Critical Care Research and Practice
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Acceptance rate20%
Submission to final decision129 days
Acceptance to publication17 days
CiteScore2.600
Journal Citation Indicator0.310
Impact Factor1.7

Comparison of Treatment Approaches and Subsequent Outcomes within a Pulmonary Embolism Response Team Registry

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Critical Care Research and Practice publishes articles related to anesthesiology, perioperative and critical care medicine, and the integration of intraoperative management in preparation for postoperative critical care management.

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Chief Editor, Dr Thomas J. Esposito, works in the Division of Trauma Surgical Critical Care and Burns at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, USA.

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Research Article

Effects of the High-Intensity Early Mobilization on Long-Term Functional Status of Patients with Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit

Objective. Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness often occurs in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Early active mobility may reduce ICU-acquired weakness, improve functional status, and reduce disability. The aim of this study was to investigate whether high-intensity early mobility improves post-ICU discharge functional status of IMV patients. Methods. 132 adult patients in the ICU who were undergoing IMV were randomly assigned into two groups with a ratio of 1 : 1, with one group received high-intensity early mobility (intervention group, IG), while the other group received conventional treatment (control group, CG). The functional status (Barthel Index (BI)), capacity of mobility (Perme score and ICU Mobility Scale (IMS)), muscle strength (Medical Research Council sum scores (MRC-SS)), mortality, complication, length of ICU stay, and duration of IMV were evaluated at ICU discharge or after 3-month of ICU discharge. Results. The patient’s functional status was improved (BI scores 90.6 ± 18.0 in IG vs. 77.7 ± 27.9 in CG; ), and capacity of mobility was increased (Perme score 17.6 ± 7.1 in IG vs. 12.2 ± 8.5 in CG, ; IMS 4.7 ± 2.6 in IG vs. 3.0 ± 2.6 in CG, ). The IG had a higher muscle strength and lower incidence of ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW) than that in the CG. The incidence of mortality and delirium was also lower than CG at ICU discharge. However, there were no differences in terms of length of ICU stay, duration of IMV, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and venous thrombosis. Conclusions. High-intensity early mobility improved the patient’s functional status and increased capacity of mobility with IMV. The benefits to functional status remained after 3 month of ICU discharge. Other benefits included higher muscle strength, lower incidence of ICUAW, mortality, and delirium in IG.

Research Article

dCROX and ROX Indices Predict Clinical Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia Treated with High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy

Background. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy is a common respiratory support in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Predictive tools for the evaluation of successful weaning from HFNC therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia have been limited. This study aimed to develop a new predictor for weaning success from HFNC treatment in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring HFNC therapy from April 2020 to September 2021 were included. The ROX index was defined as the ratio of oxygen saturation (SpO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) to respiratory rate. The CROX index was defined as the ratio of C-reactive protein (CRP) to the ROX index. dCROX was defined as the difference in CROX index between 24 hours and 72 hours. Weaning success was defined as the ability to sustain spontaneous breathing after separation from HFNC without any invasive or noninvasive ventilatory support for ≥48 hours or death. Results. A total of 106 patients (49.1% male) were included. The mean age was 62.1 ± 16.2 years. Baseline SpO2/FiO2 was 276.1 ± 124.8. The rate of HFNC weaning success within 14 days was 61.3%. The best cutoff value of the dCROX index to predict HFNC weaning success was 3.15 with 66.2% sensitivity, 70.7% specificity, and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.59–0.81, ). The best cutoff value of the ROX index was 9.13, with 75.4% sensitivity, 78.0% specificity, and an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.69–0.88, ). Conclusions. ROX index has the highest accuracy for predicting successful weaning from HFNC in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. dCROX index is the alternative tool for this setting. However, a larger prospective cohort study is needed to verify these indices for determining separation from HFNC therapy. This trial is registered with TCTR20221107004.

Research Article

The Association of the Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index and Right Ventricular Function after Cardiac Surgery

Background. The pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) has been shown to correlate with right ventricular (RV) failure in patients with cardiac disease. However, the association of PAPi with right ventricular function following cardiac surgery is not yet established. Methods. PAPi and other hemodynamic variables were obtained postoperatively for 959 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The association of post-bypass right ventricular function and other clinical factors to PAPi was evaluated using linear regression. A propensity-score matched cohort for PAPi ≥ 2.00 was used to assess the association of PAPi with postoperative outcomes. Results. 156 patients (16.3%) had post-bypass right ventricular dysfunction defined by visualization on transesophageal echocardiography. There was no difference in postoperative PAPi based on right ventricular function (2.12 vs. 2.00, ). In our matched cohort (n = 636), PAPi < 2.00 was associated with increased incidence of acute kidney injury (23.0% vs 13.2%, ) and ventilator time (6.0 hours vs 5.6 hours, ) but not with 30-day mortality or intensive care unit length of stay. Conclusion. In a general cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, postoperative PAPi was not associated with postcardiopulmonary bypass right ventricular dysfunction. A postoperative PAPi < 2 may be associated with acute kidney injury.

Research Article

Plasma KL-6 as a Potential Biomarker for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants

Background. KL-6 is a biomarker of interstitial lung injury and increases during repair. Aim. Our aim was to determine the predictive value of plasma KL-6 for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Methods. Ninety-five extremely preterm infants (EPIs), born at <28 gestational age (GA), were divided into two main BPD groups as follows: the moderate/severe and the no/mild group. KL-6 was analyzed on days 7 and 14. Binary logistic regression analyses and ROC curve analyses were performed. Results. Infants <26 + 0 weeks’ GA have higher mean KL-6 than infants >25 + 6 weeks’ GA on 7 and 14 days (335 vs. 286 U/ml and 378 vs. 260 U/ml; and 0.018, respectively). In the binary regression model at KL-6 day 7, three of the prognostic factors remained significant—mechanical ventilation OR: 10.38 (95% CI: 3.57–30.14), PDA OR: 6.39 (95% CI: 0.87–46.74), and KL-6 OR: 4.98 (95% CI: 1.54–16.08). The AUC was 0.86 with a sensitivity and specificity of 79% at a cutoff value ≥0.34. In the binary regression model at KL-6 day 14, six of the prognostic factors were significant—PDA OR: 23.34 (95% CI: 2.14–254.24), KL-6 OR: 13.59 (95% CI: 3.19–57.96), GA OR: 4.58 (95% CI: 1.16–18.06), mechanical ventilation OR: 4.45 (95% CI: 1.23–16.16), antenatal steroids OR: 0.19 (95% CI: 0.04–0.95), and gender (female OR: 0.30 (95% CI 0.08–1.12)). The AUC was 0.91, and the sensitivity and accuracy for a cutoff ≥0.37 were 89% and 85%, respectively. Conclusion. KL-6 could be a useful screening biomarker for early detection of infants at increased risk for developing BPD.

Research Article

Application of a New Type of Protective Sputum Suction Device in Clinic against Cross-Infection between Medical Staff and Patients

Objective. To explore the clinical application of a new type of protective sputum suction device (PSSD) in patients with tracheotomy or tracheal intubation and to evaluate the protective effect of PSSD against cross-infection between medical staffs and patients. Methods. A novel PSSD was designed which can assist closed sputum suction operation without disconnecting the ventilator. 32 patients with tracheotomy were included to study the protective effect and safety of this device. Patients’ vital signs including heart rate, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, and blood oxygen saturation were recorded to compare the influence of open suction and closed suction (performed with this novel device). To verify the antisplash effect of this device on airway secretions, bacterial samples were collected from the hands of the suction operators and the environment near the endotracheal tube orifice before and after the two suction processes. In addition, the satisfaction of the two suction methods was compared through the questionnaire of suction staff. Finally, with the assistance of this device, an attempt was made to complete the bronchoscopy without weaning of ventilator. Results. Compared with open sputum suction, closed sputum suction has a smaller decrease in patients’ blood oxygen saturation (), and no significant differences in other vital signs. Compared with open sputum suction, bacteria from the hands of suction staffs and the surrounding environment of the endotracheal tube were barely detected in closed suction. A questionnaire survey of sputum suction nurses suggested that the satisfaction with use and protective effect of the closed suction were better than open suction. In addition, bronchoscopy can be successfully completed with the assistance of this device, which is not possible for other breathing tubes. Conclusion. This closed sputum suction device has little effect on the oxygen saturation of patients but has excellent protective effects for medical staff against cross-infection. It has a unique advantage that can assist in completing the fiberoptic bronchoscopy with continuous ventilator-assisted breathing.

Research Article

Prevalence and Mortality Rates of Acute Kidney Injury among Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Study

Acute kidney injury (AKI) poses a significant challenge in critically ill patients. To determine the prevalence, risk factors, and mortality rate of AKI among nonsurgical critically ill patients in Jordan University Hospital, we conducted a retrospective study using a consecutive sampling method, including 457 nonsurgical critically ill patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) from January to June 2021. The mean age was 63.8 ± 18 years, with 196 (42.8%) developing AKI during their stay in the MICU. Among AKI nonsurgical patients, pulmonary diseases (n = 52; 34.5%) emerged as the primary cause for admission, exhibiting the highest prevalence, followed by sepsis (n = 40; 20.4%). Furthermore, we found that older age (adjusted OR (AOR): 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.06; ), preadmission use of diuretics (AOR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.06–4.25; ), use of ventilators (2.19; 95% CI: 1.12–2.29; ), and vasopressor use during MICU stay (AOR: 4.25; 95% CI: 2.1308.47; ) were observed to have higher mortality rates. Prior utilization of statins before admission exhibited a significant association with reduced mortality rate (AOR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.2–0.85; ). Finally, AKI was associated with a higher mortality rate during MICU stay (AOR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.07–5.56; ). The prevalence of AKI among nonsurgical patients during MICU stay is higher than what has been reported previously in the literature, which highlights the nuanced importance of identifying more factors contributing to AKI in developing countries, and hence providing preventive measures and adhering to global strategies are recommended.

Critical Care Research and Practice
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate20%
Submission to final decision129 days
Acceptance to publication17 days
CiteScore2.600
Journal Citation Indicator0.310
Impact Factor1.7
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