Preventable readmission to intensive care unit in critically ill cancer patients

BACKGROUND: Readmission to intensive care unit (ICU) after discharge to ward has been reported to be associated with increased hospital mortality and longer length of stay (LOS). The objective of this study was to investigate whether ICU readmission are preventable in critically ill cancer patients.METHODS: Data of patients who readmitted to intensive care unit (ICU) at National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) between January 2013 and November 2016 were retrospectively collected and reviewed.RESULTS: A total of 39 patients were included in the final analysis, and the overall readmission rate between 2013 and 2016 was 1.32% (39/2,961). Of 39 patients, 32 (82.1%) patients were judged as unpreventable and 7 (17.9%) patients were preventable. There were no significant differences in duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU LOS, hospital LOS, ICU mortality and in-hospital mortality between patients who were unpreventable and preventable. For 24 early readmission patients, 7 (29.2%) patients were preventable and 17 (70.8%) patients were unpreventable. Patients who were late readmission were all unpreventable. There was a trend that patients who were preventable had longer 1-year survival compared with patients who were unpreventable (100% vs. 66.8%, log rank=1.668, P=0.196).CONCLUSION: Most readmission patients were unpreventable, and all preventable readmissions occurred in early period after discharge to ward. There were no significant differences in short term outcomes and 1-year survival in critically ill cancer patients whose readmissions were preventable or not.     

Age and utilization of intensive care unit resources of critically ill cancer patients

Older patients, patients with malignancies, and those admitted to ICUs utilize a disproportionate amount of hospital resources. To evaluate the combined impact of age and a diagnosis of malignancy on ICU utilization and outcome, we reviewed the care provided to all 1,212 patients admitted to a medical/surgical ICU in a hospital specializing in the treatment of cancer between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 1987. Patients between 19 and 64 yr (young) were compared with those between 65 and 74 yr (young-old) and with those greater than or equal to 75 yr (old-old) with respect to utilization of nutritional support (total parenteral nutrition [TPN]), mechanical ventilation (MV), pulmonary artery (PA) catheterization, dialysis (D), and blood products (B). Mean length of stay (LOS) in the ICU, primary diagnosis, outcome, and average daily severity of illness scores (ADTIS) were also compared. Old-old patients represented 14% of all ICU patients and young-old patients represented 28%; 64% of old-old and 61% of young-old patients had solid tumors, compared with 36% of younger patients. The ICU mortality of the two older groups was significantly lower than that of the younger patients (17%, 27%, and 30%, respectively). The use of TPN, PA catheters, and D was similar for all three groups, but older patients used less MV and B than the younger patients (p less than .0001, chi2 analysis). The two older groups also had similar LOS and lower average daily Therapeutic Intervention Scoring Systems (TISS) scores than their younger cohort.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Emergency physician-based intensive care unit for critically ill patients visiting emergency department

BackgroundTo provide a prompt and optimal intensive care to critically ill patients visiting our emergency department (ED), we set up and ran a specific type of emergency intensive care unit (EICU) managed by emergency physician (EP) intensivists. We investigated whether this EICU reduced the time interval from ED arrival to ICU transfer (ED-ICU interval) without altering mortality.MethodsThis was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. We collected data from ED patients who were admitted to the EICU (EICU group) and other ICUs including medical, surgical, and cardiopulmonary ICUs (other ICUs group), from August 2014 to July 2017. We compared these two groups with respect to demographic findings, including the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, ED-ICU interval, ICU mortality, and hospital mortality.ResultsAmong the 3440 critically ill patients who visited ED, 1815 (52.8%) were admitted to the EICU during the study period. The ED-ICU interval for the EICU group was significantly shorter than that for the other ICUs group by 27.5% (5.0 ± 4.9 vs. 6.9 ± 5.4 h, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the ICU mortality (odds ratio = 1.062, 95% confidence interval 0.862–1.308, p = 0.571) and hospital mortality (odds ratio = 1.093, 95% confidence interval 0.892–1.338, p = 0.391) of the EICU group were not inferior to those of the other ICUs group.ConclusionsThe EICU run by EP intensivists reduced the time interval from ED arrival to ICU transfer without altering hospital mortality.     

Impaired blood rheology in critically ill patients in an intensive care unit

Critically ill patients are at increased risk of thromboembolic complications. Japanese patients admitted to the intensive care unit of Gunma University Hospital were divided into critically ill (high score) and moderately ill (low score) groups according to mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. White blood cell count, potassium, creatinine, immunoglobulin G and blood passage time, measured using the microchannel method, were significantly higher and the platelet aggregation score and platelet count were significantly lower in the high-score group than in the low-score group, but other haemorheological parameters did not differ significantly between the two groups. White blood cell count, potassium, creatinine, APACHE II score and levels of immunoglobulins G, A and M were positively correlated with blood passage time in all patients. Critically ill patients had impaired blood rheology, which could result from increased white blood cell count, potassium, creatinine and immunoglobulins and may be associated with the pathophysiology of the thromboembolic process.     

Characteristics and outcomes for critically ill patients with prolonged intensive care unit stays

OBJECTIVE: Prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with high mortality, morbidity, and costs. Identifying those patients who are most likely to benefit from an extended ICU stay would be helpful in guiding clinical decisions. We sought to describe the characteristics and outcomes for a heterogeneous group of patients who required a prolonged ICU stay. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Adult ICUs of three teaching and five community hospitals. PATIENTS: The study group comprised 5,881 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs during a 10-month period. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A prolonged stay was defined as one >21 days at teaching hospitals and >10 days at community hospitals. For patients meeting the criteria of prolonged stay, Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) score and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score (MODS) were measured prospectively from days 10 and 21 in community and teaching hospitals, respectively, and retrospectively before this. Prolonged-stay patients represented 5.6% of ICU admissions and 39.7% of ICU bed-days. Compared with short-stay patients, they were significantly older and had higher admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores (p < .01). ICU and hospital mortality for prolonged-stay patients were 24.4% and 35.2%, respectively, compared with 11% and 15.9% for short-stay patients (p < .001). Mean admission TISS and MODS scores for prolonged-stay patients were 30.8 (sd, 11.1) and 4.8 (sd, 3.3) respectively. For prolonged-stay patients the dominant reason for ICU care was multiple organ failure (37.8%), ventilator support (30.7%), or nonventilated single organ failure (31.5%). Hospital mortality was highest in the group with multiple organ failure (53%). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a method to broadly classify a heterogeneous population of prolonged-stay ICU patients on the basis of MODS and the ICU interventions received. Mortality among prolonged-stay patients was highest for those with multiple organ failure. Future research should evaluate whether the proposed classification system can be used to influence the delivery of ICU care.     

Prognostic factors in critically ill cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit

Objective

The objective of this study is to identify factors predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in cancer patients admitted to a medical ICU.

Patients and methods

We conducted a retrospective study in 162 consecutive cancer patients admitted to the medical ICU of a 1000-bed university hospital between January 2009 and June 2012. Medical history, physical and laboratory findings on admission, and therapeutic interventions during ICU stay were recorded. The study end point was ICU mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for ICU mortality.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 104 (64.2%) patients with solid tumors and 58 patients (35.8%) with hematological malignancies. The major causes of ICU admission were sepsis/septic shock (66.7%) and respiratory failure (63.6%), respectively. Overall ICU mortality rate was 55 % (n = 89). The ICU mortality rates were similar in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors (57% vs 53.8%; P = .744). Four variables were independent predictors for ICU mortality in cancer patients: the remission status of the underlying cancer on ICU admission (odds ratio [OR], 0.113; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.027-0.48; P = .003), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.032-1.215; P = .007), sepsis/septic shock during ICU stay (OR, 8.94; 95% CI, 2.28-35; P = .002), and vasopressor requirement (OR 16.84; 95% CI, 3.98-71.24; P = .0001). Although Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.054-1.61; P = .014), admission through emergency service (OR, 0.005; 95% CI, 0.00-0.69; P = .035), and vasopressor requirement during ICU stay (OR, 140.64; 95% CI, 3.59-5505.5; P = .008) were independent predictors for ICU mortality in patients with hematological malignancies, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.29-2.6; P = .001), lactate dehydrogenase level on admission (OR, 1.002; 95% CI, 1-1.005; P = .028), sepsis/septic shock during ICU stay (OR, 138.4; 95% CI, 12.54-1528.4; P = .0001), and complete or partial remission of the underlying cancer (OR, 0.026; 95% CI, 0.002-0.3; P = .004) were the independent risk factors in patients with solid tumors.

Conclusion

Intensive care unit mortality rate was 55% in our cancer patients, which suggests that patients with cancer can benefit from ICU admission. We also found that ICU mortality rates of patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors were similar.     

Brain dysfunction in critically ill patients--the intensive care unit and beyond

Critical care physicians often find themselves prognosticating for their patients, attempting to predict patient survival as well as disability. In the case of neurologic injury, this can be especially difficult. A frequent cause of coma in the intensive care unit is resuscitation following cardiac arrest, for which mortality and severe neurologic disability remain high. Recent studies of the clinical examination, of serum markers such as neuron-specific enolase, and of somatosensory evoked potentials allow accurate and specific prediction of which comatose patients are likely to suffer a poor outcome. Using these tools, practitioners can confidently educate the family for the majority of patients who will die or remain comatose at 1 month. Delirium is a less dramatic form of neurologic injury but, when sought, is strikingly prevalent. In addition, delirium in the intensive care unit is associated with increased mortality and poorer functional recovery, prompting investigation into preventative and therapeutic strategies to counter delirium. Finally, neurologic damage may persist long after the patient's recovery from critical illness, as is the case for cognitive dysfunction detected months and years after critical illness. Psychiatric impairment including depression or post-traumatic stress disorder may also arise. Mechanisms contributing to each of these entities are reviewed.     

重症加强治疗病房妊娠期急性肾衰竭危险因素分析

目的 分析导致重症加强治疗病房(ICU)危重孕产妇妊娠期急性肾衰竭(ARF)的危险因素.方法 采用回顾性分析方法,选择因产后并发症入住ICU的危重孕产妇192例,排除3例因羊水栓塞死亡,7例 因记录不完整者,共182例纳入本研究.将患者根据是否合并ARF分为ARF组(68例)和非ARF组(114例),采集两组患者发生先兆子痫、HELLP综合征(溶血、肝酶升高、血小板减少)、妊娠急性脂肪肝、产后出血、脓毒症等指标;以及产后4 d内使用的主要药物: ① 血浆体积膨胀剂:液体(晶体液、人工胶体、高渗白蛋白、4%白蛋白)和血液制品(浓集红细胞、浓缩血小板、纤维蛋白原、新鲜冷冻血浆、活化因子Ⅶ); ② 抗纤溶药:氨甲环酸; ③ 抗高血压药物:血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂(ACEI),利尿剂; ④ 肾毒性药物:氨基糖苷类,造影剂等.对上述指标先进行单因素分析,将有统计学意义的危险因素进行多因素logistic回归分析,筛选出ICU危重孕产妇妊娠期发生急性肾衰竭的危险因素.结果 单因素分析表明:HELLP综合征、产后4 h使用氨甲环酸和高渗白蛋白是ARF的危险因素(χ2值分别为4.92、4.29、5.53,均P<0.05).多因素logistic回归分析表明:HELLP综合征〔优势比(OR)=10.478,95%可信区间(95%CI)为1.248~17.953,P=0.030〕和产后4 h使用高渗白蛋白(OR=6.632,95%CI为1.211~16.328;P=0.029)是ARF发生的独立危险因素.结论 ICU危重孕产妇ARF是多因素参与的过程,应充分认识各种危险因素对ARF的影响,存在HELLP综合征和产后4 h使用高渗白蛋白是ARF发生的独立危险因素,对存在危险因素的患者实施重点防护以减少ARF的发生.     

重症加强治疗病房清醒患者不良住院经历调查分析

目的 调查重症加强治疗病房(ICU)清醒危重患者住院期间心理及生理不良经历的发生情况,并分析相关诱发因素.方法 选择全国31家三级甲等医院ICU进行为期2个月的连续性调查,所有转出ICU的清醒患者均入选本次调查,于转出后2 d内由上海诺德健康咨询有限公司委派、经课题组系统培训合格的访问员按问卷要求独立对患者进行访问.结果 共计234例患者接受调查,其中163例(69.6%)发生了心理不良经历;有生理不良经历患者的比例高达97.0%,其中74.8%的患者发生了严重生理不良经历.有86.5%存在心理不良经历的患者发生了严重生理不良经历,显著高于无心理不良经历的患者(46.5%),差异有统计学意义(P<0.01).分别有65.8%和74.8%的患者抱怨对噪音及医护操作难以忍受,且此类患者心理及生理不良经历的比例均较能耐受者显著增高(P<0.05或P<0.01).多因素分析发现,急性生理学与慢性健康状况评分系统Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)评分为诱发心理不良经历的独立高危因素[优势比(OR)=1.070,95%可信区间(CI)为1.020～1.130,P<0.05];年龄因素为发生生理不良经历的高危因素(OR=0.936,95%CI为0.879～0.998,P<0.05).此外,恰当的镇静能有效降低ICU清醒危重患者心理及生理不良经历的发生率.结论 ICU清醒危重患者不良住院经历发生率高,存在心理不良经历的患者更容易出现生理不良经历.疾病严重程度是诱发不良心理经历的独立危险因素,ICU环境因素(如噪音)以及医护操作与心理及生理不良经历关系密切,而恰当的ICU镇静策略是减少心理及生理不良经历的有效措施之一.     

Health care costs,long-term survival,and quality of life following intensive care unit admission after cardiac arrest

Introduction  

The purpose of this study was to investigate the costs and health status outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients who present after sudden cardiac arrest with in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation.     

Survival of critically ill patients hospitalized in and out of intensive care units under paucity of intensive care unit beds

OBJECTIVE: The demand for intensive care beds far exceeds their availability in many European countries. Consequently, many critically ill patients occupy hospital beds outside intensive care units, throughout the hospital. The outcome of patients who fit intensive care unit admission criteria but are hospitalized in regular wards needs to be assessed for policy implications. The object was to screen entire hospital patient populations for critically ill patients and compare their 30-day survival in and out of the intensive care unit. DESIGN: Screening teams visited every hospital ward on four selected days in five acute care Israeli hospitals. The teams listed all patients fitting a priori developed study criteria. One-month data for each patient were abstracted from the medical records. SETTING: Five acute care Israeli hospitals. PATIENTS: All patients fitting a priori developed study criteria. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Survival in and out of the intensive care unit was compared for screened patients from the day a patient first met study criteria. Cox multivariate models were constructed to adjust survival comparisons for various confounding factors. The effect of intensive care unit vs. other departments was estimated separately for the first 3 days after deterioration and for the remaining follow-up time. Results showed that 5.5% of adult hospitalized patients were critically ill (736 of 13,415). Of these, 27% were admitted to intensive care units, 24% to specialized care units, and 49% to regular departments. Admission to an intensive care unit was associated with better survival during the first 3 days of deterioration, after we adjusted for age and severity of illness (p =.018). There was no additional survival advantage for intensive care unit patients (p =.9) during the remaining follow-up time. CONCLUSIONS: The early survival advantage in the intensive care unit suggests a window of critical opportunity for these patients. Under economic constraints and dearth of intensive care unit beds, increasing the turnover of patients in the intensive care unit, thus exposing more needy patients to the early benefit of treatment in the intensive care unit, may be advantageous.     

Outcome and prognostic factors in critically ill cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To assess survival in cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with respect to the nature of malignancy, cause of ICU admittance, and course during ICU stay as well as to evaluate the prognostic value of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: ICU at a university cancer referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 414 cancer patients admitted to the ICU during a period of 66 months. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: Charts of the patients were analyzed with respect to underlying disease, cause of admission, APACHE III score, need and duration of mechanical ventilation, neutropenia and development of septic shock, as well as ICU survival and survival after discharge. Mortality data were compared with two control groups: 1362 patients admitted to our ICU suffering from diseases other than cancer and 2,776 cancer patients not admitted to the ICU. MAIN RESULTS: ICU survival was 53%, and 1-yr survival was 23%. The 1-yr mortality rate was significantly lower in both control groups. Patients admitted after bone marrow transplantation had the highest mortality. In a multivariate analysis, prognosis was negatively influenced by respiratory insufficiency, the need of mechanical ventilation, and development of septic shock during the ICU stay. Admission after cardiopulmonary resuscitation yielded high ICU mortality but a relatively good long-term prognosis. Admission after surgery and as a result of acute hemorrhage was associated with a good prognosis. Age, neutropenia, and underlying disease did not influence outcome significantly. Admission APACHE III scores were significantly higher in nonsurvivors but failed to predict individual outcome satisfactorily. All patients with APACHE III scores of >80 died at the ICU. CONCLUSION: A combination of factors must be taken into account to estimate a critically ill cancer patient's prognosis in the ICU. The APACHE III scoring system alone should not be used to make decisions about therapy prolongation. Admission to the ICU worsens the prognosis of a cancer patient substantially; however, as ICU mortality is 47%, comparable with severely ill noncancer patients, general reluctance to admit cancer patients to an ICU does not seem to be justified.     

End-of-life care for the critically ill: A national intensive care unit survey

OBJECTIVE: One in five Americans dies following treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU), and evidence indicates the need to improve end-of-life care for ICU patients. We conducted this study to elicit the views and experiences of ICU directors regarding barriers to optimal end-of-life care and to identify the type, availability, and perceived benefit of specific strategies that may improve this care. DESIGN: Self-administered mail survey. SETTING: Six hundred intensive care units. PARTICIPANTS: A random, nationally representative sample of nursing and physician directors of 600 adult ICUs in the United States. INTERVENTIONS: Mail survey. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We asked participants about barriers to end-of-life care (1 = huge to 5 = not at all a barrier), perceived benefit of strategies to improve end-of-life care, and availability of these strategies. From 468 ICUs (78.0% of sample), 590 ICU directors participated (406 nurses [65.1% response] and 184 physicians [31.7% response]). Respondents had a mean of 16.6 yrs (sd 7.6 yrs) of ICU experience. Important barriers to better end-of-life care included patient/family factors, including unrealistic patient/family expectations 2.5 (1.0), inability of patients to participate in discussions 2.7 (0.9), and lack of advance directives 2.9 (1.0); clinician factors, which included insufficient physician training in communication 2.9 (1.1) and competing demands on physicians' time 3.0 (1.1); and institution/ICU factors, such as suboptimal space for family meetings 3.5 (1.2) and lack of a palliative care service 3.4 (1.2). More than 80% of respondents rated 14 of 14 strategies as likely to improve end-of-life care, including trainee role modeling by experienced clinicians, clinician training in communication and symptom management, regular meetings of senior clinicians with families, bereavement programs, and end-of-life care quality monitoring. However, few of these strategies were widely available. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive care unit directors perceive important barriers to optimal end-of-life care but also universally endorse many practical strategies for quality improvement.