Practice-Pattern Variation in Sedation of Neurotrauma Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: An International Survey

Sedation Intensity in Patients with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Intensive Care Unit: A TRACK-TBI Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Interventions to reduce intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are multimodal but variable, including sedation-dosing strategies. This article quantifies the different sedation intensities administered in patients with moderate to severe TBI (msTBI) using the therapy intensity level (TIL) across different intensive care units (ICUs), including the use of additional ICP-lowering therapies.

METHODS

Within the prospective Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) study, we performed a retrospective analysis of adult patients with msTBI admitted to an ICU for a least 5 days from seven US level 1 trauma centers who received invasive ICP monitoring and intravenous sedation. Sedation intensity was classified prospectively as one of three ordinal levels as part of the validated TIL score, which were collected at least once a day.

RESULTS

A total of 127 patients met inclusion criteria (mean age 41.6 ± 17.7 years; 20% female). The median Injury Severity Score was 27 (interquartile range 17-33), with a median admission Glasgow Coma Score of 3 (interquartile range 3-7); 104 patients had severe TBI (82%), and 23 patients had moderate TBI (18%). The sedation intensity score was highest on the first ICU day (2.69 ± 1.78), independent of patient severity. Time to reaching each sedation intensity level varied by site. Sedation level I was reached within 24 h for all sites, but sedation levels II and III were reached variably between days 1 and 3. Sedation level III was never reached by two of seven sites. The total TIL score was highest on the first ICU day, with a modest decrease for each subsequent ICU day, but there was high site-specific practice-pattern variation.

CONCLUSIONS

Intensity of sedation and other therapies for elevated ICP for patients with msTBI demonstrate large practice-pattern variation across level 1 trauma centers within the TRACK-TBI cohort study, independent of patient severity. Optimizing sedation strategies using patient-specific physiologic and pathoanatomic information may optimize patient outcomes.

Practice-pattern variation in anticoagulation intensity in acute cerebral venous thrombosis: A two-center experience

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) requires acute anticoagulation. Heparin is commonly used but specific recommendations on intensity and timing are lacking. We sought to characterize practice-pattern variation in the use of unfractionated heparin (UFH) for acute CVT treatment across multiple centers.

METHODS

This was a two-center retrospective study performed at Yale New Haven Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Adult patients with CVT between 2013 and 2021 initially managed with parenteral anticoagulation and without endovascular therapy were included. The co-primary objectives were variation in UFH dosing and time to therapeutic anticoagulation by dosing intensity. Dosing intensity was defined as high intensity (≥12 units/kg/hr) or low intensity (<12 units/kg/hr), with or without initial boluses.

RESULTS

Seventy-two patients were included; 62 patients (86 %) received initial anticoagulation with UFH. The median initial UFH rate was 12 (IQR 11-14) units/kg/hr and 17 (27 %) patients received initial boluses (77 units/kg, IQR 40-80). Time to therapeutic anticoagulation was 11 (IQR 6-21) hours with high intensity UFH with a bolus (n = 13) and was 27 h (IQR 20-29) with low intensity UFH with a bolus (n = 4), while time to therapeutic anticoagulation was 30 (IQR 13-35) and 30 (IQR 23-39) hours with high (n = 21) and low intensity (n = 18) UFH without a bolus, respectively. Initial boluses reduced time to therapeutic anticoagulation overall (20 vs 30 h, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Practice-pattern variation in UFH dosing leads to delays in time to therapeutic anticoagulation for CVT. Bolus dosing and high intensity UFH likely reduces the time to therapeutic anticoagulation.