Association between Adherence to Recommended Care and Outcomes for Adult Survivors of Sepsis

Near-miss and maternal sepsis mortality: A qualitative study of survivors and support persons

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have shown that maternal deaths due to sepsis occur due to delays in recognition, treatment, and escalation of care through medical chart reviews. This study was conducted to obtain the patient perspective for near-miss and maternal mortality cases due to sepsis.

OBJECTIVE

To identify quality improvement opportunities for improving maternal sepsis through patient and support person experiences.

STUDY DESIGN

Twenty semi-structured interviews and three follow-up focus groups with patients who experienced critical illness from maternal sepsis in the United States and their support persons (when available) were conducted from May 23, 2022, through October 14, 2022. In this qualitative study, data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

In this qualitative study of patients with maternal sepsis and their support persons, four main quality improvement themes were identified. The themes were the following: (1) participants reported a lack of awareness of pregnancy-related warning signs and symptoms of when to seek care, (2) many of the presenting symptoms participants experienced were not typical of expected warning signs of maternal sepsis, such as severe pain, overwhelming tiredness, and lack of fever (3) participant concerns were met with dismissal leading to delays in diagnosis, (4) participants experienced long-term sequelae but had difficulty receiving screening and referrals for treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that standardized patient education about the warning signs of maternal sepsis and provider education about the presentation of maternal sepsis, improved listening to patients, and follow-up for sequalae of sepsis are needed.

Unmasking the hidden aftermath: postintensive care unit sequelae, discharge preparedness, and long-term follow-up

A significant portion of individuals who have experienced critical illness encounter new or exacerbated impairments in their physical, cognitive, or mental health, commonly referred to as postintensive care syndrome. Moreover, those who survive critical illness often face an increased risk of adverse consequences, including infections, major cardiovascular events, readmissions, and elevated mortality rates, during the months following hospitalization. These findings emphasize the critical necessity for effective prevention and management of long-term health deterioration in the critical care environment. Although conclusive evidence from well-designed randomized clinical trials is somewhat limited, potential interventions include strategies such as limiting sedation, early mobilization, maintaining family presence during the intensive care unit stay, implementing multicomponent transition programs (from intensive care unit to ward and from hospital to home), and offering specialized posthospital discharge follow-up. This review seeks to provide a concise summary of recent medical literature concerning long-term outcomes following critical illness and highlight potential approaches for preventing and addressing health decline in critical care survivors.

Association between opioid use disorder and palliative care: a cohort study using linked health administrative data in Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND

People with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at risk of premature death and can benefit from palliative care. We sought to compare palliative care provision for decedents with and without OUD.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study using health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, to identify people who died between July 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2021. The exposure was OUD, defined as having emergency department visits, hospital admissions, or pharmacologic treatments suggestive of OUD within 3 years of death. Our primary outcome was receipt of 1 or more palliative care services during the last 90 days before death. Secondary outcomes included setting, initiation, and intensity of palliative care. We conducted a secondary analysis excluding sudden deaths (e.g., opioid toxicity, injury).

RESULTS

Of 679 840 decedents, 11 200 (1.6%) had OUD. Compared with people without OUD, those with OUD died at a younger age and were more likely to live in neighbourhoods with high marginalization indices. We found people with OUD were less likely to receive palliative care at the end of their lives (adjusted relative risk [RR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.86), but this difference did not exist after excluding people who died suddenly (adjusted RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.96-1.01). People with OUD were less likely to receive palliative care in clinics and their homes regardless of cause of death.

INTERPRETATION

Opioid use disorder can be a chronic, life-limiting illness, and people with OUD are less likely to receive palliative care in communities during the 90 days before death. Health care providers should receive training in palliative care and addiction medicine to support people with OUD.

The chain of survival and rehabilitation for sepsis: concepts and proposals for healthcare trajectory optimization

This article describes the structures and processes involved in healthcare delivery for sepsis, from the prehospital setting until rehabilitation. Quality improvement initiatives in sepsis may reduce both morbidity and mortality. Positive outcomes are more likely when the following steps are optimized: early recognition, severity assessment, prehospital emergency medical system activation when available, early therapy (antimicrobials and hemodynamic optimization), early orientation to an adequate facility (emergency room, operating theater or intensive care unit), in-hospital organ failure resuscitation associated with source control, and finally a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Such a trajectory of care dedicated to sepsis amounts to a chain of survival and rehabilitation for sepsis. Implementation of this chain of survival and rehabilitation for sepsis requires full interconnection between each link. To date, despite regular international recommendations updates, the adherence to sepsis guidelines remains low leading to a considerable burden of the disease. Developing and optimizing such an integrated network could significantly reduce sepsis related mortality and morbidity.

Three-year mortality, readmission, and medical expenses in critical care survivors: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Due to the increasing number of critical care survivors, population-based studies on the long-term outcomes after discharge are necessary to inform local decision-making.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate mortality and its risk factors, readmissions, and medical expenses of intensive care unit survivors for 3 years after hospital discharge.

METHODS

This retrospective study analysed data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort in Korea. Of the 195,702 patients who survived and were discharged from hospital in 2012, 2693 intensive care unit patients were assigned to the case group for the study, and the remaining 193,009 were assigned to the comparison group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality for 3 years after discharge. Secondary outcomes were all-cause hospital readmission and medical expenses in 3 years. We analysed risk factors for mortality using the Cox proportional hazard regression. The differences in hospital readmission and medical expenses between the case and comparison groups were analysed by multivariate logistic regression and independent t-tests.

RESULTS

The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year cumulative mortality rates in the case group were 15.9%, 20.5%, and 24.4%, respectively, and older age, disability, medical admission, and longer hospital stay increased mortality. Almost 40% of intensive care unit survivors were readmitted to hospital within 6 months of discharge, and their odds of being readmitted were significantly higher than those of the comparison group. Medical expenses were also significantly higher in the case group, with the highest paid within 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality, hospital readmission, and medical expenses for intensive care unit survivors were the worst within 6 months of discharge. In light of the long-term recovery trajectory of critical illness, it is necessary to investigate what factors may have contributed to the negative outcome during this period. Further research is needed to determine which services primarily contributed to the increase in medical expenses.

Long-term assessment of functional capacity, muscle function, lung function, and quality of life in survivors of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Background and objective

The many patients who develop ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) have generated numerous VAP survivors who are not followed up in the long term. This study aimed, primarily, to evaluate the long-term functional capacity, as measured using the Glittre-ADL test (TGlittre), of VAP survivors and, secondarily, to calculate the correlations of TGlittre with muscle and lung function.

Methods

This cross-sectional study evaluated 30 VAP survivors 10 months after discharge from the intensive care unit. The participants underwent the following assessments: TGlittre; respiratory muscle strength; handgrip strength (HGS); spirometry; Functional Assessment of Chronic Therapy (FACIT-F); and Short Form-36 (SF-36).

Results

The median TGlittre time was 95 (81-130)% of predicted, and 30 % of the participants performed poorly on TGlittre. One-third of the participants had abnormal spirometry results. TGlittre time was correlated with weight (rs = -0.412, P = 0.023), body index mass (BMI, rs = -0.400, P = 0.029), forced vital capacity (FVC, rs = -0.401, P = 0.030), HGS (rs = -0.571, P = 0.0009), FACIT-F score (rs = -0.405, P = 0.026), and different SF-36 domain scores. Participants who returned to work had a shorter TGlittre time than those who did not (89 (69-104) vs. 129 (102-183)% predicted). Multiple linear regression indicated that FVC and BMI explained 39 % of TGlittre variability.

Conclusion

VAP survivors had suboptimal functional capacity, low lung function, and general fatigue 10 months after discharge. The longer the TGlittre time was, the worse the lung function, muscle function, general fatigue, and quality of life were and the less likely the patient was to have returned to work.

Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Management of Bone Loss in Patients with Critical Illness

Patients with critical illnesses are at higher risk of comorbidities, which can include bone mineral density loss, bone turnover marker increase, and fragility fractures. Patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have a higher risk of bone fractures. Since hypermetabolism is a characteristic of ICU patients, such patients are often rapidly affected by systemic deterioration, which often results in systemic wasting disease. Major risk factors for ICU-related bone loss include physical restraint, inflammation, neuroendocrine stress, malnutrition, and medications. A medical history of critical illness should be acknowledged as a risk factor for impaired bone metabolism. Bone loss associated with ICU admission should be recognized as a key component of post-intensive care syndrome, and further research that focuses on treatment protocols and prevention strategies is required. Studies aimed at maintaining gut integrity have emphasized protein administration and nutrition, while research is ongoing to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of anti-resorptive agents and physical therapy. This review examines both current and innovative clinical strategies that are used for identifying risk factors of bone loss. It provides an overview of perioperative outcomes and discusses the emerging novel treatment modalities. Furthermore, the review presents future directions in the treatment of ICU-related bone loss.

What is new and different in the 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) International Guidelines for the Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock provide recommendations on the care of hospitalized adult patients with (or at risk for) sepsis. This review discusses what is new or different in the 2021 SSC adult sepsis guidelines compared to 2016. The guidelines include new weak recommendations for use of balanced fluid over saline 0.9%, use of intravenous corticosteroids for septic shock when there is ongoing vasopressor requirement, and peripheral initiation of intravenous vasopressors over delaying initiation in order to obtain central venous access. As before, there is a strong recommendation to initiate antimicrobials within 1 h of sepsis and septic shock, but there are now additional recommendations when the diagnosis is uncertain. The recommendation for initial fluid resuscitation in septic shock of 30 mL/kg crystalloid has been downgraded from strong to weak. Finally, there are 12 new recommendations addressing long-term outcomes from sepsis, including strong recommendations to screen for economic and social support and to make referrals for follow-up where available; use shared decision-making in post-intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital discharge planning; reconcile medications at both ICU and hospital discharge; provide information about sepsis and its sequelae in written and verbal hospital discharge summary; and to provide assessment and follow-up for physical, cognitive, and emotional problems after hospital discharge.

Institutional Structures and Processes to Support Sepsis Care: A Multihospital Study

OBJECTIVES

To identify opportunities for improving hospital-based sepsis care and to inform an ongoing statewide quality improvement initiative in Michigan.

DESIGN

Surveys on hospital sepsis processes, including a self-assessment of practices using a 3-point Likert scale, were administered to 51 hospitals participating in the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium, a Collaborative Quality Initiative sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, at two time points (2020, 2022). Forty-eight hospitals also submitted sepsis protocols for structured review.

SETTING

Multicenter quality improvement consortium.

SUBJECTS

Fifty-one hospitals in Michigan.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of the included hospitals, 92.2% (n = 47/51) were nonprofit, 88.2% (n = 45/51) urban, 11.8% (n = 6/51) rural, and 80.4% (n = 41/51) teaching hospitals. One hundred percent (n = 51/51) responded to the survey, and 94.1% (n = 48/51) provided a sepsis policy/protocol. All surveyed hospitals used at least one quality improvement approach, including audit/feedback (98.0%, n = 50/51) and/or clinician education (68.6%, n = 35/51). Protocols included the Sepsis-1 (18.8%, n = 9/48) or Sepsis-2 (31.3%, n = 15/48) definitions; none (n = 0/48) used Sepsis-3. All hospitals (n = 51/51) used at least one process to facilitate rapid sepsis treatment, including order sets (96.1%, n = 49/51) and/or stocking of commonly used antibiotics in at least one clinical setting (92.2%, n = 47/51). Treatment protocols included guidance on antimicrobial therapy (68.8%, n = 33/48), fluid resuscitation (70.8%, n = 34/48), and vasopressor administration (62.5%, n = 30/48). On self-assessment, hospitals reported the lowest scores for peridischarge practices, including screening for cognitive impairment (2.0%, n = 1/51 responded "we are good at this") and providing anticipatory guidance (3.9%, n = 2/51). There were no meaningful associations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: Management Bundle performance with differences in hospital characteristics or sepsis policy document characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Most hospitals used audit/feedback, order sets, and clinician education to facilitate sepsis care. Hospitals did not consistently incorporate organ dysfunction criteria into sepsis definitions. Existing processes focused on early recognition and treatment rather than recovery-based practices.

Digital solutions and the future of recovery after critical illness

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Digital technologies may address known physical and psychological barriers to recovery experienced by intensive care survivors following hospital discharge and provide solutions to care fragmentation and unmet needs. The review highlights recent examples of digital technologies designed to support recovery of survivors of critically illness.

RECENT FINDINGS

Despite proliferation of digital technologies supporting health in the community, there are relatively few examples for intensive care survivors. Those we identified included web-based, app-based or telemedicine-informed recovery clinics or pathways offering services, including informational resources, care planning and navigation support, medication reconciliation, and recovery goal setting. Digital interventions supporting psychological recovery included apps providing adaptive coping skills training, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Efficacy data are limited, although feasibility and acceptability have been established for some. Challenges include difficulties identifying participants most likely to benefit and delivery in a format easily accessible to all, with digital exclusion a resultant risk.

SUMMARY

Digital interventions supporting recovery comprise web or app-based recovery clinics or pathways and digital delivery of psychological interventions. Understanding of efficacy is relatively nascent, although several studies demonstrate feasibility and acceptability. Future research is needed but should be mindful of the risk of digital exclusion.

Early posthospitalization recovery after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in survivors of COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the influence of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 during the first 120 days after hospital discharge.

METHODS

Five academic centers conducted a retrospective analysis of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 admitted during March through May 2020. Survivors had access to a multidisciplinary postintensive care recovery clinic. Physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits were measured using validated instruments and compared based on ECMO status.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty two mechanically ventilated patients were compared with 46 patients cannulated for venovenous ECMO. Patients receiving ECMO were younger and traveled farther but there was no significant difference in gender, race, or body mass index. ECMO patients were mechanically ventilated for longer durations (median, 26 days [interquartile range, 19.5-41 days] vs 13 days [interquartile range, 7-20 days]) and were more likely to receive inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, neuromuscular blockade, investigational COVID-19 therapies, blood transfusions, and inotropes. Patients receiving ECMO experienced greater bleeding and clotting events (P < .01). However, survival at discharge was similar (69.6% vs 70.6%). Of the 217 survivors, 65.0% had documented follow-up within 120 days. Overall, 95.5% were residing at home, 25.7% had returned to work or usual activity, and 23.1% were still using supplemental oxygen; these rates did not differ significantly based on ECMO status. Rates of physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that COVID-19 survivors experience significant physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits following intensive care unit admission. Despite a more complex critical illness course, longer average duration of mechanical ventilation, and longer average length of stay, patients treated with venovenous ECMO had similar survival at discharge and outcomes within 120 days of discharge.

A Multi-Hospital Survey of Current Practices for Supporting Recovery From Sepsis

Sepsis survivors are at increased risk for morbidity and functional impairment. There are recommended practices to support recovery after sepsis, but it is unclear how often they are implemented. We sought to assess the current use of recovery-based practices across hospitals.

DESIGN

Electronic survey assessing the use of best practices for recovery from COVID-related and non-COVID-related sepsis. Questions included four-point Likert responses of "never" to "always/nearly always."

SETTING

Twenty-six veterans affairs hospitals with the highest (n = 13) and lowest (n = 13) risk-adjusted 90-day sepsis survival.

SUBJECTS

Inpatient and outpatient clinician leaders.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

For each domain, we calculated the proportion of "always/nearly always" responses and mean Likert scores. We assessed for differences by hospital survival, COVID versus non-COVID sepsis, and sepsis case volume. Across eight domains of care, the proportion "always/nearly always" responses ranged from: 80.7% (social support) and 69.8% (medication management) to 22.5% (physical recovery and adaptation) and 0.0% (emotional support). Higher-survival hospitals more often performed screening for new symptoms/limitations (49.2% vs 35.1% "always/nearly always," p = 0.02) compared with lower-survival hospitals. There was no difference in "always/nearly always" responses for COVID-related versus non-COVID-related sepsis, but small differences in mean Likert score in four domains: care coordination (3.34 vs 3.48, p = 0.01), medication management (3.59 vs 3.65, p = 0.04), screening for new symptoms/limitations (3.13 vs 3.20, p = 0.02), and anticipatory guidance and education (2.97 vs 2.84, p < 0.001). Lower case volume hospitals more often performed care coordination (72.7% vs 43.8% "always/nearly always," p = 0.02), screening for new symptoms/limitations (60.6% vs 35.8%, p < 0.001), and social support (100% vs 74.2%, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show variable adoption of practices for sepsis recovery. Future work is needed to understand why some practice domains are employed more frequently than others, and how to facilitate practice implementation, particularly within rarely adopted domains such as emotional support.

Neurorecovery after Critical COVID-19 Illness

With the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who have been, and continue to be, affected by pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its chronic sequelae, strategies to improve recovery and rehabilitation from COVID-19 are critical global public health priorities. Neurologic complications have been associated with acute COVID-19 infection, usually in the setting of critical COVID-19 illness. Neurologic complications are also a core feature of the symptom constellation of long COVID and portend poor outcomes. In this article, we review neurologic complications and their mechanisms in critical COVID-19 illness and long COVID. We focus on parallels with neurologic disease associated with non-COVID critical systemic illness. We conclude with a discussion of how recent findings can guide both neurologists working in post-acute neurologic rehabilitation facilities and policy makers who influence neurologic resource allocation.

Association Between Unmet Nonmedication Needs After Hospital Discharge and Readmission or Death Among Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

To characterize early unmet nonmedication discharge needs (UDNs), classified as durable medical equipment (DME), home health services (HHS), and follow-up medical appointments (FUAs) and explore their association with 90-day readmission and mortality among survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) who were discharged home.

DESIGN

Prospective multicenter cohort study.

SETTING

Six academic medical centers across United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult survivors of ARF who required an ICU stay and were discharged home from hospital.

INTERVENTIONS

None. Exposure of interest was the proportion of UDN for the following categories: DME, HHS, and FUA ascertained within 7-28 days after hospital discharge.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Two hundred eligible patients were recruited between January 2019 and August 2020. One-hundred ninety-five patients were included in the analytic cohort: 118 were prescribed DME, 134 were prescribed HHS, and 189 needed at least one FUA according to discharge plans. 98.4% (192/195) had at least one identified nonmedication need at hospital discharge. Median (interquartile range) proportion of unmet needs across three categories were 0 (0-15%) for DME, 0 (0-50%) for HHS, and 0 (0-25%) for FUA, and overall was 0 (0-20%). Fifty-six patients (29%) had 90-day death or readmission. After adjusting for prespecified covariates, having greater than the median level of unmet needs was not associated with an increased risk of readmission or death within 90 days of discharge (risk ratio, 0.89; 0.51-1.57; p = 0.690). Age, hospital length of stay, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II severity of illness score, and Multidimensional Scale Perceived Social Support score were associated with UDN.

CONCLUSIONS

UDN were common among survivors of ARF but not significantly associated a composite outcome of 90-day readmission or death. Our results highlight the substantial magnitude of UDN and identifies areas especially vulnerable to lapses in healthcare coordination.

Cardiovascular Events Among Survivors of Sepsis Hospitalization: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Background Sepsis is associated with an elevated risk of late cardiovascular events among hospital survivors. Methods and Results We included OptumLabs Data Warehouse patients from 2009 to 2019 who survived a medical/nonsurgical hospitalization lasting at least 2 nights. The association between sepsis during hospitalization, based on explicit and implicit discharge International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9)/Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes, with subsequent death and rehospitalization was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models. The study population included 2 258 464 survivors of nonsurgical hospitalization (5 396 051 total patient-years of follow-up). A total of 808 673 (35.8%) patients had a sepsis hospitalization, including implicit sepsis only in 448 644, explicit sepsis only in 124 841, and both in 235 188. Patients with sepsis during hospitalization had an elevated risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.25-1.28]; P<0.001), all-cause rehospitalization (adjusted HR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.37-1.39]; P<0.001), and cardiovascular hospitalization (adjusted HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.41-1.44]; P<0.001), especially heart failure hospitalization (adjusted HR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.49-1.53]). Patients with implicit sepsis had higher risk than those with explicit sepsis. A sensitivity analysis using the first hospitalization yielded concordant results for cardiovascular hospitalization (adjusted HR, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.76-1.78]; P<0.001), as did a propensity-weighted analysis (adjusted HR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.50-1.54]; P<0.001). Conclusions Survivors of sepsis hospitalization are at elevated risk of early and late post-discharge death as well as cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular rehospitalization. This hazard spans the spectrum of cardiovascular events and may suggest that sepsis is an important cardiovascular risk factor.

Sepsis survivors and caregivers perspectives on post-acute rehabilitation and aftercare in the first year after sepsis in Germany

Background

Sepsis survivors often suffer from new morbidities. Current rehabilitation therapies are not tailored to their specific needs. The perspective of sepsis survivors and their caregivers on rehabilitation and aftercare is insufficiently understood. We aimed to assess how sepsis survivors in Germany rated the suitability, extent and satisfaction with rehabilitation therapies that they underwent in the year following the acute sepsis episode.

Methods

Prospective mixed-methods, multicenter study among a cohort of adult ICU-treated sepsis survivors and their caregivers. Interviews were conducted 6 and 12 months after ICU discharge by telephone and comprised closed as well as open-ended questions. Primary outcomes were the utilization and patient satisfaction with inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and post-sepsis aftercare in general. Open-ended questions were analyzed according to the principles of content analysis.

Results

Foun hundred interviews were performed with 287 patients and/or relatives. At 6 months after sepsis, 85.0% of survivors had applied for and 70.0% had undergone rehabilitation. Among these, 97% received physical therapy, but only a minority reported therapies for specific ailments including pain, weaning from mechanical ventilation, cognitive deficits of fatigue. Survivors were moderately satisfied with the suitability, extent, and overall results of received therapies and perceived deficits in the timeliness, accessibility, and specificity of therapies as well as deficits in the structural support frameworks and patient education.

Conclusion

From the perspective of survivors who undergo rehabilitation, therapies should already begin in hospital, be more appropriate for their specific ailments and include better patient and caregiver education. The general aftercare and structural support framework should be improved.

Healthcare delivery and recovery after critical illness

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize improvements and innovations in healthcare delivery which could be implemented to improve the recovery experience after critical illness for adult survivors and their families.

RECENT FINDINGS

For survivors of critical illness, the transitions in care during their recovery journey are points of heightened vulnerability associated with adverse events. Survivors of critical illness often have errors in the management of their medications during the recovery period. A multicomponent intervention delivered for 30 days that focused on four key principles of improved recovery care after sepsis care was associated with a durable effect on 12-month rehospitalization and mortality compared with usual care. A recent multicentre study which piloted integrating health and social care for critical care survivors demonstrated improvements in health-related quality of life and self-efficacy at 12 months. Multiple qualitative studies provide insights into how peer support programmes could potentially benefit survivors of critical illness by providing them mechanism to share their experiences, to give back to other patients, and to set more realistic expectations for recovery.

SUMMARY

Future research could focus on exploring safety outcomes as primary endpoints and finding ways to develop and test implementation strategies to improve the recovery after critical illness.

Social determinants of recovery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to examine evidence describing the influence of social determinants on recovery following hospitalization with critical illness. In addition, it is meant to provide insight into the several mechanisms through which social factors influence recovery as well as illuminate approaches to addressing these factors at various levels in research, clinical care, and policy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Social determinants of health, ranging from individual factors like social support and socioeconomic status to contextual ones like neighborhood deprivation, are associated with disability, cognitive impairment, and mental health after critical illness. Furthermore, many social factors are reciprocally related to recovery wherein the consequences of critical illness such as financial toxicity and caregiver burden can put essential social needs under strain turning them into barriers to recovery.

SUMMARY

Recovery after hospitalization for critical illness may be influenced by many social factors. These factors warrant attention by clinicians, health systems, and policymakers to enhance long-term outcomes of critical illness survivors.

Inclusion of social determinants of health improves sepsis readmission prediction models

OBJECTIVE

Sepsis has a high rate of 30-day unplanned readmissions. Predictive modeling has been suggested as a tool to identify high-risk patients. However, existing sepsis readmission models have low predictive value and most predictive factors in such models are not actionable.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from patients enrolled in the AllofUs Research Program cohort from 35 hospitals were used to develop a multicenter validated sepsis-related unplanned readmission model that incorporates clinical and social determinants of health (SDH) to predict 30-day unplanned readmissions. Sepsis cases were identified using concepts represented in the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership. The dataset included over 60 clinical/laboratory features and over 100 SDH features.

RESULTS

Incorporation of SDH factors into our model of clinical and demographic features improves model area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) significantly (from 0.75 to 0.80; P < .001). Model-agnostic interpretability techniques revealed demographics, economic stability, and delay in getting medical care as important SDH predictive features of unplanned hospital readmissions.

DISCUSSION

This work represents one of the largest studies of sepsis readmissions using objective clinical data to date (8935 septic index encounters). SDH are important to determine which sepsis patients are more likely to have an unplanned 30-day readmission. The AllofUS dataset provides granular data from a diverse set of individuals, making this model potentially more generalizable than prior models.

CONCLUSION

Use of SDH improves predictive performance of a model to identify which sepsis patients are at high risk of an unplanned 30-day readmission.

[White Paper - Improving the care of patients with impairments following sepsis and infections]

Hundreds of thousands of individuals who experience lasting sequelae after sepsis and infections in Germany do not receive optimal care. In this White Paper we present measures for improvement, which were developed by a multidisciplinary expect panel as part of the SEPFROK project. Improved care rests on four pillars: 1. cross-sectoral assessment of sequelae and a structured discharge and transition management, 2. interdisciplinary rehabilitation and aftercare with structural support, 3. strengthening the specific health literacy of patients and families, and 4. increased research into causes, prevention and treatment of sequelae. To achieve this, appropriate cross-sectoral care structures and legal frameworks must be created.

Prognostic factors for late death in septic shock survivors: a multi-center, prospective, registry-based observational study

Septic shock patients who survive past the acute period are associated with an increased risk of long-term mortality. However, factors for predicting late death remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the prognostic factors associated with late mortality in septic shock patients with 28-day survival after admission. This retrospective observational study used a prospective, multi-center registry of septic shock patients between October 2015 and December 2019 involving 12 emergency departments (EDs) from the Korean Shock Society. Adult septic shock patients visiting the ED with 28-day survival after admission were included. Among 4624 septic shock patients, 3588 (77.6%) who survived past day 28 were analyzed. The 90-day mortality rate was 14.2%. Non-survivors were older (66.8 vs. 68.9 years; p = 0.032) and had higher lactate levels (3.7 vs. 4.0 mmol/L; p = 0.028) than survivors. Pulmonary and hepatobiliary infections and a history of malignancy (27.7 vs. 57.5%; p < 0.001) were more frequent in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. Independent risk factors for late death on multivariate regression analysis were age; malignancy; and hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, and albumin levels. The length of intensive care unit stay and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score were independently associated with late death. Approximately, one-seventh of septic shock patients who survived past day 28 of admission died by day 90. Physicians must pay attention to survivors with these risk factors during the post-acute period as they have an increased mortality risk.

Medication-related interventions to improve medication safety and patient outcomes on transition from adult intensive care settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Patients recovering from an episode in an intensive care unit (ICU) frequently experience medication errors on transition to the hospital ward. Structured handover recommendations often underestimate the challenges and complexity of ICU patient transitions. For adult ICU patients transitioning to a hospital ward, it is currently unclear what interventions reduce the risks of medication errors.

The aims were to examine the impact of medication-related interventions on medication and patient outcomes on transition from adult ICU settings and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation.

Methods

The systematic review protocol was preregistered on PROSPERO. Six electronic databases were searched until October 2020 for controlled and uncontrolled study designs that reported medication-related (ie, de-prescribing; medication errors) or patient-related outcomes (ie, mortality; length of stay). Risk of bias (RoB) assessment used V.2.0 and ROBINS-I Cochrane tools. Where feasible, random-effects meta-analysis was used for pooling the OR across studies. The quality of evidence was assessed by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations.

Results

Seventeen studies were eligible, 15 (88%) were uncontrolled before-after studies. The intervention components included education of staff (n=8 studies), medication review (n=7), guidelines (n=6), electronic transfer/handover tool or letter (n=4) and medicines reconciliation (n=4). Overall, pooled analysis of all interventions reduced risk of inappropriate medication continuation at ICU discharge (OR=0.45 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.63), I2=55%, n=9) and hospital discharge (OR=0.39 (95% CI 0.2 to 0.76), I2=75%, n=9). Multicomponent interventions, based on education of staff and guidelines, demonstrated no significant difference in inappropriate medication continuation at the ICU discharge point (OR 0.5 (95% CI 0.22 to 1.11), I2=62%, n=4), but were very effective in increasing de-prescribing outcomes on hospital discharge (OR 0.26 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.55), I2=67%, n=6)). Facilitators to intervention delivery included ICU clinical pharmacist availability and participation in multiprofessional ward rounds, while barriers included increased workload associated with the discharge intervention process.

Conclusions

Multicomponent interventions based on education of staff and guidelines were effective at achieving almost four times more de-prescribing of inappropriate medication by the time of patient hospital discharge. Based on the findings, practice and policy recommendations are made and guidance is provided on the need for, and design of theory informed interventions in this area, including the requirement for process and economic evaluations.

Association between unmet medication needs after hospital discharge and readmission or death among acute respiratory failure survivors: the addressing post-intensive care syndrome (APICS-01) multicenter prospective cohort study

Introduction

Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) commonly experience long-lasting physical, cognitive, and/or mental health impairments. Unmet medication needs occurring immediately after hospital discharge may have an important effect on subsequent recovery.

Methods and analysis

In this multicenter prospective cohort study, we enrolled ARF survivors who were discharged directly home from their acute care hospitalization. The primary exposure was unmet medication needs. The primary outcome was hospital readmission or death within 3 months after discharge. We performed a propensity score analysis, using inverse probability weighting for the primary exposure, to evaluate the exposure–outcome association, with an a priori sample size of 200 ARF survivors.

Results

We enrolled 200 ARF survivors, of whom 107 (53%) were female and 77 (39%) were people of color. Median (IQR) age was 55 (43–66) years, APACHE II score 20 (15–26) points, and hospital length of stay 14 (9–21) days. Of the 200 participants, 195 (98%) were in the analytic cohort. One hundred fourteen (57%) patients had at least one unmet medication need; the proportion of medication needs that were unmet was 6% (0–15%). Fifty-six (29%) patients were readmitted or died by 3 months; 10 (5%) died within 3 months. Unmet needs were not associated (risk ratio 1.25; 95% CI 0.75–2.1) with hospital readmission or death, although a higher proportion of unmet needs may have been associated with increased hospital readmission (risk ratio 1.7; 95% CI 0.96–3.1) and decreased mortality (risk ratio 0.13; 95% CI 0.02–0.99).

Discussion

Unmet medication needs are common among survivors of acute respiratory failure shortly after discharge home. The association of unmet medication needs with 3-month readmission and mortality is complex and requires additional investigation to inform clinical trials of interventions to reduce unmet medication needs.

Study registration number: NCT03738774. The study was prospectively registered before enrollment of the first patient.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-021-03848-3.

Protocol for a two-arm pragmatic stepped-wedge hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluating Engagement and Collaborative Management to Proactively Advance Sepsis Survivorship (ENCOMPASS)

BACKGROUND

Sepsis survivors experience high morbidity and mortality, and healthcare systems lack effective strategies to address patient needs after hospital discharge. The Sepsis Transition and Recovery (STAR) program is a navigator-led, telehealth-based multicomponent strategy to provide proactive care coordination and monitoring of high-risk patients using evidence-driven, post-sepsis care tasks. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of STAR to improve outcomes for sepsis patients and to examine contextual factors that influence STAR implementation.

METHODS

This study uses a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation design to concurrently test clinical effectiveness and gather implementation data. The effectiveness evaluation is a two-arm, pragmatic, stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial at eight hospitals in North Carolina comparing clinical outcomes between sepsis survivors who receive Usual Care versus care delivered through STAR. Each hospital begins in a Usual Care control phase and transitions to STAR in a randomly assigned sequence (one every 4 months). During months that a hospital is allocated to Usual Care, all eligible patients will receive usual care. Once a hospital transitions to STAR, all eligible patients will receive STAR during their hospitalization and extending through 90 days from discharge. STAR includes centrally located nurse navigators using telephonic counseling and electronic health record-based support to facilitate best-practice post-sepsis care strategies including post-discharge review of medications, evaluation for new impairments or symptoms, monitoring existing comorbidities, and palliative care referral when appropriate. Adults admitted with suspected sepsis, defined by clinical criteria for infection and organ failure, are included. Planned enrollment is 4032 patients during a 36-month period. The primary effectiveness outcome is the composite of all-cause hospital readmission or mortality within 90 days of discharge. A mixed-methods implementation evaluation will be conducted before, during, and after STAR implementation.

DISCUSSION

This pragmatic evaluation will test the effectiveness of STAR to reduce combined hospital readmissions and mortality, while identifying key implementation factors. Results will provide practical information to advance understanding of how to integrate post-sepsis management across care settings and facilitate implementation, dissemination, and sustained utilization of best-practice post-sepsis management strategies in other heterogeneous healthcare delivery systems.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04495946 . Submitted July 7, 2020; Posted August 3, 2020.

Long-term outcomes after critical illness: recent insights

Intensive care survivors often experience post-intensive care sequelae, which are frequently gathered together under the term “post-intensive care syndrome” (PICS). The consequences of PICS on quality of life, health-related costs and hospital readmissions are real public health problems. In the present Viewpoint, we summarize current knowledge and gaps in our understanding of PICS and approaches to management.

Evaluating the association between unmet healthcare needs and subsequent clinical outcomes: protocol for the Addressing Post-Intensive Care Syndrome-01 (APICS-01) multicentre cohort study

INTRODUCTION

As short-term mortality declines for critically ill patients, a growing number of survivors face long-term physical, cognitive and/or mental health impairments. After hospital discharge, many critical illness survivors require an in-depth plan to address their healthcare needs. Early after hospital discharge, numerous survivors experience inadequate care or a mismatch between their healthcare needs and what is provided. Many patients are readmitted to the hospital, have substantial healthcare resource use and experience long-lasting morbidity. The objective of this study is to investigate the gap in healthcare needs occurring immediately after hospital discharge and its association with hospital readmissions or death for survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this multicentre prospective cohort study, we will enrol 200 survivors of ARF in the intensive care unit (ICU) who are discharged directly home from their acute care hospital stay. Unmet healthcare needs, the primary exposure of interest, will be evaluated as soon as possible within 1 to 4 weeks after hospital discharge, via a standardised telephone assessment. The primary outcome, death or hospital readmission, will be measured at 3 months after discharge. Secondary outcomes (eg, quality of life, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder) will be measured as part of 3-month and 6-month telephone-based follow-up assessments. Descriptive statistics will be reported for the exposure and outcome variables along with a propensity score analysis, using inverse probability weighting for the primary exposure, to evaluate the relationship between the primary exposure and outcome.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study received ethics approval from Vanderbilt University Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the University of Utah IRB (for the Veterans Affairs site). These results will inform both clinical practice and future interventional trials in the field. We plan to disseminate the results in peer-reviewed journals, and via national and international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION DETAILS

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03738774). Registered before enrollment of the first patient.

Postcritical illness vulnerability

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Critical illness survivorship is associated with new and worsening physical, cognitive, and emotional status. Survivors are vulnerable to further health set-backs, most commonly because of infection and exacerbation of chronic medical conditions. Awareness of survivors' challenges are important given the anticipated rise in critical illness survivors because of SARS-CoV-2 viral sepsis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies continue to document challenges of critical illness survivorship. Beyond the cognitive, physical, and mental health sequelae encompassed by postintensive case syndrome, patients commonly experience persistent immunosuppression, re-hospitalization, inability to resume prior employment, and reduced quality of life. Although recommended practices for enhancing recovery from sepsis are associated with better outcomes, only a minority of patients receive all recommended practices. ICU follow-up programs or peer support groups remain important interventions to learn about and address the multifaceted challenges of critical illness survivorship, but there is little evidence of benefit to date.

SUMMARY

Survivors of sepsis and critical illness commonly experience impaired health status, reduced quality of life, and inability to return to prior employment. Although the challenges of critical illness survivorship are increasingly well documented, there are relatively few studies on enhancing recovery. Future studies must focus on identifying best practices for optimizing recovery and strategies to promote their implementation.

Development, Validation, and Clinical Utility Assessment of a Prognostic Score for 1-Year Unplanned Rehospitalization or Death of Adult Sepsis Survivors

IMPORTANCE

The longer-term risk of rehospitalizations and death of adult sepsis survivors is associated with index sepsis illness characteristics.

OBJECTIVE

To derive and validate a parsimonious prognostic score for unplanned rehospitalizations or death in the first year after hospital discharge of adult sepsis survivors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study used data from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre Case Mix Programme database on adult sepsis survivors identified from consecutive critical care admissions to 192 adult general critical care units in England, United Kingdom, between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2014 (94 748 patients in the derivation cohort), and between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015 (24 669 patients in the validation cohort). Statistical analysis was performed from July 5 to October 31, 2019. Generic characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation [IMD2015] in England quintiles, preadmission dependence, previous hospitalizations in the year preceding index sepsis admission, comorbidity, admission type, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II physiology score, hospital length of stay, worst blood lactate and blood hemoglobin concentrations, and type of hospital) and sepsis-specific characteristics (site of infection, numbers of organ dysfunctions, and organ support) at the index sepsis admission were used as predictors.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Prognostic score derived and validated using multivariable logistic regression for the outcome of unplanned rehospitalization or death in the first year after hospital discharge of adult sepsis survivors, as well as clinical usefulness assessed using decision curve analysis. Prognostic score validation was performed for internal validation with bootstrapping and temporal cohort external validation.

RESULTS

This cohort study included 94 748 patients (51 164 men [54.0%]; mean [SD] age, 61.3 [17.0] years) in the derivation cohort and 24 669 patients (13 255 men [53.7%]; mean [SD] age, 62.1 [16.8%]) in the validation cohort. Unplanned rehospitalization or death in the first year after hospital discharge occurred for 48 594 patients (51.3%) in the derivation cohort and 13 129 patients (53.2%) in the validation cohort. Eight independent predictors were identified and weighted to generate a prognostic score for every patient: previous hospitalizations, age in 10-year increments, IMD2015 in England quintiles, preadmission dependence, comorbidities, admission type, blood hemoglobin level, and site of infection. The total prognostic score ranged from 0 to 22 points, with lower scores indicating a lower risk of the outcome. The derivation and validation cohorts had similar rates of prognostic scores of 0 to 4 points (5088 of 16 684 patients [30.5%] and 471 of 1725 patients [27.3%]) and prognostic scores of 11 points or more (15 732 of 21 641 patients [72.7%] and 5753 of 7952 patients [72.3%]). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prognostic score was 0.675 (95% CI, 0.672-0.679). The decision curve analysis highlighted an optimal score cutoff of 7 points or more.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The prognostic score reported in this study uses 8 internationally feasible predictors measured during the index sepsis admission and provides clinically useful information on sepsis survivors' risk of unplanned rehospitalization or death in the first year after hospital discharge.

The long-lasting effects of the acute respiratory distress syndrome

Introduction: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe form of acute lung injury common in critically ill patients and characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. It frequently manifests long-lasting effects beyond hospitalization, from cognitive impairment to physical weakness.Areas covered: Several complications of ARDS have been identified in patients after hospital discharge. The authors conducted literature searches to identify observational studies, randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, and guidelines. A summary of is presented here to outline the sequelae of ARDS and their risk factors with a focus on the limited but growing research into possible therapies. Long term sequelae of ARDS commonly identified in the literature include long-term cognitive impairment, psychological morbidities, neuromuscular weakness, pulmonary dysfunction, and ongoing healthcare utilization with reduced quality of life.Expert opinion: Given the public health significance of long-term complications following ARDS, the development of new therapies for prevention and treatment is of vital importance. Furthering knowledge of the pathophysiology of these impairments will provide a framework to develop new therapeutic targets to fuel future clinical trials in this area of critical care medicine.