Hypophosphatemia and metabolic acidosis

The aim of the paper was to describe an unusual case of non lactic metabolic acidosis connected to hypophosphatemia and refractory to infusion of bicarbonate. A 37 year old man was admitted to Intensive Care Unit with a severe metabolic acidosis. On admission the arterial gas analysis showed non lactic metabolic acidosis (pH 7.17; base excess [BE] -20.3; lactic acid 0.8 mMol/L), with hypoxemia and critical hypocapnia. Despite therapy with bicarbonate the acidosis persisted. After 4 hours glucose phosphate was administered, although the phosphoremia was unknown. After phosphate supplementation an improvement of acidosis was observed. Our hypothesis is that in the kidney phosphate depletion caused impaired tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate, which led to a non lactic metabolic acidosis.     

Metformin-associated lactic acidosis: incidence, diagnosis, prognostic factors and treatment

We describe the case of a patient with severe lactic acidosis, as well as presenting some data on its incidence, diagnosis, prognostic factors, and the most appropriate treatment. A 76 year-old male patient with diabetes on treatment with metformin, hypertension, dyslipaemia, and with mild cognitive impairment, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in a state of circulatory shock, requiring aggressive treatment with vasopressors and volume. The patient had acute kidney injury with an anuria of 3 days, probably secondary to dehydration to vomiting and to NSAIDs. As a result of the acute renal damage, the patient suffered a severe metformin-associated lactic acidosis. The rest of the causes of metabolic acidosis with an increased anion gap were ruled out, as well as a possible sepsis or rhabdomyolysis. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis is an uncommon metabolic condition, but with a high mortality. To reduce the mortality of these patients, it is important to make an early diagnosis using the clinical records, physical examination, and laboratory tests, with an early resuscitation with volume, vasopressors, bicarbonate, and renal replacement therapy.     

重型颅脑外伤患者术后早期营养支持策略的选择与疗效分析

目的 研究三种不同早期营养支持方案下重型颅脑外伤患者术后营养状况及短期预后的差异.方法 回顾性分析2014年7月-2016年7月苏北人民医院神经外科重症监护室收治的60例重型颅脑外伤术后患者,依据不同营养支持方案分为早期联合营养组、早期肠内营养组和早期肠外营养组.记录三组患者治疗前的基础临床特征、治疗后两周内的营养数据以及神经外科重症监护室住院时间、并发症情况和GCS评分.结果 早期营养支持中,早期联合营养组患者空腹血糖、血清前白蛋白、血清总蛋白、全血血红蛋白、C-反应蛋白分别为(5.74±0.64)mmol/L、(203.80±10.45) mg/L、(61.99±1.34) g/L、(114.53 ± 2.69) g/L、(0.37±0.06) mg/dl,以上数据改善情况均优于早期肠内营养组及早期肠外营养组.早期联合营养组神经外科重症监护室住院时间(11.6±0.42)d明显低于早期肠内营养组(13.20±0.42)d及早期肠外营养组(14.65±0.42)d.早期联合营养组并发症发病率最低.早期联合营养组GCS评分(11.40±1.60)分改善最显著,差异均具有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 重型颅脑外伤术后早期施行肠内外联合营养治疗能显著促进患者营养指标提升,同时降低并发症发病率,缩短神经外科重症监护室住院时间,减轻昏迷程度,值得临床推广.     

Retinoic acid syndrome. Severe respiratory insufficiency treated with CPAP

Retinoic acid syndrome is a potentially life-threatening complication of therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with all-transretinoic acid (ATRA). The case of a 55-year old male patient admitted to the hospital because of a bleeding diathesis is reported. APL was diagnosed and he underwent treatment with idarubicin and ATRA (GIMEMA protocol); 24 hrs after ATRA treatment he developed retinoic acid syndrome and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit because of severe respiratory insufficiency (dyspnoea, tachypnea and severe hypoxemia (SpO2 75%). Pulmonary insufficiency was treated non-invasively with CPAP and the patient recovered from pulmonary distress one week later.     

Use of HF20 membrane in critically ill unstable low-body-weight infants on inotropic support

Background

Initiating continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in infants exposes them to the dual hemodynamic challenges of high circuit extracorporeal volumes and potential membrane reactions, in the case of acrylonitrile AN69 membranes. The use of the new Prismaflex HF20 membrane in hemodynamically unstable low-body-weight infants on inotropic support has not been reported.

Treatment

We describe the use of the HF20 (Gambro Lundia AB, Lund, Sweden) membrane in four low-body-weight infants (2.3 to 5.4 kg) with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome who were critically ill in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), hemodynamically unstable, and on inotropes. We were able to achieve target volume loss in all infants without compromising their hemodynamic status. Mean arterial pressures were maintained between 39 and 57 mmHg. The relatively low circuit volume of the HF20 set (60 ml) obviated the need for blood prime in the majority; however, when blood prime was required, there was no adverse reaction with the polyarylethersulfone (PAES) membrane. Solute clearance in these small infants was efficient with correction of metabolic acidosis and electrolyte abnormalities. Excellent circuit lifespan (56.3?±?32.3 h) was observed.

Conclusions

CRRT using the HF20 membrane is safe and hemodynamically well tolerated in high-risk, unstable low-body-weight infants with cardiac dysfunction on multiple inotropes.     

Choice of replacement solution and anticoagulant in continuous venovenous hemofiltration

BACKGROUND: Several types of replacement fluid and methods of anticoagulation have been employed for continuous renal replacement therapy, but there is no consensus on a preferred approach. We evaluated the indications for the selection of replacement fluid and anticoagulant among critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) and assessed the effect of the selection on the efficacy of anticoagulation and complications. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 29 consecutive patients who received CVVH in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. There were 3 types of replacement solution available, an isotonic citrate solution which was also used for regional anticoagulation of the extracorporeal circuit, and bicarbonate and lactate solutions which were used with low-dose heparin or no anticoagulant. Blood flow rate was set at 120 ml/min when citrate replacement fluid was used and at 200 ml/min with bicarbonate or lactate. The replacement fluid was administered proximal to the hemofilter at a constant rate of 1,600 ml/h. RESULTS: There were 22 patients who received citrate replacement fluid which was mainly chosen for the purpose of anticoagulation in the setting of contraindications to heparin. 12 patients received bicarbonate, predominantly when citrate was considered contraindicated due to liver failure or high-anion gap metabolic acidosis, and 2 received lactate; 8 of these 14 patients were anticoagulated with heparin and 6 were managed without anticoagulation. There were 44 filters used in the patients receiving citrate with a median filter life of 42.0 (interquartile range 22.2 - 70.7) hours. Only 8 of the 44 filters were lost due to clotting. Heparin was used for anticoagulation of 17 filters and no anticoagulation was used in the case of 15 filters, resulting in a median filter life of 43.0 (13.5 - 75.0) and 12.0 (4.0 - 33.0) hours, respectively. Clinically significant bleeding occurred in 2 patients, 1 receiving citrate and another receiving heparin. No patient had evidence for citrate toxicity, metabolic alkalosis or hypernatremia. 14 (48.3%) patients survived. CONCLUSIONS: The use of regional citrate anticoagulation of the CVVH circuit appears advantageous in patients with increased risk of bleeding and bicarbonate-based replacement fluid seems desirable in patients with lactic acidosis due to shock and/or severe liver failure. Tailoring the type of replacement fluid and method of anticoagulation to the individual patient leads to long filter lives, excellent metabolic control and minimal complications.     

Time-dependent error in the APACHE II scoring system.

Using the APACHE II scoring system, the risk of death was calculated for 189 patients in the Wanganui Intensive Care Unit and 194 patients in the Harare Intensive Care Unit. Using tables of actual and predicted outcome, the predictive power of the system was compared in patients grouped according to the length of time that they spent in the ICU. The predictive error increased from 15% in those patients staying less than six days, to 38% in those staying six days or more (P less than 0.01). The predictive accuracy of the APACHE II system appeared to decrease with the length of time the patient stayed in the Intensive Care Unit.     

Fatores de risco para mortalidade após hemorragia subaracnoidea: estudo observacional retrospectivo

Background and objectivesSubarachnoid haemorrhage is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to determine predictors of mortality among patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of our institution during a 7 year period (2009–2015). Data were collected from the Intensive Care Unit computerized database and the patients’ chart reviews.ResultsWe included in the study 107 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage. A ruptured aneurysm was the cause of subarachnoid haemorrhage in 76 (71%) patients. The overall mortality was 40% (43 patients), and was significantly associated with septic shock, midline shift on CT scan, inter‐hospital transfer, aspiration pneumonia and hypernatraemia during the first 72 hours of Intensive Care Unit stay. Multivariate analysis of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage following an aneurysm rupture revealed that mortality was significantly associated with septic shock and hypernatremia during the first 72 hours of Intensive Care Unit stay, while early treatment of aneurysm (clipping or endovascular coiling) within the first 72 hours was identified as a predictor of a good prognosis.ConclusionsTransferred patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage had lower survival rates. Septic shock and hypernatraemia were important complications among critically ill patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and were associated increased mortality.     

Criteria for elective admission to the paediatric intensive care unit following adenotonsillectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnoea

During the period 1997 to 2002, 42 children were electively admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the John Hunter Children's Hospital following adenotonsillectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Forty children had a preoperative sleep study, of which 33 were complete polysomnograms. Of the 42 children admitted, 35 required no intervention while seven (17%) required an additional intervention beyond supplemental oxygen. Our criteria for elective admission to Paediatric Intensive Care following adenotonsillectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnoea are presented.     

Analysis of the head injuries admitted to the Oxford Regional Neurosurgical Unit 1980-1982

We have reviewed the patients with head injuries referred to the Oxford Regional Neurosurgical Unit over a 2-year period (1980-1982). In 73 per cent of the cases the referring surgeon suspected an intracranial collection or was experiencing difficulty in managing the patient. Eighty-one per cent of these patients required nursing in the Intensive Care Unit; 32 per cent underwent operative intervention. The total numbers admitted were low and this may suggest that many patients with severe head injuries are being treated in the district general hospitals when ideally they should be transferred to a neurosurgical unit. Adherence to suggested guidelines for transference would necessitate increased neurosurgical facilities.     

Metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, and cardiovascular collapse after prolonged propofol infusion.

The authors present the hospital course of a 13-year-old girl with a closed head injury who received a prolonged infusion of propofol for sedation and, subsequently, died as a result of severe metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, and cardiovascular collapse. The patient had been treated for 4 days at a referring hospital for a severe closed head injury sustained in a fall from a bicycle. During treatment for elevations of intracranial pressure, she received a continuous propofol infusion (100 microg/kg/min). The patient began to exhibit severe high anion gap/low lactate metabolic acidosis, and was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit at the authors' institution. On arrival there, the patient's Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3 and this remained unchanged during her brief stay. The severe metabolic acidosis was unresponsive to maximum therapy. Acute renal failure ensued as a result of rhabdomyolysis, and myocardial dysfunction with bizarre, wide QRS complexes developed without hyperkalemia. The patient died of myocardial collapse with severe metabolic acidosis and multisystem organ failure (involving renal, hepatic, and cardiac systems) approximately 15 hours after admission to the authors' institution. This patient represents another case of severe metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, and cardiovascular collapse observed after a prolonged propofol infusion in a pediatric patient. The authors suggest selection of other pharmacological agents for long-term sedation in pediatric patients.     

早期重症加强治疗在预防急性重症胰腺炎继发感染中的意义

急性重症胰腺炎继发胰腺感染将导致病人住院时间延长,病死率增加.ICU在SAP发病早期从氧代谢水平对休克加以认识并给予充分的液体复苏,主张更积极的进行重要脏器功能的支持和(或)替代治疗,并强调多种治疗措施之间的相互协调和配合等.这些治疗理念和措施将有助于减少MODS的发生,从而降低SAP继发感染的发生率.     

Treatment of a flail injury of the chest

A patient with flail-chest injury, and associated abdominal and musculo-skeletal trauma, required several modes of mechanical ventilation in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit Ventilator modalities included mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during 12 days of intensive respiratory care. This treatment has resulted from an evolution of ideas about pathophysiology and treatment of the flail-chest injury. Future developments portend a shorter duration of ventilatory support; alternatively, a radically new mode of therapy may simplify the care of the flail-chest injured patient.     

Interhospital Transportation of Mass Burn Casualties

Abstract Aim of Study: To establish the impact of the transportation on the condition and outcome of the victims of the Volendam fire incident. Methods: Medical and logistic parameters from all victims in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were retrospectively collected. Physiologic parameters in the first 24 h and outcome parameters were compared between the transported and the non-transported patients. Results: The first 24 h, 105 patients were admitted to an ICU: 47 of them were relocated during that same day. The pH value was significantly lower in the transported group (p = 0.016). Systolic blood pressure, bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, temperature, APACHE II score and fluctuation during the first day, as well as condition during the second day did not differ significantly. The origin of the acidosis seemed to be mainly metabolic. The number of hospitalization days was larger in the transported group with severe burn injury (≥25% total body surface area burnt), comparing to the non-transported group (p = 0.015). Ventilation days and mortality did not differ significantly. Conclusions: The transported patients had a lower pH the first day after transportation, but condition during the second day as well as ventilation day and mortality did not differ between the transported and the non-transported group. Therefore, transportation during the unstable phase, the first day post-burn, seemed not to have had a negative impact on patient outcome.     

Tricks and pitfalls regarding the hemodynamics of patients undergoing non-transplantation surgery for heart failure

This paper aims to address the mechanisms responsible for poor perioperative cardiac performance, analyzing the pathophysiology of heart failure and the main hemodynamic parameters (contractility, preload, afterload, systemic vascular resistance, and pulmonary artery pressure) used in diagnosing patients and assessing their response to therapy. It will also discuss potential therapeutic approaches to cardiac surgery patients. With advances in monitoring and life support, our critically ill patients often become trapped in a sheer, impenetrable net of wires and tubes. Unfortunately, technology can seriously compromise patient safety if the data obtained is misinterpreted. While advanced technology has become a part of daily life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), there remains a crucial step that cannot be performed by computers: the link from sensors to patient status. We should always remember to look past the cables and monitors and to look at the patient. This would not only reduce the number of ever-present wires, but would also help improve patient outcome. The field of non-transplant cardiac surgery for heart failure is extremely challenging for the cardiac anesthesiologist. The high incidence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome should mandate aggressive monitoring and therapy. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of heart failure and the hemodynamic implications of surgical therapies is mandatory for optimal patient management. In particular, the presence of systolic dysfunction should not automatically rule out other potential causes of poor global cardiac performance.     

The RACHS-1 risk categories reflect mortality and length of stay in a Danish population of children operated for congenital heart disease

Objective: The Risk Adjusted classification for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) was created in order to compare in-hospital mortality for groups of children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. The method was evaluated with two large multi-institutional data sets—the Paediatric Cardiac Care Consortium (PCCC) and Hospital Discharge (HD) data from three states in the USA. The RACHS-1 classification was later applied to a large German paediatric cardiac surgery population in Bad Oeynhausen (BO), where it was found that the RACHS-1 categories were also associated with length of stay. We applied the RACHS-1 classification to the 957 operations performed during January 1996 to December 2002 at Skejby Sygehus, Denmark and we examined the association between the RACHS-1 categories, in-hospital mortality and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. Methods: The operations were classified according to the six RACHS-1 categories by matching the procedure of each patient with a risk category. The ability of the RACHS-1 classification to predict mortality in our population was examined by estimating the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Likelihood ratio χ² tests were used to compare the distribution of RACHS-1 categories and the distribution of mortality with PCCC, HD and BO. Linear regression was used to examine the correlation between the RACHS-1 categories and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. Results: The RACHS-1 category frequencies in our population were: category 1: 18.4%, category 2: 37.4%, category 3: 34.6%, category 4: 8.2%, category 5: 0% and category 6: 1.5%. The overall ability of the RACHS-1 classification to predict in-hospital mortality (area under the ROC curve 0.741; 95% confidence interval = 0.690; 0.791) was equal to the findings from larger populations. We found no differences in the category specific mortality when comparing with the larger reported series. There was a positive association between RACHS-1 category and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. Conclusions: The RACHS-1 classification can also be used to predict in-hospital mortality and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit in a small volume centre.     

Dialytic treatment of rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure: our experience.

Acute renal failure is the most common complication of rhabdomyolysis, with an 8-20% reported incidence. In particular, rhabdomyolysis associated with acute renal failure is frequently observed in critically ill patients, with a 6-16% reported incidence in Intensive Care Units. Dialytic treatment is necessary to correct hydroelectrolytic imbalance and renal function alterations and it may be a pathogenetic therapy by myoglobin removal. In the present study we evaluated our experience on patients suffering from rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure subjected to dialytic treatment. We retrospectively studied 28 patients, 17 admitted in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU-patients) and treated by continuous renal replacement therapy (particularly by continuous venovenous hemofiltration, continuous venovenous hemodialysis and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration) and 11 admitted in our Nephrology Department (NICU-patients) and treated by high-efficiency daily hemodialysis. We excluded one ICU-patient from the study because she was affected with lung end-stage neoplasia and it would have been difficult to evaluate the effects of the dialytic treatment on RML biochemical index and on her final outcome. ICU-patients were older, with a mean age of 64 +/- 10 yrs, and were suffering from MODS and typical elderly diseases, such as cardiac and respiratory chronic failure, except from 3 patients with acute liver failure resulting from poisoning, who were relatively younger. In NICU-patients, instead, the mean age was 36 +/- 16 yrs and the causes of RML were narcotic drugs abuse, repetitive seizures and vigorous exercise, more frequently observed in young people. In three relatively older NICU-patients RML was due to lipid lowering drugs assumption. Before starting the dialytic treatment, in ICU-patients CPK plasma level was 2615 +/- 3586, while K+ was 5.10 +/- 1.08 and sCr was 5.69 +/- 4.06 In NICU-patients, on the other hand, CPK was 14273 +/- 9266, while K+ was 5.75 +/- 0.92 and sCr was 5.9 +/- 0.4. ICU-patients mortality rate was 50% (8/16 patients) in spite of the good recovery of renal function and the biochemical RML indexes improvement. In NICU-patients, instead, only one patient died for septic complications (he was a heroin-addict and suffered from overdose syndrome). Early dialytic treatment of RML allows not only to avoid life-threatening complications (first of all the acute renal failure) but moreover it's a pathogenetic treatment because it removes great amount of myoglobin from the plasma. Beside this, continuous renal replacement therapy allows a successful management of critically ill patients with severe hemodynamic conditions. Nevertheless, the final outcome may be very different between ICU- and NICU-patients, with a higher mortality rate in ICU-patients, suffering from MODS.     

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??Perioperative hemorrhagic shock??Evaluation and treatment JIANG Song??AI Yu-hang. Intensive Care Unit??Xiangya Hospital??Central South University??Changsha 410008??China
Corresponding author??AI Yu-hang??E-mail??ayhicu1978@sina.com
Abstract Hemorrhagic shock is a common type of hypovolemic shock during periopreative period. It should conduct a comprehensive assessment for perioperative patients with hemorrhagic shock, including hemodynamic monitoring??oxygen metabolism and tissue perfusion monitoring and coagulation monitoring. At the same time, rational treatment such as fluid resuscitation, stopping bleeding and blood transfusion therapy should be performed.     

Heat stress: characteristics, pathophysiology and avoidable mistakes

In August 2003 an exceptional heatwave was recorded in Europe. The authors would like to describe 6 patients for which the intensivist was called as a consultant. All patients had a skin temperature >40 degrees C, central nervous system impairment, severe hyponatremia [124.7 mEq/l+/-5.6 (range 117-130)] and severe metabolic acidosis [BE -6.28 mEq/l+/-3.55 (range -9.5-0), HCO3- 17.75 mEq/l+/-3.25 (range 13.4-21.9)]. All patients had decreased platelet count and coagulation abnormalities. Two patients were hypertensive, 4 hypotensive. The heat stress due to the hot environment is characterized by systemic inflammatory response (as in severe sepsis) and hemodynamic impairment (as in hypovolemic shock). The association between hypovolemia and altered microcirculation leads to cell energy failure with metabolic lactic acidosis. The energy failure may induce structural irreversible damage of mitochondria. It is possible to differentiate, during energy failure, the irreversible or reversible condition by volume loading and vasoactive drugs challenge tests. In fact, if the hemodynamic correction is associated with normalization of SvO2 with disappearance of metabolic acidosis, this suggests hemodynamic impairment with intact mitochondrial function. In contrast, if the hemodynamic improvement with normalization of SvO2 is associated and acidosis persists, this suggests irreversible structural mitochondrial damage. The threshold between reversibility and irreversibility is likely time dependent, as suggested by biochemical consideration and by 2 large randomized studies on hemodynamic treatment. The comparative analysis of these 2 studies suggests that the time of intervention may lead to significant differences in mortality. In these patients time is essential.     

29例脑死亡器官移植供体的维护体会

【摘要】 目的 探讨脑死亡器官移植供体在ICU的维护要点。方法〓回顾性分析我科2012年1月~2013年12月间完成的29例脑死亡供体器官捐献资料,分析脑死亡供体器官获取前情况,移植肾、移植肝受者情况及急性肾损伤(AKI)供肾的移植效果,总结脑死亡患者作为潜在供体的维护要点。结果〓维护脑死亡供体29例,共捐献肾脏40个、肝脏27个、心脏4个、角膜21对。6例(15%)移植肾受者发生移植物功能延迟恢复,1例(2.5%)发生急性排斥反应、1例(2.5%)发生髂内动脉假性动脉瘤出血切除移植肾,1例(2.5%)发生重症肺炎术后死亡;AKI供肾与非AKI供肾的受者在术后7天、2月肌酐恢复情况及不良事件发生率比较无明显差异;1例(4%)移植肝受者发生多脏器功能衰竭术后死亡。余受者随访至今均恢复顺利,器官功能良好。结论〓经过ICU内积极管理后的潜在器官移植供体能够获得较高质量的移植器官,有较好的移植效果。