Year in review in Intensive Care Medicine 2009: II. Neurology, cardiovascular, experimental, pharmacology and sedation, communication and teaching

Detecting pediatric delirium: development of a rapid observational assessment tool

OBJECTIVE

Development of a novel screening tool for the detection of delirium in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients of all ages by comparison with psychiatric assessment based on the reference standard Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria.

METHODS

This was a prospective blinded pilot study investigating the feasibility of the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAP-D) performed in a PICU at a university hospital. Fifty patients, ages 3 months to 21 years, admitted to the PICU over a 6-week period were included. No interventions were performed.

RESULTS

After informed consent was obtained, two study teams independently assessed for delirium by completing the CAP-D and by conducting psychiatric evaluation based on the DSM-IV criteria. Concordance between the CAP-D and DSM-IV criteria was excellent, at 97%. Prevalence of delirium in this sample was 29%.

CONCLUSION

The CAP-D may be a valid screen for identification of delirium in PICU patients of all ages. Further studies are required to explore its validity, inter-rater reliability, and feasibility of use as a nursing screen.

Vasopressin for treatment of vasodilatory shock: an ESICM systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To examine the benefits and risks of vasopressin or its analog terlipressin for patients with vasodilatory shock.

DATA SOURCE

We searched the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS databases (up to March 2011) as well as reference lists of articles and proceedings of major meetings; we also contacted trial authors. We considered randomized and quasirandomized trials of vasopressin or terlipressin versus placebo or supportive treatment in adult and pediatric patients with vasodilatory shock. The primary outcome for this review was short-term all-cause mortality.

STUDY SELECTION

We identified 10 randomized trials (1,134 patients). Six studies were considered for the main analysis on mortality in adults.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

The crude short-term mortality was 206 of 512 (40.2%) in vasopressin/terlipressin-treated patients and 198 of 461 (42.9%) in controls [six trials, risk ratio (RR) = 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-1.05; P = 0.21; I(2) = 0%]. There were 49 of 463 (10.6%) patients with serious adverse events in the vasopressin/terlipressin arm and 51 of 431 (11.8%) in the control arm (four trials, RR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.49-1.67; P = 0.75; I(2) = 26%). Metaregression analysis showed negative correlation between vasopressin dose and norepinephrine dose (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, use of vasopressin or terlipressin did not produce any survival benefit in the short term in patients with vasodilatory shock. Physicians may value the sparing effects of vasopressin/terlipressin on norepinephrine requirement given its apparent safe profile.

Social integration: an important factor for health-related quality of life after critical illness

OBJECTIVES

To examine to what extent availability of social integration affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in former intensive care unit (ICU) patients and how it relates to corresponding findings in a general reference group.

DESIGN

Controlled, multicenter, prospective, explorative study.

SETTING AND PATIENTS

HRQoL data (SF-36) were collected from three combined medical and surgical ICUs in the south-east of Sweden. Social integration was assessed by the Availability of Social Integration (AVSI) instrument (seven questions related to the social interaction of the patient). As reference group, a random sample (n = 6,093) of people from the uptake area of the hospitals was used. Social integration (AVSI), HRQoL (SF-36), and comorbidity were examined also in the reference group.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

The level of social integration significantly affected HRQoL for the former ICU patients, whereas no such effect was seen for the general reference group. For the ICU patients, social integration affected HRQoL to a larger extent than age, sex, and the ICU-related factors examined, but to a lower extent than the pre-existing diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

For a comprehensive assessment of HRQoL in former ICU patients, it is mandatory to include the effect of social integration.

The Crystalloid versus Hydroxyethyl Starch Trial: protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of fluid resuscitation with 6% hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) compared to 0.9% sodium chloride (saline) in intensive care patients on mortality

PURPOSE

The intravenous fluid 6% hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) (6% HES 130/0.4) is used widely for resuscitation but there is limited information on its efficacy and safety. A large-scale multi-centre randomised controlled trial (CHEST) in critically ill patients is currently underway comparing fluid resuscitation with 6% HES 130/0.4 to 0.9% sodium chloride on 90-day mortality and other clinically relevant outcomes including renal injury. This report describes the study protocol.

METHODS

CHEST will recruit 7,000 patients to concealed, random, parallel assignment of either 6% HES 130/0.4 or 0.9% sodium chloride for all fluid resuscitation needs whilst in the intensive care unit (ICU). The primary outcome will be all-cause mortality at 90 days post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes will include incident renal injury, other organ failures, ICU and hospital mortality, length of ICU stay, quality of life at 6 months, health economic analyses and in patients with traumatic brain injury, functional outcome. Subgroup analyses will be conducted in four predefined subgroups. All analyses will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The study run-in phase has been completed and the main trial commenced in April 2010. CHEST should generate results that will inform and influence prescribing of this commonly used resuscitation fluid.