Association between nutritional risk status and both diaphragmatic dysfunction and diaphragm atrophy in medical ıntensive care unit patients

AIM

critical illness often leads to malnutrition and diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD), common in intensive care units (ICU). Ultrasonography (US) is a potent tool for detecting DD. This study examines the connection between malnutrition risk and DD in ICU patients using ultrasonographic diaphragm measurements in medical ICU patients.

METHODS

we assessed nutritional risk using risk screening tools and mid-upper arm circumference measurements (MUAC). Diaphragm atrophy (DA) and DD were evaluated by measuring diaphragmatic excursion (DE), thickness, and thickening fraction (TF) by US. We then compared these diaphragmatic measurements in patients based on their nutritional risk scores.

RESULTS

of the fifty patients studied, 54 % to 78 % were at risk of malnutrition, 28 % exhibited diaphragm atrophy (DA), and 24 % showed DD upon ICU admission. Malnutrition risk diagnosed by all nutritional risk screening tools was significantly more frequent in patients with DD, while diagnosed by MUAC was considerably higher in patients with DA. A total of 16 patients (32 %) died during their ICU stay, with DD, DA, and malnutrition risks (as identified by the mNUTRIC Score) being more prevalent among non-survivors (p < 0.05). Malnutrition risk (as determined by the mNUTRIC Score) was an independent risk factor for DD [OR (95 % CI): 6.6 (1.3-34), p = 0.03].

CONCLUSION

malnutrition risk may be significantly associated with DD and DA in medical ICU patients upon ICU admission.

Performance of handheld ultrasound devices in diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and right heart dysfunction in ICU patients

AIM

The use of handheld ultrasonography devices (HHUD) has increased recently but there are limited data about their performance in the evaluation of right heart dysfunction (RHD) and pulmonary hypertension (PHT). The aim of the study is to compare the performance of a HHUD with a conventional ultrasound device (CUD) in assessing PHT and RHD.

METHODS

This single-center prospective study was performed in a seven-bed teaching hospital intensive care unit (ICU). PHT and RHD criteria were compared by HHUD and CUD. Additional PHT criteria and right ventricle (RV) systolic and diastolic dysfunction criteria were also measured.

RESULTS

Forty-six patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the imaging rates and mean values of the parameters measured by both devices. When the positivity rates for additional PHT parameters and RHD criteria were compared, there were no significant differences between the devices. In Bland-Altman's analysis, there was good agreement and there was no bias between the measurements of the two devices but left ventricular end-systolic eccentricity index (LVSEI), right atrium area (RAA), and pulmonary artery diameter (PAD). Ninety percent of the patients had PHT probability, of whom 43% had a low, 37% had intermediate and 10% had a high probability of PHT. Ninety-two percent of the patients had RHD and there was no significant difference between the devices in the diagnosis of RHD (p = .212). When RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction evaluations of the devices were compared according to the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) criteria there was no significant difference between the devices' measurements in the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function.

CONCLUSION

The imaging and measurement capabilities of the HHUDs for PHT and RHD parameters were similar to CUDs, and considering the inconsistent parameters, the HHUD can be useful in diagnosing these problems.

Evaluation of Patients with COVID-19 Followed Up in Intensive Care Units in the Second Year of the Pandemic: A Multicenter Point Prevalence Study

OBJECTIVE

A 1-day point prevalence study was planned to obtain country data by determining the clinical characteristics, follow-up and treatment methods of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases that required intensive care unit (ICU) treatment in the second year of the pandemic.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All patients who were hospitalized in the ICUs due to COVID-19 between March 11, 2022, 08.00 am, and March 12, 2022, 08.00 am, were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, intensive care and laboratory data, radiological characteristics, and follow-up results of the patients were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 811 patients from 59 centers were included in the study, 59% of the cases were male, and the mean age was 74 ± 14 years. At least one comorbid disease was present in 94% of the cases, and hypertension was the most common. When ICU weight scores were examined, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II: 19 (15-27) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment: 7 (4-10) were seen. Sepsis was present in 37% (n = 298) of cases. PaO2/FiO2 ratios of the patients were 190 the highest and 150 the lowest and 51% of the cases were followed via invasive mechanical ventilation. On the study day, 73% bilateral involvement was seen on chest x-ray, and ground-glass opacities (52%) were the most common on chest tomography. There was growth in culture in 40% (n = 318) of the cases, and the most common growth was in the tracheal aspirate (42%).

CONCLUSION

The clinical course of COVID-19 is variable, and ICU follow-up was required due to advanced age, comorbidity, presence of respiratory symptoms, and widespread radiological involvement. The need for respiratory support and the presence of secondary infection are important issues to be considered in the follow-up. Despite the end of the second year of the pandemic and vaccination, the high severity of the disease as well as the need for follow-up in ICUs has shown that COVID-19 is an important health problem.

The Impact of CoronaVac Vaccination on 28-day Mortality Rate of Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 in Türkiye

Background

Vaccines against coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) have been effective in preventing symptomatic diseases, hospitalizations, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. However, data regarding the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing mortality among critically ill patients with COVID-19 remains unclear.

Aims

To determine the vaccination status and investigate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on the 28-day mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Study Design

Multicenter prospective observational clinical study.

Methods

This study was conducted in 60 hospitals with ICUs managing critically ill patients with COVID-19. Patients aged ≥ 18 years with confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to the ICU were included. The present study had two phases. The first phase was designed as a one-day point prevalence study, and demographic and clinical findings were evaluated. In the second phase, the 28-day mortality was evaluated.

Results

As of August 11, 2021, 921 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 65.42 ± 16.74 years, and 48.6% (n = 448) were female. Among the critically ill patients with COVID-19, 52.6% (n = 484) were unvaccinated, 7.7% (n = 71) were incompletely vaccinated, and 39.8% (n = 366) were fully vaccinated. A subgroup analysis of 817 patients who were unvaccinated (n = 484) or who had received two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine (n = 333) was performed. The 28-day mortality rate was 56.8% (n = 275) and 57.4% (n = 191) in the unvaccinated and two-dose CoronaVac groups, respectively. The 28-day mortality was associated with age, hypertension, the number of comorbidities, type of respiratory support, and APACHE II and sequential organ failure assessment scores (p < 0.05). The odds ratio for the 28-day mortality among those who had received two doses of CoronaVac was 0.591 (95% confidence interval: 0.413-0.848) (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

Vaccination with at least two doses of CoronaVac within six months significantly decreased mortality in vaccinated patients than in unvaccinated patients.

Impact of neurological problems on mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit outcomes in pulmonary intensive care unit patients: a retrospective analysis of a single-center cohort

Neurological problems (NPs) are frequently connected with different critical illnesses in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and they may influence ICU outcomes. This study aims to examine the effects of NPs on ICU outcomes, especially in pulmonary ICU patients. This is a retrospective observational study comprising adult pulmonary critical care patients who were hospitalized between 2015 and 2019. The frequency of NPs at admission, their impact on mechanical ventilation (MV), ICU outcomes, the rate of NP development during the ICU stay, and risk factors for them were investigated. A total of 361 patients were included in the study, and 130 of them (36%) had NPs (group 1). The noninvasive ventilation requirement rate in patients with NPs was less than in those without NPs (group 2), and the requirement of MV was significantly more frequent in this group (37% and 19%, p<0.05). The duration of MV (19±27 and 8±6 days, p=0.003) and sepsis rate (31% and 18%, p=0.005) were also higher in group 1. NPs developing after ICU admission increased the MV requirement 3 times as an independent risk factor. Risk factors for ICU-acquired NPs were the existence of sepsis during admission [odds ratio (OR): 2.01, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.02-4, p=0.045] and longer MV durations before ICU admission (OR: 1.05, CI 95%: 1.004-41.103, p=0.033). NPs were not independent risk factors for mortality (OR: 0.67, CI 95%: 0.37-1.240, p=0.207). NPs did not increase mortality but more frequently caused MV requirement, more extubation failure, and a longer ICU stay in this study population. Additionally, our data suggest that having sepsis during admission and a longer length of MV prior to admission may increase the neurological complication rate.