High-dose preoperative glucocorticoid for prevention of emergence and postoperative delirium in liver resection: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial substudy

Metformin Use in Type 2 Diabetics and Delirium After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The cause of postoperative delirium is unknown, but it is thought to result at least in part from inflammation. Metformin, besides its hypoglycemic properties, demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects systemically and in the brain. We tested the primary hypothesis that chronic metformin use in adults with type 2 diabetes is associated with less delirium during the first 5 days after major noncardiac surgery. Secondary outcomes were a composite of serious complications (myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, stage 2-3 acute kidney injury [AKI], and mortality) and time to discharge alive.

METHODS

We considered adults with type 2 diabetes who did or did not routinely use metformin daily and had noncardiac surgery. Delirium was assessed by Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) or brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) for 5 postoperative days. Postoperative AKI was defined by Kidney Disease Improving Global Guidelines. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equation models accounted for within-patient correlation across multiple surgeries and explored the association between metformin use and postoperative delirium and complications. Inverse propensity score weighting and propensity score calibration (PSC) adjusted for confounding variables.

RESULTS

No significant difference was observed in the incidence of postoperative delirium between the 2 groups, with 260 of 4744 cases (5.5%) among metformin users and 502 of 5918 cases (8.5%) cases in nonmetformin users, for an odds ratio of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-1.05; P = .155), number-needed-to-expose = 118 patients. Similarly, there were fewer composite complications in metformin users (3.3%) than in nonusers (11.7%); However, the common-effect odds ratio of 0.67 was not statistically significant (97.5% CI, 0.39-1.17; P = .106). Discharge from the hospital was significantly faster in patients who took metformin (3 [interquartile range, IQR, 1-5] days for metformin users and 3 [IQR, 2-6] days for nonmetformin users), with a hazard ratio of 1.07 for early discharge, and tight CIs (1.01-1.13).

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic metformin use was associated with slightly and nonsignificantly less delirium. However, patients who used metformin had clinically meaningfully fewer major complications, mostly stage 2 to 3 kidney injury. While not statistically significant, the reduction was substantial and warrants further investigation because there is currently no effective preventive measure for perioperative renal injury. Benefit would be especially meaningful if it could be produced by acute perioperative treatment. Finally, metformin was associated with faster hospital discharge, although not by a clinically meaningful amount.

High-dose glucocorticoids in COVID-19 patients with acute encephalopathy: clinical and imaging findings in a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Acute encephalopathy (AE) has been described as a severe complication of COVID-19. Inflammation has been suggested as a pathogenic mechanism, with high-dose glucocorticoids (GC) showing a beneficial effect. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological features in a group of COVID-19 AE patients who received GC treatment (GT) and in a non-treated (NT) group.

METHOD

Thirty-six patients with COVID-19 AE (mean age 72.6 ± 11 years; 86.11% men) were evaluated for GC treatment. Twelve patients (mean age 73.6 ± 4.5 years; 66.67% men) received GC, whereas 24 patients who showed signs of spontaneous remission were not treated with GC (mean age 70.1 ± 8.6 years; 95.83% men). Differences in clinical characteristics and correlations with imaging features were explored.

RESULTS

The GT group showed signs of vulnerability, with a longer hospitalization (p = 0.009) and AE duration (p = 0.012) and a higher hypertensive arteriopathy (HTNA) score (p = 0.022), when compared to NT group. At hospital discharge, the two groups were comparable in terms of clinical outcome (modified Rankin scale; p = 0.666) or mortality (p = 0.607). In our whole group analyses, AE severity was positively correlated with periventricular white matter hyperintensities (p = 0.011), deep enlarged perivascular spaces (p = 0.039) and HTNA score (p = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that, despite signs of radiological vulnerability and AE severity, patients treated by high-dose GC showed similar outcome at discharge, with respect to NT patients. Imaging features of cerebral small vessel disease correlated with AE severity, supporting the hypothesis that brain structural vulnerability can impact AE in COVID-19.

Machine learning for prediction of delirium in patients with extensive burns after surgery

AIMS

Machine learning-based identification of key variables and prediction of postoperative delirium in patients with extensive burns.

METHODS

Five hundred and eighteen patients with extensive burns who underwent surgery were included and randomly divided into a training set, a validation set, and a testing set. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to screen for significant variables. Nine prediction models were constructed in the training and validation sets (80% of dataset). The testing set (20% of dataset) was used to further evaluate the model. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was used to compare model performance. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was used to interpret the best one and to externally validate it in another large tertiary hospital.

RESULTS

Seven variables were used in the development of nine prediction models: physical restraint, diabetes, sex, preoperative hemoglobin, acute physiological and chronic health assessment, time in the Burn Intensive Care Unit and total body surface area. Random Forest (RF) outperformed the other eight models in terms of predictive performance (ROC:84.00%) When external validation was performed, RF performed well (accuracy: 77.12%, sensitivity: 67.74% and specificity: 80.46%).

CONCLUSION

The first machine learning-based delirium prediction model for patients with extensive burns was successfully developed and validated. High-risk patients for delirium can be effectively identified and targeted interventions can be made to reduce the incidence of delirium.

Effects of targeted mild hypercapnia versus normocapnia on cerebral oxygen saturation in patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy under low central venous pressure: a prospective, randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic hepatectomy under low central venous pressure (LCVP) is associated with intraoperative organ hypoperfusion, including cerebral hypoperfusion. We hypothesized that a ventilation strategy designed to achieve targeted mild hypercapnia (TMH) (end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure [PetCO₂] of 45 ± 5 mmHg) rather than targeted normocapnia (TN) (PetCO₂ of 30 ± 5 mmHg) would increase regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO₂) during laparoscopic hepatectomy under LCVP.

METHODS

Eighty patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy under LCVP were randomly divided into the TMH group (n = 40) and the TN group (n = 40). Mechanical ventilation was adjusted to maintain the PetCO₂ within the relevant range. Cerebral oxygenation was monitored continuously using the FORE-SIGHT system before anesthetic induction until the patient left the operating room. Patient and surgical characteristics, rSO₂, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters (CVP, mean artery blood pressure [MAP], and heart rate), PetCO₂, intraoperative blood gas analysis results, and postoperative complications were recorded.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed in CVP, MAP, and heart rate between the two groups during surgery. The rSO₂ was significantly lower in the TN group on both the left and right sides during the intraoperative period (P < 0.05), while the TMH group had a stable rSO₂. In the TN group, the mean rSO₂ decreased most during liver parenchymal transection when compared with the baseline value (P < 0.05). The mean (standard deviation) percentage change in rSO₂ from baseline to parenchymal transection was - 7.5% (4.8%) on the left and - 7.1% (4.6%) on the right. The two groups had a similar incidence of postoperative complications (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that rSO₂ is better maintained during laparoscopic hepatectomy under LCVP when patients are ventilated to a PetCO₂ of 45 ± 5 mmHg (TMH) than a PetCO₂ of 30 ± 5 mmHg (TN).

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR2100051130(14/9/2021).

[Risk Factors and Prognosis of Delirium After Liver Transplantation]

Objective

To analyze the incidence, the onset time, and the risk factors of delirium after liver transplantation (LT).

Methods

The clinical data of 211 patients who underwent LT at Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University between January 2019 and December 2021 were collected to investigate the incidence and the onset time of postoperative delirium. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted to analyze the risk factors of delirium and to analyze the effect of delirium on clinical outcomes.

Results

The incidence of delirium was 20.4% (43/211) and the median interval between LT and the onset of delirium was 19 hours. Univariate analysis showed that the preoperative Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score≥22, preoperative length-of-stay≥7, liver cancer, preoperative hepatic encephalopathy, infections within 2 months before LT, preoperative lymphocyte value<0.5×10 9 L －1, massive amount of intraoperative red blood cell infusion, and carbapenem antibiotics use for 3 days or longer were associated with postoperative delirium. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative infections within 2 months before LT (odds ratio [ OR]=2.597, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.135-5.944, P=0.024), preoperative MELD score≥22 ( OR=2.967, 95% CI: 1.104-7.975, P=0.031), and preoperative hepatic encephalopathy ( OR=4.700, 95% CI: 2.043-10.602, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for delirium after LT, while carbapenems antibiotics use for 3 days or longer ( OR=0.192, 95% CI: 0.083-0.441, P<0.001) was a protective factor for postoperative delirium among LT recipients. Regarding clinical outcomes, patients with delirium had longer postoperative ICU length-of-stays than those without delirium did ( P=0.025).

Conclusion

There is a high incidence of postoperative delirium among patients who undergo LT and the onset time of delirium after LT is early. Risk factors include preoperative infections, high MELD score, and hepatic encephalopathy. On the other hand, the use of carbapenems can help prevent delirium.

Effects of Glucocorticoids on Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) is common among surgical patients, however, the effect of glucocorticoids for preventing PNDs is not clear. This review aims to evaluate the effect of glucocorticoids on the incidence of PNDs in adult patients undergoing surgery.

Methods

The databases of PubMed/Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of science were searched for all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to April 30, 2022. RCTs comparing the effect of glucocorticoids with placebo on the incidence of PNDs in adult surgical patients (≥18 years old) were eligible. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were performed to evaluate sources of clinical heterogeneity. The level of certainty for main outcomes were assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.

Results

Eleven trials with a total of 10,703 patients were identified. Compared with the control group, glucocorticoids did not reduce the incidence of PNDs (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.06, P = 0.13, GRADE = moderate). Secondary analyses for primary outcome did not change the result. In addition, the length of ICU stay was decreased in glucocorticoids group (RR: −13.58, 95% CI: −26.37 to −0.80, P = 0.04, GRADE = low). However, there were no significant differences between groups with regards to the incidence of postoperative infection (RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.06, P = 0.30, GRADE = moderate), blood glucose level (RR: 1.05, 95% CI: −0.09 to 2.19, P = 0.07, GRADE = low), duration of mechanical ventilation (RR: −2.44, 95% CI: −5.47 to 0.59, P = 0.14, GRADE = low), length of hospital stay (RR: −0.09, 95% CI: −0.27 to 0.09, P = 0.33, GRADE = moderate) and 30-day mortality (RR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.06, P = 0.16, GRADE = moderate).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggests that perioperative administration of glucocorticoids may not reduce the incidence of PNDs after surgery. The effect of glucocorticoids on decreased length of ICU stay needs further researches. Future high-quality trials using acknowledged criteria and validated diagnostic tools are needed to determine the influence of glucocorticoids on long-term PNDs.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022302262, identifier: CRD42022302262.