal hypertension. However, HVPG is not utilized in many medical centers due to invasiveness of procedure. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2008, 171 patients (Correlation cohort), who underwent liver surgery in a tertiary hospital, were enrolled. Preoperative measurements of the HVPG and serological tests were performed simultaneously. Correlation between the HVPG and serological tests were analyzed to establish an equation for calculated HVPG (cHVPG). Between 2008 and 2013, 510 surgical patients (Application cohort) were evaluated, and HR recommended when cHVPG < 10 mm Hg. The outcomes of HR were analyzed to evaluate reliability of the cHVPG for HR. RESULTS: In the correlation cohort, the equation for cHVPG was established using multivariate linear regression analysis; cHVPG (mm Hg) = 0.209 × [ICG-R15 (%)] - 1.646 × [albumin (g/dL)] - 0.01×[platelet count (10)] + 1.669 × [PT-INR] + 8.911. In the application cohort, 425 patients with cHVPG < 10 mm Hg underwent HR. Among them, 357 had favorable value of ICG-R15 < 20% (group A), and 68 had unfavorable value of ICG-R15 ≥ 20% (group B). There was no significant difference in patient demographics, tumor characteristics, operative outcome, and survival rates between group A and B. CONCLUSIONS: The equation for cHVPG of this study was established on statistical reliability. The cHVPG could be useful to predict portal pressure quantitatively for surgical patients with HCC using serological tests.

Risk factors for mortality of severe trauma based on 3 years' data at a single Korean institution.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the mortality rate in patients with severe trauma and the risk factors for trauma mortality based on 3 years' data in a regional trauma center in Korea. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of severe trauma patients admitted to Ajou University Hospital with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15 between January 2010 and December 2012. Pearson chi-square tests and Student t-tests were conducted to examine the differences between the survived and deceased groups. To identify factors associated with mortality after severe trauma, multivariate logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: There were 915 (743 survived and 172 deceased) enrolled patients with overall mortality of 18.8%. Age, blunt trauma, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at admission, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, head or neck Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score, and ISS were significantly different between the groups. Age by point increase (odds ratio [OR], 1.016; P = 0.001), SBP ≤ 90 mmHg (OR, 2.570; P < 0.001), GCS score ≤ 8 (OR, 6.229; P < 0.001), head or neck AIS score ≥ 4 (OR, 1.912; P = 0.003), and ISS by point increase (OR, 1.042; P < 0.001) were significant risk factors. CONCLUSION: In severe trauma patients, age, initial SBP, GCS score, head or neck AIS score, and ISS were associated with mortality.