Blood Lactate Is a Useful Indicator for the Medical Emergency Team

Microneedles-Based Theranostic Platform: From the Past to the Future

Fully integrated theranostic devices are highly esteemed in clinical applications, offering immense potential in real-time disease monitoring and personalized care. Microneedles (MNs), as innovative and wearable devices, boast important advantages in biosensing and therapy, thus holding significant promise in the advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. Encouragingly, advancements in electrochemical sensing technology, micronano fabrication, and biocompatible materials are propelling momentum for MNs-based closed-loop systems, enhancing detection capabilities, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the notable progress in integrating MN chips with other biochips signifies a frontier for growth. Successful clinical trials in target molecule monitoring and drug delivery domains herald excellent clinical translational prospects for the aforementioned theranostic platform. Finally, we delineate both challenges and opportunities in the development of integrated diagnostic and therapeutic MN systems, including continuous monitoring, intelligent control algorithms, safety, and regulatory considerations.

Added predictive value of prehospital measurement of point-of-care lactate in an adult general EMS population in Sweden: a multi-centre observational study

BACKGROUND

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel must rapidly assess and transport patients with time-sensitive conditions to optimise patient outcomes. Serum lactate, a valuable in-hospital biomarker, has become more accessible in EMS settings through point-of-care (POC) testing. Although POC lactate levels are valuable in specific patient groups, its broader application in EMS remains unclear. This study assessed the additional predictive value of POC lactate levels in a general adult EMS population.

METHODS

This prospective observational study (March 2018 to September 2019) involved two EMS organisations in Västra Götaland, Sweden. Patients were triaged using the Rapid Triage and Treatment System (RETTS). POC lactate levels were measured using StatStrip Xpress devices. Non-consecutive patients who received EMS and were aged 18 years and above were available for inclusion if triaged into RETTS levels: red, orange, yellow, or green if respiratory rate of ≥ 22 breaths/min. Outcomes were adverse outcomes, including a time-sensitive diagnosis, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2, and 30-day mortality. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, imputation, and regression models to assess the impact of the addition of POC lactate levels to a base model (comprising patient age, sex, presence of past medical conditions, vital signs, pain, EMS response time, assessed triage condition, and triage level) and a RETTS triage model.

RESULTS

Of 4,546 patients (median age 75 [57, 84] years; 49% male), 32.4% had time-sensitive conditions, 12.5% met the SOFA criteria, and 7.4% experienced 30-day mortality. The median POC lactate level was 1.7 (1.2, 2.5) mmol/L. Patients with time-sensitive conditions had higher lactate levels (1.9 mmol/L) than those with non-time-sensitive conditions (1.6 mmol/L). The probability of a time-sensitive condition increased with increasing lactate level. The addition of POC lactate marginally enhanced the predictive models, with a 1.5% and 4% increase for the base and RETTS triage models, respectively. POC lactate level as a sole predictor showed chance-only level predictive performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Prehospital POC lactate assessment provided limited additional predictive value in a general adult EMS population. However, it may be beneficial in specific patient subgroups, emphasizing the need for its judicious use in prehospital settings.

A Clinical Score for Predicting Successful Weaning from Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Emergency Department; a Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is recognized as an efficient treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in emergency department (ED). This study aimed to develop a scoring system for predicting successful weaning from NIPPV in patients with ARF.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study patients with ARF who received NIPPV in the ED of Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand, between January 2020 and March 2022 were evaluated. Factors associated with weaning from NIPPV were recorded and compared between cases with and without successful weaning from NIPPV. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop a predictive model for weaning from NIPPV in ED.

Results

A total of 494 eligible patients were treated with NIPPV of whom 203(41.1%) were successfully weaned during the study period. Based on the multivariate analysis the successful NIPPV weaning (SNOW) score was designed with six factors before discontinuation: respiratory rate, heart rate ≤ 100 bpm, systolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mmHg, arterial pH≥ 7.35, arterial PaCO2, and arterial lactate. The scores were classified into three groups: low, moderate, and high. A score of >14.5 points suggested a high probability of successful weaning from NIPPV with a positive likelihood ratio of 3.58 (95%CI: 2.56-4.99; p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model in predicting successful weaning was 0.79 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-0.83).

Conclusion

It seems that the SNOW score could be considered as a helpful tool for predicting successful weaning from NIPPV in ED patients with ARF. A high predictive score, particularly one that exceeds 14.5, strongly suggests a high likelihood of successful weaning from NIPPV.

Continuous Measurement of Lactate Concentration in Human Subjects through Direct Electron Transfer from Enzymes to Microneedle Electrodes

Microneedle lactate sensors may be used to continuously measure lactate concentration in the interstitial fluid in a minimally invasive and pain-free manner. First- and second-generation enzymatic sensors produce a redox-active product that is electrochemically sensed at the electrode surface. Direct electron transfer enzymes produce electrons directly as the product of enzymatic action; in this study, a direct electron transfer enzyme specific to lactate has been immobilized onto a microneedle surface to create lactate-sensing devices that function at low applied voltages (0.2 V). These devices have been validated in a small study of human volunteers; lactate concentrations were raised and lowered through physical exercise and subsequent rest. Lactazyme microneedle devices show good agreement with concurrently obtained and analyzed serum lactate levels.

The Association of Serum Lactate Level with the Occurrence of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients Undergoing Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective

The association of lactate and contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has not been well established. This prospective study was planned to identify the effects of lactate level on the occurrence of CI-AKI and long-term prognosis with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

A total of 280 patients with AMI who underwent emergency PCI were selected from March 2018 to March 2019. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the optimal cut-off value of lactate on predicting CI-AKI after PCI. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to explore the significant predictors that might affect the occurrence of CI-AKI after univariate analysis. The primary endpoints were clinical outcomes including events: a combined endpoint of major adverse cardiovascular events, re-hospitalization due to heart failure, and worsening renal function. The Cox regression model was further used to analyze the predictors of the long-term prognosis after PCI.

Results

Among the 280 patients, 64 patients (22.9%) developed CI-AKI after emergency PCI procedure. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline lactate level was the independent risk factor for the development of CI-AKI (OR, 3.657; 95% CI, 2.237–5.978; p<0.001). The area under the ROC curve for predicting CI-AKI of lactate was 0.786, and the optimum cut-off point of lactate was 3.02 mmol/L, with sensitivity of 65.6% and specificity of 85.2%. The incidence of primary endpoints in the high lactate group (lactate ≥3.02mmol/L) was significantly increased compared with the control group [26.3% (42/160) vs 15.8% (19/120), χ²=4.430, p=0.035]. Cox regression analysis also confirmed high lactate was an independent predictor for primary endpoint outcomes at 1-year follow-up (HR, 1.916; 95% CI, 1.118–3.285; p=0.018).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that baseline high lactate levels may be associated with an increased risk of CI-AKI and are the important predictors of long-term poor cardiorenal outcomes in AMI patients undergoing emergency PCI.

Early detection of non-invasive ventilation failure among acute respiratory failure patients in the emergency department

Background

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) has become an alternative to an invasive artificial airway for the management of acute respiratory failure (ARF). NIV failure causes delayed intubation, which eventually has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to develop the clinical scoring system of NIV failure in ARF patients.

Methods

This study was a diagnostic, retrospectively cross-sectional, and exploratory model at the Emergency Medicine Department in Ramathibodi Hospital between February 2017 and December 2017. We included all of the acute respiratory failure patients aged > 18 years and received non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Clinical factors associated with NIV failure were recorded. The predictive model and prediction score for NIV failure were developed by multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Result

A total of 329 acute respiratory failure patients have received NIV success (N = 237) and failure (N = 92). This study showed that NIV failure was associated with heart rate >  110 bpm, systolic BP <  110 mmHg, SpO2 < 90%, arterial pH < 7.30 and serum lactate. The clinical scores were classified into three groups: low, moderate, and high.

Conclusion

We suggested that the novel clinical scoring of the NIV failure in this study may use as a good predictor for NIV failure in the emergency room.

Can we find accessible and relevant markers for sepsis outcome?

Background and Aim: Sepsis is a life-threatening disease with high mortality, therefore establishing early diagnostic and finding reliable prognostic biomarkers is vital. We aimed to investigate the prognostic role, as a single value, of serum procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, serum lactate, platelets number and serum glucose level in septic patients, all measured in the first 24 hours after hospital admittance.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 241 adult patients with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock. We use data from patients observation sheets. Data that were collected include: demographic parameters, comorbidities, necessity of mechanical ventilation and laboratory variables. We performed the statistical analysis with the chi square test for nonparametric data and to analyse the accuracy of prediction we used the receiver - operator curves with the level of significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: From 241 patients with a median age of 68 years, 127 (52.69%) were male.113 patients had severe sepsis. 89 patients (36.9%) died and male had an increase mortality rate. Most cases were respiratory sepsis (45.20%). The highest mortality rate was in septic shock (51.2%). Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and glucose serum level at admittance were not correlated with mortality. The serum levels of creatinine >1.67 mg/dL and serum lactate >1.9 mmol/L at admittance were correlated with mortality (p < 0.01). The cutoff value of 121×103/uL platelets number was also correlated with mortality (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that serum creatinine, serum lactate and the platelets number could be used as prognostic markers in septic patients at admittance.