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1.
Pharmacokinetic data support 6-hourly dosing of intravenous vitamin C to critically ill patients with septic shock.
Hudson, EP, Collie, JT, Fujii, T, Luethi, N, Udy, AA, Doherty, S, Eastwood, G, Yanase, F, Naorungroj, T, Bitker, L, et al
Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine. 2019;(4):236-42
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To study vitamin C pharmacokinetics in septic shock. DESIGN Prospective pharmacokinetic study. SETTING Two intensive care units. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-one patients with septic shock enrolled in a randomised trial of high dose vitamin C therapy in septic shock. INTERVENTION Patients received 1.5 g intravenous vitamin C every 6 hours. Plasma samples were obtained before and at 1, 4 and 6 hours after drug administration, and vitamin C concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clearance, volume of distribution, and half-life were calculated using noncompartmental analysis. Data are presented as median (interquartile range [IQR]). RESULTS Of the 11 participants who had plasma collected before any intravenous vitamin C administration, two (18%) were deficient (concentrations < 11 μmol/L) and three (27%) had hypovitaminosis C (concentrations between 11 and 23 μmol/L), with a median concentration 28 μmol/L (IQR, 11-44 μmol/L). Volume of distribution was 23.3 L (IQR, 21.9-27.8 L), clearance 5.2 L/h (IQR, 3.3-5.4 L/h), and half-life 4.3 h (IQR, 2.6-7.5 h). For the participants who had received at least one dose of intravenous vitamin C before sampling, T0 concentration was 258 μmol/L (IQR, 162- 301 μmol/L). Pharmacokinetic parameters for subsequent doses were a median volume of distribution 39.9 L (IQR, 31.4-44.4 L), clearance 3.6 L/h (IQR, 2.6-6.5 L/h), and half-life 6.9 h (IQR, 5.7-8.5 h). CONCLUSION Intravenous vitamin C (1.5 g every 6 hours) corrects vitamin C deficiency and hypovitaminosis C and provides an appropriate dosing schedule to achieve and maintain normal or elevated vitamin C levels in septic shock.
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2.
Sarcopenia and Psychosocial Variables in Patients in Intensive Care Units: The Role of Nutrition and Rehabilitation in Prevention and Treatment.
Gropper, S, Hunt, D, Chapa, DW
Critical care nursing clinics of North America. 2019;(4):489-499
Abstract
Critical illness leads to decline in muscle mass that promotes decline in physical function and psychological function and may lead to cognitive decline or dementia. Nurses are key to driving the multidisciplinary interventions that prevent protein loss and promote positive outcomes for critically ill patients.
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Feeding should be individualized in the critically ill patients.
Berger, MM, Pichard, C
Current opinion in critical care. 2019;(4):307-313
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Any critical care therapy requires individual adaptation, despite standardization of the concepts supporting them. Among these therapies, nutrition care has been repeatedly shown to influence clinical outcome. Individualized feeding is the next needed step towards optimal global critical care. RECENT FINDINGS Both underfeeding and overfeeding generate complications and should be prevented. The long forgotten endogenous energy production, maximal during the first 3 to 4 days, should be integrated in the nutrition plan, through a slow progression of feeding, as full feeding may result in early overfeeding. Accurate and repeated indirect calorimetry is becoming possible thanks to the recent development of a reliable, easy to use and affordable indirect calorimeter. The optimal timing of the prescription of the measured energy expenditure values as goal remains to be determined. Optimal protein prescription remains difficult as no clinically available tool has yet been identified reflecting the body needs. SUMMARY Although energy expenditure can now be measured, we miss indicators of early endogenous energy production and of protein needs. A pragmatic ramping up of extrinsic energy provision by nutrition support reduces the risk of overfeeding-related adverse effects.
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Determination of Nutrition Risk and Status in Critically Ill Patients: What Are Our Considerations?
Lee, ZY, Heyland, DK
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2019;(1):96-111
Abstract
The stress catabolism state predisposes critically ill patients to a high risk of malnutrition. This, coupled with inadequate or delayed nutrition provision, will lead to further deterioration of nutrition status. Preexisting malnutrition and iatrogenic underfeeding are associated with increased risk of adverse complications. Therefore, accurate detection of patients who are malnourished and/or with high nutrition risk is important for timely and optimal nutrition intervention. Various tools have been developed for nutrition screening and assessment for hospitalized patients, but not all are studied or validated in critically ill populations. In this review article, we consider the pathophysiology of malnutrition in critical illness and the currently available literature to develop recommendations for nutrition screening and assessment. We suggest the use of the (modified) Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (mNUTRIC) for nutrition risk screening and the subjective global assessment (SGA) together with other criteria relevant to the critically ill patients, such as gastrointestinal function, risk of aspiration, determination of sarcopenia and frailty, and risk of refeeding syndrome for nutrition assessment. Further research is needed to identify suitable nutrition monitoring indicators to determine the response to the provision of nutrition.
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Nutrient pattern analysis in critically ill patients using Omics technology (NAChO) - Study protocol for a prospective observational study.
Schefold, JC, Messmer, AS, Wenger, S, Müller, L, von Haehling, S, Doehner, W, McPhee, JS, Fux, M, Rösler, KM, Scheidegger, O, et al
Medicine. 2019;(1):e13937
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is often observed in critically ill patients with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay. We hypothesized that evolving metabolic abnormalities during prolonged ICU stay are reflected by changing nutrient patterns in blood, urine and skeletal muscle, and that these patterns differ in patients with/without ICU-AW and between patients with/without sepsis. METHODS In a prospective single-center observational trial, we aim to recruit 100 critically ill patients (ICU length of stay ≥ 5 days) with severe sepsis/septic shock ("sepsis group", n = 50) or severe head trauma/intracerebral hemorrhage ("CNS group", n = 50). Patients will be sub-grouped for presence or absence of ICU-AW as determined by the Medical Research Council sum score. Blood and urine samples will be collected and subjected to comprehensive nutrient analysis at different time points by targeted quantitative mass spectrometric methods. In addition, changes in muscular tissue (biopsy, when available), muscular architecture (ultrasound), electrophysiology, body composition analyses (bioimpedance, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging), along with clinical status will be assessed. Patients will be followed-up for 180 and 360 days including assessment of quality of life. DISCUSSION Key objective of this trial is to assess changes in nutrient pattern in blood and urine over time in critically ill patients with/without ICU-AW by using quantitative nutrient analysis techniques. Peer-reviewed published NAChO data will allow for a better understanding of metabolic changes in critically ill patients on standard liquid enteral nutrition and will likely open up new avenues for future therapeutic and nutritional interventions.
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Lung Ultrasound for Critically Ill Patients.
Mojoli, F, Bouhemad, B, Mongodi, S, Lichtenstein, D
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 2019;(6):701-714
Abstract
Point-of-care ultrasound is increasingly used at the bedside to integrate the clinical assessment of the critically ill; in particular, lung ultrasound has greatly developed in the last decade. This review describes basic lung ultrasound signs and focuses on their applications in critical care. Lung semiotics are composed of artifacts (derived by air/tissue interface) and real images (i.e., effusions and consolidations), both providing significant information to identify the main acute respiratory disorders. Lung ultrasound signs, either alone or combined with other point-of-care ultrasound techniques, are helpful in the diagnostic approach to patients with acute respiratory failure, circulatory shock, or cardiac arrest. Moreover, a semiquantification of lung aeration can be performed at the bedside and used in mechanically ventilated patients to guide positive end-expiratory pressure setting, assess the efficacy of treatments, monitor the evolution of the respiratory disorder, and help the weaning process. Finally, lung ultrasound can be used for early detection and management of respiratory complications under mechanical ventilation, such as pneumothorax, ventilator-associated pneumonia, atelectasis, and pleural effusions. Lung ultrasound is a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool that might in the near future become part of the basic knowledge of physicians caring for the critically ill patient.
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Translating the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism 2019 guidelines into practice.
Reintam Blaser, A, Deane, AM, Starkopf, J
Current opinion in critical care. 2019;(4):314-321
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To present a pragmatic approach to facilitate clinician's implementing the recent European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines on clinical nutrition in the intensive care unit. RECENT FINDINGS The ESPEN guidelines include 54 recommendations with a rationale for each recommendation. All data published since 1 January 2000 was reviewed and 31 meta-analyses were performed to inform these guidelines. An important aspect of the most recent ESPEN guidelines is an attempt to separate periods of critical illness into discrete - early acute, late acute and recovery - phases, with each exhibiting different metabolic profiles and requiring different strategies for nutritional and metabolic support. SUMMARY A pragmatic approach to incorporate the recent ESPEN guidelines into everyday clinical practice is provided.
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Application of Chinese Medicine in Acute and Critical Medical Conditions.
Luo, Y, Wang, CZ, Hesse-Fong, J, Lin, JG, Yuan, CS
The American journal of Chinese medicine. 2019;(6):1223-1235
Abstract
Western medicine is routinely used in developed nations as well as in Eastern countries, where traditional medicine is frequently used by a selection of patients or family member as a complement to mainstream Western medicine. Chinese medicine plays an important role in the treatment of chronic diseases, especially when Western medicine is not very effective. Many published reports have shown that Chinese medicine could also be successfully used in the management of acute and critical illnesses. Chinese medicine has a holistic view of the human body, and emphasizes individualization based on body balance and mind-body interaction and employs herbal medicines and acupuncture. This review paper gives a brief overview of Chinese medicine theory and therapeutic modality and then addresses the application of Chinese medicine in the treatment of acute and critical medical conditions, including epidemics. Using this ancient therapy as a complementary medicine, the management of serious medical conditions, such as SARS, acute heart diseases, and ischemic cerebral stroke, are presented. In order to promote more widespread application of Chinese medicine, well-designed controlled clinical trials are urgently needed to prove its safety and effectiveness.
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Pathophysiology and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders in the Acutely Ill.
Deane, AM, Chapman, MJ, Reintam Blaser, A, McClave, SA, Emmanuel, A
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2019;(1):23-36
Abstract
Gastrointestinal dysmotility causes delayed gastric emptying, enteral feed intolerance, and functional obstruction of the small and large intestine, the latter functional obstructions being frequently termed ileus and Ogilvie syndrome, respectively. In addition to meticulous supportive care, drug therapy may be appropriate in certain situations. There is, however, considerable variation among individuals regarding what gastric residual volume identifies gastric dysmotility and would encourage use of a promotility drug. While the administration of either metoclopramide or erythromycin is supported by evidence it appears that, dual-drug therapy (erythromycin and metoclopramide) reduces the rate of treatment failure. There is a lack of evidence to guide drug therapy of ileus, but neither erythromycin nor metoclopramide appear to have a role. Several drugs, including ghrelin agonists, highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists, and opiate antagonists are being studied in clinical trials. Neostigmine, when infused at a relatively slow rate in patients receiving continuous hemodynamic monitoring, may alleviate the need for endoscopic decompression in some patients.
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Five-year mortality and morbidity impact of prolonged versus brief ICU stay: a propensity score matched cohort study.
Hermans, G, Van Aerde, N, Meersseman, P, Van Mechelen, H, Debaveye, Y, Wilmer, A, Gunst, J, Casaer, MP, Dubois, J, Wouters, P, et al
Thorax. 2019;(11):1037-1045
Abstract
PURPOSE Long-term outcomes of critical illness may be affected by duration of critical illness and intensive care. We aimed to investigate differences in mortality and morbidity after short (<8 days) and prolonged (≥8 days) intensive care unit (ICU) stay. METHODS Former EPaNIC-trial patients were included in this preplanned prospective cohort, 5-year follow-up study. Mortality was assessed in all. For morbidity analyses, all long-stay and-for feasibility-a random sample (30%) of short-stay survivors were contacted. Primary outcomes were total and post-28-day 5-year mortality. Secondary outcomes comprised handgrip strength (HGF, %pred), 6-minute-walking distance (6MWD, %pred) and SF-36 Physical Function score (PF SF-36). One-to-one propensity-score matching of short-stay and long-stay patients was performed for nutritional strategy, demographics, comorbidities, illness severity and admission diagnosis. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to explore ICU factors possibly explaining any post-ICU observed outcome differences. RESULTS After matching, total and post-28-day 5-year mortality were higher for long-stayers (48.2% (95%CI: 43.9% to 52.6%) and 40.8% (95%CI: 36.4% to 45.1%)) versus short-stayers (36.2% (95%CI: 32.4% to 40.0%) and 29.7% (95%CI: 26.0% to 33.5%), p<0.001). ICU risk factors comprised hypoglycaemia, use of corticosteroids, neuromuscular blocking agents, benzodiazepines, mechanical ventilation, new dialysis and the occurrence of new infection, whereas clonidine could be protective. Among 276 long-stay and 398 short-stay 5-year survivors, HGF, 6MWD and PF SF-36 were significantly lower in long-stayers (matched subset HGF: 83% (95%CI: 60% to 100%) versus 87% (95%CI: 73% to 103%), p=0.020; 6MWD: 85% (95%CI: 69% to 101%) versus 94% (95%CI: 76% to 105%), p=0.005; PF SF-36: 65 (95%CI: 35 to 90) versus 75 (95%CI: 55 to 90), p=0.002). CONCLUSION Longer duration of intensive care is associated with excess 5-year mortality and morbidity, partially explained by potentially modifiable ICU factors. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT00512122.