scholarly journals Do neurocritical care units improve outcomes for brain-injured adults: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e043981
Author(s):  
Xiuxian Pham ◽  
Jason Ray ◽  
Ary Serpa Neto ◽  
Andrew Udy

IntroductionNeurocritical care is a rapidly developing subspecialty within intensive care medicine which aims to improve outcomes of critically ill neurological patients. This has inspired the formation of specialised intensive care units or services to provide dedicated care of brain-injured patients, as well as new training pathways for physicians. However, expansion has been variable worldwide and it is yet to be determined if there are clear benefits in regard to patient outcomes. We are planning a systematic review with meta-analysis to assess whether the introduction of neurocritical care units or services, or neurointensivists have favourable effects on survival.Methods and analysisWe will include all observational and interventional studies comparing specialised neurocritical care units or services with general or non-specialised units in the care of acutely brain-injured adults. The primary outcome will be all-cause mortality at the longest follow-up, and secondary outcomes will be intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and functional outcomes. All relevant studies will be identified through database searches. All study selection and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers. We will conduct a random-effects meta-analysis to synthesise evidence for all outcomes. In addition, we will perform a subgroup analysis by disease process. We will assess confidence in the cumulative evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review and meta-analysis does not require ethical approval. We will publish findings from this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and present these at conferences. It will be included in the primary author’s higher degree research thesis.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020177190.

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 383-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Chen ◽  
Dalong Sun ◽  
Weiming Yang ◽  
Mingli Liu ◽  
Shufan Zhang ◽  
...  

Objective: To evaluate the impact of telemedicine programs in intensive care unit (Tele-ICU) on ICU or hospital mortality or ICU or hospital length of stay and to summarize available data on implementation cost of Tele-ICU. Methods: Controlled trails or observational studies assessing outcomes of interest were identified by searching 7 electronic databases from inception to July 2016 and related journals and conference literatures between 2000 and 2016. Two reviewers independently screened searched records, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. Random-effect models were applied to meta-analyses and sensitivity analysis. Results: Nineteen of 1035 records fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The pooled effects demonstrated that Tele-ICU programs were associated with reductions in ICU mortality (15 studies; risk ratio [RR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.96; P = .01), hospital mortality (13 studies; RR, 0.74; 95% CIs, 0.58 to 0.96; P = .02), and ICU length of stay (9 studies; mean difference [MD], −0.63; 95% CI, −0.28 to 0.17; P = .007). However, there is no significant association between the reduction in hospital length of stay and Tele-ICU programs. Summary data concerning costs suggested approximately US$50 000 to US$100 000 per Tele-ICU bed was required to implement Tele-ICU programs for the first year. Hospital costs of US$2600 reduction to US$5600 increase per patient were estimated using Tele-ICU programs. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis provided limited evidence that Tele-ICU approaches may reduce the ICU and hospital mortality, shorten the ICU length of stay, but have no significant effect in hospital length of stay. Implementation of Tele-ICU programs substantially costs and its long-term cost-effectiveness is still unclear.


Critical Care ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Areia ◽  
Christopher Biggs ◽  
Mauro Santos ◽  
Neal Thurley ◽  
Stephen Gerry ◽  
...  

Abstract 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. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42020188633.


Open Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e001474
Author(s):  
Ellaha Kakar ◽  
Ryan J Billar ◽  
Joost van Rosmalen ◽  
Markus Klimek ◽  
Johanna J M Takkenberg ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPrevious studies have reported beneficial effects of perioperative music on patients’ anxiety and pain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials investigating music interventions in cardiac surgery.MethodsFive electronic databases were systematically searched. Primary outcomes were patients’ postoperative anxiety and pain. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay, opioid use, vital parameters and time on mechanical ventilation. PRISMA guidelines were followed and PROSPERO database registration was completed (CRD42020149733). A meta-analysis was performed using random effects models and pooled standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.ResultsTwenty studies were included for qualitative analysis (1169 patients) and 16 (987 patients) for meta-analysis. The first postoperative music session was associated with significantly reduced postoperative anxiety (SMD = –0.50 (95% CI –0.67 to –0.32), p<0.01) and pain (SMD = –0.51 (95% CI –0.84 to –0.19), p<0.01). This is equal to a reduction of 4.00 points (95% CI 2.56 to 5.36) and 1.05 points (95% CI 0.67 to 1.41) on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)/Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), respectively, for anxiety, and 1.26 points (95% CI 0.47 to 2.07) on the VAS/NRS for pain. Multiple days of music intervention reduced anxiety until 8 days postoperatively (SMD = –0.39 (95% CI –0.64 to –0.15), p<0.01).ConclusionsOffering recorded music is associated with a significant reduction in postoperative anxiety and pain in cardiac surgery. Unlike pharmacological interventions, music is without side effects so is promising in this population.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Morgado Areia ◽  
Christopher Biggs ◽  
Mauro Santos ◽  
Neal Thurley ◽  
Stephen Gerry ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Timely recognition of the deteriorating inpatient remains challenging. Ambulatory monitoring systems (AMS) may augment current monitoring practices. However, there are many challenges to implementation in the hospital environment, and evidence describing the clinical impact of AMS on deterioration detection and patient outcome remains unclear. Objective: To assess the impact of vital signs monitoring on detection of deterioration and related clinical outcomes in hospitalised patients using ambulatory monitoring systems, in comparison with standard care.Methods: A systematic search was conducted in August 2020 using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CENTRAL and Health Technology Assessment databases, as well as grey literature. Studies comparing the use of AMS 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 AMS, when compared with standard care, was associated with a reduction in intensive care transfers (risk ratio, RR, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.66 to 1.15), rapid response or cardiac arrest team activation (RR, 0.84; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.01), total (RR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.44 to 1.32) and major (RR, 0.55; 95% CI 0.24 to 1.30) complications prevalence. There was also association with reduced mortality (RR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.18 to 1.29) and hospital length of stay (mean difference, MD, -0.09; 95% CI -0.43 to 0.44). However, none were statistically significant.Conclusion: This systematic review indicates that implementation of AMS may have a positive impact on early deterioration detection and associated clinical outcomes, but differing design/quality of available studies and diversity of outcomes measures limits a definite conclusion. Our narrative findings suggested that alarms should be adjusted to minimise false alerts and promote rapid clinical action in response to deterioration.PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42020188633


F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Cahyo Wibisono Nugroho ◽  
Satriyo Dwi Suryantoro ◽  
Yuliasih Yuliasih ◽  
Alfian Nur Rosyid ◽  
Tri Pudy Asmarawati ◽  
...  

Background: Several studies have revealed the potential use of tocilizumab in treating COVID-19 since no therapy has yet been approved for COVID-19 pneumonia. Tocilizumab may provide clinical benefits for cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane published from March to October 2020 to evaluate optimal use and baseline criteria for administration of tocilizumab in severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients. Research involving patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated with tocilizumab and compared with the standard of care (SOC) was included in this study. We conducted a systematic review to find data about the risks and benefits of tocilizumab and outcomes from different baseline criteria for administration of tocilizumab as a treatment for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients. Results: A total of 26 studies, consisting of 23 retrospective studies, one prospective study, and two randomised controlled trials with 2112 patients enrolled in the tocilizumab group and 6160 patients in the SOC group, were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to the SOC, tocilizumab showed benefits for all-cause mortality events and a shorter time until death after first intervention but showed no difference in hospital length of stay. Upon subgroup analysis, tocilizumab showed fewer all-cause mortality events when CRP level ≥100 mg/L, P/F ratio 200-300 mmHg, and P/F ratio <200 mmHg. However, tocilizumab showed a longer length of stay when CRP <100 mg/L than the SOC. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that tocilizumab has a positive effect on all-cause mortality. It should be cautiously administrated for optimal results and tailored to the patient's eligibility criteria.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e026727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixiu Du ◽  
Fangqin Wu ◽  
Sai Lu ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Huiying Wang ◽  
...  

IntroductionPressure ulcers (PUs) are associated with substantial health burden. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at high risk for developing PU. In the absence of large randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compare commonly known interventions for preventing PU in ICUs, uncertainty remains around the best practice strategy for PU management in adult ICUs. This study, therefore, aims to identify the most effective interventions and combinations of interventions that prevent PU in adult ICU using systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA).Methods and analysisWe will search for all published and unpublished RCTs evaluating interventions to prevent PU compared with other PU prevention measures or with usual care in adult ICU. The primary outcomes are the incidence of PUs and PU severity in critically ill patients in ICU. The secondary outcomes include number of PUs per patient and intervention-related harms caused by the prevention intervention or intervention-related harms. All data extraction will be performed by at least two independent reviewers on the basis of a priori developed extraction form. We will evaluate the risk of bias of the included RCTs in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool, and assess the quality of evidence using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. A standard pairwise meta-analysis and a Bayesian NMA will be conducted to compare the efficacy of different PU prevention interventions. A surface under the cumulative ranking curve will be used to rank the probabilities of each prevention intervention for various outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThis study will not require the ethics approval as it is a review based on published studies. The findings of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. We anticipate that the results of the study will provide the evidence to inform clinicians and guideline developers on determining the best interventions for the prevention of PU in ICU patients.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018085562.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D R Cheng

Abstract Background The choice of anesthesia for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still under controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the safety of local anesthesia (LA) with or without conscious sedation (CS) and general anesthesia (GA) for the TAVI-procedure. Methods This meta-analysis is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021221777). We searched OVID, PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science databases to collect all the related studies published from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2020. The primary outcome measures were hospital length of stay, operation time, 30-day mortality, use of cardiovascular drugs, permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation rate, stroke rate, the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), major bleeding (MB) rate, rate of procedural success. Results A total of 33 studies (3 RCT studies, 23 retrospective cohort studies, 4 prospective cohort studies, 3 case-control studies) including 23244 patients were analyzed. There were no significant statistically differences between LA and GA with respect to PPM [OR=0.99, 95% CI (0.88, 1.11), P=0.88], shock [OR=0.91, 95% CI (0.69, 1.21), P=0.52], MI [OR=0.89, 95% CI (0.52, 1.53), P=0.68], AKI [OR=1.26, 95% CI (0.99, 1.62), P=0.06], rate of procedural success [OR=0.66, 95% CI (0.43, 1.03), P=0.06]. However, compared to GA, LA for TAVI was associated with a significantly shorter hospital length of stay [WMD=−2.45, 95% CI (−2.77, −2.13), P&lt;0.ehab724.16701], a reduction in procedure time [WMD=−12.32, 95% CI (−13.78, −10.87), P&lt;0.ehab724.16701], a reduction in using of cardiovascular drugs [OR=0.52, 95% CI (0.35, 0.78), P=0.002] and in MB [OR=0.59, 95% CI (0.46, 0.75), P&lt;0.0001], reduced 30-day mortality rate [OR=1.19, 95% CI (1.00, 1.42), P=0.05]. Conclusion This Systematic review and meta-analysis showed that compared to GA, LA for TAVI can reduce hospital length of stay, procedure time, 30-day mortality rate, use of cardiovascular drugs, and MB rate, but no significant differences in PPM, shock, MI, AKI, and the rate of procedural success. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088506662098441
Author(s):  
Anton I. Moshynskyy ◽  
Jonathan F. Mailman ◽  
Eric J. Sy

Purpose: We evaluated the effects of after-hours/nighttime patient transfers out of the ICU on patient outcomes, by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD 42017074082). Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library from 1987-November 2019. Conference abstracts from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Thoracic Society, CHEST, Critical Care Canada Forum, and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine from 2011-2019. Data Extraction: Observational or randomized studies of adult ICU patients were selected if they compared after-hours transfer out of the ICU to daytime transfer on patient outcomes. Case reports, case series, letters, and reviews were excluded. Study year, country, design, co-variates for adjustment, definitions of after-hours, mortality rates, ICU readmission rates, and hospital length of stay (LOS) were extracted. Data Synthesis: We identified 3,398 studies. Thirty-one observational studies (1,418,924 patients) were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. Included studies had varying definitions of after-hours, with the after-hours period starting anytime between 16:00-22:00 and ending between 06:00-09:00. Approximately 16% of transfers occurred after-hours. After-hours transfers were associated with increased in-hospital mortality for both unadjusted (odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-1.75, I2 = 96%, number of studies [n] = 26, P < 0.001, low certainty) and adjusted (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.25-1.38, I 2 = 33%, n = 10, P < 0.001, low certainty) data, compared to daytime transfers. They were also associated with increased ICU readmission (pooled unadjusted OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.38, I2 = 85%, n = 17, P < 0.001, low certainty) and longer hospital LOS (standardized mean difference 0.13, 95% CI 0.09-0.18, I 2 = 93%, n = 9, P < 0.001, low certainty), compared to daytime transfers. Conclusions: After-hours transfers out of the ICU are associated with increased in-hospital mortality, ICU readmission, and hospital LOS, across many settings. While the certainty of evidence is low, future research is needed to reduce the number and effects of after-hours transfers.


Thorax ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. thoraxjnl-2020-216098
Author(s):  
Leanne M Aitken ◽  
Kalliopi Kydonaki ◽  
Bronagh Blackwood ◽  
Laurence G Trahair ◽  
Edward Purssell ◽  
...  

PurposeTo determine the effect of depth of sedation on intensive care mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and other clinically important outcomes.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO from 2000 to 2020. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies that examined the effect of sedation depth were included. Two reviewers independently screened, selected articles, extracted data and appraised quality. Data on study design, population, setting, patient characteristics, study interventions, depth of sedation and relevant outcomes were extracted. Quality was assessed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools.ResultsWe included data from 26 studies (n=7865 patients): 8 RCTs and 18 cohort studies. Heterogeneity of studies was substantial. There was no significant effect of lighter sedation on intensive care mortality. Lighter sedation did not affect duration of mechanical ventilation in RCTs (mean difference (MD): −1.44 days (95% CI −3.79 to 0.91)) but did in cohort studies (MD: −1.52 days (95% CI −2.71 to −0.34)). No statistically significant benefit of lighter sedation was identified in RCTs. In cohort studies, lighter sedation improved time to extubation, intensive care and hospital length of stay and ventilator-associated pneumonia. We found no significant effects for hospital mortality, delirium or adverse events.ConclusionEvidence of benefit from lighter sedation is limited, with inconsistency between observational and randomised studies. Positive effects were mainly limited to low quality evidence from observational studies, which could be attributable to bias and confounding factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Mobarak ◽  
M Tarazi ◽  
M Davé ◽  
R Varley ◽  
M Stott ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim Post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and delayed gastric emptying (DGE) both remain problematic complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates whether Roux-en-Y compared to a single loop reconstruction in pancreaticoduodenectomy significantly reduces rates of these complications. Method A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines by screening EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, CENTRAL and bibliographic reference lists for comparative studies meeting the predetermined inclusion criteria. Post-operative outcome measures included: POPF, DGE, bile leak, operating time, blood loss, need for transfusion, wound infection, intra-abdominal collection, post-pancreatectomy haemorrhage, overall morbidity, re-operation, overall mortality, hospital length of stay. Pooled odds ratios or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using either fixed- or random-effects models. Results Fourteen studies were identified including four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 observational studies reporting a total of 2 031 patients. Data synthesis showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in any of the outcome measures except operating time, which was longer in those undergoing Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Conclusions Roux-en-Y is not superior to single loop reconstruction in pancreaticoduodenectomy but may prolong operating time. Future high-quality randomized studies with appropriate study design and sample size power calculation may be required to further validate this conclusion.


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