Timing of antibiotic treatment identifies distinct clinical presentations among patients presenting with suspected septic shock.

Objective: Recent clinical guidelines for sepsis management emphasize immediate antibiotic initiation for suspected septic shock. Though hypotension is a high-risk marker of sepsis severity, prior studies have not considered the precise timing of hypotension in relation to antibiotic initiation and how clinical characteristics and outcomes may differ. Our objective was to evaluate antibiotic initiation in relation to hypotension to characterize differences in sepsis presentation and outcomes in patients with suspected septic shock. Methods: Adults presenting to the emergency department (ED) June 2012-December 2018 diagnosed with sepsis (Sepsis-III electronic health record [EHR] criteria) and hypotension (non-resolving for ≥30 min, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg) within 24 h. We categorized patients who received antibiotics before hypotension ("early"), 0-60 min after ("immediate"), and >60 min after ("late") treatment. Results: Among 2219 patients, 55% received early treatment, 13% immediate, and 32% late. The late subgroup often presented to the ED with hypotension (median 0 min) but received antibiotics a median of 191 min post-ED presentation. Clinical characteristics notable for this subgroup included higher prevalence of heart failure and liver disease (p < 0.05) and later onset of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria compared to early/immediate treatment subgroups (median 87 vs. 35 vs. 20 min, p < 0.0001). After adjustment, there was no difference in clinical outcomes among treatment subgroups. Conclusions: There was significant heterogeneity in presentation and timing of antibiotic initiation for suspected septic shock. Patients with later treatment commonly had hypotension on presentation, had more hypotension-associated comorbidities, and developed overt markers of infection (eg, SIRS) later. While these factors likely contribute to delays in clinician recognition of suspected septic shock, it may not impact sepsis outcomes.

The Comparison of scoring systems: SOFA, APACHE-II, LODS, MODS, and SAPS-II in critically ill elderly sepsis patients.

INTRODUCTION: The elderly population is unique and the prognostic scoring systems developed for the adult population need to be validated. We evaluated the predictive value of frequently used scoring systems on mortality in critically ill elderly sepsis patients. METHODOLOGY: In this single-center, observational, prospective study, critically ill elderly sepsis patients were evaluated. Sequential organ failure evaluation score (SOFA), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score-II (APACHE-II), logistic organ dysfunction score (LODS), multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS), and simplified acute physiology score-II (SAPS-II) were calculated. The participants were followed up for 28 days for in-hospital mortality. Prognostic scoring systems, demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and baseline laboratory findings were compared between "survivor" and "non-survivor" groups. RESULTS: 202 patients with a mean age of 79 (interquartile range, IQR: 11) years were included, and 51% (n = 103) were female. The overall mortality was 41% (n = 83). SOFA, APACHE-II, LODS, MODS, and SAPS-II scores were significantly higher in the non-survivor group (p < 0.001), and higher scores were correlated with higher mortality. The receiver operator characteristics (ROC) - area under curve (AUC) values were 0.802, 0.784, 0.735, 0.702 and 0.780 for SOFA, APACHE-II, LODS, MODS, and SAPS-II, respectively. All prognostic scoring models had a significant discriminative ability on the prediction of mortality among critically ill elderly sepsis patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that SOFA, APACHE-II, LODS, MODS, and SAPS-II scores are significantly associated with 28-day mortality in critically ill elderly sepsis patients, and can be successfully used for predicting mortality.

Oxygen Debt as Predictor of Mortality and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome in Severe COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Oxygen debt (DEOx) represents the disparity between resting and shock oxygen consumption (VO2) and is associated with metabolic insufficiency, acidosis, severity, and mortality. This study aimed to assess the reliability of DEOx as an indirect quantitative measure for predicting multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and 28-day mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with respiratory syndrome severe acute coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, in comparison to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA), and 4C scores. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including ICU patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection between 2020 and 2021. Clinical data were extracted from the EPIMED Monitor Database®. APACHE II, SOFA, and 4C scores were calculated upon ICU admission, and their accuracy in predicting 28-day mortality and MODS was compared to DEOx. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the outcome variables. Results: 708 patients were included, with a mortality rate of 44.4%. DEOx value was 11.16 ml O2/kg. The mean age was 58.7 years. Multivariate analysis showed that DEOx was independently associated with mortality, intubation, and renal injury. Each point increase in creatinine was associated with a higher risk of MODS. To determine the precision of the scores, area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) analysis was performed with weak discrimination and similar behavior for the primary outcomes. The most accurate scale for mortality and MODS was 4C with an AUC of 0.683 and APACHE II with an AUC of 0.814, while that of the AUROC of DEOx was 0.612 and 0.646, respectively. Conclusions: DEOx showed similar predictive value to established scoring systems in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The correlation of DEOx with these scores may facilitate early intervention in critically ill patients.

Modified Cardiovascular Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score in Sepsis: External Validation in Intensive Care Unit Patients.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to update the cardiovascular (CV) Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score to reflect the current practice in sepsis. We previously proposed the modified CV SOFA score from data on blood pressure, norepinephrine equivalent dose, and lactate as gathered from emergency departments. In this study, we externally validated the modified CV SOFA score in multicenter intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted on ICU patients at six hospitals in Korea. We included adult patients with sepsis who were admitted to ICUs. We compared the prognostic performance of the modified CV/total SOFA score and the original CV/total SOFA score in predicting 28-day mortality. Discrimination and calibration were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the calibration curve, respectively. RESULTS: We analyzed 1,015 ICU patients with sepsis. In overall patients, the 28-day mortality rate was 31.2%. The predictive validity of the modified CV SOFA (AUROC, 0.712; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.677-0.746; P < 0.001) was significantly higher than that of the original CV SOFA (AUROC, 0.644; 95% CI, 0.611-0.677). The predictive validity of modified total SOFA score for 28-day mortality was significantly higher than that of the original total SOFA (AUROC, 0.747 vs. 0.730; 95% CI, 0.715-0.779; P = 0.002). The calibration curve of the original CV SOFA for 28-day mortality showed poor calibration. In contrast, the calibration curve of the modified CV SOFA for 28-day mortality showed good calibration. CONCLUSION: In patients with sepsis in the ICU, the modified SOFA score performed better than the original SOFA score in predicting 28-day mortality.

Machine Learning Algorithms Predict Successful Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation Before Intubation: Retrospective Analysis From the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV Database.

BACKGROUND: The prediction of successful weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) in advance of intubation can facilitate discussions regarding end-of-life care before unnecessary intubation. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a machine learning-based model that predicts successful weaning from ventilator support based on routine clinical and laboratory data taken before or immediately after intubation. METHODS: We used the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database, which is an open-access database covering 524,740 admissions of 382,278 patients in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, United States, from 2008 to 2019. We selected adult patients who underwent MV in the intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical and laboratory variables that are considered relevant to the prognosis of the patient in the ICU were selected. Data collected before or within 24 hours of intubation were used to develop machine learning models that predict the probability of successful weaning within 14 days of ventilator support. Developed models were integrated into an ensemble model. Performance metrics were calculated by 5-fold cross-validation for each model, and a permutation feature importance and Shapley additive explanations analysis was conducted to better understand the impacts of individual variables on outcome prediction. RESULTS: Of the 23,242 patients, 19,025 (81.9%) patients were successfully weaned from MV within 14 days. Using the preselected 46 clinical and laboratory variables, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CatBoost classifier, random forest classifier, and regularized logistic regression classifier models were 0.860 (95% CI 0.852-0.868), 0.855 (95% CI 0.848-0.863), and 0.823 (95% CI 0.813-0.832), respectively. Using the ensemble voting classifier using the 3 models above, the final model revealed the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.861 (95% CI 0.853-0.869), which was significantly better than that of Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (0.749, 95% CI 0.742-0.756) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (0.588, 95% CI 0.566-0.609). The top features included lactate and anion gap. The model's performance achieved a plateau with approximately the top 21 variables. CONCLUSIONS: We developed machine learning algorithms that can predict successful weaning from MV in advance to intubation in the ICU. Our models can aid the appropriate management for patients who hesitate to decide on ventilator support or meaningless end-of-life care.

Prognostic Performance of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II Scores in Patients with Suspected Infection According to Intensive Care Unit Type.

We investigated the prognostic performance of scoring systems by the intensive care unit (ICU) type. This was a retrospective observational study using data from the Marketplace for Medical Information in the Intensive Care IV database. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We obtained Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II scores in each ICU type. Prognostic performance was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and was compared among ICU types. A total of 29,618 patients were analyzed, and the in-hospital mortality was 12.4%. The overall prognostic performance of APACHE III was significantly higher than those of SOFA and SAPS II (0.807, [95% confidence interval, 0.799-0.814], 0.785 [0.773-0.797], and 0.795 [0.787-0.811], respectively). The prognostic performance of SOFA, APACHE III, and SAPS II scores was significantly different between ICU types. The AUROC ranges of SOFA, APACHE III, and SAPS II were 0.723-0.826, 0.728-0.860, and 0.759-0.819, respectively. The neurosurgical and surgical ICUs had lower prognostic performance than other ICU types. The prognostic performance of scoring systems in patients with suspected infection is significantly different according to ICU type. APACHE III systems have the highest prediction performance. ICU type may be a significant factor in the prognostication.

Delayed Treatment of Bloodstream Infection at Admission is Associated With Initial Low Early Warning Score and Increased Mortality.

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with antibiotic treatment delay in patients admitted with bloodstream infections (BSIs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: North Zealand Hospital, Denmark. PATIENTS: Adult patients with positive blood cultures obtained within the first 48 hours of admission between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015 (n = 926). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: First recorded Early Warning Score (EWS), patient characteristics, time to antibiotic treatment, and survival at day 60 after admission were obtained from electronic health records and medicine module. Presence of contaminants and the match between the antibiotic treatment and susceptibility of the cultured microorganism were included in the analysis. Data were stratified according to EWS quartiles. Overall, time from admission to prescription of antibiotic treatment was 3.7 (3.4-4.0) hours, whereas time from admission to antibiotic treatment was 5.7 (5.4-6.1) hours. A gap between prescription and administration of antibiotic treatment was present across all EWS quartiles. Importantly, 23.4% of patients admitted with BSI presented with an initial EWS 0-1. Within this group of patients, time to antibiotic treatment was markedly higher among nonsurvivors at day 60 compared with survivors. Furthermore, time to antibiotic treatment later than 6 hours was associated with increased mortality at day 60. Among patients with an initial EWS of 0-1, 51.3% of survivors received antibiotic treatment within 6 hours, whereas only 19.0% of nonsurvivors received antibiotic treatment within 6 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with initial low EWS, delay in antibiotic treatment of BSIs was associated with increased mortality at day 60. Lag from prescription to administration may contribute to delayed antibiotic treatment. A more frequent reevaluation of patients with infections with a low initial EWS and reduction of time from prescription to administration may reduce the time to antibiotic treatment, thus potentially improving survival.

Prediction of 30-Day Mortality Using the Quick Pitt Bacteremia Score in Hospitalized Patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection.

Purpose: Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important causative pathogen of nosocomial infections, resulting in poor prognosis owing to its hypervirulence and antibiotic resistance. A simplified quicker version of the Pitt bacteremia score (PBS) (qPitt) for acute illness severity measurement was developed recently. The goal of this study was to explore the prognostic value of qPitt in patients with K. pneumoniae infection. Patients and Methods: Demographic information and management strategies were retrospectively collected from the records of all adult patients who visited the emergency department between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, with culture-positive K. pneumoniae. The qPitt score was calculated based on: temperature <36°C, systolic blood pressure ≤90 mmHg or vasopressor administration, respiratory rate ≥25 times/min or need of mechanical ventilation, altered mental status, and cardiac arrest event. The 30-day mortality prediction abilities of the qPitt were compared with the PBS, the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Data from 867 patients (57.8% men) with a mean age of 66.9 were compiled. The 30-day mortality rate of the enrolled patients was 13.4%, and the area under the curve (AUC) of the scoring systems were as follows: SOFA, 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.89-0.93), qPitt, 0.87 (95% CI=0.84-0.89), PBS, 0.87 (95% CI=0.85-0.89), and qSOFA, 0.73 (95% CI=0.70-0.76). The AUC of qPitt was significantly higher than that of qSOFA (p<0.01) and similar to that of PBS (p=0.65).The qPitt also demonstrated excellent mortality discrimination ability in non-bacteremic patients, AUC= 0.85 (95% CI=0.82-0.88). Conclusion: The qPitt revealed excellent 30-day mortality prediction ability and also predicted mortality in non-bacteremic patients with K. pneumoniae infection. Clinicians can use this simplified scoring system to stratify patients earlier and initiate prompt treatment in high-risk patients.

Derivation and validation of a screening tool for stroke-associated sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke infections may cause sepsis, which is associated with poor clinical outcome. Sepsis is defined by life-threatening organ dysfunction that can be identified using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. The applicability of the SOFA score for patients not treated on an intensive care unit (ICU) is limited. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an easier-to-use modification of the SOFA score for stroke patients. METHODS: Using a registry-based cohort of 212 patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and infection, potential predictors of a poor outcome indicating sepsis were assessed by logistic regression. The derived score was validated on a separate cohort of 391 patients with ischemic stroke and infection admitted to our hospital over a period of 1.5 years. RESULTS: The derived Stroke-SOFA (S-SOFA) score included the following predictors: National Institutes of Health stroke scale ≥ 14, peripheral oxygen saturation < 90%, mean arterial pressure < 70 mmHg, thrombocyte count < 150 109/l and creatinine ≥ 1.2 mg/dl. The area under the receiver operating curve for the prediction of a poor outcome indicating sepsis was 0.713 [95% confidence interval: 0.665-0.762] for the S-SOFA score, which was comparable to the standard SOFA score (0.750 [0.703-0.798]), but the prespecified criteria for non-inferiority were not met (p = 0.115). However, the S-SOFA score was non-inferior compared to the SOFA score in non-ICU patients (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The derived S-SOFA score may be useful to identify non-ICU patients with stroke-associated sepsis who have a high risk of a poor outcome.

Correlación entre la Escala de dependencia de cuidados de pacientes ingresados en UCI y su perfil epidemiológico / Correlation between the care dependence scale of ICU patients and their epidemiological profile

Introducción: La Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) es un ambiente donde los pacientes críticos deben ser tratados por un equip multidisciplinario. Es de suma importancia reconocer el perfil clínico epidemiológico para evaluar individualmente los pacientes. Objetivo: Analizar el perfil epidemiológico de los pacientes ingresados en una UCI de un Hospital Universitario y su relación con la escala de Fugulin. Método: Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo, con enfoque cuantitativo, que realizó un análisis del perfil epidemiológico, desenlaces y variables asociadas a la morbimortalidad, a través de relatos de pacientes hospitalizados de marzo a agosto de 2020. Resultados: Se observó que la mayoría de estos pacientes hospitalizados era del sexo masculino, remitidos por el Servicio de Atención Médica de Urgencias, se les diagnosticó con mayor frecuencia: insuficiencia respiratoria aguda, sepsis e insuficiencia renal aguda, con un desenlace prevalente en muertes, habiéndose observado correlación de la escala de Fugulin con la mortalidad y puntuaciones de gravedad de estos pacientes. Conclusión: Ante la complejidad en el cuidado del paciente crítico, el estudio demuestra que la escala de Fugulin puede ser una alternativa en la práctica clínica, relacionando la necesidad de cuidado con la gravedad y mortalidad de los pacientes en uma UCI. (AU)

Introduction: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an environment where critical patients must be treated by a multidisciplinary team. What becomes extremely important to recognize the clinical epidemiological profile to evaluate individually. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of patients admitted to an ICU of a University Hospital and its relationship with the Fugulin scale. Method: This is a retrospective, descriptive study with a quantitative approach, which carried out an analysis of the epidemiological profile, outcomes and variables associated with morbidity and mortality, through reports of patients hospitalized from March to August 2020. Results: It was observed that most of these hospitalized patients were male, referred by the Emergency Medical Care Service, were diagnosed more frequently: acute respiratory failure, sepsis and acute renal failure, with a prevalent outcome in deaths, having been observed correlation of the Fugulin scale with the mortality and severity scores of these patients. Conclusion: In view of the complexity in the care of critically ill patients, the study demonstrates that the Fugulin scale can be an alternative in clinical practice, relating the need for care with severity and mortality to patients in an ICU. (AU)

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is independently associated with higher mortality for cirrhotic patients with acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage: Retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage (AEVH) is a common complication of cirrhosis and might precipitate multi-organ failure, causing acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). AIM: To analyze if the presence and grading of ACLF as defined by European Society for the Study of the Liver-Chronic Liver Failure (EASL-CLIF) is able to predict mortality in cirrhotic patients presenting AEVH. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study executed in Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul. Data from medical records from 2010 to 2016 were obtained by searching the hospital electronic database for patients who received terlipressin. Medical records were reviewed in order to determine the diagnosis of cirrhosis and AEVH, including 97 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used for univariate analysis and a stepwise approach to the Cox regression for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: All- cause mortality for AEVH patients was 36%, 40.2% and 49.4% for 30-, 90- and 365-day, respectively. The prevalence of ACLF was 41.3%. Of these, 35% grade 1, 50% grade 2 and 15% grade 3. In multivariate analysis, the non-use of non-selective beta-blockers, presence and higher grading of ACLF and higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores were independently associated with higher mortality for 30-day with the addition of higher Child-Pugh scores for 90-day period. CONCLUSION: Presence and grading of ACLF according to the EASL-CLIF criteria was independently associated with higher 30- and 90-day mortality in cirrhotic patients admitted due to AEVH.

Mortalidad de la sepsis en la unidad de cuidados intensivos / Mortality from sepsis in intensive care unit

INTRODUCCIÓN. La sepsis es un estado de disfunción multisistémica, que se produce por una respuesta desregulada del huésped a la infección. Diversos factores influyen en la gravedad, manifestaciones clínicas y progresión de la sepsis, tales como, heterogeneidad inmunológica y regulación dinámica de las vías de señalización celular. La evolución de los pacientes depende del tratamiento oportuno, las escalas de puntuación clínica permiten saber la mortalidad estimada. OBJETIVO. Evaluar la mortalidad en la unidad de cuidados intensivos; establecer el manejo y la utilidad de aplicar paquetes de medidas o "bundlers" para evitar la progresión a disfunción, fallo multiorgánico y muerte. METODOLOGÍA. Modalidad de investigación tipo revisión sistemática. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en bases de datos como Google académico, Mendeley, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, revistas como New England Journal Medicine, Critical Care, Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal. Se obtuvo las guías "Sobreviviendo a la sepsis" actualización 2021, 3 guías internacionales, 10 estudios observacionales, 2 estudios multicéntricos, 5 ensayos aleatorizados, 6 revisiones sistémicas, 5 metaanálisis, 1 reporte de caso clínico, 4 artículos con opiniones de expertos y actualizaciones con el tema mortalidad de la sepsis en UCI con un total de 36 artículos científicos. RESULTADOS. La mortalidad de la sepsis en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, fue menor en el hospital oncológico de Guayaquil, seguido de Australia, Alemania, Quito, Francia, Estados Unidos de Norteamérica y Vietnan, La mortalidad más alta se observa en pacientes con enfermedades del tejido conectivo. DISCUSIÓN. La aplicación de los paquetes de medidas o "bundlers" en la sepsis, se asocia con una mejor supervivencia y menores días de estancia hospitalaria. CONCLUSIÓN. Las escalas SOFA, APACHE II y SAPS II ayudan a predecir la mortalidad de forma eficiente, en la detección y el tratamiento temprano en pacientes con enfermedades agudas y de alto riesgo.

INTRODUCTION. Sepsis is a state of multisystem dysfunction, which is caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Several factors influence the severity, clinical manifestations and progression of sepsis, such as immunological heterogeneity and dynamic regulation of cell signaling pathways. The evolution of patients depends on timely treatment, clinical scoring scales allow to know the estimated mortality. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate mortality in the intensive care unit; to establish the management and usefulness of applying bundlers to prevent progression to dysfunction, multiorgan failure and death. METHODOLOGY. Systematic review type research modality. A bibliographic search was carried out in databases such as Google Scholar, Mendeley, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, journals such as New England Journal Medicine, Critical Care, Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal. We obtained the guidelines "Surviving Sepsis" update 2021, 3 international guidelines, 10 observational studies, 2 multicenter studies, 5 randomized trials, 6 systemic reviews, 5 meta-analyses, 1 clinical case report, 4 articles with expert opinions and updates on the subject of sepsis mortality in ICU with a total of 36 scientific articles. RESULTS. The mortality of sepsis in the intensive care unit, was lower in the oncological hospital of Guayaquil, followed by Australia, Germany, Quito, France, United States of America and Vietnam, The highest mortality is observed in patients with connective tissue diseases. DISCUSSION. The application of bundlers in sepsis is associated with better survival and shorter days of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS. The SOFA, APACHE II and SAPS II scales help to predict mortality efficiently in the early detection and treatment of patients with acute and high-risk disease.

[Correlation between the shock index and the anaerobic index]. / Correlación entre el índice de choque y el índice anaerobio.

Background: Shock is defined as an acute circulatory insufficiency that causes cellular dysfunction. The shock index (SI) and the anaerobic index or the relationship between the veno-arterial gradient of carbon dioxide and the difference between the arterial and venous content of O2 [∆P(v-a)CO2/ΔC(a-v)O2] are markers of systemic hypoperfusion. Objective: To determine if there is a correlation between the SI and the anaerobic index in patients with circulatory shock. Material and methods: Observational and prospective study in patients with circulatory shock. The SI and the anaerobic index were calculated at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and during their stay. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated and the association of SI with mortality was explored with bivariate logistic regression. Results: 59 patients aged 55.5 (± 16.5) years, 54.3% men, were analyzed. The most frequent type of shock was hypovolemic (40.7%). They had SOFA score: 8.4 (± 3.2) and APACHE II: 18.5 (± 6). The SI was: 0.93 (± 0.32) and the anaerobic index: 2.3 (± 1.3). Global correlation was r = 0.15; at admission r = 0.29; after 6 hours: r = 0.19; after 24 hours: r = 0.18; after 48 hours: r = 0.44, and after 72 hours: r = 0.66. The SI > 1 at ICU admission had an OR 3.8 (95% CI: 1.31-11.02), p = 0.01. Conclusions: The SI and the anaerobic index have a weak positive correlation during the first 48 hours of circulatory shock. The SI > 1 is a possible risk factor for death in patients with circulatory shock.

Introducción: el choque se define como una insuficiencia circulatoria aguda que ocasiona disfunción celular. El índice de choque (ICh) y el índice anaerobio o relación entre el gradiente veno-arterial de dióxido de carbono y la diferencia entre el contenido arterial y venoso de O2 [∆P(v-a)CO2/ΔC(a-v)O2] son marcadores de hipoperfusión sistémica. Objetivo: determinar si existe correlación entre el ICh y el índice anaerobio en pacientes con choque circulatorio. Material y métodos: estudio observacional y prospectivo en pacientes con choque circulatorio. Se calcularon el ICh y el índice anaerobio al ingreso a la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI) y durante su estancia. Se calculó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson y se exploró la asociación del ICh con la mortalidad con una regresión logística bivariada. Resultados: se analizaron 59 pacientes de 55.5 (± 16.5) años, 54.3% hombres. El tipo de choque más frecuente fue el hipovolémico (40.7%). Tuvieron puntaje SOFA: 8.4 (± 3.2) y APACHE II: 18.5 (± 6). El ICh fue: 0.93 (± 0.32) y el índice anaerobio: 2.3 (± 1.3). La correlación global fue r = 0.15; al ingreso: r = 0.29; a las 6 horas: r = 0.19; a las 24 horas: r = 0.18; a las 48 horas: r = 0.44, y a las 72 horas: r = 0.66. El ICh > 1 al ingreso a la UCI tuvo una RM 3.8 (IC 95%: 1.31-11.02), p = 0.01. Conclusiones: el ICh y el índice anaerobio tienen una correlación positiva débil durante las primeras 48 horas del choque circulatorio. El ICh > 1 es un posible factor de riesgo de muerte en pacientes con choque circulatorio.

Factors associated with intubation in patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure treated with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy: A prospective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen is an alternative to conventional oxygen in acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Some patients require intubation, with a risk of delay; thus, early predictors may identify those requiring earlier intubation. The "ROX" index (ratio of pulse oximetry/fraction of inspired oxygen to respiratory rate) predicts intubation in patients with pneumonia treated with HFNC therapy, but this index has not been validated in non-pneumonia causes of acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. AIM/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with intubation in a heterogeneous group of patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure treated with HFNC oxygen. METHODS: This prospective observational study was undertaken in an Australian tertiary intensive care unit and included patients over 18 y of age with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure who were treated with oxygen via HFNC. Vital signs and arterial blood gases were recorded prospectively at baseline and regular prespecified intervals for 48 h after HFNC initiation. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with intubation. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were included (N = 43). The multivariate factors associated with intubation were admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (odds ratio [OR]: 1.94 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.06-3.57]; p = 0.032) and Pneumonia Severity Index (OR: 0.95 [95% CI: 0.90-0.99]; p = 0.034). The ROX index was not independently associated with intubation when adjusted for Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (OR: 0.71 [95% CI: 0.47-1.06]; p = 0.09). There was no difference in mortality between patients intubated early (<24 h) compared to those intubated late. CONCLUSIONS: Intubation was associated with admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and Pneumonia Severity Index. The ROX index was not associated with intubation when adjusted for admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. Outcomes were similar irrespective of whether patients were intubated late rather than early.

Combining C-reactive protein and quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) to improve prognostic accuracy for sepsis and mortality in adult inpatients: A systematic review.

Background and Aims: Infections are common in hospitals, and if mismanaged can develop into sepsis, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. This study aimed to examine whether combining C-reactive protein (CRP) with the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) improves its accuracy for predicting mortality and sepsis in adult inpatients. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, CINAHL, Open Grey, Grey Literature Report, and the Clinical Trials registry were searched using CRP and qSOFA search terms. Title, abstract, and full-text screening were performed by two independent reviewers using pre-determined eligibility criteria, followed by data extraction and a risk of bias assessment using the Quality Assessment tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2). Disagreements were settled through discussion and consultation with a third reviewer. Results: Four retrospective studies with a total of 2070 patients were included in this review. Adding CRP to qSOFA improved the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve up to 9.7% for predicting mortality and by 14.9% for identifying sepsis. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined score for mortality prediction were available in two studies. CRP improved the sensitivity of qSOFA by 43% and 71% while only decreasing the specificity by 12% and 7%, respectively. A meta-analysis was not performed due to study heterogeneity. Conclusion: This comprehensive review provided initial evidence that combining CRP with qSOFA may improve the accuracy of qSOFA alone in identifying sepsis or patients at risk of dying in hospital. The combined tool demonstrated the potential to improve patient outcomes, with implications for low-resource settings given its simplicity and low-cost.

Evaluación de tomografía computarizada y score SOFA pulmonar: relación de evaluación en pacientes con covid-19 y mortalidad en UCI / Evaluation of computed tomography and pulmonary SOFA score: relationship of findings in patients with covid-19 and mortality in ICU

Objetivo: Evaluar la gravedad pulmonar de pacientes con Covid-19 a través de la correlación del puntaje SOFA pulmonar con el de afectación pulmonar en Tomografía Computarizada de Tórax. Método: Se trata de un estudio epidemiológico retrospectivo analítico descriptivo realizado en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos que buscó analizar el compromiso pulmonar de pacientes con Covid a través del cálculo del SOFA pulmonar relacionando la Tomografía de Tórax y si estos tenían relación con el desenlace clínico. Resultados: La población de estudio incluyó a 704 pacientes, de los cuales el 43,7% eran mujeres y el 56,2% hombres, con una edad media de 61 años y una estancia media de 13 días. La mayoría de la población presentó afectación pulmonar del 75%, puntuación SOFA pulmonar de 2 y relación PaO²/FiO² entre 100 y 200. Conclusión: Los pacientes que tenían afectación pulmonar más extensa en consecuencia tenían menor relación PaO²/FiO² y permanecían hospitalizados por un tiempo más largo con una mayor incidencia de muerte. (AUI)

Objective: To evaluate the pulmonary severity of COVID-19 patients throug the SOFA score computed with pulmonary involvement in Chest Computed Tomography. Method: This is a descriptive epidemiological study conducted out in an Intensive Care Unit, which aimed to study the pulmonary treatment of COVID-19 patients through the calculation of the pulmonary SOFA score relating to Chest Tomography and whether these were related to clinical treatment. Results: The study population consisted of 704 patients, of which 43.7% were women and 56.2% men, with a mean age of 61 years and a mean hospitalization time of 13 days. Most patients had a pulmonary behavior of 75%, a pulmonary SOFA score of 2 and a PaO²/FiO² ratio between 100 and 200. Conclusion: Patients who had more extensive pulmonary involvement/consequently had a lower PaO²/FiO² ratio and remained longer hospitalized with a higher incidence of death. (AU)

New Algorithm Rules Out Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure Development within 28 Days from Acute Decompensation of Cirrhosis.

Background and Aims: Approximately 10% of patients with acute decompensated (AD) cirrhosis develop acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) within 28 days. Such cases have high mortality and are difficult to predict. Therefore, we aimed to establish and validate an algorithm to identify these patients on hospitalization. Methods: Hospitalized patients with AD who developed ACLF within 28 days were considered pre-ACLF. Organ dysfunction was defined according to the chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) criteria, and proven bacterial infection was taken to indicate immune system dysfunction. A retrospective multicenter cohort and prospective one were used to derive and to validate the potential algorithm, respectively. A miss rate of <5% was acceptable for the calculating algorithm to rule out pre-ACLF. Results: In the derivation cohort (n=673), 46 patients developed ACLF within 28 days. Serum total bilirubin, creatinine, international normalized ratio, and present proven bacterial infection at admission were associated with the development of ACLF. AD patients with ≥2 organ dysfunctions had a higher risk for pre-ACLF patients [odds ratio=16.581 95% confidence interval: (4.271-64.363), p<0.001]. In the derivation cohort, 67.5% of patients (454/673) had ≤1 organ dysfunction and two patients (0.4%) were pre-ACLF, with a miss rate of 4.3% (missed/total, 2/46). In the validation cohort, 65.9% of patients (914/1388) had ≤1 organ dysfunction, and four (0.3%) of them were pre-ACLF, with a miss rate of 3.4% (missed/total, 4/117). Conclusions: AD patients with ≤1 organ dysfunction had a significantly lower risk of developing ACLF within 28 days of admission and could be safely ruled out with a pre-ACLF miss rate of <5%.

Mortality scoring systems for liver transplant recipients: before and after model for end-stage liver disease score.

The mortality scoring systems for patients with end-stage liver disease have evolved from the Child-Turcotte-Pugh score to the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, affecting the wait list for liver allocation. There are inherent weaknesses in the MELD score, with the gradual decline in its accuracy owing to changes in patient demographics or treatment options. Continuous refinement of the MELD score is in progress; however, both advantages and disadvantages exist. Recently, attempts have been made to introduce artificial intelligence into mortality prediction; however, many challenges must still be overcome. More research is needed to improve the accuracy of mortality prediction in liver transplant recipients.

Overt and Occult Hypoxemia in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Progressive hypoxemia is the predominant mode of deterioration in COVID-19. Among hypoxemia measures, the ratio of the Pao2 to the Fio2 (P/F ratio) has optimal construct validity but poor availability because it requires arterial blood sampling. Pulse oximetry reports oxygenation continuously (ratio of the Spo2 to the Fio2 [S/F ratio]), but it is affected by skin color and occult hypoxemia can occur in Black patients. Oxygen dissociation curves allow noninvasive estimation of P/F ratios (ePFRs) but remain unproven. OBJECTIVES: Measure overt and occult hypoxemia using ePFR. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We retrospectively studied COVID-19 hospital encounters (n = 5,319) at two academic centers (University of Virginia [UVA] and Emory University). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We measured primary outcomes (death or ICU transfer within 24 hr), ePFR, conventional hypoxemia measures, baseline predictors (age, sex, race, comorbidity), and acute predictors (National Early Warning Score [NEWS] and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA]). We updated predictors every 15 minutes. We assessed predictive validity using adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). We quantified disparities (Black vs non-Black) in empirical cumulative distributions using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) two-sample test. RESULTS: Overt hypoxemia (low ePFR) predicted bad outcomes (AOR for a 100-point ePFR drop: 2.7 [UVA]; 1.7 [Emory]; p < 0.01) with better discrimination (AUROC: 0.76 [UVA]; 0.71 [Emory]) than NEWS (0.70 [both sites]) or SOFA (0.68 [UVA]; 0.65 [Emory]) and similar to S/F ratio (0.76 [UVA]; 0.70 [Emory]). We found racial differences consistent with occult hypoxemia. Black patients had better apparent oxygenation (K-S distance: 0.17 [both sites]; p < 0.01) but, for comparable ePFRs, worse outcomes than other patients (AOR: 2.2 [UVA]; 1.2 [Emory]; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The ePFR was a valid measure of overt hypoxemia. In COVID-19, it may outperform multi-organ dysfunction models. By accounting for biased oximetry as well as clinicians' real-time responses to it (supplemental oxygen adjustment), ePFRs may reveal racial disparities attributable to occult hypoxemia.