Predicting hospital mortality and length of stay: A prospective cohort study comparing the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist versus Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare two tools, the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) and Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit (ICU) (CAM-ICU), for their predictive validity for outcomes related to delirium, hospital mortality, and length of stay (LOS).MethodsThe prospective study conducted in six medical ICUs at a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan enrolled consecutive patients (≥20 years) without delirium at ICU admission. Delirium was screened daily using the ICDSC and CAM-ICU in random order. Arousal was assessed by the Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale (RASS). Participants with any one positive result were classified as ICDSC- or CAM-ICU-delirium groups.ResultsDelirium incidence evaluated by the ICDSC and CAM-ICU were 69.1% (67/97) and 50.5% (49/97), respectively. Although the ICDSC identified 18 more cases as delirious, substantial concordance (κ = 0.63; p < 0.001) was found between tools. Independent of age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, both ICDSC- and CAM-ICU-rated delirium significantly predicted hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 4.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.56 to 15.63 vs. 2.79; 95% CI: 1.12 to 6.97, respectively), and only the ICDSC significantly predicted hospital LOS with a mean of 17.59 additional days compared with the no-delirium group. Irrespective of delirium status, a sensitivity analysis of normal-to-increased arousal (RASS≥0) test results did not alter the predictive ability of ICDSC- or CAM-ICU-delirium for hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 2.97; 95% CI: 1.06 to 8.37 vs. 3.82; 95% CI: 1.35 to 10.82, respectively). With reduced arousal (RASS<0), neither tool significantly predicted mortality or LOS.ConclusionsThe ICDSC identified more delirium cases and may have higher predictive validity for mortality and LOS than the CAM-ICU. However, arousal substantially affected performance. Future studies may want to consider patients’ arousal when deciding which tool to use to maximise the effects of delirium identification on patient mortality.     

Implementation,reliability testing,and compliance monitoring of the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit in trauma patients

OBJECTIVE: To implement delirium monitoring, test reliability, and monitor compliance of performing the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) in trauma patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, observational study in a level 1 trauma unit of a tertiary care, university-based medical center. PATIENTS: Acutely injured patients admitted to the trauma unit between 1 February 2006 and 16 April 2006. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Following web-based teaching modules and group in-services, bedside nurses evaluated patients daily for depth of sedation with the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) and for the presence of delirium with the CAM-ICU. On randomly assigned days over a 10-week period, evaluations by nursing staff were followed by evaluations by an expert evaluator of the RASS and the CAM-ICU to assess compliance and reliability of the CAM-ICU in trauma patients. Following the audit period the nurses completed a postimplementation survey. The expert evaluator performed 1,011 random CAM-ICU assessments within 1[Symbol: see text]h of the bedside nurse's assessments. Nurses completed the CAM-ICU assessments in 84% of evaluations. Overall agreement (kappa) between nurses and expert evaluator was 0.77 (0.721-0.822; p[Symbol: see text]<[Symbol: see text]0.0001), in TBI patients 0.75 (0.667-0.829; p[Symbol: see text]<[Symbol: see text]0.0001) and in mechanically ventilated patients 0.62 (0.534-0.704; p[Symbol: see text]<[Symbol: see text]0.0001). The survey revealed that nurses were confident in performing the CAM-ICU, realized the importance of delirium, and were satisfied with the training that they received. It also acknowledged obstacles to implementation including nursing time and failure of physicians/surgeons to address treatment approaches for delirium. CONCLUSIONS: The CAM-ICU can be successfully implemented in a university-based trauma unit with high compliance and reliability. Quality improvement projects seeking to implement delirium monitoring would be wise to address potential pitfalls including time complaints and the negative impact of physician indifference regarding this form of organ dysfunction.     

Timing of Intubation in Acute Respiratory Failure Associated With Sepsis: A Mixed Methods Study

Objective

To analyze bedside clinicians' perspectives regarding the decision process to optimize timing of intubation in sepsis-associated acute respiratory failure.

Predicting 1-Year Mortality Rate for Patients Admitted With an Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to an Intensive Care Unit: An Opportunity for Palliative Care

The objective of this study was to develop a model to aid clinicians in better predicting 1-year mortality rate for patients with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) with the goal of earlier initiation of palliative care and end-of-life communications in this patient population. This retrospective cohort study included patients from a medical ICU from April 1, 1995, to November 30, 2009. Data collected from the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III database included demographic characteristics; severity of illness scores; noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation time; ICU and hospital length of stay; and ICU, hospital, and 1-year mortality. Statistically significant univariate variables for 1-year mortality were entered into a multivariate model, and the independent variables were used to generate a scoring system to predict 1-year mortality rate. At 1-year follow-up, 295 of 591 patients died (50%). Age and hospital length of stay were identified as independent determinants of mortality at 1 year by using multivariate analysis, and the predictive model developed had an area under the operating curve of 0.68. Bootstrap analysis with 1000 iterations validated the model, age, and hospital length of stay, entered the model 100% of the time (area under the operating curve=0.687; 95% CI, 0.686-0.688). A simple model using age and hospital length of stay may be informative for providers willing to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with high 1-year mortality rate who may benefit from end-of-life communications and from palliative care.     

Outcomes for critically ill patients with HIV and severe sepsis in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy

Rationale

With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), sepsis has become a more frequent ICU diagnosis for patients with HIV infections. Yet, little is known about the etiologies of acute infections in critically ill patients with HIV and the factors that affect in-hospital mortality.

Methods

Cases of patients with HIV requiring intensive care specifically for severe sepsis were identified over 27 months. Demographic information, variables related to acute illness severity, variables related to HIV infection, and all acute infections contributing to ICU stay were recorded.

Results

Of 990 patients admitted to the ICU with severe sepsis, 136 (13.7%) were HIV-infected. There were 194 acute infections among the 125 patients with full data available; 112 of the infections were nosocomial/health care–associated, 55 were AIDS-related, and 27 were community-acquired. Patients with nosocomial/health care–associated and AIDS-related infections had lower CD4 counts and were less likely to be on HAART (P < .05). The inpatient mortality was 42%. In a multivariable logistic regression model, only the APACHE II score (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.23) was significantly associated with hospital mortality, although any HAART use (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.33, P = .18) approached statistical significance.

Conclusions

In this large cohort study, nosocomial/health care–associated infections were common in ICU patients with HIV and severe sepsis. Hospital mortality was associated with acute illness severity, but not clearly associated with variables related to HIV infection. Interventions that aim to prevent or more effectively treat nosocomial infections in critically ill patients with HIV may favorably impact clinical outcomes.     

Predicting 1-Year Mortality on Admission Using the Mayo Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Admission Risk Score

ObjectiveTo determine whether the Mayo Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) Admission Risk Score (M-CARS) accurately predicts 1-year mortality.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed adult CICU patients admitted from January 1, 2007, through April 30, 2018, and calculated M-CARS using admission data. We examined the association between admission M-CARS, as continuous and categorical variables, and 1-year mortality.ResultsThis study included 12,428 unique patients with a mean age of 67.6±15.2 years (4686 [37.7%] female). A total of 2839 patients (22.8%) died within 1 year of admission, including 1149 (9.2%) hospital deaths and 1690 (15.0%) of the 11,279 hospital survivors. The 1-year survival decreased incrementally as a function of increasing M-CARS (P<.001), and all components of M-CARS were significant predictors of 1-year mortality (P<.001). The 1-year survival among hospital survivors decreased incrementally as a function of increasing M-CARS for scores below 3 (all P<.001); however, there was no further decrease in 1-year survival for hospital survivors with M-CARS of 3 or more (P=.99). The M-CARS components associated with 1-year mortality among hospital survivors included blood urea nitrogen, red blood cell distribution width, Braden skin score, and respiratory failure (all P<.001).ConclusionM-CARS predicted 1-year mortality among CICU admissions, with a plateau effect at high M-CARS of 3 or more for hospital survivors. Significant added predictors of 1-year mortality among hospital survivors included markers of frailty and chronic illness.     

The impact of coagulation parameters on the outcomes of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia requiring intensive care unit admission

Introduction

Coagulation abnormalities are frequent in patients with severe infections. However, the predictive value of d-dimer and of the presence of associated coagulation derangements in severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains to be thoroughly evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of coagulation parameters in patients with severe CAP admitted to the intensive care unit.

Methods

d-Dimer, antithrombin, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis score, clinical variables, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and the CURB-65 score were measured in the first 24 hours. Results are shown as median (25%-75% interquartile range). The main outcome measure was hospital mortality.

Results

Ninety patients with severe CAP admitted to the intensive care unit were evaluated. Overall hospital mortality was 15.5%. d-Dimer levels in nonsurvivors were higher than those in survivors. In the univariate analysis, d-dimer, SOFA, and APACHE II scores were predictors of death. The discriminative ability of d-dimer (area under receiver operating curve = 0.75 [95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.83]; best cutoff for d-dimer was 1798 ng/mL) for in-hospital mortality was comparable with APACHE II and SOFA and better than C-reactive protein. Moreover, the addition of d-dimer to APACHE II or SOFA score increased the discriminative ability of both scores (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.82 [0.72-0.89] and 0.84 [0.75-0.91], respectively).

Conclusions

d-Dimer levels are good predictors of outcome in severe CAP and may augment the predictive ability of scoring systems as APACHE II and SOFA.