Temporary mechanical support in fulminant myocarditis: prognostic factors and clinical implications from the FULLMOON study

Intensive Care Medicine | Published: 12 January 2026

Background

Temporary mechanical circulatory support (t-MCS) is increasingly used in fulminant myocarditis (FM), yet long-term outcomes and risk factors remain poorly defined.

Methods

From the FULLMOON international cohort (419 adults with suspected FM across 36 centers in 15 countries), 295 patients treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) and/or Impella were analyzed. The primary endpoint was mortality at 1 year, heart transplantation (HTx), or left-ventricular assist device (LVAD). Multivariate Cox regression identified predictors of adverse outcomes. A propensity score-weighted analysis assessed outcomes based on timing of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB): early (≤ 2 days), delayed (> 2 days), or none.

Results

The median age was 39 years (IQR 28–60), and 55% were female. Myocarditis was confirmed in 204 (69%) of the patients via histology or cardiac MRI. Histological data were available for 151 (51%) of the cohort. One-year mortality was 36%, while 44% died or had an HTx or LVAD. Predictors of worse outcomes were giant cell myocarditis, older age, cardiac arrest at ECMO initiation, and delayed EMB. Delayed EMB was consistently associated with higher mortality, HTx, or LVAD compared to early (HR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.23–1.96; p < 0.01) or no EMB (HR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.26–2.01; p < 0.01). However, event-free survival did not differ significantly between early EMB and no EMB (HR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.80–1.32; p = 0.85).

Conclusions

Despite a relatively young cohort, FM requiring t-MCS is associated with a high 1-year mortality rate. Timely recognition and early referral to specialized ECMO centers before cardiac arrest are critical.

Critical Care Bulletin: October 2024

 

Predicting outcomes in patients with exacerbation of COPD requiring mechanical ventilation

Annals of Intensive Care volume 14, Article number: 159, Published: 20 October 2024

Background

Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are common and significantly contribute to mortality in patients with COPD. Prognostic scores can assist clinicians in making tailored decisions to manage AECOPD. In the current study, we therefore aimed to evaluate the performance of the Noninvasive Ventilation Outcomes (NIVO) score, originally designed to assess in-ICU mortality, in predicting 1 year mortality and NIV failure in AECOPD.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed data from patients hospitalized for AECOPD requiring mechanical ventilation between January 1st, 2018, and December 31st, 2022. Mortality was assessed at the end of ICU stay and 1 year after admission, while NIV failure was defined as intubation or death without intubation.

Results

Among 302 ICU admissions of COPD patients, 190 patients with AECOPD requiring mechanical ventilation were included. Of these, 44 (23%) died in the ICU, 62 out of 184 (34%) failed NIV, and 78 (41%) died within 1 year of admission. Patients who died in ICU or experienced NIV failure had more severe COPD and more impaired blood gas parameters at admission. The NIVO score demonstrated an AUC of 0.68 in predicting 1-year mortality and an AUC of 0.85 in predicting NIV failure. A NIVO score over 7 was associated with higher 1-year mortality and NIV failure (HR of 4.4 [1.8–10.9] and 41.6 [5.6–307.9], respectively).

Conclusion

Beyond predicting in-ICU mortality, the NIVO-score is a reliable tool in predicting 1-year mortality and NIV failure in AECOPD.

 

Atrial Fibrillation (AFIB) in the ICU: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes: The International AFIB-ICU Cohort Study

Critical Care Medicine, April 20, 2023

Objectives: To assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the ICU and to describe current practice in the management of AF.

Design: Multicenter, prospective, inception cohort study.

Setting: Forty-four ICUs in 12 countries in four geographical regions.

Subjects: Adult, acutely admitted ICU patients without a history of persistent/permanent AF or recent cardiac surgery were enrolled; inception periods were from October 2020 to June 2021.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and Main Results: We included 1,423 ICU patients and analyzed 1,415 (99.4%), among whom 221 patients had 539 episodes of AF. Most (59%) episodes were diagnosed with continuous electrocardiogram monitoring. The incidence of AF was 15.6% (95% CI, 13.8–17.6), of which newly developed AF was 13.3% (11.5–15.1). A history of arterial hypertension, paroxysmal AF, sepsis, or high disease severity at ICU admission was associated with AF. Used interventions to manage AF were fluid bolus 19% (95% CI 16–23), magnesium 16% (13–20), potassium 15% (12–19), amiodarone 51% (47–55), beta-1 selective blockers 34% (30–38), calcium channel blockers 4% (2–6), digoxin 16% (12–19), and direct current cardioversion in 4% (2–6). Patients with AF had more ischemic, thromboembolic (13.6% vs 7.9%), and severe bleeding events (5.9% vs 2.1%), and higher mortality (41.2% vs 25.2%) than those without AF. The adjusted cause-specific hazard ratio for 90-day mortality by AF was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.95–1.99).

Conclusions: In ICU patients, AF occurred in one of six and was associated with different conditions. AF was associated with worse outcomes while not statistically significantly associated with 90-day mortality in the adjusted analyses. We observed variations in the diagnostic and management strategies for AF.

 

Epidemiology and outcomes of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in intensive care unit patients: the EUROBACT-2 international cohort study

 

Intensive Care Medicine volume 49, pages178–190 (2023)

 

Purpose

In the critically ill, hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSI) are associated with significant mortality. Granular data are required for optimizing management, and developing guidelines and clinical trials.

Methods

We carried out a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) with HA-BSI treated in intensive care units (ICUs) between June 2019 and February 2021.

Results

2600 patients from 333 ICUs in 52 countries were included. 78% HA-BSI were ICU-acquired. Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8 [IQR 5; 11] at HA-BSI diagnosis. Most frequent sources of infection included pneumonia (26.7%) and intravascular catheters (26.4%). Most frequent pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria (59.0%), predominantly Klebsiella spp. (27.9%), Acinetobacter spp. (20.3%), Escherichia coli (15.8%), and Pseudomonas spp. (14.3%). Carbapenem resistance was present in 37.8%, 84.6%, 7.4%, and 33.2%, respectively. Difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) was present in 23.5% and pan-drug resistance in 1.5%. Antimicrobial therapy was deemed adequate within 24 h for 51.5%. Antimicrobial resistance was associated with longer delays to adequate antimicrobial therapy. Source control was needed in 52.5% but not achieved in 18.2%. Mortality was 37.1%, and only 16.1% had been discharged alive from hospital by day-28.

Conclusions

HA-BSI was frequently caused by Gram-negative, carbapenem-resistant and DTR pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance led to delays in adequate antimicrobial therapy. Mortality was high, and at day-28 only a minority of the patients were discharged alive from the hospital. Prevention of antimicrobial resistance and focusing on adequate antimicrobial therapy and source control are important to optimize patient management and outcomes.

 

Evolving outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

 

by Ryan Ruiyang Ling, Kollengode Ramanathan, Jackie Jia Lin Sim, Suei Nee Wong, Ying Chen, Faizan Amin, Shannon M. Fernando, Bram Rochwerg, Eddy Fan, Ryan P. Barbaro, Graeme MacLaren, Kiran Shekar and Daniel Brodie 

 

Critical Care volume 26, Article number: 147 (2022) Published: 23 May 2022

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used extensively for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Reports early in the pandemic suggested that mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving ECMO was comparable to non-COVID-19-related ARDS. However, subsequent reports suggested that mortality appeared to be increasing over time. Therefore, we conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, to characterise changes in mortality over time and elucidate risk factors for poor outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis (CRD42021271202), searching MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus databases, from 1 December 2019 to 26 January 2022, for studies reporting on mortality among adults with COVID-19 receiving ECMO. We also captured hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation and ECMO, as well as complications of ECMO. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses, assessed risk of bias of included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and evaluated certainty of pooled estimates using GRADE methodology.

Results

Of 4522 citations, we included 52 studies comprising 18,211 patients in the meta-analysis. The pooled mortality rate among patients with COVID-19 requiring ECMO was 48.8% (95% confidence interval 44.8–52.9%, high certainty). Mortality was higher among studies which enrolled patients later in the pandemic as opposed to earlier (1st half 2020: 41.2%, 2nd half 2020: 46.4%, 1st half 2021: 62.0%, 2nd half 2021: 46.5%, interaction p value = 0.0014). Predictors of increased mortality included age, the time of final patient enrolment from 1 January 2020, and the proportion of patients receiving corticosteroids, and reduced duration of ECMO run.

Conclusions

The mortality rate for patients receiving ECMO for COVID-19-related ARDS has increased as the pandemic has progressed. The reasons for this are likely multifactorial; however, as outcomes for these patients evolve, the decision to initiate ECMO should include the best contextual estimate of mortality at the time of ECMO initiation.

 

Prediction of good neurological outcome in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest: a systematic review

 

Intensive Care Medicine volume 48, pages 389–413 (2022) Published: 04 March 2022

 

 

Purpose

To assess the ability of clinical examination, blood biomarkers, electrophysiology or neuroimaging assessed within 7 days from return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) to predict good neurological outcome, defined as no, mild, or moderate disability (CPC 1–2 or mRS 0–3) at discharge from intensive care unit or later, in comatose adult survivors from cardiac arrest (CA).

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched. Sensitivity and specificity for good outcome were calculated for each predictor. The risk of bias was assessed using the QUIPS tool.

Results

A total of 37 studies were included. Due to heterogeneities in recording times, predictor thresholds, and definition of some predictors, meta-analysis was not performed. A withdrawal or localisation motor response to pain immediately or at 72–96 h after ROSC, normal blood values of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) at 24 h-72 h after ROSC, a short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) N20 wave amplitude > 4 µV or a continuous background without discharges on electroencephalogram (EEG) within 72 h from ROSC, and absent diffusion restriction in the cortex or deep grey matter on MRI on days 2–7 after ROSC predicted good neurological outcome with more than 80% specificity and a sensitivity above 40% in most studies. Most studies had moderate or high risk of bias.

Conclusions

In comatose cardiac arrest survivors, clinical, biomarker, electrophysiology, and imaging studies identified patients destined to a good neurological outcome with high specificity within the first week after cardiac arrest (CA).

 

Association of ventilator type with hospital mortality in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV2 infection: a prospective study

 

by Alexis Ferré, Fabien Marquion, Marc Delord, Antoine Gros, Guillaume Lacave, Virginie Laurent, Sybille Merceron, Marine Paul, Christelle Simon, Gilles Troché, Clément Charbonnel, Stéphanie Marque-Juillet, Fabrice Bruneel and Stéphane Legriel 

 

Annals of Intensive Care volume 12, Article number: 10 (2022) 

 

Background

To evaluate the association between ventilator type and hospital mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) related to COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2 infection), a single-center prospective observational study in France.

Results

We prospectively included consecutive adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital for ARDS related to proven COVID-19, between March 2020 and July 2021. All patients were intubated. We compared two patient groups defined by whether an ICU ventilator or a less sophisticated ventilator such as a sophisticated turbine-based transport ventilator was used. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were plotted. Cox multivariate regression was performed to identify associations between patient characteristics and hospital mortality. We included 189 patients (140 [74.1%] men) with a median age of 65 years [IQR, 55–73], of whom 61 (32.3%) died before hospital discharge. By multivariate analysis, factors associated with in-hospital mortality were age ≥ 70 years (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.24–3.59; P = 0.006), immunodeficiency (HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.16–5.09; P = 0.02) and serum creatinine ≥ 100 µmol/L (HR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.77–5.10; P < 0.001) but not ventilator type. As compared to conventional ICU (equipped with ICU and anesthesiology ventilators), management in transient ICU (equipped with non-ICU turbine-based ventilators) was associated neither with a longer duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (18 [IQR, 11–32] vs. 21 [13–37] days, respectively; P = 0.39) nor with a longer ICU stay (24 [IQR, 14–40] vs. 27 [15–44] days, respectively; P = 0.44).

Conclusions

In ventilated patients with ARDS due to COVID-19, management in transient ICU equipped with non-ICU sophisticated turbine-based ventilators was not associated with worse outcomes compared to standard ICU, equipped with ICU ventilators. Although our study design is not powered to demonstrate any difference in outcome, our results after adjustment do not suggest any signal of harm when using these transport type ventilators as an alternative to ICU ventilators during COVID-19 surge.

 

Patterns of ICU admissions and outcomes in patients with solid malignancies over the revolution of cancer treatment

by Clara Vigneron, Julien Charpentier, Sandrine Valade, Jérôme Alexandre, Samy Chelabi, Lola-Jade Palmieri, Nathalie Franck, Valérie Laurence, Jean-Paul Mira, Matthieu Jamme and Frédéric Pène 

Annals of Intensive Care volume 11, Article number: 182 (2021) Published: 24 December 2021

Background

Major therapeutic advances including immunotherapy and targeted therapies have been changing the face of oncology and resulted in improved prognosis as well as in new toxic complications. The aim of this study is to appraise the trends in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and outcomes of critically ill patients with solid malignancies. We performed a retrospective single-centre study over a 12-year period (2007–2018) including adult patients with solid malignancies requiring unplanned ICU admission. Admission patterns were classified as: (i) specific if directly related to the underlying cancer; (ii) non-specific; (iii) drug-related or procedural adverse events.

Results

1525 patients were analysed. Lung and gastro-intestinal tract accounted for the two main tumour sites. The proportion of patients with metastatic diseases increased from 48.6% in 2007–2008 to 60.2% in 2017–2018 (p = 0.004). Critical conditions were increasingly related to drug- or procedure-related adverse events, from 8.8% of ICU admissions in 2007–2008 to 16% in 2017–2018 (p = 0.01). The crude severity of critical illness at ICU admission did not change over time. The ICU survival rate was 77.4%, without any significant changes over the study period. Among the 1279 patients with complete follow-up, the 1-year survival rate was 33.2%. Independent determinants of ICU mortality were metastatic disease, cancer in progression under treatment, admission for specific complications and the extent of organ failures (invasive and non-invasive ventilation, inotropes/vasopressors, renal replacement therapy and SOFA score). One-year mortality in ICU-survivors was independently associated with lung cancer, metastatic disease, cancer in progression under treatment, admission for specific complications and decision to forgo life-sustaining therapies.

Conclusion

Advances in the management and the prognosis of solid malignancies substantially modified the ICU admission patterns of cancer patients. Despite underlying advanced and often metastatic malignancies, encouraging short-term and long-term outcomes should help changing the dismal perception of critically ill cancer patients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcome after unexpected cardiac arrest among critically ill adults with COVID-19: insight from the multicenter prospective ACICOVID-19 registry

 

by Jonathan Chelly, Gaetan Plantefève, Toufik Kamel, Cédric Bruel, Saad Nseir, Christopher Lai, Giulia Cirillo, Elena Skripkina, Sébastien Ehrminger, Fernando-Daniel Berdaguer-Ferrari, Julien Le Marec, Marine Paul, Aurélie Autret and Nicolas Deye

 

Annals of Intensive Care volume 11, Article number: 155 (2021)

 

Background

Initial reports have described the poor outcome of unexpected cardiac arrest (CA) in intensive care unit (ICU) among COVID-19 patients in China and the USA. However, there are scarce data on characteristics and outcomes of such CA patients in Europe.

Methods

Prospective registry in 35 French ICUs, including all in-ICU CA in COVID-19 adult patients with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempt. Favorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin scale ranging from 0 to 3 at day 90 after CA.

Results

Among the 2425 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU from March to June 2020, 186 (8%) experienced in-ICU CA, of whom 146/186 (78%) received CPR. Among these 146 patients, 117 (80%) had sustained return of spontaneous circulation, 102 (70%) died in the ICU, including 48 dying within the first day after CA occurrence and 21 after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy. Most of CA were non-shockable rhythm (90%). At CA occurrence, 132 patients (90%) were mechanically ventilated, 83 (57%) received vasopressors and 75 (51%) had almost three organ failures. Thirty patients (21%) had a favorable outcome. Sepsis-related organ failure assessment score > 9 before CA occurrence was the single parameter constantly associated with unfavorable outcome in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

In-ICU CA incidence remains high among a large multicenter cohort of French critically ill adults with COVID-19. However, 21% of patients with CPR attempt remained alive at 3 months with good functional status. This contrasts with other recent reports showing poor outcome in such patients.

 

The impact of wearable continuous vital sign monitoring on deterioration detection and clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

 

by Carlos Areia, Christopher Biggs, Mauro Santos, Neal Thurley, Stephen Gerry, Lionel Tarassenko, Peter Watkinson and Sarah Vollam 

 

Critical Care volume 25, Article number: 351; Published: 28 September 2021

 

Background

Timely recognition of the deteriorating inpatient remains challenging. Wearable monitoring systems (WMS) may augment current monitoring practices. However, there are many barriers to implementation in the hospital environment, and evidence describing the clinical impact of WMS on deterioration detection and patient outcome remains unclear.

Objective

To assess the impact of vital-sign monitoring on detection of deterioration and related clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients using WMS, in comparison with standard care.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in August 2020 using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CENTRAL, Health Technology Assessment databases and grey literature. Studies comparing the use of WMS against standard care for deterioration detection and related clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients were included. Deterioration related outcomes (primary) included unplanned intensive care admissions, rapid response team or cardiac arrest activation, total and major complications rate. Other clinical outcomes (secondary) included in-hospital mortality and hospital length of stay. Exploratory outcomes included alerting system parameters and clinical trial registry information.

Results

Of 8706 citations, 10 studies with different designs met the inclusion criteria, of which 7 were included in the meta-analyses. Overall study quality was moderate. The meta-analysis indicated that the WMS, when compared with standard care, was not associated with significant reductions in intensive care transfers (risk ratio, RR 0.87; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.66–1.15), rapid response or cardiac arrest team activation (RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.69–1.01), total (RR 0.77; 95% CI 0.44–1.32) and major (RR 0.55; 95% CI 0.24–1.30) complications prevalence. There was also no statistically significant association with reduced mortality (RR 0.48; 95% CI 0.18–1.29) and hospital length of stay (mean difference, MD − 0.09; 95% CI − 0.43 to 0.44).

Conclusion

This systematic review indicates that there is no current evidence that implementation of WMS impacts early deterioration detection and associated clinical outcomes, as differing design/quality of available studies and diversity of outcome measures make it difficult to reach a definite conclusion. Our narrative findings suggested that alarms should be adjusted to minimise false alarms and promote rapid clinical action in response to deterioration.

 

Restricted visitation policies in acute care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

by Stephana J. Moss, Karla D. Krewulak, Henry T. Stelfox, Sofia B. Ahmed, Melanie C. Anglin, Sean M. Bagshaw, Karen E. A. Burns, Deborah J. Cook, Christopher J. Doig, Alison Fox-Robichaud, Robert Fowler, Laura Hernández, Michelle E. Kho, Maia Kredentser, Kira Makuk, Srinivas Murthy… 

Critical Care volume 25, Article number: 347; Published: 25 September 2021

Background

Restricted visitation policies in acute care settings because of the COVID-19 pandemic have negative consequences. The objective of this scoping review is to identify impacts of restricted visitation policies in acute care settings, and describe perspectives and mitigation approaches among patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Healthstar, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on January 01/2021, unrestricted, for published primary research records reporting any study design. We included secondary (e.g., reviews) and non-research records (e.g., commentaries), and performed manual searches in web-based resources. We excluded records that did not report primary data. Two reviewers independently abstracted data in duplicate.

Results

Of 7810 citations, we included 155 records. Sixty-six records (43%) were primary research; 29 (44%) case reports or case series, and 26 (39%) cohort studies; 21 (14%) were literature reviews and 8 (5%) were expert recommendations; 54 (35%) were commentary, editorial, or opinion pieces. Restricted visitation policies impacted coping and daily function (n = 31, 20%) and mental health outcomes (n = 29, 19%) of patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Participants described a need for coping and support (n = 107, 69%), connection and communication (n = 107, 69%), and awareness of state of well-being (n = 101, 65%). Eighty-seven approaches to mitigate impact of restricted visitation were identified, targeting families (n = 61, 70%), patients (n = 51, 59%), and healthcare professionals (n = 40, 46%).

Conclusions

Patients, families, and healthcare professionals were impacted by restricted visitation polices in acute care settings during COVID-19. The consequences of this approach on patients and families are understudied and warrant evaluation of approaches to mitigate their impact. Future pandemic policy development should include the perspectives of patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

 

 

 

 

 

Delirium in COVID-19: can we make the unknowns knowns?

 

Delirium in COVID-19: can we make the unknowns knowns?

By: M. Elizabeth Wilcox, Manu Shankar-Hari & Daniel F. McAuley 

Intensive Care Medicine (2021) Published: 30 June 2021

Delirium is an important public health problem. It is independently associated with worse clinical outcomes, including persistent cognitive impairment, increased mortality, and greater risk of institutionalization. The prevalence of delirium is high in the intensive care unit (ICU), occurring in up to 70% of the sickest patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Early studies in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) report delirium rates of 20–30%, which increase to 60–70% in severe illness. An international multicenter cohort study that included 69 adult ICUs across 14 countries of 2088 COVID-19 patients reported that over a 21-day period, delirium had a prevalence of 55% and lasted a median of 3 days (IQR, 2–6 days), which is more common and prolonged than that in non-COVID cohorts…

Association Among ICU Congestion, ICU Admission Decision, and Patient Outcomes

Association Among ICU Congestion, ICU Admission Decision, and Patient Outcomes

Kim, S et al

Critical Care Medicine: October 2016 - Volume 44 - Issue 10 - p 1814–1821

Objectives: To employ automated bed data to examine whether ICU occupancy influences ICU admission decisions and patient outcomes. 

Design: Retrospective study using an instrumental variable to remove biases from unobserved differences in illness severity for patients admitted to ICU. Setting: Fifteen hospitals in an integrated healthcare delivery system in California. Patients: Seventy thousand one hundred thirty-three episodes involving patients admitted via emergency departments to a medical service over a 1-year period between 2008 and 2009. Interventions: None. 

Measurements and Main Results: A third of patients admitted via emergency department to a medical service were admitted under high ICU congestion (more than 90% of beds occupied). High ICU congestion was associated with a 9% lower likelihood of ICU admission for patients defined as eligible for ICU admission. We further found strong associations between ICU admission and patient outcomes, with a 32% lower likelihood of hospital readmission if the first inpatient unit was an ICU. Similarly, hospital length of stay decreased by 33% and likelihood of transfer to ICU from other units—including ICU readmission if the first unit was an ICU—decreased by 73%. 

Conclusions: High ICU congestion is associated with a lower likelihood of ICU admission, which has important operational implications and can affect patient outcomes. By taking advantage of our ability to identify a subset of patients whose ICU admission decisions are affected by congestion, we found that, if congestion were not a barrier and more eligible patients were admitted to ICU, this hospital system could save approximately 7.5 hospital readmissions and 253.8 hospital days per year. These findings could help inform future capacity planning and staffing decisions.

Functional Status in ICU Survivors and Out of Hospital Outcomes: A Cohort Study

Functional Status in ICUSurvivors and Out of Hospital Outcomes: A Cohort Study

Critical Care Medicine: May 2016 - Volume 44 - Issue 5 - p 869–879
Rydingsward, JE et al


Objectives: Functional status at hospital discharge may be a risk factor for adverse events among survivors of critical illness. We sought to examine the association between functional status at hospital discharge in survivors of critical care and risk of 90-day all-cause mortality after hospital discharge. Design: Single-center retrospective cohort study. Setting: Academic Medical Center. Patients: Ten thousand three hundred forty-three adults who received critical care from 1997 to 2011 and survived hospitalization. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The exposure of interest was functional status determined at hospital discharge by a licensed physical therapist and rated based on qualitative categories adapted from the Functional Independence Measure. The main outcome was 90-day post hospital discharge all-cause mortality. A categorical risk-prediction score was derived and validated based on a logistic regression model of the function grades for each assessment. In an adjusted logistic regression model, the lowest quartile of functional status at hospital discharge was associated with an increased odds of 90-day postdischarge mortality compared with patients with independent functional status (odds ratio, 7.63 [95% CI, 3.83–15.22; p < 0.001]). In patients who had at least 7 days of physical therapy treatment prior to hospital discharge (n = 2,293), the adjusted odds of 90-day postdischarge mortality in patients with marked improvement in functional status at discharge was 64% less than patients with no change in functional status (odds ratio, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.24–0.53]; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Lower functional status at hospital discharge in survivors of critical illness is associated with increased postdischarge mortality. Furthermore, patients whose functional status improves before discharge have decreased odds of postdischarge mortality.

Long-Term Outcome Following Tracheostomy in Critical Care: A Systematic Review

Long-Term Outcome Following Tracheostomy in Critical Care: A Systematic Review

Critical Care Medicine: March 2016 - Volume 44 - Issue 3 - p 617–628

Dempsey, G

Objectives: The prevalence and impact of longer-term outcomes following percutaneous tracheostomy, particularly tracheal stenosis, are unclear. Previous meta-analyses addressing this problem have been confounded by the low prevalence of tracheal stenosis and a limited number of studies. Design: Embase, PubMed-Medline, and the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials were searched to identify all prospective studies of tracheostomy insertion in the critically ill. To reflect contemporary practice, the search was limited to studies published from 2000 onward. We scrutinized the bibliographies of returned studies for additional articles. Meta-analyses were undertaken to estimate the pooled risk difference of tracheal stenosis, bleeding, and wound infection comparing different techniques. Measurements and Main Results: We identified a total of 463 studies, 29 (5,473 patients) of which met the inclusion criteria. Nine were randomized controlled trials, six were nonrandomized comparative studies, and 14 were single-arm cohort studies. Risk of wound infection was greater for the surgical tracheostomy than for the Ciaglia multiple dilator technique, pooled risk difference 0.12 (95% CI, 0.02–0.23). We did not identify significant risk differences in other meta-analyses. Pooling across all studies according to the random-effects proportion meta-analysis suggests a higher prevalence of tracheal stenosis, wound infection, and major bleeding for surgical tracheostomies. Conclusions: Considering comparative data, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of tracheal stenosis or major bleeding between percutaneous and surgical tracheostomy. In relation to wound infection, we have found a reduction associated with the original Ciaglia technique when compared with that with the surgical tracheostomy. Considering all published data reporting long-term outcomes pooled proportion meta-analysis indicates a trend toward a higher rate of tracheal stenosis and an increased risk of major bleeding and wound infection for surgical tracheostomies. This finding may be biased as a result of targeted patient selection, and f

Outcomes of patients admitted to intensive care units for acute manifestation of small-vessel vasculitis: a multicenter, retrospective study

Outcomes of patients admitted to intensive care units for acute manifestation of small-vessel vasculitis: a multicenter, retrospective study
Critical Care 2016 20:27 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1189-5
Kimmoun A et al


Background: The outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for acute manifestation of small-vessel vasculitis are poorly reported. The aim of the present study was to determine the mortality rate and prognostic factors of patients admitted to the ICU for acute small-vessel vasculitis. Methods: This retrospective, multicenter study was conducted from January 2001 to December 2014 in 20 ICUs in France. Patients were identified from computerized registers of each hospital using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). Inclusion criteria were (1) known or highly suspected granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis (respectively, ICD-9 codes M31.3, M30.1, and M31.7), or anti–glomerular basement membrane antibody disease (ICD-9 codes N08.5X-005 or M31.0+); (2) admission to the ICU for the management of an acute manifestation of vasculitis; and (3) administration of a cyclophosphamide pulse in the ICU or within 48 h before admission to the ICU. The primary endpoint was assessment of mortality rate 90 days after admission to the ICU. Results: Eighty-two patients at 20 centers were included, 94 % of whom had a recent ...................see full article

Prevalence, risk factors and outcomes of delirium in mechanically ventilated adults

Prevalence, risk factors and outcomes of delirium in mechanically ventilated adults. Critical Care Medicine, March 2015, Vol. 43(3), p.557-66.

Mehta, S., et al.

http://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/Abstract/2015/03000/Prevalence,_Risk_Factors,_and_Outcomes_of_Delirium.7.aspx

 Delirium is common during critical illness and associated with adverse outcomes. We compared characteristics and outcomes of delirious and nondelirious patients enrolled in a multicenter trial comparing protocolized sedation with protocolized sedation plus daily sedation interruption.