Conversion of catastrophic neurological injuries to heart-beating organ donation

Abstract Purpose  Weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation may be associated with mental discomfort. It is not known whether such discomfort is linked with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Accordingly, we investigated whether PTSD occurs in patients after weaning from prolonged ventilation. We also determined whether administering a questionnaire would identify patients at risk for developing PTSD. Methods  A prospective longitudinal study of patients transferred to a long-term acute-care hospital for weaning from prolonged ventilation was undertaken: 72 patients were studied 1 week after weaning, and 41 patients were studied again 3 months later. An experienced psychologist conducted a structured clinical interview 3 months after weaning to establish a diagnosis of PTSD. To assess for the presence of PTSD-related symptoms, the post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS-10) questionnaire was administered 1 week after weaning and 3 months later. Results  The psychologist diagnosed PTSD in 12% of patients 3 months after ventilator weaning. Patients who developed PTSD were more likely to have a previous history of psychiatric disorders (P < 0.02). A PTSS-10 score >20 one week after weaning reliably identified patients who were diagnosed with PTSD 3 months later: sensitivity 1.0; specificity 0.76; area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.91. Conclusion  PTSD was diagnosed in 12% of patients who were weaned from prolonged ventilation. A PTSS-10 score >20 one week after weaning identified patients diagnosed with PTSD 3 months later. This finding suggests that a simple questionnaire administered before hospital discharge can identify patients at risk for developing PTSD.

Abstract Purpose  Hypernatremia is common in the medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and has been described as an independent risk factor for mortality. Hypernatremia has not yet been studied in a collection of ICU patients after cardiothoracic surgery. Therefore, we wanted to determine the incidence of hypernatremia in a surgical ICU and its association with outcomes of critically ill surgical patients. Methods  In this retrospective cohort study performed at a surgical ICU of a university hospital in Vienna, patients were admitted to the ICU after major cardiothoracic surgery between May 1999 and October 2007. Data on serum sodium in the ICU, ICU mortality, hospital mortality, and length of ICU stay were collected prospectively. Results  2,699 patients underwent surgery during the study period, and 2,314 patients were included in the study. Two hundred twenty-one (10%) patients acquired hypernatremia during their ICU stay. Median onset of hypernatremia was on day 4 (2?7). Patients with ICU-acquired hypernatremia had a higher ICU mortality (19%) compared to patients without hypernatremia (8%; p < 0.01). Length of ICU stay was increased in patients with hypernatremia (17 vs. 3 days; p < 0.01). In a multivariate Cox regression, ICU-acquired hypernatremia was an independent risk factor for ICU mortality within 28 days. Conclusions  Hypernatremia is a common event early in the course of critical illness after major cardiothoracic surgery and is independently associated with ICU mortality within 28 days. Future research should focus on the impact of hypernatremia on physiological functions as well as adequate and safe treatment of the electrolyte disorder.

Abstract Purpose  Transfusion of blood components is common in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, yet the incidence and risk factors for development of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) in these patients are unknown. Methods  Patients admitted to a medical ICU for GI bleeding (n = 225) were analyzed for patient- and transfusion-specific risk factors for development of TRALI. Results  In transfused patients (n = 150), the incidence of TRALI was 15% [95% confidence interval (CI), 10?21%] and accounted for 76% (22/29) of all acute lung injury (ALI) cases. Transfused patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) (n = 72) developed TRALI more frequently than those without ESLD (29% versus 1%, p < 0.01). Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was temporally associated with TRALI in 86% of cases. Transfusion-specific risk factors for development of TRALI included number of transfused units of FFP and nonleukoreduced red blood cells. Patient-specific risk factors included Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, admission serum albumin level, and presence of ALI risk factors. Conclusions  TRALI is common in critically ill ESLD patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Nonleukoreduced red blood cells and FFP are significant transfusion-specific risk factors and their use should be re-evaluated in bleeding patients with ESLD.

Recording diaphragm activity by an oesophageal probe: a new tool to evaluate the recovery of diaphragmatic paralysis

Measurement of monocytic HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) expression in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock: assessment of immune organ failure

Abstract Purpose  Sepsis-induced immunosuppression is postulated to contribute to a heightened risk of nosocomial infection (NI). This prospective, single-center, observational study was conducted to assess whether low monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR expression (mHLA-DR), proposed as a global biomarker of sepsis immunosuppression, was associated with an increased incidence of NI after septic shock. Methods  The study included 209 septic shock patients. mHLA-DR was measured by flow cytometry at days (D) 3?4 and 6?9 after the onset of shock. After septic shock, patients were screened daily for NI at four sites (microbiologically documented pulmonary, urinary tract, bloodstream, and catheter-related infections). A competing risk approach was used to evaluate the impact of low mHLA-DR on the incidence of NI. Results  At D3?4, we obtained measurements in 153 patients. Non-survivors (n = 51) exhibited lower mHLA-DR values expressed as means of fluorescence intensities than survivors (n = 102) (33 vs. 67; p < 0.001). The patients who developed NI (n = 37) exhibited lower mHLA-DR values than those without NI (n = 116) (39 vs. 65; p = 0.008). mHLA-DR ?54 remained independently associated with NI occurrence after adjustment for clinical parameters (gender, simplified acute physiology score II, sepsis-related organ failure assessment, intubation, and central venous catheterization) with an adjusted hazards ratio (aHR) of 2.52 (95% CI 1.20?5.30); p = 0.02. Similarly, at D6?9, low mHLA-DR (?57) remained independently associated with NI with an aHR of 2.18 (95% CI 1.04?4.59); p = 0.04. Conclusions  In septic shock patients, after adjustment with usual clinical confounders (including ventilation and central venous catheterization), persistent low mHLA-DR expression remained independently associated with the development of secondary NI.

Lack of lung tissue penetration after intravenous colistimethate administration: reply to Imberti

Intravenous colistimethate administration and colistin lung tissue concentrations

Accidental cut of peripherally inserted central venous catheter

Corticosteroids do not cause harmful increase of viral load in severe H1N1 virus infection

Skin rash in a patient with A(H1N1) infection

Lung recruitability in ARDS H1N1 patients

Reply to Westley and Chan and to Shih et al.