Citations

Abstract Background: The association between new-onset left ventricular (LV) dysfunction during sepsis with long-term heart failure outcomes is lesser understood. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock between 2007 and 2014 who underwent echocardiography within 72 h of admission to the intensive care unit. Patients with prior heart failure, LV dysfunction, and structural heart disease were excluded. LV systolic dysfunction was defined as LV ejection fraction <50% and LV diastolic dysfunction as ≥grade II. Primary composite outcome included new hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure and all-cause mortality at 2-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes included persistent LV dysfunction, and hospital mortality and length of stay. Results: During this 8-year period, 434 patients with 206 (48%) patients having LV dysfunction were included. The two groups had similar baseline characteristics, but those with LV dysfunction had worse function as demonstrated by worse LV ejection fraction, cardiac index, and LV diastolic dysfunction. In the 331 hospital survivors, new-onset acute decompensated heart failure hospitalization did not differ between the two cohorts (15% vs. 11%). The primary composite outcome was comparable at 2-year follow-up between the groups with and without LV dysfunction (P = 0.24). Persistent LV dysfunction was noted in 28% hospital survivors on follow-up echocardiography. Other secondary outcomes were similar between the two groups. Conclusions: In patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, the presence of new-onset LV dysfunction did not increase the risk of long-term adverse heart failure outcomes.

Objectives: To study the effects of tele-ICU monitoring on interhospital transfers from community-based ICUs to the quaternary care hospital at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Design: This is a retrospective review of data on interhospital transfers comparing trends prior to tele-ICU implementation to those following implementation. Setting: Tele-ICU programs are increasingly utilized to fill resource gaps in caring for critically ill patients. How such programs impact population and bed management within a healthcare system are not known. Mayo Clinic serves as quaternary referral care center for hospitals in the region within the Mayo Clinic Health System. In August 2013, we implemented tele-ICU monitoring at six Mayo Clinic Health System hospital ICUs. Subjects: All adult ICU admissions during the study period (preimplementation phase: January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012; and postimplementation phase: January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014) in any of the six specified community ICUs were included in the study. Measurements and Main Results: Interhospital transfers significantly increased post institution of tele-ICU (p = 0.040) and was attributed primarily to transfer from less specialized ICUs (p = 0.037) as compared with more resource-intensive ICUs (p = 0.88). However, for such patient transfers, there were no significant differences before and after severity of illness scores, ICU mortality, or inhospital mortality. Conclusion: In a regional healthcare system, implementation of a tele-ICU program is associated with an increase in interhospital transfers from less resourced ICUs to the referral center, a trend that is not readily explained by increased severity of illness.

Objectives: Sarcopenia is associated with a poor prognosis in the ICU. The purpose of this study was to describe a simple sarcopenia index using routinely available renal biomarkers and evaluate its association with muscle mass and patient outcomes. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A tertiary-care medical center. Patients: High-risk adult ICU patients from October 2008 to December 2010. Interventions: The gold standard for muscle mass was quantified with the paraspinal muscle surface area at the L4 vertebrae in the subset of individuals with an abdominal CT scan. Using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, serum creatinine-to-serum cystatin C ratio was found to be the best performer in the estimation of muscle mass. The relationship between sarcopenia index and hospital and 90-day mortality, and the length of mechanical ventilation was evaluated. Measurements and Main Results: Out of 226 enrolled patients, 123 (54%) were female, and 198 (87%) were white. Median (interquartile range) age, body mass index, and body surface area were 68 (57–77) years, 28 (24–34) kg/m2, and 1.9 (1.7–2.2) m2, respectively. The mean (± sd) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III was 70 (± 22). ICU, hospital, and 90-day mortality rates were 5%, 12%, and 20%, respectively. The correlation (r) between sarcopenia index and muscle mass was 0.62 and coefficient of determination (r 2) was 0.27 (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III, body surface area, and age, sarcopenia index was independently predictive of both hospital (p = 0.001) and 90-day mortality (p < 0.0001). Among the 131 patients on mechanical ventilator, the duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly lower on those with higher sarcopenia index (–1 d for each 10 unit of sarcopenia index [95% CI, –1.4 to –0.2; p = 0.006]). Conclusions: The sarcopenia index is a fair measure for muscle mass estimation among ICU patients and can modestly predict hospital and 90-day mortality among patients who do not have acute kidney injury at the time of measurement.

Objectives: Approximately half of ICU admissions are comprised of patients older than 65 years old. Mild cognitive impairment is a common disorder affecting 10–20% of patients in the same age group. A need exists for exploring mild cognitive impairment and risk of critical illness. As mild cognitive impairment may be a contributor to poorer overall health or be a result of it, we sought to determine whether the presence of mild cognitive impairment independently increases the risk of critical illness admissions. Design: Data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging were analyzed. All study participants underwent prospective comprehensive cognitive testing and expert panel consensus diagnosis of both cognitive function and clinical state at baseline and subsequent visits. Comparisons were made between those with normal cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment regarding baseline health and frequency of critical illness. Setting: Single-center population-based cohort out of Olmsted County, MN. Participants: All individuals 70–89 years old were screened for prospective enrollment in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Patients with preexisting dementia and ICU admission within 3 years of entry to the study were excluded from this analysis. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Of 2,425 patients analyzed from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, 1,734 patients (71%) were included in the current study. Clinical factors associated with baseline mild cognitive impairment included age, male gender, stroke, and poorer health self-rating. Using a Cox regression model adjusting for these and a priori variables of baseline health, the presence of mild cognitive impairment remained a significant predictor of ICU admission (hazard ratio, 1.50 [1.15–1.96]; p = 0.003). Conclusions and Relevance: The presence of mild cognitive impairment is independently associated with increased critical illness admission. Further prospective studies are needed to analyze the impact of critical illness on cognitive function.

Objectives: In the last decade, the practice of intubation in the intensive care unit (ICU) has evolved. To further examine the current intubation practice in the ICU, we administered a survey to critical care physicians. Design: Cross-sectional survey study design. Setting: Thirty-two academic/nonacademic centers nationally and internationally. Measurements and Main Results: The survey was developed among a core group of physicians with the assistance of the Survey Research Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. The survey was pilot tested for functionality and reliability. The response rate was 82 (51%) of 160 among the 32 centers. Although propofol was the induction drug of choice, there was a significant difference with actual ketamine use and those who indicated a preference for it (ketamine: 52% vs 61%; P < .001). The most common airway device used for intubation was direct laryngoscopy (Miller laryngoscope blade) at 56 (68%) followed by video laryngoscopy at 26 (32%). Most (>90%) indicated that they have a difficult airway cart, but only 55 (67%) indicated they have a documented plan to handle a difficult airway with even lower results for documented review of adverse events (49%). Conclusion: Although propofol was the induction drug of choice, ketamine was a medication that many preferred to use, possibly relating to the fact that the most common complication postintubation is hypotension. Direct laryngoscopy remains the primary airway device for endotracheal intubation. Finally, although the majority stated they had a difficult airway cart available, most did not have a documented plan in place when encountering a difficult airway or a documented process to review adverse events surrounding intubation.

AbstractIntroductionPatients at risk for microaspiration during elective intubation often receive cricoid pressure in the hopes of mitigating such risk. However, there is scarce evidence to either support or reject this practice. The objective of this investigation was to assess the effect of cricoid pressure on microaspiration and to inform the potential feasibility of conducting a larger, more definitive clinical trial.MethodsThis was a pilot randomized clinical trial set in the operating rooms of a tertiary referral hospital between August and October of 2014. Patients with risk factors for microaspiration (obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or diabetes) were enrolled. The patients were randomized to either cricoid pressure or no cricoid pressure during induction of anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Immediately after intubation, a sample of lower airway secretions was collected and analyzed for pepsin A.Main ResultsA total of 95 patients were evaluated, randomized and completed the study protocol. 46 were randomized to cricoid pressure and 49 to no cricoid pressure. Seven patients crossed‐over treatment arms. A total of 18 (19.6%) patients met the pre‐defined criteria for microaspiration. In both the intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses, there were no statistically significant differences in the rate of microaspiration [OR (95% CI)] = 1.39 (0.49–3.92) and 1.30 (0.44–3.86), respectively.ConclusionsUtilizing pepsin A as a biomarker of aspiration, this pilot clinical trial did not find evidence for a reduced rate of aspiration or adverse clinical events with the administration of cricoid pressure during elective endotracheal intubation of patients with risk factors for microaspiration.

Abstract Rationale Provider decisions about patients to be discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) are often based on subjective intuition, sometimes leading to premature discharge and early readmission. The Stability and Work Load Index for Transfer (SWIFT) score, as a risk stratification tool, has moderate ability to predict patients at risk of ICU readmission. Objectives To describe findings following the incorporation of the SWIFT score into the discharge workflow of a medical ICU. Methods The study involved 5,293 consecutive patients discharged alive from the medical ICU of an academic medical center. The SWIFT score and associated percentage risk for readmission were incorporated into daily rounds for purpose of discharge decision-making. We measured readmission rates before and after implementation and observed changes in provider discharge decisions for individual patients after SWIFT discussions. Measurements and Main Results Baseline (n = 1,906) and implementation (n = 1,938) cohorts differed with respect to APACHE III scores (P = 0.03). In the implementation cohort, 26.2% of subjects had SWIFT scores greater than 15 and thus were predicted to have a higher risk of unplanned readmissions. In this high-risk group, 25% had SWIFT discussed in their discharge planning. There was modification of provider discharge decisions in 108 (30%) of cases in which the SWIFT was discussed. SWIFT score values above a prespecified cutoff of 15 were associated with physician tendency to prolong ICU stay or to discharge to a monitored setting (P &lt; 0.001). There was no difference in 24-hour or 7-day readmission rates between the baseline and implementation cohorts (1.9 vs. 2.4%, P = 0.24; 6.5 vs. 7.4%, P = 0.26, respectively) even after adjustment for severity of illness. Conclusions Using the SWIFT score as an adjunct to clinical judgment, physicians modified their discharge decisions in one-third of subjects. Introducing such tools into the discharge workflow may present change management challenges that limit the evaluation of their impact on readmission rates and other relevant ICU outcomes.