Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
June 2nd 2013
Welcome
Hello
Welcome to the 78th Critical Care Reviews Newsletter, bringing you the best critical care research published in the past week, plus a wide range of free full text review articles and guidelines from over 300 clinical and scientific journals.
This week's research studies show improved outcomes with universal decolonization at ICU admission, decreased morbidity with acute blood pressure reduction in intracerebral haemorrhage, quantification of the vascular and GI risks of NSAIDs, further reports on both the H7N9 and coronavirus outbreaks and an interesting phase II study investigating oxygen therapy in severe traumatic brain injury.
The only guideline I've come across this week is from the American College of Physicians and concerns glycaemic control. There are editiorials addressing critical care obstetrics, research, palliation, and patient safety. There also a critique of the Chest study. Two study protocols have been published in Trials, concerning clipping or coiling for subarachnoid haemorrhage (ISAT part 2) and red cell transfusion in sepsis (TRISS). Commentaries address physician payments from industry and personalised medicine.
Amongst the clinical review articles are papers on cerebral infarction, brain dysfunction in sepsis, atrial fibrillation, cricothyridotomy, several papers on pulmonary fibrosis, enhanced recovery for GI surgery, acute liver failure, blood conservation techniques, urosepsis and ethical differences between Islamic and Western societies.
The topic for This Week's Papers is sedation, starting with a general paper in tomorrow's Paper of the Day.
Research
New England Journal of Medicine: ICU Decolonization
Huang et al performed a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial in 43 hospitals (74 ICUs, 74,256 patients) comparing three methods of infection control, with all adult ICUs in a given hospital assigned to the same strategy: (1) MRSA screening and isolation; (2) targeted decolonization (i.e., screening, isolation, and decolonization of MRSA carriers); (3) universal decolonization (i.e., no screening, and decolonization of all patients). Comparing the intervention period with the baseline period, universal decolonization resulted in a significantly greater reduction in the hazard of MRSA-positive clinical cultures than did screening and isolation (hazard ratio 0.63; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.75 versus hazard ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.77 to 1.10; P=0.003 for test of all groups being equal). For ICU-attributable MRSA bloodstream infections, universal decolonization was more effective than the other strategies (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.08 versus HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.85 for screening and isolation and HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.85 for targeted decolonization). For ICU-attributable bloodstream infection from any pathogen, universal decolonization resulted in a significantly greater reduction in the hazard of infection (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.65) than either screening and isolation (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.16; P<0.001) or targeted decolonization (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.91; P=0.04). There was no difference in mortality between groups, although the trial was inadequately powered for this outcome.
- Editorial: Edmond. Screening Inpatients for MRSA — Case Closed. N Eng J Med 2013;epublished May 29th
New England Journal of Medicine: Intracerebral Haemorrhage
Anderson and colleagues completed a randomized, controlled trial in 2,839 patients with a spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage within the previous 6 hours and who had elevated systolic blood pressure, comparing a target systolic blood pressure <140 mm Hg within 1 hour with guideline-recommended treatment of a target systolic level of <180 mm Hg, with physician's using anti-hypertensives of their choice. In those for whom the primary outcome (death or major disability) could be determined, 52.0% (719/1382) receiving intensive treatment, as compared with 55.6% (785/1412) receiving guideline-recommended treatment, had a primary outcome event (odds ratio with intensive treatment 0.87; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.01; P=0.06). Ordinal analysis showed significantly lower modified Rankin scores with intensive treatment (odds ratio for greater disability 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.00; P=0.04). There were no differences in mortality (intensive-treatment group 11.9% versus standard-treatment group 12.0%), the percentage of deaths attributed to the direct effect of the intracerebral hemorrhage (61.4% versus 65.3%, respectively) or nonfatal serious adverse events (23.3% versus 23.6% respectively).
The Lancet: Risks of NSAIDs
The Coxib and traditional NSAID Trialists' (CNT) Collaboration performed a meta-analyses of 280 trials of NSAIDs versus placebo (124 513 participants, 68 342 person-years) and 474 trials of one NSAID versus another NSAID (229 296 participants, 165 456 person-years) to assess the vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Major vascular events were increased by about a third by a coxib (rate ratio 1·37, 95% CI 1·14—1·66; p=0·0009) or diclofenac (1·41, 1·12—1·78; p=0·0036), chiefly due to an increase in major coronary events (coxibs 1·76, 1·31—2·37; p=0·0001; diclofenac 1·70, 1·19—2·41; p=0·0032). Ibuprofen also significantly increased major coronary events (2·22, 1·10—4·48; p=0·0253), but not major vascular events (1·44, 0·89—2·33). Compared with placebo, for 1000 patients allocated to a coxib or diclofenac for a year, three more had major vascular events, one of which was fatal. Naproxen did not significantly increase major vascular events (0·93, 0·69—1·27). Vascular death was increased significantly by coxibs (1·58, 99% CI 1·00—2·49; p=0·0103) and diclofenac (1·65, 0·95—2·85, p=0·0187), non-significantly by ibuprofen (1·90, 0·56—6·41; p=0·17), but not by naproxen (1·08, 0·48—2·47, p=0·80). The proportional effects on major vascular events were independent of baseline characteristics, including vascular risk. Heart failure risk was roughly doubled by all NSAIDs. All NSAID regimens increased upper gastrointestinal complications (coxibs 1·81, 1·17—2·81, p=0·0070; diclofenac 1·89, 1·16—3·09, p=0·0106; ibuprofen 3·97, 2·22—7·10, p<0·0001; and naproxen 4·22, 2·71—6·56, p<0·0001).
Full Text: Coxib and traditional NSAID Trialists' (CNT) Collaboration. Vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: meta-analyses of individual participant data from randomised trials. Lancet 2013;epublished May 30th (free registration required)
The Lancet: H7N9 Influenza
Hu et al studied 14 patients in Eastern China with a novel influenza A subtype H7N9 virus (A/H7N9) A/H7N9, who were given antiviral treatment (oseltamivir or peramivir) for less than 2 days before admission. All patients developed pneumonia, seven of them required mechanical ventilation, and three of them further deteriorated to become dependent on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), two of whom died. Antiviral treatment was associated with a reduction of viral load in throat swab specimens in 11 surviving patients. Three patients with persistently high viral load in the throat in spite of antiviral therapy became ECMO dependent. An Arg292Lys mutation in the virus neuraminidase (NA) gene known to confer resistance to both zanamivir and oseltamivir was identified in two of these patients, both also received corticosteroid treatment.
Full Text: Hu. Association between adverse clinical outcome in human disease caused by novel influenza A H7N9 virus and sustained viral shedding and emergence of antiviral resistance. Lancet 2013;epublished May 29th (free registration required)
New England Journal of Medicine: Novel Coronavirus
Memish and colleagues report a family case cluster of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), affecting three young men who became ill with MERS-CoV infection after the hospitalization of an elderly male relative, who died of the disease. Twenty-four other family members living in the same household and 124 attending staff members at the hospitals did not become ill. To date, 49 cases of MERS-CoV infection, with 26 deaths, have been reported.
New England Journal of Medicine: Inflight Medical Emergencies
Peterson and colleagues reviewed 11,920 in-flight medical emergencies (1 medical emergency per 604 flights) from five domestic and international airlines referred to a physician-directed medical communications center. The most common problems were syncope or presyncope (37.4%), respiratory symptoms (12.1%), and nausea or vomiting (9.5%). Physician passengers provided medical assistance in 48.1% of in-flight medical emergencies, and aircraft diversion occurred in 7.3%. Of 10,914 patients for whom postflight follow-up data were available, 25.8% were transported to a hospital by emergency-medical-service personnel, 8.6% were admitted, and 0.3% died. The most common triggers for admission were suspected stroke (odds ratio 3.36; 95% CI 1.88 to 6.03), respiratory symptoms (odds ratio 2.13; 95% CI 1.48 to 3.06), and cardiac symptoms (odds ratio 1.95; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.77).
Journal of Neurosurgery: Traumatic Brain Injury
Rockswold and colleagues undertook a prospective, randomized controlled phase II trial examing the effect of combined hyperbaric and normobarichyperoxia in 42 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (GCS 5-7). Within 24 hours of injury, patients were assigned to either combined hyperbaric and normobarichyperoxia (HBO2/NBH) (60 minutes of HBO2 at 1.5 atmospheres absolute [ATA] followed by NBH, 3 hours of FiO2 1.0 at 1.0 ATA) or control, standard care. Treatments occurred once every 24 hours for 3 consecutive days. HBO2/NBH treatment was associated with higher levels of brain tissue partial pressure of O2 (p < 0.0001), decreased microdialysate lactate/pyruvate ratios (p < 0.0078), reduced intracranial pressure (p < 0.0006), lower levels of microdialysate glycerol (p < 0.001) as well as a trend to decreased lower CSF injury biomarker F2-isoprostane (p = 0.0692). There was an absolute 26% reduction in mortality for the combined HBO2/NBH group (p = 0.048) and an absolute 36% improvement in favorable outcome using the sliding dichotomized GOS (p = 0.024).
Study Critique
Critical Care: Fluids
Guideline
American Journal of Medical Quality: Glycaemic Control
Editorial
Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Critical Care Palliation
Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Critical Care Research
Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Obstetric Critical Care
Crit Care Nurse: Patient Safety
Study Protocols
Trials: Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
Trials: Transfusion in Sepsis
Commentary
New England Journal of Medicine: Industry to Physician Payment
- Rosenthal. Sunlight as Disinfectant — New Rules on Disclosure of Industry Payments to Physicians. N Engl J Med 2013;368:2052-2054
- Agrawal. The Sunshine Act — Effects on PhysiciansAgrawal. The Sunshine Act — Effects on Physicians. N Engl J Med 2013;368:2054-2057
Journal of the American Medical Association: Personalised Medicine
Review - Clinical
Neurological
Stroke Research and Treatment: Cerebral Infarction
Annals of Intensive Care: Brain Dysfunction in Sepsis
Critical Care Nurse: Pain Scales
British Journal of Anaesthesia: Perioperative Pharmacological Brain Protection
British Journal of Anaesthesia: Operative Effects on Neurodevelopment
Stroke Research and Treatment: Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
Circulatory
Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Atrial Fibrillation
Respiratory
Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine: Cricothyrotomy
Blood: Pulmonary Embolism
European Respiratory Review: Small Airways Disease
European Respiratory Review: Flexible Bronchoscopy
European Respiratory Review: Desquamative interstitial pneumonia
European Respiratory Review: Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Maher. PROFILEing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: rethinking biomarker discovery. Eur Respir Rev 2013 22:148-152
- Cottin. The impact of emphysema in pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir Rev 2013;22:153-157
- Wells. Managing diagnostic procedures in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir Rev 2013;22:158-162
- Behr. Evidence-based treatment strategies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir Rev 2013;22:163-168
Gastrointestinal
Digestive Surgery: Enhanced Recovery
Hepatobiliary
Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Acute Liver Failure
Haematological
Annals of Intensive Care: Blood Conservation
Sepsis
International Journal of Urology: Urosepsis
Miscellaneous
Avicenna Journal of Medicine: Ethics
I hope you find these brief summaries and links useful.
Until next week
Rob