Using critical care chest ultrasonic examination in emergency consultation: a pilot study

Cardiopulmonary Ultrasound-Guided Treatment of Premature Infants with Respiratory Failure and Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the role of cardiopulmonary ultrasonography in the treatment of preterm infants with respiratory failure combined with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

METHODS

A single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled trial of premature infants born in the authors' hospital with a birth weight ≤ 1500 g and respiratory failure combined with PDA was conducted from January 2020 to December 2021. The included infants were randomly assigned to the cardiopulmonary ultrasound-guided therapy group or the traditional therapy group. The primary outcome of this study was data on respiratory support and PDA.

RESULTS

A total of 76 premature infants were included in the study. There were 39 patients in the cardiopulmonary ultrasound-guided therapy group and 37 patients in the traditional therapy group. There was no difference in the baseline data, and the cardiopulmonary ultrasound-guided therapy group had a higher initial positive end-expiratory pressure [difference in median = -1.5 cm H2O, 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.0 to -1.0, p < 0.0001], earlier use of ibuprofen to close the PDA (difference in median = 2.5 d, 95% CI: 1.0-4.0, p = 0.004), fewer patients requiring invasive respiratory support [risk ratio (RR) = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.99, p = 0.04], and a lower incidence of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (RR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.44-0.96, p = 0.04). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

For premature infants with respiratory failure combined with PDA, cardiopulmonary ultrasonography can better guide respiratory support. The timely administration of drugs helps treat PDA, thereby decreasing the risk of intubation and BPD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://www.trialos.com/index/ , TRN: 20220420024607012, date of registration: 2022/03/28, retrospectively registered.

Importance of clinical parameters for cultivation of critical care thinking by online teaching of critical care medicine

BACKGROUND

The teaching of critical care medicine is a very important task, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The understanding of critical care parameters is the foundation and core, which is conducive to the formation of clinical thinking. This study is to evaluate the training effect of teaching of critical care parameters based on an online platform, and explore the teaching methods of critical care medicine that can help to cultivate trainees' clinical thinking and practical ability.

METHODS

Questionnaires were released before and after the training through the official new media platform "Yisheng" application (APP) of China Medical Tribune involving 1109 participants. The trainees who filled in the questionnaire in APP and received training were randomly selected as the investigated population. Statistical description and analysis were carried out using SPSS 20.0 and Excel 2020.

RESULTS

The trainees were mainly attending physicians in tertiary hospitals and above. Among all critical care parameters, trainees paid more attention to critical hemodynamics, respiratory mechanics, severity of illness scoring systems, critical ultrasound, and critical hemofiltration. The degree of satisfaction with the courses was high, especially the course of critical hemodynamics was scored the highest. The trainees believed that the course contents were of great help to clinical work. However, no significant difference was found in the trainees' understanding or cognition of the connotation of the parameters before and after the training.

CONCLUSION

Teaching of critical care parameters based on an online platform is conducive to improving and consolidating the clinical care ability of trainees. However, it is still necessary to strengthen the cultivation of clinical thinking in critical care. In the future, the integration of theory with practice must be strengthened in clinical practice, ultimately achieving the homogeneous diagnosis and treatment of patients with critical illness.

A study protocol for investigating the sonographic characteristics of neonates with critical illness: an observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Haemodynamic instability and hypoxaemia are common and serious threats to the survival of neonates. A growing body of literature indicates that critical care ultrasound has become the optimal evaluation tool for sick neonates. However, few studies have described sonographic characteristics of haemodynamics systematically in the neonates with critical illness. This protocol describes a prospective observational cohort study aimed at (1) characterising the sonographic characteristics of the neonates with critical diseases; and (2) assessing the mortality, significant morbidity, utility of vasoactive medications, fluid resuscitation, duration of ventilation, etc. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-centre, prospective and observational study conducted in Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital from 1 December 2022 to 31 December 2027. Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit will be recruited. After inclusion, the neonates will undergo the neonatal critical care ultrasound. The data collected via case report forms include clinical variables and sonographic measures. The primary outcome is to identify the sonographic characteristics of sick neonates with different diseases, and the secondary outcome is to describe the mortality, significant morbidity, utility of vasoactive medications, fluid resuscitation and duration of ventilation.

DISCUSSION

Our study provided an organised neonatal critical care ultrasound workflow, which can be applied in practice. Accordingly, this study will first set up large data on the sonographic description of the neonates with critical illness, which can help to understand the pathophysiology of the critical illness, potentially titrating the treatment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200065581; https://www.chictr.org.cn/com/25/showproj.aspx?proj=184095).

Point-of-care ultrasound improves clinical outcomes in patients with acute onset dyspnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The early, appropriate management of acute onset dyspnea is important but often challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) versus conventional management on clinical outcomes in patients with acute onset dyspnea. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and reference lists were searched to identify eligible trials (inception to October 14, 2021). There were no language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and prospective and retrospective cohort studies that compared PoCUS with conventional diagnostic modalities (controls) in patients with acute onset dyspnea were included. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. The primary study outcomes were time to diagnosis, time to treatment, and length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes included rate of appropriate treatment, 30-day re-admission rate, and mortality. We included eight RCTs and six observational studies with a total of 5393 participants. Heterogeneity across studies was variable (from low to considerable), with overall low or moderate study quality and low or moderate risk of bias (except one article with serious risk of bias). Time to diagnosis (mean difference [MD], - 63 min; 95% CI, - 115 to - 11 min] and time to treatment (MD, - 27 min; 95% CI - 43 to - 11 min) were significantly shorter in the PoCUS group. In-hospital LOS showed no differences between the two groups, but LOS in the Intensive Care Unit (MD, - 1.27 days; - 1.94 to - 0.61 days) was significantly shorter in the PoCUS group. Patients in the PoCUS group showed significantly higher odds of receiving appropriate therapy compared to controls (odds ratio [OR], 2.31; 95% CI, 1.61-3.32), but there was no significant effect on 30-day re-admission rate and in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Our results indicate that PoCUS use contributes to early diagnosis and better outcomes compared to conventional methods in patients admitted with acute onset dyspnea.

Effect of focused cardiopulmonary ultrasonography on clinical outcome of septic shock: a randomized study

Objective

To investigate the effect of focused ultrasonography on clinical outcomes of septic shock.

Methods

Patients with septic shock were randomized into an integrated cardiopulmonary ultrasonography (ICUS) group and conventional (CON) group. Within 1 hour of admission, the ICUS group underwent ICUS examination for hemodynamic decision-making, while the CON group received standard treatment. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality after admission. The secondary endpoints were cumulative fluid administration in the first 6, 24, and 72 hours; use of vasoactive drugs; lactate clearance; duration of ventilation; and ICU stay.

Results

Ninety-four qualified patients were enrolled (ICUS group, 49; CON group, 45). ICUS showed no significant effect on 28-day mortality. Within the initial 6 hours, the ICUS group tended to have a higher fluid balance and fluid intake than the CON group. The duration of vasopressor support was shorter in the ICUS group. There were no differences in the cumulative fluid infusion within 24 or 72 hours, lactate clearance, ICU stay, or duration of ventilation.

Conclusions

The initially focused ICUS did not affect the clinical outcomes of septic shock, but it tended to be associated with a higher fluid balance within the initial 6 hours and shorter duration of vasopressor support.

Application of Critical Care Ultrasound in Patients With COVID-19: Our Experience and Perspective

Up to April 4, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease-2019 COVID-19 has affected more than 1 099000 patients and has become a major global health concern. World Health Organization (WHO) has defined COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Critical care ultrasound (CCUS) can rapidly acquire the image of lung and other organs and demonstrate the pathophysiological changes to guide precise therapy in COVID-19 pneumonia without radiation or interfering with personal protective equipment. In addition, the application of CCUS can cover the whole courses from the fever clinic to the intensive care unit to improve the treatment. We would like to present the CCUS features about COVID-19 pneumonia and share the application experience of CCUS in Wuhan, China, and hope it works for physicians worldwide to solve the problem and improve the outcome.

Hemodynamics in Shock Patients Assessed by Critical Care Ultrasound and Its Relationship to Outcome: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

Shock is one of the causes of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). Traditionally, hemodynamics related to shock have been monitored by broad-spectrum devices with treatment guided by many inaccurate variables to describe the pathophysiological changes. Critical care ultrasound (CCUS) has been widely advocated as a preferred tool to monitor shock patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze and broaden current knowledge of the characteristics of ultrasonic hemodynamic pattern and investigate their relationship to outcome.

METHODS

This prospective study of shock patients in CCUS was conducted in 181 adult patients between April 2016 and June 2017 in the Department of Intensive Care Unit of West China Hospital. CCUS was performed within the initial 6 hours after shock patients were enrolled. The demographic and clinical characteristics, ultrasonic pattern of hemodynamics, and outcome were recorded. A stepwise bivariate logistic regression model was established to identify the correlation between ultrasonic variables and the 28-day mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 181 patients with shock were included in our study (male/female: 113/68). The mean age was 58.2 ± 18.0 years; the mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II score) was 23.7 ± 8.7, and the 28-day mortality was 44.8% (81/181). The details of ultrasonic pattern were well represented, and the multivariate analysis revealed that mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), mitral annular peak systolic velocity (S'-MV), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and lung ultrasound score (LUSS) were the independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in our study, as well as APACHE II score, PaO2/FiO2, and lactate (p = 0.047, 0.041, 0.022, 0.002, 0.027, 0.028, and 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

CCUS exam on admission provided valuable information to describe the pathophysiological changes of shock patients and the mechanism of shock. Several critical variables obtained by CCUS were related to outcome, hence deserving more attention in clinical decision-making. Trial Registration. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital Review Board for human research with the following reference number 201736 and was registered on ClinicalTrials. This trial is registered with NCT03082326 on 3 March 2017 (retrospectively registered).

[Sonography in intensive care and emergency medicine : A new training concept]

Structured sonography training in internal medicine intensive care and emergency medicine (SIN) comprises two levels and was proposed by three national societies in Germany (DGIIN, DGK and DEGUM). The curriculum consists of a basic level (SIN-I) and an expert level (SIN-II) which are consecutive levels teaching both theoretical and hands-on skills using a symptom-based approach. Competency is assessed using written, oral and practical structured assessments at the end of each level. The goal is to implement national and international recommendations regarding the use of point-of-care ultrasound into clinical practice.

[Focused echocardiography in acute medicine]

Focused echocardiography has become increasingly important for bedside diagnostics in acute medicine. Focused echocardiography can detect various cardiac pathologies, such as pericardial effusion, left ventricular dysfunction, right heart strain, relevant heart valve defects and dissection of the ascending aorta. Echocardiographic findings should be interpreted in the clinical context.

[Recommendations for education in ultrasound in medical intensive care and emergency medicine: position paper of DGIIN, DEGUM and DGK]

Point-of-care ultrasound in acute care medicine is a prerequisite for diagnosis and therapy monitoring of critically ill patients. There is currently no uniform education strategy for medical intensive care and emergency medicine. As part of the basic level, the trainee takes theoretical and clinical training covering abdominal and thoracic ultrasonography and focused cardiovascular ultrasound. In a second step, special knowledge and skills can be acquired at an expert level. This two-stage concept is intended to guarantee quality assurance in ultrasound education in medical intensive care and emergency medicine.

The PIEPEAR Workflow: A Critical Care Ultrasound Based 7-Step Approach as a Standard Procedure to Manage Patients with Acute Cardiorespiratory Compromise, with Two Example Cases Presented

Critical care ultrasound (CCUS) has been widely used as a useful tool to assist clinical judgement. The utilization should be integrated into clinical scenario and interact with other tests. No publication has reported this. We present a CCUS based "7-step approach" workflow-the PIEPEAR Workflow-which we had summarized and integrated our experience in CCUS and clinical practice into, and then we present two cases which we have applied the workflow into as examples. Step one is "problems emerged?" classifying the signs of the deterioration into two aspects: acute circulatory compromise and acute respiratory compromise. Step two is "information clear?" quickly summarizing the patient's medical history by three aspects. Step three is "focused exam launched": (1) focused exam of the heart by five views: the assessment includes (1) fast and global assessment of the heart (heart glance) to identify cases that need immediate life-saving intervention and (2) assessing the inferior vena cava, right heart, diastolic and systolic function of left heart, and systematic vascular resistance to clarify the hemodynamics. (2) Lung ultrasound exam is performed to clarify the predominant pattern of the lung. Step four is "pathophysiologic changes reported." The results of the focused ultrasound exam were integrated to conclude the pathophysiologic changes. Step five is "etiology explored" diagnosing the etiology by integrating Step two and Step four and searching for the source of infection, according to the clues extracted from the focused ultrasound exam; additional ultrasound exams or other tests should be applied if needed. Step six is "action" supporting the circulation and respiration sticking to Step four. Treat the etiologies according step five. Step seven is "recheck to adjust." Repeat focused ultrasound and other tests to assess the response to treatment, adjust the treatment if needed, and confirm or correct the final diagnosis. With two cases as examples presented, we insist that applying CCUS with 7-step approach workflow is easy to follow and has theoretical advantages. The coming research on its value is expected.

[Structured bedside-ultrasound in intensive care medicine]

The so-called point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is of increasing importance for diagnostics and therapy control in intensive care medicine. Based on focused thorax sonography, echocardiography, and abdominal sonography, the most important working and differential diagnoses can be demonstrated or excluded depending on the leading symptom. Sonographic-based algorithms allow a structured evaluation especially of patients with the common leading symptoms dyspnea and thoracic pain.

[Circulatory failure : Out- and inpatient management]

Circulatory insufficiency is often understood as symptomatic hypotension due to various causes. The clinical result of circulatory dysregulation is arterial hypotension. The manifestation of hypotension is often divided into chronic and acute forms. Chronic hypotension can be distinguished etiopathogenetically into primary and secondary hypotension. Acute hypotension is usually equated to circulatory shock. While patients with chronic hypotension should be seen primarily by their general practitioner, patients with acute hypotension and a frequently severe clinical manifestation should be evaluated in the emergency department or, if there is a specific cause, directly in the acute clinic. Standardization of diagnostic and therapeutic pathways in both out- and inpatient care-not only for the management of circulatory weakness-would be an improvement not only in regards to patient care, but also with respect to healthcare economics.

Management of suspected acute heart failure dyspnea in the emergency department: results from the French prospective multicenter DeFSSICA survey

BACKGROUND

An appropriate diagnostic process is crucial for managing patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency department (ED). Our study aims to describe the characteristics and therapeutic management of patients admitted to the ED for dyspnea suspected to have AHF, their in-hospital pathway of care and their in-hospital outcome.

METHODS

Consecutive patients admitted in 26 French ED for dyspnea suspected to be the consequence of AHF, prior to in hospital diagnostic test, were prospectively included at the time of their admission in the DeFSSICA Survey. Clinical characteristics at admission were recorded by the ED physicians. At discharge from ED, patients were categorized as AHF or non-AHF based on the final diagnosis reported in the discharge summary. The completeness of the data was controlled by the local investigator.

RESULTS

From 16/6/2014 to 7/7/2014, 699 patients were included, of whom 537 (77 %) had a final diagnosis of AHF at discharge. Patients with AHF were older (median 83 vs 79 years, p = 0.0007), more likely to have hypertension (71 % vs 57 %, p = 0.002), chronic HF (54 % vs 37 %, p = 0.0004), atrial fibrillation (45 % vs 34 %, p = 0.02) and history of hospitalization for AHF in the previous year (40 % vs 18 %, p < 0.0001) when compared to patients without AHF. Furosemide and oxygen were used in approximately 2/3 of the patients in the ED (respectively 75 and 68 %) whereas nitrates were in 19 % of the patients. Diagnostic methods used to confirm AHF included biochemistry (100 %), pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (90 %), electrocardiography (98 %), chest X-ray (94 %), and echography (15 %) which only 18 % of lung ultrasound. After the ED visit, 13 % of AHF patients were transferred to the intensive care unit, 28 % in cardiology units and 12 % in geriatric units. In-hospital mortality was lower in AHF vs non-AHF patients (5.6 % vs 14 %, p = 0.003).

DISCUSSION

DeFSSICA, a large French observational survey of acute HF, provides information on HF presentation and the French pathway of care. Patients in DeFSSICA were elderly, with a median age of 83 years. Compared with the French OFICA study, patients in DeFSSICA were more likely to have hypertension (71 % vs 62 %) and atrial fibrillation (45 % vs 38 %). As atrial fibrillation and a rapid heart rate have been closely linked to mortality, detection of atrial fibrillation should be considered systematically.The limited use of nitrates in DeFSSICA may be related to the median SBP of 140 (121-160) mmHg. However, our use of nitrates was similar to those in the EAHFE (20.7 %) and OPTIMIZE-HF (14.3 %) registries. In line with guidelines, the proportions of patients who underwent ECG, biological analysis, or chest X-ray were all >90 % in DeFSSICA. Similarly, BNP or pro-BNP was measured in 93 % of patients, compared with 82 % of patients in the OFICA study. Although BNP may be helpful when the diagnosis of HF is in doubt, ultrasound remains the gold standard. The use of ultrasound in the ED has been reported to accelerate the diagnosis of HF and the initiation of treatment, and shorten the length of stay. In-hospital mortality of HF patients in DeFSSICA was 6.4 %, slightly lower than in the OFICA study (8.2 %). Improved interdisciplinary cooperation has been highlighted as a key factor for the improvement of HF patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

DeFSSICA shows that patients admitted for dyspnea suspected to be the consequence of AHF are mostly elderly. The diagnosis of AHF is difficult to ascertain based on clinical presentation in patients with dyspnea. Novel diagnostic techniques such as thoracic ultrasound are warranted to provide the right treatment to the right patients in the ED as early as possible.