[Fluid therapy in sepsis and septic shock]

Fluid resuscitation is a crucial part of the treatment of hypotension and shock of any etiology. Particularly in septic shock, it is an essential element of the initial care bundle. Like all treatments in sepsis, it is also subject to multiple controversies: what type of fluid, how much, how long to administer it, potential risks, toxicity? The main guideline, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, continues to indicate crystalloids as the main fluid in resuscitation. But the possibility of crystalloids balanced on 0.9% saline or combined use with albumin in the resuscitation of the septic patient is still under debate. This is probably another point where we should always consider individualizing both the type and amount of fluids to be administered in both the initial and maintenance phases of the management of sepsis and septic shock.

Spanish guide for neonatal stabilization and resuscitation 2021: Analysis, adaptation and consensus on international recommendations

After the publication of the recommendations, agreed by all the scientific societies through the ILCOR, at the end of 2020, the GRN-SENeo began a process of analysis and review of the main changes since the last guidelines, to which a specific consensus positioning on controversial issues, trying to avoid ambiguities and trying to adapt the evidence to our environment. This text summarizes the main conclusions of this work and reflects the positioning of that group.

[Spanish guide for neonatal stabilization and resuscitation 2021: Analysis, adaptation and consensus on international recommendations]

After the publication of the recommendations, agreed by all the scientific societies through the ILCOR, at the end of 2020, the GRN-SENeo began a process of analysis and review of the main changes since the last guidelines, to which a specific consensus positioning on controversial issues, trying to avoid ambiguities and trying to adapt the evidence to our environment. This text summarizes the main conclusions of this work and reflects the positioning of that group.

Amiodarone does not affect brain injury in a rat model of transient forebrain ischemia

OBJECTIVES

Although amiodarone may cause neurotoxicity that can affect patient outcomes when used during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), it has been commonly prescribed during CPR. This study investigated the possible neurotoxic effects of amiodarone in a rat model of transient forebrain ischemia.

DESIGN

A prospective laboratory animal study was carried out.

SETTING

Animal laboratory.

MATERIALS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats.

INTERVENTION

Eight minutes of forebrain ischemia was induced in rats by bilateral carotid occlusion and hypotension (mean arterial pressure=35mmHg) under isoflurane (1.5%) anesthesia. Amiodarone (0, 50, 100 and 150mg/kg) with saline was injected intraperitoneally 10min after ischemia. Rats given 0mg/kg of amiodarone were used as saline-treated controls. Sham operated rats received no treatment.

VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Animals were evaluated neurologically on postoperative days 4-7, and histologically after a one-week recovery period.

RESULTS

The greatest improvement in water maze test performance corresponded to the sham operated group (p=0.015 vs. saline-treated controls). No differences in performance were seen in amiodarone-treated rats compared with saline-treated controls. In the control group, 45% of the CA1 hippocampal neurons survived, compared with 78% in the sham operated group (p=0.009). Neuron survival after ischemia in the amiodarone treatment groups (50, 100 and 150mg/kg) (58%, 40% and 36%, respectively) and in the control rats did not differ significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of amiodarone immediately after transient forebrain ischemia did not worsen spatial cognitive function or neuronal survival in the hippocampal CA1 region in rats. The current results must be applied with caution in humans. However, they indicate that the potential neurotoxicity induced by amiodarone during resuscitation after cardiac arrest may be negligible.

Early prognostic value of an Algorithm based on spectral Variables of Ventricular fibrillAtion from the EKG of patients with suddEn cardiac death: A multicentre observational study (AWAKE)

OBJECTIVE

Ventricular fibrillation (VF)-related sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Current biological and imaging parameters show significant limitations on predicting cerebral performance at hospital admission. The AWAKE study (NCT03248557) is a multicentre observational study to validate a model based on spectral ECG analysis to early predict cerebral performance and survival in resuscitated comatose survivors.

METHODS

Data from VF ECG tracings of patients resuscitated from SCD will be collected using an electronic Case Report Form. Patients can be either comatose (Glasgow Coma Scale - GCS - ≤8) survivors undergoing temperature control after return of spontaneous circulation (RoSC), or those who regain consciousness (GCS=15) after RoSC; all admitted to Intensive Cardiac Care Units in 4 major university hospitals. VF tracings prior to the first direct current shock will be digitized and analyzed to derive spectral data and feed a predictive model to estimate favorable neurological performance (FNP). The results of the model will be compared to the actual prognosis.

RESULTS

The primary clinical outcome is FNP during hospitalization. Patients will be categorized into 4 subsets of neurological prognosis according to the risk score obtained from the predictive model. The secondary clinical outcomes are survival to hospital discharge, and FNP and survival after 6 months of follow-up. The model-derived categorisation will be also compared with clinical variables to assess model sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

A model based on spectral analysis of VF tracings is a promising tool to obtain early prognostic data after SCD.

The use of the Shock Index as a predictor of active bleeding in trauma patients

INTRODUCTION

Vital signs indicate the presence of bleeding only after large amounts of blood have been lost, with high morbidity and mortality. The Shock Index (SI) is a hemorrhage indicator with a cut-off point for the risk of bleeding at 0.9. The aim of this study is to assess whether a cut-off of≥0.8 is more sensitive for detecting occult bleeding, providing for early initiation of therapeutic maneuvers.

METHODS

SI analytical validation study of severe trauma patients older than 16 years of age. Vital signs were recorded, and scales for predicting bleeding included: SI, Assessment of Blood Consumption score, and Pulse Rate Over Pressure score. The relationship between the SI and 5 markers for bleeding was analyzed: need for massive transfusion, angiographic embolization, surgical bleeding control, death due to hypovolemic shock, and the overall predictor «active bleeding» (defined as the presence of at least one of the 4 markers above).

RESULTS

Data from 1.402 trauma patients were collected prospectively over a period of 10 years. The mean Injury Severity Score was 20.9 (SD 15.8). The mortality rate was 10%. The mean SI was 0.73 (SD 0.29). «Active bleeding» was present in 18.7% of patients. The SI area under the ROC curve for «active bleeding» was 0.749.

CONCLUSIONS

An SI cut-off point≥0.8 is more sensitive than≥0.9 and allows for earlier initiation of resuscitation maneuvers in patients with occult active bleeding.

Fluid balance and chloride load in the first 24h of ICU admission and its relation with renal replacement therapies through a multicentre, retrospective, case-control study paired by APACHE-II

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the association between water balance during the first 24h of admission to ICU and the variables related to chloride levels (chloride loading, type of fluid administered, hyperchloraemia), with the development of acute kidney injury renal replacement therapy (AKI-RRT) during patients' admission to ICU.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Multicentre case-control study. Hospital-based, national, carried out in 6 ICUs. Cases were patients older than 18 years who developed an AKI-RRT. Controls were patients older than 18 years admitted to the same institutions during the study period, who did not develop AKI-RRT during ICU admission. Pairing was done by APACHE-II. An analysis of unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, APACHE-II and water balance (in evaluating the type of fluid).

RESULTS

We analysed the variables of 430 patients: 215 cases and 215 controls. An increase of 10% of the possibility of developing AKI-RRT per 500ml of positive water balance was evident (OR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.05 to 1.14]; P<.001). The study of mean values of chloride load administered did not show differences between the group of cases and controls (299.35±254.91 vs. 301.67±234.63; P=.92).

CONCLUSIONS

The water balance in the first 24h of ICU admission relates to the development of IRA-TRR, regardless of chloraemia.

[Changes in the international recommendations on neonatal stabilisation and resuscitation (2015)]

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommendations provide a universal guide of measures to support the transition and resuscitation of newborn after their birth. This guide is expected to be adapted by local groups or committees on resuscitation, according to their own circumstances. The objective of this review is to analyse the main changes, to discuss several of the controversies that have appeared since 2010, and contrasting with other national and international organisations, such as European Resuscitation Council (ERC), American Heart Association (AHA), or the Australian-New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR). Thus, the Neonatal Resuscitation Group of the Spanish Society of Neonatology (GRN-SENeo) aims to give clear answers to many of the questions when different options are available, generating the forthcoming recommendations of our country to support the transition and/or resuscitation of a newborn after birth, safely and effectively.

Update in the management of critically ill burned patients

The management of critically ill burn patients is challenging. These patients have to be managed in specialized centers, where the expertise of physicians and nursing personnel guarantees the best treatment. Mortality of burn patients has improved over the past decades due to a better understanding of burn shock pathophysiology, optimal surgical management, infection control and nutritional support. Indeed, a more aggressive resuscitation, early excision and grafting, the judicious use of topical antibiotics, and the provision of an adequate calorie and protein intake are key to attain best survival results. General advances in critical care have also to be implemented, including protective ventilation, glycemic control, selective decontamination of the digestive tract, and implementation of sedation protocols.

In-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest in Spain

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The objective was to analyze the characteristics and prognostic factors of in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest in Spain.

METHODS

A prospective observational study was performed to examine in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest. Two hundred children were studied, aged between 1 month and 18 years, with in-hospital cardiac arrest. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of each factor on survival to hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 74% of the patients and 41% survived to hospital discharge. The survival rate was significantly higher than that reported in a previous Spanish study 10 years earlier (25.9%). In the univariate analysis, the factors related to mortality were body weight higher than 10 kg; continuous infusion of vasoactive drugs prior to cardiac arrest; sepsis and neurological disorders as causes of cardiac arrest, the need for treatment with adrenaline, bicarbonate, and volume expansion, and prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the multivariate analysis, the factors related to mortality were hematologic/oncologic diseases, continuous infusion of vasoactive drugs prior to cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation for more than 20 min, and treatment with bicarbonate and volume expansion.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest in children has significantly improved in recent years. The factors related to in-hospital mortality were hematologic/oncologic diseases, continuous infusion of vasoactive drugs prior to cardiac arrest, the duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and treatment with bicarbonate and volume expansion.