Bridging the Gap Between the Intensive Care Unit and the Acute Medical Care Unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-200
Author(s):  
Eileen Kim ◽  
Charles Kast ◽  
Anika Afroz-Hossain ◽  
Michael Qiu ◽  
Karalyn Pappas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Advance Directive ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Bed Rest ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Hospital Outcomes ◽  
Acute Medical Care

Background Despite a growing cohort of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, little is known about the early ICU aftercare period. Objective To identify gaps in early ICU aftercare and factors associated with poor hospital outcomes. Methods A multisite, retrospective study (January 1 to December 31, 2017) was conducted among randomly selected patients admitted to the medical ICU and subsequently transferred to acute medical care units. Records were reviewed for patient characteristics, ICU course, and early ICU aftercare practices and syndromes. Associations between practices and hospital outcomes were calculated with χ2 and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, followed by logistic regression. Results One hundred fifty-one patients met inclusion criteria (mean [SD] age, 64.2 [19.1] years; 51.7% male; 44.4% White). The most frequent diagnoses were sepsis (35.8%) and respiratory failure (33.8%). During early ICU aftercare, 46.4% had dietary restrictions, 25.8% had bed rest orders, 25.0% had a bladder catheter, 26.5% had advance directive documentation, 33.8% had dysphagia, 34.3% had functional decline, and 23.2% had delirium. Higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (odds ratio, 1.6) and midodrine use on medical units (odds ratio, 7.5) were associated with in-hospital mortality; mechanical ventilation in the ICU was associated with rapid response on medical unit (odds ratio, 12.9); and bladder catheters were associated with ICU readmission (odds ratio, 5.2). Conclusions Delirium, debility, and dysphagia are frequently encountered in early ICU aftercare, yet bed rest, dietary restriction, and lack of advance directive documentation are common. Future studies are urgently needed to characterize and address early ICU aftercare.

scholarly journals In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after a Return Visit to the Emergency Department

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Chun-Fu Lin ◽  
Yi-Syun Huang ◽  
Ming-Ta Tsai ◽  
Kuan-Han Wu ◽  
Chien-Fu Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Medical Cost ◽  
Total Medical Cost ◽  
Hospital Outcomes ◽  
Return Visit ◽  
Icu Admission ◽  
Ed Visits

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) admission following a short-term emergency department (ED) revisit has been considered a particularly undesirable outcome among return-visit patients, although their in-hospital prognosis has not been discussed. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes between adult patients admitted to the ICU after unscheduled ED revisits and those admitted during index ED visits. Method: This retrospective study was conducted at two tertiary medical centers in Taiwan from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017. All adult non-trauma patients admitted to the ICU directly via the ED during the study period were included and divided into two comparison groups: patients admitted to the ICU during index ED visits and those admitted to the ICU during return ED visits. The outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, mechanical ventilation (MV) support, profound shock, hospital length of stay (HLOS), and total medical cost. Results: Altogether, 12,075 patients with a mean (standard deviation) age of 64.6 (15.7) years were included. Among these, 5.3% were admitted to the ICU following a return ED visit within 14 days and 3.1% were admitted following a return ED visit within 7 days. After adjusting for confounding factors for multivariate regression analysis, ICU admission following an ED revisit within 14 days was not associated with an increased mortality rate (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89 to 1.32), MV support (aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.26), profound shock (aOR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.18), prolonged HLOS (difference: 0.04 days, 95% CI: −1.02 to 1.09), and increased total medical cost (difference: USD 361, 95% CI: −303 to 1025). Similar results were observed after the regression analysis in patients that had a 7-day return visit. Conclusion: ICU admission following a return ED visit was not associated with major in-hospital outcomes including mortality, MV support, shock, increased HLOS, or medical cost. Although ICU admissions following ED revisits are considered serious adverse events, they may not indicate poor prognosis in ED practice.

scholarly journals Completeness of the operating room to intensive care unit handover: a matter of time?

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Dusse ◽  
Johanna Pütz ◽  
Andreas Böhmer ◽  
Mark Schieren ◽  
Robin Joppich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Intraoperative Complications ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Information Loss ◽  
Ensure Patient Safety ◽  
Underlying Diseases

Abstract Background Handovers of post-anesthesia patients to the intensive care unit (ICU) are often unstructured and performed under time pressure. Hence, they bear a high risk of poor communication, loss of information and potential patient harm. The aim of this study was to investigate the completeness of information transfer and the quantity of information loss during post anesthesia handovers of critical care patients. Methods Using a self-developed checklist, including 55 peri-operative items, patient handovers from the operation room or post anesthesia care unit to the ICU staff were observed and documented in real time. Observations were analyzed for the amount of correct and completely transferred patient data in relation to the written documentation within the anesthesia record and the patient’s chart. Results During a ten-week study period, 97 handovers were included. The mean duration of a handover was 146 seconds, interruptions occurred in 34% of all cases. While some items were transferred frequently (basic patient characteristics [72%], surgical procedure [83%], intraoperative complications [93.8%]) others were commonly missed (underlying diseases [23%], long-term medication [6%]). The completeness of information transfer is associated with the handover’s duration [B coefficient (95% CI): 0.118 (0.084-0.152), p<0.001] and increases significantly in handovers exceeding a duration of 2 minutes (24% ± 11.7 vs. 40% ± 18.04, p<0.001). Conclusions Handover completeness is affected by time pressure, interruptions, and inappropriate surroundings, which increase the risk of information loss. To improve completeness and ensure patient safety, an adequate time span for handover, and the implementation of communication tools are required.

scholarly journals Should the CIWA-Ar be the standard monitoring strategy for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the intensive care unit?

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa L. Steel ◽  
Shewit P. Giovanni ◽  
Sarah C. Katsandres ◽  
Shawn M. Cohen ◽  
Kevin B. Stephenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Verbal Responses

Abstract Background The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised (CIWA-Ar) is commonly used in hospitals to titrate medications for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), but may be difficult to apply to intensive care unit (ICU) patients who are too sick or otherwise unable to communicate. Objectives To evaluate the frequency of CIWA-Ar monitoring among ICU patients with AWS and variation in CIWA-Ar monitoring across patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods The study included all adults admitted to an ICU in 2017 after treatment for AWS in the Emergency Department of an academic hospital that standardly uses the CIWA-Ar to assess AWS severity and response to treatment. Demographic and clinical data, including Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) assessments (an alternative measure of agitation/sedation), were obtained via chart review. Associations between patient characteristics and CIWA-Ar monitoring were tested using logistic regression. Results After treatment for AWS, only 56% (n = 54/97) of ICU patients were evaluated using the CIWA-Ar; 94% of patients had a documented RASS assessment (n = 91/97). Patients were significantly less likely to receive CIWA-Ar monitoring if they were intubated or identified as Black. Conclusions CIWA-Ar monitoring was used inconsistently in ICU patients with AWS and completed less often in those who were intubated or identified as Black. These hypothesis-generating findings raise questions about the utility of the CIWA-Ar in ICU settings. Future studies should assess alternative measures for titrating AWS medications in the ICU that do not require verbal responses from patients and further explore the association of race with AWS monitoring.

Māori health outcomes in an intensive care unit in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
pp. 0310057X2198971
Author(s):  
M Atif Mohd Slim ◽  
Hamish M Lala ◽  
Nicholas Barnes ◽  
Robert A Martynoga
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Renal Replacement Therapy ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽  
One Year ◽  
Maori Health

Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and suffer disparate health outcomes compared to non-Māori. Waikato District Health Board provides level III intensive care unit services to New Zealand’s Midland region. In 2016, our institution formalised a corporate strategy to eliminate health inequities for Māori. Our study aimed to describe Māori health outcomes in our intensive care unit and identify inequities. We performed a retrospective audit of prospectively entered data in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society database for all general intensive care unit admissions over 15 years of age to Waikato Hospital from 2014 to 2018 ( n = 3009). Primary outcomes were in–intensive care unit and in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was one-year mortality. In our study, Māori were over-represented relative to the general population. Compared to non-Māori, Māori patients were younger (51 versus 61 years, P < 0.001), and were more likely to reside outside of the Waikato region (37.2% versus 28.0%, P < 0.001) and in areas of higher deprivation ( P < 0.001). Māori had higher admission rates for trauma and sepsis ( P < 0.001 overall) and required more renal replacement therapy ( P < 0.001). There was no difference in crude and adjusted mortality in–intensive care unit (16.8% versus 16.5%, P = 0.853; adjusted odds ratio 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.40)) or in-hospital (23.7% versus 25.7%, P = 0.269; adjusted odds ratio 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.60 to 1.18)). One-year mortality was similar (26.1% versus 27.1%, P=0.6823). Our study found significant ethnic inequity in the intensive care unit for Māori, who require more renal replacement therapy and are over-represented in admissions, especially for trauma and sepsis. These findings suggest upstream factors increasing Māori risk for critical illness. There was no difference in mortality outcomes.

scholarly journals Persistence of Pneumococcal Serotype 3 in Adult Pneumococcal Disease in Hong Kong

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Reema Subramanian ◽  
Veranja Liyanapathirana ◽  
Nilakshi Barua ◽  
Rui Sun ◽  
Maggie Haitian Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Pneumococcal Disease ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Adult Vaccination ◽  
Pneumococcal Serotype ◽  
Pneumococcal Immunisation ◽  
Microbroth Dilution ◽  
Over Time

The epidemiology of hospitalised pneumococcal disease in adults following the introduction of universal childhood pneumococcal immunisation in 2009 was assessed. Culture-confirmed Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) from adults hospitalised between 2009 to 2017 were examined. The cases were categorised into invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumonia (bacteraemic, non-bacteraemic, and that associated with other lung conditions). The isolates were serotyped and antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by microbroth dilution. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes were analysed. Seven hundred and seventy-four patients (mean age, 67.7 years, SD ± 15.6) were identified, and IPD was diagnosed in 110 (14.2%). The most prevalent serotype, 19F, was replaced by serotype 3 over time. Penicillin and cefotaxime non-susceptibilities were high at 54.1% and 39.5% (meningitis breakpoints), 19.9% and 25.5% (non-meningitis breakpoints), respectively. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 7.8% and 20.4% for IPD. Age ≥ 75 years (OR:4.6, CI:1.3–17.0, p < 0.02), presence of any complications (OR:4.1, CI:1.02–16.3, p < 0.05), pleural effusion (OR:6.7, CI:1.2–39.4, p < 0.03) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR:9.0, CI:1.3–63.4, p < 0.03) were independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Pneumococcal disease by PCV 13 covered serotypes; in particular, 19F and 3 are still prominent in adults. Strengthening targeted adult vaccination may be necessary in order to reduce disease burden.

Сlinical and epidemiological characteristics of botulism

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72
Author(s):  
Lelya P. Cherenova ◽  
Anna V. Matsuy ◽  
Igor V. Cherenov
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Blurred Vision ◽  
Persistent Symptoms ◽  
Canned Vegetables ◽  
Dried Fish ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Difficulty Walking

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of botulism in the Astrakhan region for the period from 2013 to 2019 are presented. 37 people with a diagnosis of Botulism were under observation. It was found that most often (28 (75.7%) cases) patients associated their disease with the use of canned home-made products. Canned vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, vegetable salad, eggplant, cabbage) were consumed by 18 (48.7%) people, mushrooms 10 (27%), dried fish 7 (18.9%), herring-balyk 1 (2.7%) and home-made liver pate-1 (2.7%) patient. The incubation period in the observed patients was on average 2.4 days. It lasted 12 days in 24 (64.9%) patients, 3-5 days in 12 (32.4%) patients, and 6 days in 1 (2.7%) patient. According to the severity of the condition, 17 (45.9%) patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Severe course of the disease was in 17 (45.9%) patients, moderate-in 20 (54.1%) patients. Early and persistent symptoms in all patients were marked muscle weakness, in 78.4% of patients dizziness, in 83.8% of patients difficulty walking and unsteadiness of gait. In 34 (91.9%) patients, the most pronounced symptoms were ophthalmoplegic: blurred vision, fog, flies in front of the eyes, inability to read the text. In General, up to 10 cases of botulism are registered annually in the Astrakhan region. Almost half of the patients (45.9%) have severe botulism. The disease is mostly sporadic and is associated with the use of canned vegetables and home-made mushrooms. In addition, cases of botulism associated with the use of dried fish have become more frequent in the Astrakhan region. Late hospitalization was observed in 1/3 of patients (11 (29.7%) cases) with botulism. This is due to untimely diagnosis at the pre-hospital stage and late access of patients to medical care.

Lack of Association between Preoperative Statin Use and Respiratory and Neurologic Complications after Cardiac Surgery

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 799-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryu Komatsu ◽  
Huseyin Oguz Yilmaz ◽  
Jing You ◽  
C. Allen Bashour ◽  
Shobana Rajan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Hospital Stay ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Neurologic Complications ◽  
Prolonged Ventilation ◽  
Statin Use

Abstract Background Statins may reduce the risk of pulmonary and neurologic complications after cardiac surgery. Methods The authors acquired data for adults who had coronary artery bypass graft, valve surgery, or combined procedures. The authors matched patients who took statins preoperatively to patients who did not. First, the authors assessed the association between preoperative statin use and the primary outcomes of prolonged ventilation (more than 24 h), pneumonia (positive cultures of sputum, transtracheal fluid, bronchial washings, and/or clinical findings consistent with the diagnosis of pneumonia), and in-hospital all-cause mortality, using logistic regressions. Second, the authors analyzed the collapsed composite of neurologic complications using logistic regression. Intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were evaluated with Cox proportional hazard models. Results Among 14,129 eligible patients, 6,642 patients were successfully matched. There was no significant association between preoperative statin use and prolonged ventilation (statin: 408/3,321 [12.3%] vs. nonstatin: 389/3,321 [11.7%]), pneumonia (44/3,321 [1.3%] vs. 54/3,321 [1.6%]), and in-hospital mortality (52/3,321 [1.6%] vs. 43/3,321 [1.3%]). The estimated odds ratio was 1.06 (98.3% CI, 0.88 to 1.27) for prolonged ventilation, 0.81 (0.50 to 1.32) for pneumonia, and 1.21 (0.74 to 1.99) for in-hospital mortality. Neurologic outcomes were not associated with preoperative statin use (53/3,321 [1.6%] vs. 56/3,321 [1.7%]), with an odds ratio of 0.95 (0.60 to 1.50). The length of intensive care unit and hospital stay was also not associated with preoperative statin use, with a hazard ratio of 1.04 (0.98 to 1.10) for length of hospital stay and 1.00 (0.94 to 1.06) for length of intensive care unit stay. Conclusions Preoperative statin use did not reduce pulmonary or neurologic complications after cardiac surgery.

scholarly journals Admission and Discharge Sampling Underestimates Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Acquisition in an Intensive Care Unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. s28-s28
Author(s):  
Sarah Sansom ◽  
Michael Lin ◽  
Christine Fukuda ◽  
Teppei Shimasaki ◽  
Thelma Dangana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Generation Cephalosporin ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Organism ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Background: Identification of hospitalized patients with enteric multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) carriage, combined with implementation of targeted infection control interventions, may help reduce MDRO transmission. However, the optimal surveillance approach has not been defined. We sought to determine whether daily serial rectal surveillance for MDROs detects more incident cases (acquisition) of MDRO colonization in medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients than admission and discharge surveillance alone. Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational single-center study from January 11, 2017, to January 11, 2018. Inclusion criteria were ≥3 consecutive MICU days and ≥2 rectal or stool swabs per MICU admission. Daily rectal or stool swabs were collected from patients and cultured for MDROs, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (3GCR), and extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) (as a subset of 3GCR). MDRO detection at any time during the MICU stay was used to calculate prevalent colonization. Incident colonization (acquisition) was defined as new detection of an MDRO after at least 1 prior negative swab. We then determined the proportion of prevalent and incident cases detected by daily testing that were also detected when only first swabs (admission) and last swabs (discharge) were tested. Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.4 software. Results: In total, 939 MICU stays of 842 patients were analyzed. Patient characteristics were median age 64 years (interquartile range [IQR], 51–74), median MICU length of stay 5 days (IQR, 3–8), median number of samples per admission 3 (IQR, 2–5), and median Charlson index 4 (IQR, 2–7). Prevalent colonization with any MDRO was detected by daily swabbing in 401 stays (42.7%). Compared to daily serial swabbing, an admission- and discharge-only approach detected ≥86% of MDRO cases (ie, overall prevalent MDRO colonization). Detection of incident MDRO colonization by an admission- or discharge-only approach would have detected fewer cases than daily swabbing (Figure 1); ≥34% of total MDRO acquisitions would have been missed. Conclusions: Testing patients upon admission and discharge to an MICU may fail to detect MDRO acquisition in more than one-third of patients, thereby reducing the effectiveness of MDRO control programs that are targeted against known MDRO carriers. The poor performance of a single discharge swab may be due to intermittent or low-level MDRO shedding, inadequate sampling, or transient MDRO colonization. Additional research is needed to determine the optimal surveillance approach of enteric MDRO carriage.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

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