Recommendations of the Working Groups from the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) for the management of adult critically ill patients

Considerations for medical nutrition therapy management of the critically ill patient with hematological malignancies: A narrative review

Patients with hematological malignancies (HMs) are more frequently admitted now than in the past to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to more aggressive approaches in primary therapy of HMs and the need for critical care support. Pathophysiological alterations derived from HMs and the different hematological therapies, such as chemotherapy, negatively affect gastrointestinal (GI) function, metabolism, and nutrition status. Further, malnutrition strongly influences outcomes and tolerance of the different hematological therapies. In consequence, these critically ill patients frequently present with malnutrition and pathophysiological alterations that create challenges for the delivery of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in the ICU. Frequent screening, gauging tolerance, and monitoring nutrition status are mandatory to provide individualized MNT and achieve nutrition objectives. The present review discusses how HM impact GI function and nutrition status, the importance of MNT in patients with HM, and specific considerations for guidance in providing adequate MNT to these patients when admitted to the ICU.

Health care professionals' experiences of pain management in the intensive care unit: a qualitative study

Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for the assessment and management of pain in the critical care setting, the prevalence of acute pain remains high. Inadequate pain management is associated with longer duration of mechanical ventilation, reduced capacity for rehabilitation and long-term psychological sequelae. This study aimed to describe the experiences of pain management from healthcare professionals working in intensive care units. Healthcare professionals were recruited from intensive care units in London, UK using a purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis technique. Thirty participants were recruited from eight diverse intensive care units. Five themes were identified. First, there was a lack of consensus in pain assessment in the ICU where nursing staff described more knowledge and confidence of validated pain measures than physicians, and concerns over validity and usability were raised. Second, there was a universal perception of resource availability impacting the quality of pain management including high clinical workload, staff turnover and availability of certain pain management techniques. Third, acknowledgement of the importance of pain management was highest in those with experience of interacting with critical care survivors. Fourth, participants described their own emotional reaction to managing those in pain which influenced their learning. Finally, there was a perception that, due to the complexity of the intensive care unit population, pain was de-prioritised and there were conflicting views as to whether standardised analgosedation algorithms were useful. This study provides evidence to suggest interdisciplinary training, collaboratively designed decision-making tools, prioritisation initiatives and research priorities are areas that could be targeted to improve pain management in critical care.

Design of a safety round model for intensive care units

INTRODUCTION

Safety Rounds (SR) are an operational tool that allow knowing adherence to good practices, help identify risks and incidents in patient safety (PS), allowing improvement actions to be implemented. The objective of this work was the design of a procedure to perform SR in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

METHODS

Preparation of a checklist for the development of SR in the ICU through the nominal group technique, with the participation of managers, middle managers and professionals from different disciplines and categories. In the first place, a group of experts agreed, based on the recommendations on good practices in PS, the definition of items, their coding, the criteria for compliance and the impact of non-compliance. Subsequently, its viability was determined through a cross-sectional study through the piloting of two SRs to adjust the items in real clinical practice conditions.

RESULTS

A specific SR model for ICUs has been obtained through a checklist. The group of experts prepared a first list made up of 39 items of 6 essential dimensions and defined the method of implementation. Mean time to complete the two SRs was 85 min, including the briefing and subsequent debriefing. After the validation pilot, the dimensions were reduced to 5, 3 items were deleted, 2 items were transferred to another dimension and 3 items related to nosocomial infections and informed consent were modified. In addition, the data sources, the compliance criteria and their relative weight were redefined. The final list was considered useful and relevant to improve practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Through a consensus methodology, a checklist has been built to be used in the RS of an ICU. This model can serve as a basis for its use in healthcare services with similar characteristics.

The use of mechanical restraint in critical care units: Characterisation, application standards and related factors. Results of a multicentre study

OBJECTIVES

To describe and characterise the use of mechanical restraint (MR) in critical care units (CCU) in terms of frequency and quality of application and to study its relationship with pain/agitation-sedation/delirium, nurse:patient ratio and institutional involvement.

METHOD

Multicentre observational study conducted in 17 CCUs between February and May 2016. The observation time per CCU was 96 h. The main variables were the prevalence of restraint, the degree of adherence to MR recommendations, pain/agitation-sedation/delirium monitoring and institutional involvement (protocols and training of professionals).

RESULTS

A total of 1070 patients were included. The overall prevalence of restraint was 19.11%, in patients with endotracheal tube (ETT) 42.10% and in patients without ETT or artificial airway it was 13.92%. Adherence rates between 0% and 40% were obtained for recommendations related to non-pharmacological management and between 0% and 100% for those related to monitoring of ethical-legal aspects. The lower prevalence of restraint was correlated with adequate pain monitoring in non-communicative patients (P < .001) and with the provision of training for professionals (P = .020). An inverse correlation was found between the quality of the use of MR and its prevalence, both in the general group of patients admitted to CCU (r = -.431) and in the subgroup of patients with ETT (r = -.521).

CONCLUSIONS

Restraint is especially frequently used in patients with ETT/artificial airway, but is also used in other patients who may not meet the use profile. There is wide room for improvement in non-pharmacological alternatives to the use of MC, ethical and legal vigilance, and institutional involvement. Better interpretation of patient behaviour with validated tools may help limit use of MR.

History of mental disorder in an ICU and referrals to psychiatry

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of patients with mental disorders (MD) admitted to the ICU. To compare the clinical characteristics according to the presence of psychiatric history. To review the relevance of the consultations made to Psychiatry.

DESIGN

Retrospective descriptive study.

SETTING

ICU of the General Hospital of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.

PATIENTS

Patients admitted between January 2016 and June 2018.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Severity level (APACHE II), reason for admission, days of admission, days of mechanical ventilation, psychiatric history and reason for psychiatric consultation.

RESULTS

A total of 1,247 patients were included; 194 (15.5%) met MD criteria, their mean age being younger (59 vs 68, P < .001) and with a lower mean score on the APACHE II scale (12 vs 14, P ≤ .003). There were 64 consultations to Psychiatry (5.1% of admissions), 59 of which were in patients with TM (92.1%). Regarding the reasons for the consultation, 22.6% were for attempted suicide, 61.3% for pharmacological adjustment, 11.3% to rule out mental disorder, and 4.8% for competence assessment. The probability of a consultation being carried out while it was indicated was 89.1%, while the probability of not carrying it out when it was not indicated was 99.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the need to expand the specific recommendations for consultation to Psychiatry, beyond the assessment after a suicide attempt, since a large percentage (77.5%) of the pertinent consultations were for other reasons.

Ethical Issues Related to Donation and Transplantation of Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death Donors

With the continuing disparity between organ supply to match the increasing demand for kidney transplants in patients with renal failure, donation after the circulatory determination of death (DCDD) has become an important and increasing global source of kidneys for clinical use. The concern that the outcomes of controlled DCDD donor kidney transplants were inferior to those obtained from donors declared dead by neurologic criteria has largely diminished because large-scale registry and single-center reports consistently have reported favorable outcomes. For uncontrolled DCDD kidney transplants, outcomes are correspondingly acceptable, although there is a greater risk of primary nonfunction. The potential of DCDD remains unrealized in many countries because of the ethical concerns and resource implications in the utilization of these donor kidneys for transplantation. In this review, we discuss the origin and definitions of DCDD donors, and examine the long-term outcomes of transplants from DCDD donor kidneys. We discuss the controversies, challenges, and ethical and legal barriers in the acceptance of DCDD, including the complexities of implementing and sustaining controlled and uncontrolled DCDD donor programs. The lessons learned from global leaders will assist a wider international recognition, acceptance, and development of DCDD transplant programs that will noticeably facilitate and address the global shortages of kidneys for transplantation, and ensure the opportunity for people who had indicated their desires to become organ donors fulfill their final wishes.

Physical Restraint Use in Intensive Care Units: Exploring the Decision-Making Process and New Proposals. A Multimethod Study

Aim: The general aim of this study was to explore the decision-making process followed by Intensive Care Unit (ICU) health professionals with respect to physical restraint (PR) administration and management, along with the factors that influence it. Method: A qual-quant multimethod design was sequenced in two stages: an initial stage following a qualitative methodology; and second, quantitative with a predominant descriptive approach. The multicenter study was undertaken at 17 ICUs belonging to 11 public hospitals in the Madrid region (Spain) across the period 2015 through 2019. The qualitative stage was performed from an interpretative phenomenological perspective. A total of eight discussion groups (DG) were held, with the participation of 23 nurses, 12 patient care nursing assistants, and seven physicians. Intentional purposive sampling was carried out. DG were tape-recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis of the latent content was performed. In the quantitative stage, we maintained a 96-h observation period at each ICU. Variables pertaining to general descriptive elements of each ICU, institutional pain-agitation/sedation-delirium (PAD) monitoring policies and elements linked to quality of PR use were recorded. A descriptive analysis was performed, and the relationship between the variables was analyzed. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Findings: A total of 1070 patients were observed, amounting to a median prevalence of PR use of 19.11% (min: 0%–max: 44.44%). The differences observed between ICUs could be explained by a difference in restraint conceptualization. The various actors involved jointly build up a health care culture and a conceptualization of the terms “safety-risk”, which determine decision-making about the use of restraints at each ICU. These shared meanings are the germ of beliefs, values, and rituals which, in this case, determine the greater or lesser use of restraints. There were different profiles of PR use among the units studied: preventive restraints versus “Zero” restraints. The differences corresponded to aspects such as: systematic use of tools for assessment of PAD; interpretation of patient behavior; the decision-making process, the significance attributed to patient safety and restraints; and the feelings generated by PR use. The restraint–free model requires an approach to safety from a holistic perspective, with the involvement of all team members and the family.

Characteristics of prolonged noninvasive ventilation in emergency departments and impact upon effectiveness. Analysis of the VNICat registry

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the characteristics and variables associated with prolonged noninvasive ventilation performed completely in Emergency Departments (NIV-ED) and its influence upon effectiveness.

DESIGN

A prospective, multicenter, observational multipurpose cohort study was carried out.

SETTING

VNICAT Registry.

SUBJECTS

Patients in which NIV-ED was performed in 11 Catalan hospitals in the months of February or March 2015.

INTERVENTION

No.

VARIABLES

The study variable was NIV-ED, which as a function of time was defined as prolonged or not prolonged. The efficacy variable was the success of the technique in terms of patient improvement.

RESULTS

A total of 125 patients were included, with a median NIV-ED duration of 12 h, which was the cut-off point for the comparator groups. In 60 cases (48%) NIV-ED was not prolonged (<12 h), while in 65 cases (52%) ventilation was prolonged (≥12 h). Non-prolonged NIV-ED was associated to the indication of acute heart failure and prolonged ventilation to the presence of diabetes. There were no differences between non-prolonged and prolonged NIV-ED in terms of efficacy, and the success rate in terms of improvement was 68.3% and 76.9%, respectively, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.49 (95%CI 0.61-3.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged NIV-ED is a frequent situation, but few variables associated to it have been studied. The presence of prolonged ventilation did not influence the success rate of NIV.

History of mental disorder in an ICU and referrals to psychiatry

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of patients with mental disorders (MD) admitted to the ICU. To compare the clinical characteristics according to the presence of psychiatric history. To review the relevance of the consultations made to Psychiatry.

DESIGN

Retrospective descriptive study.

SETTING

ICU of the General Hospital of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.

PATIENTS

Patients admitted between January 2016 and June 2018.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Severity level (APACHEII), reason for admission, days of admission, days of mechanical ventilation, psychiatric history and reason for psychiatric consultation.

RESULTS

A total of 1,247 patients were included; 194 (15.5%) met MD criteria, their mean age being younger (59 vs 68, P<.001) and with a lower mean score on the APACHEII scale (12 vs 14, P≤.003). There were 64 consultations to Psychiatry (5.1% of admissions), 59 of which were in patients with TM (92.1%). Regarding the reasons for the consultation, 22.6% were for attempted suicide, 61.3% for pharmacological adjustment, 11.3% to rule out mental disorder, and 4.8% for competence assessment. The probability of a consultation being carried out while it was indicated was 89.1%, while the probability of not carrying it out when it was not indicated was 99.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the need to expand the specific recommendations for consultation to Psychiatry, beyond the assessment after a suicide attempt, since a large percentage (77.5%) of the pertinent consultations were for other reasons.

Expanding controlled donation after the circulatory determination of death: statement from an international collaborative

A decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment (WLST) is derived by a conclusion that further treatment will not enable a patient to survive or will not produce a functional outcome with acceptable quality of life that the patient and the treating team regard as beneficial. Although many hospitalized patients die under such circumstances, controlled donation after the circulatory determination of death (cDCDD) programs have been developed only in a reduced number of countries. This International Collaborative Statement aims at expanding cDCDD in the world to help countries progress towards self-sufficiency in transplantation and offer more patients the opportunity of organ donation. The Statement addresses three fundamental aspects of the cDCDD pathway. First, it describes the process of determining a prognosis that justifies the WLST, a decision that should be prior to and independent of any consideration of organ donation and in which transplant professionals must not participate. Second, the Statement establishes the permanent cessation of circulation to the brain as the standard to determine death by circulatory criteria. Death may be declared after an elapsed observation period of 5 min without circulation to the brain, which confirms that the absence of circulation to the brain is permanent. Finally, the Statement highlights the value of perfusion repair for increasing the success of cDCDD organ transplantation. cDCDD protocols may utilize either in situ or ex situ perfusion consistent with the practice of each country. Methods to accomplish the in situ normothermic reperfusion of organs must preclude the restoration of brain perfusion to not invalidate the determination of death.

[Recommendations of the Working Groups from the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) for the management of adult critically ill patients in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)]

On March 11, 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The spread and evolution of the pandemic is overwhelming the healthcare systems of dozens of countries and has led to a myriad of opinion papers, contingency plans, case series and emerging trials. Covering all this literature is complex. Briefly and synthetically, in line with the previous recommendations of the Working Groups, the Spanish Society of Intensive, Critical Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) has prepared this series of basic recommendations for patient care in the context of the pandemic.

Recommendations of the Working Groups from the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) for the management of adult critically ill patients in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

On March 11, 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The spread and evolution of the pandemic is overwhelming the healthcare systems of dozens of countries and has led to a myriad of opinion papers, contingency plans, case series and emerging trials. Covering all this literature is complex. Briefly and synthetically, in line with the previous recommendations of the Working Groups, the Spanish Society of Intensive, Critical Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) has prepared this series of basic recommendations for patient care in the context of the pandemic.

Characteristics of prolonged noninvasive ventilation in emergency departments and impact upon effectiveness. Analysis of the VNICat registry

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the characteristics and variables associated with prolonged noninvasive ventilation performed completely in Emergency Departments (NIV-ED) and its influence upon effectiveness.

DESIGN

A prospective, multicenter, observational multipurpose cohort study was carried out.

SETTING

VNICat Registry.

SUBJECTS

Patients in which NIV-ED was performed in 11 Catalan hospitals in the months of February or March 2015.

INTERVENTION

No.

VARIABLES

The study variable was NIV-ED, which as a function of time was defined as prolonged or not prolonged. The efficacy variable was the success of the technique in terms of patient improvement.

RESULTS

A total of 125 patients were included, with a median NIV-ED duration of 12hours, which was the cut-off point for the comparator groups. In 60 cases (48%) NIV-ED was not prolonged (<12hours), while in 65 cases (52%) ventilation was prolonged (≥12hours). Non-prolonged NIV-ED was associated to the indication of acute heart failure and prolonged ventilation to the presence of diabetes. There were no differences between non-prolonged and prolonged NIV-ED in terms of efficacy, and the success rate in terms of improvement was 68.3% and 76.9%, respectively, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.49 (95%CI 0.61-3.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged NIV-ED is a frequent situation, but few variables associated to it have been studied. The presence of prolonged ventilation did not influence the success rate of NIV.

Changes of resistance rates in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains are unrelated to antimicrobial consumption in ICU populations with invasive device-related infection

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between antipseudomonal antibiotic consumption and each individual drug resistance rate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains causing ICU acquired invasive device-related infections (IDRI).

DESIGN

A post hoc analysis was made of the data collected prospectively from the ENVIN-HELICS registry.

SETTING

Intensive Care Units participating in the ENVIN-UCI registry between the years 2007 and 2016 (3-month registry each year).

PATIENTS

Patients admitted for over 24h.

MAIN VARIABLES

Annual linear and nonlinear trends of resistance rates of P. aeruginosa strains identified in IDRI and days of treatment of each antipseudomonal antibiotic family per 1000 occupied ICU bed days (DOT) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 15,095 episodes of IDRI were diagnosed in 11,652 patients (6.2% out of a total of 187,100). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified in 2095 (13.6%) of 15,432 pathogens causing IDRI. Resistance increased significantly over the study period for piperacillin-tazobactam (P<0.001), imipenem (P=0.016), meropenem (P=0.004), ceftazidime (P=0.005) and cefepime (P=0.015), while variations in resistance rates for amikacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and colistin proved nonsignificant. A significant DOT decrease was observed for aminoglycosides (P<0.001), cephalosporins (P<0.001), quinolones (P<0.001) and carbapenems (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

No significant association was observed between consumption of each antipseudomonal antibiotic family and the respective resistance rates for P. aeruginosa strains identified in IDRI.

[Intensive care to facilitate organ donation. ONT-SEMICYUC recommendations]

Intensive care to facilitate organ donation (ICOD) is defined as the initiation or continuation of life-sustaining measures, such as mechanical ventilation, in patients with a devastating brain injury with high probability of evolving to brain death and in whom curative treatment has been completely dismissed and considered futile. ICOD incorporates the option to organ donation allowing a holistic approach to end-of-life care, consistent with the patients wills and values. Should the patient not evolve to brain death, life-supportive treatment must be withdrawal and controlled asystolia donation could be evaluated. ICOD is a legitimate practice, within the ethical and legal regulations that contributes increasing the accessibility of patients to transplantation, promoting health by increasing deceased donation by 24%, and with a mean of 2.3 organs transplanted per donor, and collaborating with the sustainability of health-care system. This ONT-SEMICYUC recommendations provide a guide to facilitate an ICOD harmonized practice in spanish ICUs.

Oversedation Zero as a tool for comfort, safety and intensive care unit management

Sedation is necessary in the management of critically ill patients, both to alleviate suffering and to cure patients with diseases that require admission to the intensive care unit. Such sedation should be appropriate to the patient needs at each timepoint during clinical evolution, and neither too low (undersedation) nor too high (oversedation). Adequate sedation influences patient comfort, safety, survival, subsequent quality of life, bed rotation of critical care units and costs. Undersedation is detected and quickly corrected. In contrast, oversedation is silent and difficult to prevent in the absence of management guidelines, collective awareness and teamwork. The Zero Oversedation Project of the Sedation, Analgesia and Delirium Working Group of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units aims to offer a practical teaching and collective awareness tool for ensuring patient comfort, safety and management with a view to optimizing the clinical outcomes and minimizing the deleterious effects of excessive sedation. The tool is based on a package of measures that include monitoring pain, analgesia, agitation, sedation, delirium and neuromuscular block, keeping patients pain-free, performing dynamic sedation according to clinical objectives, agreeing upon the multidisciplinary protocol to be followed, and avoiding deep sedation where not clinically indicated.

Application, verification and correction from an elaborate checklist with some of the recommendations («do and do not do») of the SEMICYUC working groups

OBJECTIVE

Based on some of the recommendations of the SEMICYUC working groups, we developed a checklist and applied it in 2 periods, analyzing their behavior as a tool for improving safety.

DESIGN

A comparative pre- and post-intervention longitudinal study was carried out.

SETTING

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a 400-bed university hospital.

PATIENTS

Random cases series in 2 periods separated by 6 months.

INTERVENTIONS

We developed a checklist with 24 selected indicators that were randomly applied to 50 patients. Verification was conducted by a professional not related to care (prompter). We analyzed the results and compliance index and carried out corrective measures with training. With 6 months of preparation, we again applied the random checklist to 50 patients (post-intervention period) and compared the compliance indexes between the two timepoints.

RESULTS

There were no differences in demographic characteristics or evolution between the periods. The compliance index at baseline was 0.86±0.12 versus 0.91±0.52 in the post-intervention period (P=.023). An acceptable compliance index was obtained with the 24 indicators, though at baseline the compliance index was<0.85 for 5 recommendations. These detected non-compliances were worked upon through training in the second phase of the study. The post-intervention checklist evidenced improvement in compliance with the recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

The checklist used to assess compliance with a selection of recommendations of the SEMICYUC applied and moderated by a prompter was seen to be a useful instrument allowing us to identify points for improvement in the management of Intensive Care Unit patients, increasing the quality and safety of care.

Update and recommendations in decision making referred to limitation of advanced life support treatment

The Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) Bioethics Working Group has developed recommendations on the Limitation of Advanced Life Support Treatment (LLST) decisions, with the aim of reducing variability in clinical practice and of improving end of life care in critically ill patients. The conceptual framework of LLST and futility are explained. Recommendations referred to new forms of LLST encompassing also the adequacy of other treatments and diagnostic methods are developed. In addition, planning of the possible clinical courses following the decision of LLST is commented. The importance of advanced care planning in decision-making is emphasized, and intensive care oriented towards organ donation at end of life in the critically ill patient is described. The integration of palliative care in the critical patient treatment is promoted in end of life stages in the Intensive Care Unit.

Safety and effectiveness of a prothrombin complex concentrate in approved and off-label indications

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) in approved and off-label indications.

BACKGROUND

PCCs are approved for the urgent reversal of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Data concerning the efficacy, safety and dosing for off-label indications are limited, but they are included in massive bleeding protocols.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of cases treated with four-factor PCCs (4F-PCCs) between January 2009 and 2016. Efficacy end-points include: (i) VKA reversal efficacy assessed by international normalised ratio (INR) normalisation (<1·5) and (ii) clinical efficacy as bleeding cessation and/or decreased number of transfused blood components and 24-h mortality in bleeding coagulopathy. The safety end-point is the incidence of thromboembolic events.

RESULTS

A total of 328 patients were included (51·8% male, median age 78 years old). Indications were as follows: VKA reversal (66·6%), bleeding coagulopathy (30·5%) and direct anticoagulant (DOAC) reversal due to bleeding (2·5%). VKA reversal was effective in 97·1% of patients, and 76·5% demonstrated complete reversal (INR < 1·5); only 34·3% patients needed hemoderivatives. Prior to emergency procedures, PCCs achieved global responses in 83% of patients, with no bleeding complication during intervention. DOAC reversal was effective in 88·9% of patients. Bleeding cessation was associated with the dose administered (P = 0·002). In coagulopathy bleeding, haemorrhage cessation, established by the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostais (ISTH) definition, occurred in 56·7% of massive bleeding events and in 42·5% of other coagulopathies; 24-h mortality was 30%, mainly related to active bleeding. Ten thrombotic episodes were observed (3·1%).

CONCLUSION

4F-PCC was effective as adjuvant treatment with an acceptable safety profile, not only for the emergent reversal of VKAs but also for refractory coagulopathy associated with major bleeding.

Impact of strategic planning, organizational culture imprint and care bundles to reduce adverse events in the ICU

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the occurrence of adverse events during a multifaceted program implementation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional secondary analysis.

SETTING

The respiratory-ICU of a large tertiary care center.

PARTICIPANTS

Retrospectively collected data of patients admitted from 1 March 2010 to 28 February 2014 (usual care period) and from 1 March 2014 to 1 March 2017 (multifaceted program period) were used.

INTERVENTIONS

The program integrated three components: (1) strategic planning and organizational culture imprint; (2) training and practice and (3) implementation of care bundles. Strategic planning redefined the respiratory-ICU Mission and Vision, its SWOT matrix (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) as well as its medium to long-term aims and planned actions. A 'Wear the Institution's T-shirt' monthly conference was given in order to foster organizational culture in healthcare personnel. Training was conducted on hand hygiene and projects 'Pneumonia Zero' and 'Bacteremia Zero'. Finally, actions of both projects were implemented.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rates of adverse events (episodes per 1000 patient/days).

RESULTS

Out of 1662 patients (usual care, n = 981; multifaceted program, n = 681) there was a statistically significant reduction during the multifaceted program in episodes of accidental extubation ([Rate ratio, 95% CI] 0.31, 0.17-0.55), pneumothorax (0.48, 0.26-0.87), change of endotracheal tube (0.17, 0.07-0.44), atelectasis (0.37, 0.20-0.68) and death in the ICU (0.82, 0.69-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

A multifaceted program including strategic planning, organizational culture imprint and care protocols was associated with a significant reduction of adverse events in the respiratory-ICU.

Physical restraint in critical care units from the experience of doctors and nursing assistants: In search of an interdisciplinary interpretation

OBJECTIVES

The study aim was to explore the experience of doctors and nursing assistants in the management of physical restraint (PR) in critical care units.

METHOD

A multicentre phenomenological study that included 14 critical care units (CCU) in Madrid (Spain). The CCU were stratified according to their use of physical restraint: "frequently used" versus "seldom used". Three focus groups were formed: the first comprised nursing assistants from CCUs that frequently used physical restraint, the second comprised nursing assistants from CCUs that seldom used physical constraint, and the final group comprised doctors from both CCU subtypes. Sampling method: purposive.

DATA ANALYSIS

thematic content analysis. Data saturation was achieved.

RESULTS

Four principle themes emerged: 1) concept of safety and risk (patient safety versus the safety of the professional), 2) types of restraint, 3) professional responsibilities (prescription, recording, and professional roles) and 4) "zero restraint" paradigm. The conceptualisation regarding the use of physical contentions shows differences in some of the principal themes, depending on the type of CCU, in terms of policies, use and management of physical constraint (frequently used versus seldom used).

CONCLUSIONS

The real reduction in the use of physical restraint in CCU must be based on one crucial point: acceptance of the complexity of the phenomenon. The use of physical restraint observed in the different CCU is influenced by individual, group and organisational factors. These factors will determine how doctors and nursing assistants interpret safety and risk, the centre of care (patient or professional-centred care), the concept of restraint, professional responsibilities and interventions, interactions of the team and the leadership.

Psychometric evaluation of the Freedman questionnaire to assess sleep in critical patients

AIM

A study was made of the psychometric characteristics of the modified Freedman questionnaire to assess sleep in critical patients.

DESIGN

A psychometric study was carried out, with content validity being explored by a group of experts, and internal consistency based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Factor analysis was performed to explore construct validity, and stability was assessed by test-retest analysis.

SETTING

The Department of Intensive Care Medicine of a reference hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients admitted between 23 February 2016 and 20 December 2017.

INTERVENTIONS

Questionnaire administration.

VARIABLES

Items of the modified Freedman questionnaire.

RESULTS

Item relevance and definition yielded scores >3 (Likert scale maximum=4). Cronbach's alpha showed a global value of 0.933. The intraclass correlation index was >0.75 for most of the items of the questionnaire. Factor analysis allowed the detection of specific associations between the studied variables and the four factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified Freedman questionnaire showed good psychometric characteristics. It may be a reliable instrument for assessing the quality of sleep in critically ill patients, as well as the environmental factors.

Uncontrolled donation after circulatory death: ethics of implementation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Despite its potential to increase the donor pool, uncontrolled donation after circulatory death (uDCD) is available in a limited number of countries. Ethical concerns may preclude the expansion of this program. This article addresses the ethical concerns that arise in the implementation of uDCD.

RECENT FINDINGS

The first ethical concern is that associated with the determination of an irreversible cardiac arrest. Professionals must strictly adhere to local protocols and international standards on advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, independent of their participation in an uDCD program. Cardiac compression and mechanical ventilation are extended beyond futility during the transportation of potential uDCD donors to the hospital with the sole purpose of preserving organs. Importantly, potential donors remain monitored while being transferred to the hospital, which allows the identification of any return of spontaneous circulation. Moreover, this procedure allows the determination of death to be undertaken in the hospital by an independent health care provider who reassesses that no other therapeutic interventions are indicated and observes a period of the complete absence of circulation and respiration. Extracorporeal-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation programs can successfully coexist with uDCD programs. The use of normothermic regional perfusion with ECMO devices for the in-situ preservation of organs is considered appropriate in a setting in which the brain is subject to profound and prolonged ischemic damage. Finally, communication with relatives must be transparent and accurate, and the information should be provided respecting the time imposed by the family's needs and emotions.

SUMMARY

uDCD can help increase the availability of organs for transplantation while giving more patients the opportunity to donate organs after death. The procedures should be designed to confront the ethical challenges that this practice poses and respect the values of all those involved.

Summary of Spanish recommendations on intensive care to facilitate organ donation

With the aim of consolidating recommendations about the practice of initiating or continuing intensive care to facilitate organ donation (ICOD), an ad hoc working group was established, comprising 10 intensivists designated by the Spanish Society of Intensive Care and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) and the Spanish National Transplant Organization (ONT). Consensus was reached in all recommendations through a deliberative process. After a public consultation, the final recommendations were institutionally adopted by SEMICYUC, ONT, and the Transplant Committee of the National Health-Care System. This article reports on the resulting recommendations on ICOD for patients with a devastating brain injury for whom the decision has been made not to apply any medical or surgical treatment with a curative purpose on the grounds of futility. Emphasis is made on the systematic referral of these patients to donor coordinators, the proper assessment of the likelihood of brain death and medical suitability, and on transparency in communication with the patient's family. The legal and ethical aspects of ICOD are addressed. ICOD is considered a legitimate practice that offers more patients the opportunity of donating their organs upon their death and helps to increase the availability of organs for transplantation.

Perioperative intensive care medicine

Surgery represents one of the main therapeutic references in the world, affording greater survival and life expectancy for many patients. In general, the estimated postoperative mortality is low (around 1-4%). Thirteen percent of the surgical procedures have a high risk of complications, accounting for 80% of all postoperative deaths. Recently, there have been significant advances related to organizational aspects, new anesthetic and surgical techniques, prognostic scales, perioperative management and greater participation and involvement of the patient. This new series of Medicina Intensiva will address fundamental aspects of how Departments of Intensive Care Medicine can add value to the surgical process, in a coordinated manner with other services. Institutional policies are required to ensure the detection of patients at risk in hospitalization wards, with early admission to the ICU of those patients in whom admission is indicated, adapting the treatment in the ICU and optimizing the criteria for discharge. The detection and prevention of post-ICU syndrome in patients and relatives, and the follow-up of ICU discharge and hospitalization in a multidisciplinary manner can reduce the sequelae among critical surgical patients, improving the outcomes and quality of life, and restoring the patient to society. In future publications of this series directed to the surgical patient, updates will be provided on the perioperative management of some of the most complex surgeries.

Reliability of the portable coagulometer qLabs to accurately measure the activated thromboplastin time and international normalized ratio: a prospective study in critically ill patients

: The current prospective study was aimed at investigating whether a portable coagulometer (qLabs) can be used to reliably monitor activated thromboplastin time (aPTT) and international normalized ratio (INR) in critically ill patients, as compared with standard central laboratory measurement. Both precision and accuracy of INR and aPTT measured by qLabs were assessed in this observational study by finger prick group (N = 30 patients) and blood droplet group from central venous catheter drawn (N = 60). For accuracy, clinical agreement percentage was ±0.3 for INR and ±10 s for aPTT. Precision of INR measurement in qLabs showed excellent intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC > 90%). Precision of aPTT measurement in qLabs was less acceptable for both finger prick [ICC: 0.70; Bland-Altman plot: 2.2 s (-19.8, 24.2)] and blood droplet [ICC: 0.50; Bland-Altman plot: 0.4 s (-70.9, 71.8)] groups. Accuracy of qLabs was acceptable for INR assessment (clinical agreement 90 and 81%, for finger prick and blood droplet groups, respectively), but not for aPTT (clinical agreement 55 and 68%, respectively). Accuracy of finger prick and blood droplet measurements in qLabs was better for INR and aPTT values near-to-normal (1.2 and 37 s, respectively). INR values from qLabs were consistent with the 'gold standard'. qLabs measurement is only reliable for aPTT values near-to-normal.

Document on the state of affairs of the Spanish model of Intensive Care Medicine. SEMICYUC Strategic Plan 2018-2022

The role of Critical Care Medicine in Spain requires continuous revision and reflection. We have values and strengths that are evidenced in our daily work and by their important effects in routine hospital activity. Other medical specialties seeking to assume activities referred to critical patient care, as well as a number of other circumstances, may have a negative impact upon our routine duties. This article reflects the impressions of an important number of members of the Planning, Organization and Management Task Force of the Spanish Society of Critical Medicine Society (Grupo de Trabajo de Planificación, Organización y Gestión; GTPOG-SEMICYUC). The actions required to upgrade our Critical Care Medicine model are presented, evolving towards a broader view such as the 'ICU without walls' or 'Expanded ICU'. The subject is addressed from three complementary standpoints: actions involving the administrative authorities; actions required on the part of our scientific Society; and initiatives to be implemented locally in each Intensive Care Unit (led by the corresponding Unit representatives) at both hospital level and involving the regional authorities.