scholarly journals Presentation, characteristics, treatments and outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 in Bulgaria

Author(s):  
Neda Bakalova ◽  
Ivats Natsev ◽  
Hristo Damov ◽  
Irina Yatsenko ◽  
Stefanija Jovinska ◽  
...  

Background: The first surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Bulgaria occurred in the fall of 2020. To accommodate the rising number of critically ill patients, new intensive care units were formed in several hospitals. Here we describe the clinical presentation, patient characteristics, treatments and outcomes of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients in a newly formed COVID-19 ICU at a tertiary cardiac center in Sofia, Bulgaria. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients admitted to Sveta Ekaterina University Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria, between November 4th, 2020 and January 6th, 2021. Data were collected from electronic and written patient records and charts. Results: We identified 38 critical care patients admitted with respiratory failure and treated with mechanical ventilation at our COVID-19 ICU during this period. The median age was 66 (IQR 57-76, range 27-89) and 74% were male. Most patients, 36 (95%), had at least one comorbidity. The most common comorbidities were hypertension, valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Overall, 27 (71%) patients had a concomitant cardiac disease other than hypertension and 24% were recent cardiac surgical patients. Inotropic support was required in 29 (76%) patients, renal replacement therapy in 12 (32%) patients and prone positioning and ECMO were used in 5 (13%) and 2 (5%) patients respectively. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was 7.5 (IQR 5-14) days overall and 9 (IQR 6-13) days for survivors. At 30-days 28 (74%) of patients had died. Overall, 32 (84%) patients died in hospital and only 6 (16%) patients were discharged home. Conclusions: During the first major surge of COVID-19 cases in Bulgaria, despite the wave arriving later than in other countries, the healthcare system was largely unprepared. In our setting, mortality in critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation was very high at 85%. There may be several factors contributing to these results, namely the predominance of cardiovascular comorbidities in our patient population, the strained ICU capacity and the lack of medical personnel to provide adequate intensive care to such complex patients.

2019 ◽  
pp. S150-S159
Author(s):  
Chinmaya Kumar Panda ◽  
Habib Mohammad Reazaul Karim ◽  
Subrata Kumar Singha

Critically ill patients often require multiple organ supports; respiratory support in terms of mechanical ventilation (MV) is one of the commonest. But, only providing an organ support contributes less to the complete well being of the patients. Moreover, MV itself can affect various physiological systems, metabolic response, and cause side effects. A very close temporal relationship exists between patients, monitoring and management decision too, and therefore, appropriate information from monitoring can lead to better outcomes. The present review is intended to briefly highlight the current opinions and strategies for non cardio-respiratory monitoring in such critically ill patients.Abbreviations: AKI-Acute Kidney Injury; APACHE-Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; BPS-Behavioral Pain Scale; CAM-ICU-Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit; CPOT–Critical Care Pain Observation Tool; EVLWI-Extra vascular lung water index; FDA-Food and Drug Administration; ISO-International Organization for Standardization; ICU-Intensive Care Unit; LOS-Length of stay; MODS-Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score; MV-Mechanical Ventilation; PaO2-Partial pressure of arterial oxygen; FiO2-Fraction of inspired oxygen; SAPS-Simplified Acute Physiologic Score; RASS-Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale; SOFA-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; SAS-Sedation Agitation Scale; UO-Urine outputCitation: Panda CK, Karim HMR, Singha SK. Non-cardio respiratory monitoring of mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. Anaesth Pain & Intensive Care 2018;22 Suppl 1:S150-S159Received: 9 Jul 2018 Reviewed: 1 Oct 2018 Corrected & Accepted: 9 Oct 2018


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongfang Zhou ◽  
Steven R. Holets ◽  
Man Li ◽  
Gustavo A. Cortes-Puentes ◽  
Todd J. Meyer ◽  
...  

AbstractPatient–ventilator asynchrony (PVA) is commonly encountered during mechanical ventilation of critically ill patients. Estimates of PVA incidence vary widely. Type, risk factors, and consequences of PVA remain unclear. We aimed to measure the incidence and identify types of PVA, characterize risk factors for development, and explore the relationship between PVA and outcome among critically ill, mechanically ventilated adult patients admitted to medical, surgical, and medical-surgical intensive care units in a large academic institution staffed with varying provider training background. A single center, retrospective cohort study of all adult critically ill patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for ≥ 12 h. A total of 676 patients who underwent 696 episodes of mechanical ventilation were included. Overall PVA occurred in 170 (24%) episodes. Double triggering 92(13%) was most common, followed by flow starvation 73(10%). A history of smoking, and pneumonia, sepsis, or ARDS were risk factors for overall PVA and double triggering (all P < 0.05). Compared with volume targeted ventilation, pressure targeted ventilation decreased the occurrence of events (all P < 0.01). During volume controlled synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation and pressure targeted ventilation, ventilator settings were associated with the incidence of overall PVA. The number of overall PVA, as well as double triggering and flow starvation specifically, were associated with worse outcomes and fewer hospital-free days (all P < 0.01). Double triggering and flow starvation are the most common PVA among critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients. Overall incidence as well as double triggering and flow starvation PVA specifically, portend worse outcome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (S2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Longxiang Su ◽  
Chun Liu ◽  
Fengxiang Chang ◽  
Bo Tang ◽  
Lin Han ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Analgesia and sedation therapy are commonly used for critically ill patients, especially mechanically ventilated patients. From the initial nonsedation programs to deep sedation and then to on-demand sedation, the understanding of sedation therapy continues to deepen. However, according to different patient’s condition, understanding the individual patient’s depth of sedation needs remains unclear. Methods The public open source critical illness database Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III was used in this study. Latent profile analysis was used as a clustering method to classify mechanically ventilated patients based on 36 variables. Principal component analysis dimensionality reduction was used to select the most influential variables. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the classification accuracy of the model. Results Based on 36 characteristic variables, we divided patients undergoing mechanical ventilation and sedation and analgesia into two categories with different mortality rates, then further reduced the dimensionality of the data and obtained the 9 variables that had the greatest impact on classification, most of which were ventilator parameters. According to the Richmond-ASS scores, the two phenotypes of patients had different degrees of sedation and analgesia, and the corresponding ventilator parameters were also significantly different. We divided the validation cohort into three different levels of sedation, revealing that patients with high ventilator conditions needed a deeper level of sedation, while patients with low ventilator conditions required reduction in the depth of sedation as soon as possible to promote recovery and avoid reinjury. Conclusion Through latent profile analysis and dimensionality reduction, we divided patients treated with mechanical ventilation and sedation and analgesia into two categories with different mortalities and obtained 9 variables that had the greatest impact on classification, which revealed that the depth of sedation was limited by the condition of the respiratory system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Mohamed E. Abdelgawad ◽  
Nadia T. Ahmed ◽  
Ahmed M. Elmenshawy

Background and objective: Electrolyte disturbances remain a common lifesaving issue in the intensive care units. They are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. They are mostly resulted secondary to critical illness itself or associated treatment modalities. Therefore, electrolytes repletion should be done effectively and timely. This could be ensured using nurse driven protocols rather than traditional methods of repletion. These protocols are nurse initiated and collaboratively developed. They have been shown to improve patient care outcomes through the provision of high quality care. They are increasingly being used in the critical care setting. Objective: Determine the effect of applying nurses driven electrolytes repletion protocol on electrolytes disturbance control among critically ill patients.Methods: Quasi experimental research design was used. Sixty two critically ill patients with electrolytes loss were enrolled in the study at Alexandria Main University Hospital intensive care units, Egypt. All episodes of electrolyte loss were evaluated. Repletion of electrolyte loss was done according to unit routine for the control group and nurses driven electrolytes repletion protocol for the study group. Episodes of electrolyte disturbances, adverse events and timing of repletion were evaluated.Results: Neurological disorders represent the most encountered diagnosis. The most common cause of electrolyte loss in was the use of diuretics. Furthermore, there was a highly statistical difference between the two groups as regard electrolytes levels, effectiveness and timing of replacement.Conclusions: Application of nurses driven electrolyte repletion protocol resulted in improvements in the effectiveness and timeliness of electrolyte replacement.


2006 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 257-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldo Bezerra da Silva Júnior ◽  
Elizabeth De Francesco Daher ◽  
Rosa Maria Salani Mota ◽  
Francisco Albano Menezes

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Acute renal failure is a common medical problem, with a high mortality rate. The aim of this work was to investigate the risk factors for death among critically ill patients with acute renal failure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort at the intensive care unit of Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio, Fortaleza. METHODS: Survivors and non-survivors were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to establish risk factors for death. RESULTS: Acute renal failure occurred in 128 patients (33.5%), with mean age of 49 ± 20 years (79 males; 62%). Death occurred in 80 (62.5%). The risk factors most frequently associated with death were hypotension, sepsis, nephrotoxic drug use, respiratory insufficiency, liver failure, hypovolemia, septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction, need for vasoactive drugs, need for mechanical ventilation, oliguria, hypoalbuminemia, metabolic acidosis and anemia. There were negative correlations between death and: prothrombin time, hematocrit, hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, arterial pH, arterial bicarbonate and urine volume. From multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for death were: need for mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.15; p = 0.03), hypotension (OR = 3.48; p = 0.02), liver failure (OR = 5.37; p = 0.02), low arterial bicarbonate (OR = 0.85; p = 0.005), oliguria (OR = 3.36; p = 0.009), vasopressor use (OR = 4.83; p = 0.004) and sepsis (OR = 6.14; p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: There are significant risk factors for death among patients with acute renal failure in intensive care units, which need to be identified at an early stage for early treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-100
Author(s):  
Rahat Qureshi ◽  
Sheikh Irfan Ahmed ◽  
Amir Raza ◽  
Azra Amerjee

ABSTRACT Background Gynecological patients with serious underlying morbidities require admission into intensive care units (ICUs) albeit being few in numbers. Objectives To review gynecological cases with non-pregnancyrelated illness, admitted to ICU with respect to diagnosis, associated risk factors, intervention required, aspects of management, and rate of mortality. Materials and methods Retrospective record view of gynecological patients admitted in the ICU from 2005 to 2014. Setting Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Findings Twenty-six patients were admitted with complications secondary to gynecological indications. The most common reason was pulmonary edema (26.9%); sepsis was documented in 23.1% of all patients. Hemorrhagic shock was found in 11.5% gynecological ICU admissions, cardiogenic shock in 15.4%, and renal failure in 7.7%. Fourteen critically ill women with gynecological cancer were admitted to the ICU (ovarian cancer, n = 8; cervical cancer, n = 1; and endometrial cancer, n = 5). The overall mortality of gynecological patients was 26.92%. The most common interventions were mechanical ventilation (96%) followed by arterial line insertion (88%) and central line insertion (85%). Conclusion Critically ill gynecological patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, central hemodynamic monitoring, and invasive arterial pressure monitoring should be admitted to an intensive care unit. How to cite this article Qureshi R, Ahmed SI, Raza A, Amerjee A. Predictors of Mortality of Critically Ill Gynecological Patients. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2016;8(2):96-100.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 574
Author(s):  
Korisipati Ankireddy ◽  
Aruna Jyothi K.

Background: Mechanical ventilation, a lifesaving intervention in a critical care unit is under continuous evolution in modern era. Despite this, the management of children with invasive ventilation in developing countries with limited resources is challenging. The study analyses the clinical profile, indications, complications and duration of ventilator care in limited resource settings. Methods: A retrospective study of critically ill children mechanically ventilated in an intensive care unit of a tertiary care government hospital.   Results: A total of 120 children required invasive ventilation during the study period of 1 year. Infants constituted the majority (70%), and males (65%) were marginally more than female children (35%). Respiratory failure was the most common indication for invasive ventilation (55%). The major underlying etiology for invasive ventilation was bronchopneumonia associated with septic shock (30%); and the same also required a prolonged duration of ventilation of >72 hours (35%). Prolonged ventilator support of >72 hours predisposed to more complications as well as a prolonged hospital stay of >2 weeks and above, which was statistically significant. Upper lobe atelectasis (50%) and ventilator associated pneumonia (25%) were the major complications. The mortality rate of present study population was 40% as opposed to the overall mortality of 10%.   Conclusions: Present study highlights that critically ill children can be managed with mechanical ventilation even in limited resource settings. The child should be assessed clinically regarding the tolerance to extubation every day, to minimise the complications associated with prolonged ventilator support.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Schick ◽  
Benjamin Mayer ◽  
Steffen Walter ◽  
Sascha Gruss ◽  
Ronald Stitz ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pain detection and treatment is a major challenge in the care of critically ill patients, rendered more complex by the need to take into consideration the risk of insufficient or excessive analgesia. The nociceptive flexion reflex threshold (NFRT) has become the established basis for measuring the level of analgesia in the perioperative context. However, it remains unclear whether NFRT measurement can be usefully applied to mechanically ventilated, analgosedated critically ill patients who are unable to communicate. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is an association between the NFRT measurement and the Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) in critically ill, analgosedated, and mechanically ventilated patients and whether the NFRT measurement can also detect potential excessive analgesia. Methods This prospective, observational, randomized single-center pilot study included patients admitted to the surgical Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital Ulm, Germany, all of whom were analgosedated and intubated. Major exclusion criteria were defined as the need for the administration of neuromuscular blocking agents or neurological diseases associated with peripheral nerve conduction restriction. Initial NFRT and BPS measurements were conducted within 12 h after admission. A structured pain assessment was performed at least twice daily until extubation throughout the observation period thereafter (Group A: BPS + NFRT, Group B: BPS). Results 114 patients were included in the study. NFRT is associated negatively with BPS. NFRT was almost twice as high in patients with a Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) score of -5 than in patients with a RASS score ≥ -4 (RASS -5 – NFRT: 59.40 vs. RASS -4 – NFRT: 29.00, p < 0.001). Conclusions NFRT measurement is associated negatively with the BPS in critically ill patients. NFRT measurement provides guidance for the evaluation of nociceptive processes in patients with RASS scores ≤ −4, in whom analgesia level is often difficult to assess. However, in order to identify excessive analgesia and derive therapeutic consequences, it is necessary to gradually decrease analgesics and sedatives until a stimulus threshold is reached at which the patient does not feel pain. Trial Registration Retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register, registration number DRKS00021149, date of registration: March 26, 2020. https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00021149.


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