Acute kidney injury is a common complication and is associated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome among critically ill patients in intensive care unit. Once renal replacement therapy in required, the mortality rate was high. Using slow and uninterrupted clearance of retained fluid and toxins, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) can avoid hemodynamic instability while provide acid-base, electrolytes, and volume homeostasis. For decades, CRRT has become the dominant form of renal replacement therapy as well as multiple organ support in critically ill patient with acute kidney injury. However, there remains wide practice variation in the CRRT care when clinicians take into account the needs of individual patients, available resources, and limitations unique to an institution or type of practice, despite evidences to guide practice. In addition, CRRT is a complex technology that is resource-intensive, costly, and requires specialized training by health providers.Taiwan Society of Critical Care Medicine organized a group of experts in critical care and nephrology to review the recommendations and provide their clinical practice and concerns to write this operational manual. The purpose of this manual is to provide step-by-step instructions on the practice of CRRT and troubleshooting. In addition, it is designed to help the newbies to carry out this complex treatment correctly and efficiently. We hope that this operational manual is of value to improve clinical skills, quality of care, and patient safety.
ObjectiveTo compare the indirect calorimetry (IC) measured resting energy expenditure (MREE) with adjusted Harris-Benedict formula calculating resting energy expenditure (CREE) in the mechanically ventilated surgical critically ill patients and to evaluate the relationship between the resting energy expenditure (REE) with the severity of illness. MethodsTwenty-one patients undergonging mechanical ventilation for critical illness in the intensive care unit of general surgery between August 2008 and February 2010 were included in this study. Data during the study period of nutrition support were collected for computation of the severity of critical illness by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ scores (APACHE Ⅱ scores) and organ dysfunction scores (Marshall scores). MREE was measured by using IC of the MedGraphics CCM/D System within the first 7 d after nutrition therapy. CREE was calculated by using the HarrisBenedict formula adjusted with correction factors for illness at the same time. According to APACHE Ⅱ scores on admission, the enrolled patients were divided into two groups: APACHEⅡ score ≥20 scores group (n=8) and APACHE Ⅱ score lt;20 scores group (n=13), and the differences between MREE and CREE of patients in two groups were determined. ResultsThe reduction of variation tendency in CREE other than MREE in the enrolled patients within the first week of nutritional support was statistical significance (Plt;0.001). The CREE of patients 〔(1 984.49±461.83) kcal/d〕 was significantly higher than the MREE 〔(1 563.88±496.93) kcal/d〕 during the first week of nutritional support (Plt;0.001). The MREE on the 0, 1, 2, and 4 d after nutrition therapy were statistically significant lower than CREE at the same time interval in these patients (Plt;0.01), and the differences at the other time points were not significant (Pgt;0.05). There was a trend towards a reduction in APACHE Ⅱ and Marshall scores within the first week of nutrition therapy that reached statistical significance (Plt;0.001). During the first week of nutrition therapy, APACHEⅡ and Marshall scores of patients in ≥20 scores group were significantly higher than those in lt;20 scores group, respectively (Plt;0.05 or Plt;0.01), and the reductions of APACHE Ⅱ scores and Marshall scores were significant in patients of two groups (Plt;0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between CREE with APACHE Ⅱ scores (r=0.656, Plt;0.001) and Marshall scores (r=0.608，Plt;0.001) in patients within the first week after nutrition support. Although no statistically significant correlation was observed between MREE and APACHEⅡ scores (r=-0.045， P=0.563), a significant positive correlation was observed between MREE and Marshall scores (r=0.263, P=0.001) within the first week after nutrition therapy. There was no correlation between MREE and CREE (r=0.064, P=0.408) in patients at the same time interval. The reduction of MREE of patients in ≥20 scores group other than in lt;20 scores group was statistically significant within the first week after nutrition therapy (P=0.034). In addition, the MREE of patients in ≥20 scores group were not significantly different from those in lt;20 scores group (Pgt;0.05), and the mean CREE was not different in two groups patients within the first week of nutritional therapy 〔(1 999.55±372.73) kcal/d vs. (1 918.39±375.27) kcal/d, P=0.887〕. CREE was significantly higher than MREE of patients in ≥20 scores group within the first week except the 3 d and 5 d after nutrition therapy (Plt;0.05), while in lt;20 scores group CREE was significantly higher than MREE in patients only within the first 3 d after nutrition therapy (Plt;0.05 or Plt;0.01). MREE and CREE of patients in ≥20 scores group were not different from those in lt;20 scores group, respectively (Pgt;0.05).
Objective To evaluate the effects and safety of procalcitonin(PCT)-guided algorithms of antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods Literatures in English and Chinese concerning randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on PCT-guided algorithms of antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients was retrieved by electronic and manual search. All related data were extracted. Meta-analysis was conducted using the statistical software RevMan 5.3 on the basis of strict quality evaluation. Results Eight RCTs involving 2708 ICU patients were included, with 1360 patients in the PCT-guided group and 1348 patients in the control group. Compared with the control group, PCT-guided algorithms were associated with a significant reduction in the duration of antibiotic therapy (MD -2.44 days, 95%CI -3.25 to -1.62, P < 0.00001), and the occurrence of adverse reaction of antibiotics was also lower (RR=0.74, 95%CI 0.56 to 0.97, P=0.03), however the mortality exhibited no difference between the PCT-guided group and the control group (RR=1.00, 95%CI 0.89 to 1.13, P=0.99). Conclusion PCT-guided algorithms can shorten the duration of antibiotic therapy and reduce the occurrence of adverse reaction in critically ill patients without significant effect on mortality.
ObjectiveTo investigate and analyze the strategies for choosing venous access devices for critically ill patients. MethodsThe medical staffs in ICU were required to fulfill a questionnaire on the knowledge and application of venous access devices in critically ill patients in May 2015.A descriptive statistical analysis was carried out on the answers generated from the questionnaire using SPSS 19.0 software. ResultsA total of 50 questionnaires were distributed randomly and 46 valid questionnaires were recovered.The effective response rate was 92.0%.The proportion of junior, intermediate and senior medical staffs was 80.4%, 13.0% and 6.6%, respectively.The proportion of doctors and nurses was 39.1% and 60.9%, respectively.The average seniority was (5.7±4.9)years.The proportion of ICU medical staffs who were acquainted with PIV, ACVC, PICC, TCVC, PORT and Midline was 100.0%, 100.0%, 100.0%, 69.6%, 43.5% and 13.0%, respectively.The proportion of ICU medicial staffs who would take the styles of drug, the time of treatment, the patients' condition and the costs into consideration when choosing venous access devices was 100.0%, 100.0%, 64.0% and 18.0%, respectively.91.3% and 39.1% of ICU medical staffs would choose PIV and ACVC respectively if the time of treatment was less than 1 week.56.5%, 69.6% and 26.1% of ICU medical staffs would choose PIV, ACVC and PICC respectively if the time of treatment was between 1 and 4 weeks.30.4%, 39.1%, 82.6% and 32.6% of ICU medical staffs would choose PIV, ACVC, PICC and PORT respectively if the time of treatment was more than 4 weeks.52.2% of ICU medical staffs were acquaint with the styles and the indication of antibiotic coating central venous catheter.The main reasons for infusion failure were poor vascular condition (91.3%), old age (52.2%), skin lesions (39.1%) and pipeline plugging (26.1%).The main reasons for choosing the peripheral vein were lower risk of infection (87.0%), short-term treatment (82.6%), common transfusion (78.3%) and antibiotic treatment (47.8%).The main reasons for choosing central venous infusion were irritant drugs (82.6%), peripheral vascular puncture difficulty (69.6%), long-term infusion (65.2%) and hemodynamic monitor (56.5%). ConclusionsIt is difficult to establish a vascular access for critically ill patients.The ICU medical staffs are experienced to PIV, ACVC and PICC but not to Midline, TCVC and PORT.A comprehensive evaluation is essential to choose a suitable and reliable venous access device for critically ill patients.
Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome ( OSAHS) . Methods Critically ill patients with OSAHS admitted in intensive care unit from January 2003 to December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Seventy-nine critically ill patients were diagnosed as OSAHS. The initial diagnosis of OSAHS was made by history requiring, physical examination, and Epworth sleepiness score evaluation. The final diagnosis was comfirmed by polysomnography thereafter. Base on the treatment of primary critical diseases, the patients were given respiratory support either with continuous positive airway pressure ( CPAP) or with bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation ( BiPAP) . Two cases died and the remaining 77 patients were cured anddischarged. Conclusions Timely diagnosis of OSAHS is important to rescue the critically ill patients. Respiratory support combined with treatment of primary critical diseases can improve the outcomes of these patients.
Objectives To explore the efficacy of humidified and heated high flow oxygen therapy for the critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU) after extubation. Methods From January 2014 to December 2016, 487 patients were enrolled. Patients were allocated to two treatment groups randomly, which were humidified and heated high flow oxygen therapy group (236 patients, HFM group, aged 55.3±21.1 years old) and routine oxygen therapy group (251 patients, TO group, aged 58.4±19.3 years old). Blood oxygen saturation, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), respiratory frequency, incidence rate of reintubation, ventilator-free days, ICU length of stay, and hospital stay were assessed and compared between the HFM group and the TO group. Results The hospital stay was similar in two groups. There were more ventilator-free days in the HFM group (P<0.05), fewer patients required reintubation (4.2%vs. 10.4%, P<0.05) and less ICU length of stay [(10.5±6.1) dvs. (14.3±8.5) d, P<0.05]. PaO2/FiO2 of the HFM group were better than the TO group after extubation at 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 24 h, and 48 h (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in respiratory frequency and PaCO2. Conclusions Humidified and heated high flow oxygen therapy can supply a better oxygenation for patients after extubation in ICU. It could be a common therapy in ICU for the critically patients after extubation.
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the treatment of choice for critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability who require renal replacement therapy. This review summarizes the impact of CRRT treatment on nutritional support in critically ill patients, including: energy increase caused by citrate-based anticoagulants, energy loss caused by glucose-free replacement fluid and dialysate, a large amount of amino acids loss in the effluent, and the influences on the way of lipid emulsion administration, capacity, electrolyte, vitamins, and trace elements. It is hoped that the intensive care unit doctors, nephrologists, and nutritionists can fully cooperate to determine the CRRT prescription and the nutritional support prescription.
Objective To investigate the relationship between the gastrointestinal function and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients who underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods One-hundred and fifty-three cases of critically ill patients receiving mechanically ventilation were recruited in the study. After 5 days of ventilation, the gastrointestinal function score and the C-reactive protein (CRP) of each patient were recorded. The incidence of VAP was recorded during hospitalization. According to the incidence of VAP, all patients were divided intoaVAP group and a non-VAP group. The relationship between gastrointestinal function score and the incidence of VAP was analyzed. The relationship between CRP level and severity degree of VAP was also analyzed. Results VAP occurred in 42 cases with the incidence of 27.45%. The gastrointestinal function score (1.9±1.0 vs. 0.8±1.0, P < 0.05) and CRP level [(52.38±12.06) mg/L vs. (36.69±11.08)mg/L, P < 0.05] were both higher in the VAP group than those in the non-VAP group. At gastrointestinal function score of 0 - 3, the CRP levels were all higher in the VAP group than those in the non-VAP group (P < 0.05). The incidence of VAP was 8.33%, 23.68%, 45.45%, and 59.09% at gastrointestinal function score of 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with significant differences between each other(P < 0.05). Conclusion For critically ill patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, the more severe the damage of gastrointestinal function is, the higher the incidence of VAP is, and the more serious the disease is.
Objective To evaluate the effect of exogenous melatonin and its analogues on the prevention of delirium in critically ill patients by meta-analysis. Methods Randomized controlled trials of exogenous melatonin and its analogues in the prevention of delirium in critically ill patients were searched by computer from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, and SinoMed databases. The trial group was treated with melatonin or its analogues, while the control group was treated with placebo. The retrieval period was from the establishment of database to January 14th, 2021. Two researchers independently evaluated the literature quality, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results A total of 11 randomized controlled trials containing 1177 patients were enrolled, including 588 patients in the trial group and 589 patients in the control group. The results showed that exogenous melatonin and its analogues could reduce the occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients [odds ratio (OR)=0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.22, 0.91), P=0.03] and shorten the time of mechanical ventilation [standard mean difference (SMD)=?0.49, 95%CI (?0.94, ?0.03), P=0.04], while might not affect the mortality rate [OR=0.73, 95%CI (0.46, 1.17), P=0.19] or length of intensive care unit stay [SMD=?0.05, 95%CI (?0.26, 0.15), P=0.61]. Conclusions The current evidence shows that exogenous melatonin and its analogues have some effect on reducing the occurrence of delirium and shortening the duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients, and have no significant effect on reducing the mortality or length of intensive care unit stay. The above conclusions need to be confirmed by more high-quality studies.
Objective To examine the adrenal function of critically ill patients received mechanical ventilation, and explore the relationship between the occurrence of relative adrenal insufficiency ( RAI) and weaning outcome.Methods Critically ill patients who were mechanically ventilated over 48 hours were enrolled in this study. Every patient was given one shot of corticotrophin 250 μg intravenously on the first day of admission and the first day of spontaneous-breathing-trial ( SBT) . Plasma contisol level was detected by radio-immunoassay before ( T0 ) and 30 minutes ( T30 ) after the shot. Meanwhile the following parameters were recorded including APACHEⅡ, age, and cause of disease, etc. RAI was defined as the difference between T0 and T30 ≤9 μg/dL. Receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of the indicators towards the weaning outcome. Results A total of 45 patients with mechanical ventilation were recruited. The successful weaning group consisted 29 patients and the failure weaning group consisted 16 patients. The incidence of RAI in the successful weaning group ( 37.9% , 11/ 29) was significantly lower than that in the failure weaning group ( 75.0% , 12 /16) ( P=0. 017) . On the first day of admission, there was no significant difference of Δcortisol between the successful weaning group and the failure weaning group [ ( 10.3 ±5.7) μg/dL vs. ( 7.5 ±4.5) μg/dL, P=0.100) . On the first SBT day, Δcortisol of the successful weaning group was significantly higher than that in the failure weaning group [ ( 10.9 ±5.1) μg/dL vs. ( 4.9 ±2.9) μg/dL, P= 0.043] . Logistic regression analysis showed that Δcortisol was an independent risk factor of weaning. ROC curve analysis showed that on the first SBT day, the area under the curve of Δcortisol was 0.872; The sensitivity and the specificity of accurate judgmentwere 0.813 and 0.828 if Δcortisol ≤6. 95 μg/dL. Conclusions The occurrence of RAI is common in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation. The adrenal function affects the outcome of weaning, and Δcortisol may be used as an important predictive indicator for weaning outcome.