The Japanese guidelines for the management of sepsis

Impact of the FilmArray Rapid Multiplex PCR Assay on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Bacteremia

Bacteremia is a serious disease with a reported mortality of 30%. Appropriate antibiotic use with a prompt blood culture can improve patient survival. However, when bacterial identification tests based on conventional biochemical properties are used, it takes 2 to 3 days from positive blood culture conversion to reporting the results, which makes early intervention difficult. Recently, FilmArray (FA) multiplex PCR panel for blood culture identification was introduced to the clinical setting. In this study, we investigated the clinical impact of the FA system on decision making for treating septic diseases and its association with patients' survival. Our hospital introduced the FA multiplex PCR panel in July 2018. In this study, blood-culture-positive cases submitted between January and October 2018 were unbiasedly included, and clinical outcomes before and after the introduction of FA were compared. The outcomes included (i) the duration of use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, (ii) the time until the start of anti-MRSA therapy to MRSA bacteremia, and (iii) sixty-day overall survival. In addition, multivariate analysis was used to identify prognostic factors. In the FA group, overall, 122 (87.8%) microorganisms were concordantly retrieved with the FA identification panel. The duration of ABPC/SBT use and the start-up time of anti-MRSA therapy to MRSA bacteremia were significantly shorter in the FA group. Sixty-day overall survival was significantly improved by utilizing FA compared with the control group. In addition, multivariate analysis identified Pitt score, Charlson score, and utilization of FA as prognostic factors. In conclusion, FA can lead to the prompt bacterial identification of bacteremia and its effective treatment, thus significantly improving survival in patients with bacteremia.

The prevalence of sepsis-induced coagulopathy in patients with sepsis - a secondary analysis of two German multicenter randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Sepsis and septic shock are frequently accompanied by coagulopathy. Since the sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) score was first described, subsequent studies from Asia revealed a SIC prevalence of 40-60%. In Europe, however, SIC prevalence in patients fulfilling sepsis criteria according to the third international consensus definition (SEPSIS-3) has not yet been evaluated.

METHODS

The Critical Care Trials Group of the German Sepsis Competence Network (SepNet) conducted a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials. Only patients fulfilling sepsis criteria according SEPSIS-3 were included in this secondary analysis. In a two step approach, SIC prevalence was determined in 267 patients with sepsis but not septic shock (at the time of inclusion) from the "Effect of Hydrocortisone on Development of Shock Among Patients With Severe Sepsis" (HYPRESS) trial. Then, we estimated SIC prevalence in 1,018 patients from the "Effect of Sodium Selenite Administration and Procalcitonin-Guided Therapy on Mortality in Patients With Severe Sepsis or Septic Shock" (SISPCT) trial using a simplified SIC score based on the platelet-SIC-subscore (PSSC). Study aims were to assess (i) the prevalence of SIC in patients with SEPSIS-3, (ii) the association of SIC with 90-day mortality and morbidity, (iii) the time when patients become SIC positive during the course of sepsis, and (iv) the value of the PSSC for predicting SIC.

RESULTS

In the HYPRESS trial, SIC prevalence was 22.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.5-27.5%). The estimated SIC prevalence in the SISPCT trial was 24.2% (95% CI 21.6-26.9%). In the HYPRESS trial, SIC was associated with significantly higher 90-day mortality (13.9% vs. 26.8%, p = 0.027) and morbidity. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, treatment arm, and (SIC-adapted) SOFA score confirmed the negative association of SIC with survival (p = 0.011). In the SISPCT trial, increased PSSCs were associated with higher 90-day mortality (PSSC 0: 34.4%, PSSC 1: 40.5%, PSSC 2: 53.3%; p < 0.001). In both trials, SIC was already present at sepsis diagnosis or occurred during the following 4 days.

CONCLUSIONS

SIC is a clinically relevant complication of sepsis. Although it might be less frequent than previously reported, its occurrence is associated with higher morbidity and mortality and should be interpreted as an early warning sign.

Clinical outcomes of intervention for carbapenems and anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus antibiotics by an antimicrobial stewardship team

BACKGROUND

There are no reports on the effects of interventions, such as discontinuation and change and/or de-escalation of carbapenems and anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) antibiotics by an antimicrobial stewardship team focusing on detailed patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate these effects.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital from December 2018 to November 2019.

RESULTS

Favorable clinical responses were obtained in 165 of 184 cases (89.7%) in the intervention-accepted group, higher than those in the not accepted group (14/19 cases, 73.7%; P = .056). All-cause 30 day mortality was lower in the accepted group than in the not accepted group (1.1% and 10.5%, respectively; P = .045). The microbiological outcomes were similar between the two groups. Duration of carbapenem and anti-MRSA antibiotic use in the accepted group was significantly lower than that in the not accepted group (median [interquartile range]: 8 days [5-13] versus 14 days [8-15], respectively, P = .026 for carbapenem; 10 days [5.3-15] vs 15.5 days [13.8-45.3], respectively, P = .014 for anti-MRSA antibiotic).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to investigate the effects of interventions such as discontinuation and change and/ or de-escalation of antibiotics on detailed outcomes. Our intervention could reduce the duration of carbapenem and anti-MRSA antibiotic use without worsening clinical and microbiological outcomes.

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2020 (J-SSCG 2020)

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2020 (J-SSCG 2020), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created as revised from J-SSCG 2016 jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in September 2020 and published in February 2021. An English-language version of these guidelines was created based on the contents of the original Japanese-language version. The purpose of this guideline is to assist medical staff in making appropriate decisions to improve the prognosis of patients undergoing treatment for sepsis and septic shock. We aimed to provide high-quality guidelines that are easy to use and understand for specialists, general clinicians, and multidisciplinary medical professionals. J-SSCG 2016 took up new subjects that were not present in SSCG 2016 (e.g., ICU-acquired weakness [ICU-AW], post-intensive care syndrome [PICS], and body temperature management). The J-SSCG 2020 covered a total of 22 areas with four additional new areas (patient- and family-centered care, sepsis treatment system, neuro-intensive treatment, and stress ulcers). A total of 118 important clinical issues (clinical questions, CQs) were extracted regardless of the presence or absence of evidence. These CQs also include those that have been given particular focus within Japan. This is a large-scale guideline covering multiple fields; thus, in addition to the 25 committee members, we had the participation and support of a total of 226 members who are professionals (physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, clinical engineers, and pharmacists) and medical workers with a history of sepsis or critical illness. The GRADE method was adopted for making recommendations, and the modified Delphi method was used to determine recommendations by voting from all committee members.As a result, 79 GRADE-based recommendations, 5 Good Practice Statements (GPS), 18 expert consensuses, 27 answers to background questions (BQs), and summaries of definitions and diagnosis of sepsis were created as responses to 118 CQs. We also incorporated visual information for each CQ according to the time course of treatment, and we will also distribute this as an app. The J-SSCG 2020 is expected to be widely used as a useful bedside guideline in the field of sepsis treatment both in Japan and overseas involving multiple disciplines.

The Early Diagnostic Efficacy of Serum Histone H3 in Rabbit Urosepsis Model

Objective

We want to explore the changing law of circulating histones in the acute stage of urosepsis and to find more sensitive and specific biomarkers for diagnosing urosepsis as early as possible.

Methods

Twenty healthy male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups (N = 5): the control group, sham group, model group of LPS 600 μg/kg, and model group of LPS 1000 μg/kg. Heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (T), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were examined at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after operation. Besides, peripheral blood cell counts (RBC, WBC, PLT, and Hb) and C reaction protein (CRP) were tested at 1, 3, and 6 hours after operation, while the levels of histone H3, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and procalcitonin (PCT) in the serum were tested at 1, 3, and 6 hours after operation by ELISA. The heart, left lung, liver, and left kidney were harvested for HE stain and observed to research the pathological change of these tissues.

Results

(1) The general status of rabbits: rabbits in the control and sham groups came out in 2 h after operation and regain to drink and eat in 12-24 h after operation. State of the rabbits in the control group was better than that in the sham group. Rabbits in the model groups were languid after operation and stopped to drink and eat. (2) Vital signs of rabbits: there was no statistic difference in HR (P = 0.238) and RR (P = 0.813) among all groups. MAP of the model groups decreased at 3 h postoperative, but transient (P < 0.001). The T of the LPS 1000 group decreased at 6 h postoperative (P = 0.003). (3) The change of biomarkers: H3 level of the LPS groups in the serum increased at 1 h postoperative (P < 0.01); MMP-9 of the LPS 1000 group increased at 1 h postoperative (P < 0.01); WBC of the model groups decreased at 3 h postoperative (P < 0.05); PLT of the LPS 1000 group is significantly increased at 1 h postoperative (P < 0.05); no statistic difference was found in CRP, PCT, and TIMP-1 among all groups. (4) Pathological sections: no abnormal performance was found in the control and sham groups. Glomerulus of the model groups was out of shape and necrosis with obvious renal tubule expansion. Pulmonary pathology showed alveolar septum diffuse increased and inflammatory infiltrate. Change of the LPS 1000 group was more serious than that of the LPS 600 group.

Conclusions

Ligating the ureter after an injection of 1000 μg/kg LPS into the ureter of the rabbit can establish the animal model of urosepsis. Histone H3 increase immediately at 1 h postoperative and are promised to be biomarkers of urosepsis, which are more effective than WBC, CRP, and PCT.

Standard and derived rotational thromboelastometry parameters for prediction of disseminated intravascular coagulation in septic patients

: Waiting for lab tests results for the calculation of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) scores leads to unwanted delays in diagnosis. The use of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) for this purpose would allow for a more rapid DIC diagnosis at the bedside. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of standard ROTEM parameters and calculated parameters from the ROTEM velocity curve to predict DIC. The retrospective observational study included 97 septic patients. Japanese Association for Acute Medicine score was used for DIC diagnosis and whole-blood ROTEM was performed at study inclusion. Univariate analysis revealed delayed coagulation initiation and propagation and reduced clot firmness and maximum elasticity in DIC patients compared with patients without DIC. To adjust for confounders, multivariable logistic regression models were created and fibrinogen levels, prothrombin time and ROTEM parameters such as maximum clot firmness, maximum clot elasticity (MCE) and total thrombus formation [area under the curve (AUC)] were identified as significant predictors of DIC. According to receiver operating characteristics analysis, MCE and total thrombus formation (AUC) were the most useful ROTEM parameters for DIC prediction. MCE less than 158 (73% sensitive, 80% specific) and AUC less than 6175 mm × 100 (73% sensitive, 76% specific) predicted DIC in septic patients. Both standard and derived ROTEM parameters are useful for rapid DIC prediction in septic patients, allowing the timely identification of patients with higher mortality risk which might benefit from additional therapies. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical relevance of these findings.

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2020 (J-SSCG 2020)

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2020 (J-SSCG 2020), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created as revised from J-SSCG 2016 jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in September 2020 and published in February 2021. An English-language version of these guidelines was created based on the contents of the original Japanese-language version. The purpose of this guideline is to assist medical staff in making appropriate decisions to improve the prognosis of patients undergoing treatment for sepsis and septic shock. We aimed to provide high-quality guidelines that are easy to use and understand for specialists, general clinicians, and multidisciplinary medical professionals. J-SSCG 2016 took up new subjects that were not present in SSCG 2016 (e.g., ICU-acquired weakness [ICU-AW], post-intensive care syndrome [PICS], and body temperature management). The J-SSCG 2020 covered a total of 22 areas with four additional new areas (patient- and family-centered care, sepsis treatment system, neuro-intensive treatment, and stress ulcers). A total of 118 important clinical issues (clinical questions, CQs) were extracted regardless of the presence or absence of evidence. These CQs also include those that have been given particular focus within Japan. This is a large-scale guideline covering multiple fields; thus, in addition to the 25 committee members, we had the participation and support of a total of 226 members who are professionals (physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, clinical engineers, and pharmacists) and medical workers with a history of sepsis or critical illness. The GRADE method was adopted for making recommendations, and the modified Delphi method was used to determine recommendations by voting from all committee members. As a result, 79 GRADE-based recommendations, 5 Good Practice Statements (GPS), 18 expert consensuses, 27 answers to background questions (BQs), and summaries of definitions and diagnosis of sepsis were created as responses to 118 CQs. We also incorporated visual information for each CQ according to the time course of treatment, and we will also distribute this as an app. The J-SSCG 2020 is expected to be widely used as a useful bedside guideline in the field of sepsis treatment both in Japan and overseas involving multiple disciplines.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on inflammation in patients with sepsis requiring mechanical ventilation: a sub-analysis of a multicenter randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Administration of dexmedetomidine has been reported to improve inflammatory response in animals. We explored the effects of administering dexmedetomidine on the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin, and thus on inflammation, in patients with sepsis enrolled in a randomized clinical trial.

METHODS

The DESIRE trial was a multicenter randomized clinical trial in which adult patients with sepsis were sedated with (DEX group) or without (non-DEX group) dexmedetomidine while on mechanical ventilators. As a prespecified sub-analysis, we compared CRP and procalcitonin levels during the first 14 days of treatment between the two groups. The 14-day mortality rate, albumin level, and the number of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were also assessed. We used generalized linear models to estimate the differences in these outcomes between groups. We also used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate the 14-day mortality rate and the log-rank test to assess between-group differences.

RESULTS

Our study comprised 201 patients: 100 in the DEX group and 101 in the non-DEX group. CRP and procalcitonin levels were lower in the DEX vs. non-DEX group during the 14-day treatment period [CRP-range, 5.6-20.3 vs. 8.3-21.1 mg/dL (P = 0.03); procalcitonin-range, 1.2-37.4 vs. 1.7-52.9 ng/mL (P = 0.04)]. Albumin levels were higher in the DEX group (range, 2.3-2.6 g/dL) than in the non-DEX group (range, 2.1-2.7 g/dL; P = 0.01). The percentage of patients with DIC did not significantly differ between the groups (range, 21-59% and 17-56% for the DEX and non-DEX groups, respectively; P = 0.49). The 14-day mortality rates in the DEX and non-DEX groups were 13 and 21%, respectively (P = 0.16).

CONCLUSION

Sedation using dexmedetomidine reduced inflammation in patients with sepsis requiring mechanical ventilation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01760967 . Registered on 4 January 2013.

Histamine-2 receptor antagonists versus proton pump inhibitors for septic shock after lower gastrointestinal tract perforation: a retrospective cohort study using a national inpatient database

Background

Studies have shown the potential benefit of stress ulcer prophylaxis including histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in critically ill patients. However, the adverse effects of stress ulcer prophylaxis such as Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and hospital-acquired pneumonia have been reported. Abdominal septic shock is associated with increased risk of bleeding, CDI, and pneumonia; however, which ulcer prophylaxis might be associated with better outcomes in patients with septic shock after lower gastrointestinal tract perforation is unknown.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database from July 2010 to March 2015, we identified patients aged 18 years or older who received open abdominal surgery for lower gastrointestinal tract perforation and who used vasopressors and antibiotics within 2 days of admission. We performed propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to compare the outcomes between patients who received H2RA and those who received PPI within 2 days of admission. The outcomes included gastrointestinal bleeding requiring endoscopic hemostasis within 28 days of admission, 28-day mortality, CDI, and hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Results

The propensity score matching created 1088 pairs of patients who received H2RA or PPI within 2 days of admission. There were no significant differences between the H2RA and PPI groups regarding gastrointestinal bleeding requiring endoscopic hemostasis within 28 days of admission (0.74% vs 1.3%, risk ratio 0.57 (0.24–1.4), and P = 0.284), 28-day mortality (11.3% vs 12.9%, risk ratio 0.88 (0.68–1.1), and P = 0.386), CDI (0.64% vs 0.46%, risk ratio 1.4 (0.45–4.4), and P = 0.774), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (3.0% vs 4.3%, risk ratio 0.70 (0.45–1.1), and P = 0.138). IPTW analysis showed similar results.

Conclusions

There were no significant differences in gastrointestinal bleeding requiring endoscopic hemostasis within 28 days of admission, 28-day mortality, CDI, and hospital-acquired pneumonia between H2RA and PPI in patients with septic shock after lower gastrointestinal tract perforation.

Marker Of Sepsis Severity Is Associated With The Variation In Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) During Sepsis Treatment

Introduction

The main pathophysiology of sepsis is considered to be circulation crisis with an imbalance of vasodilation and vasoconstriction mechanisms, which contributes to multiple organ failure. However, sepsis-induced hemodynamic changes have not been fully validated by novel arterial stiffness parameter. The aim of this study was to clarify the acute vascular alteration and hemodynamic change in sepsis using cardio-ankle-vascular index (CAVI).

Methods

Twenty-one Japanese patients (14 males and 7 females, age 62.8 ± 19.0 years) with sepsis were recruited. CAVI was measured before and 1-week after sepsis treatment.

Results

The leading underlying cause of sepsis was pyelonephritis, followed by pneumonia, lung abscess, hepatic abscess and cholecystitis. All subjects recovered from sepsis. Analysis of all subjects showed a significant increase in CAVI after 1-week treatment (7.9 ± 2.4 to 9.6 ± 1.8, P < 0.001), but no significant change in blood pressure (BP) was observed. Significant correlations were observed for all combinations among the change in CAVI, systolic BP and ln[procalcitonin (PCT)], respectively. Additionally, in subjects with PCT at presentation ≥2.0 ng/mL, the increase in CAVI after treatment was significantly greater compared to those with PCT < 2.0 ng/mL (2.4 ± 1.6 vs 1.1 ± 0.9, P = 0.037).

Discussion

CAVI may reflect sepsis-induced vascular alteration which is not indicated by BP change, and is associated with sepsis severity. These findings suggest the usefulness of CAVI in the management of circulatory failure in sepsis patients.

The current status of viscoelastic testing in septic coagulopathy

Sepsis can be associated with different degrees of coagulopathy, ranging from a mild activation of the coagulation system to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The evaluation of haemostasis in the context of sepsis is important since it has been shown that anticoagulant therapies were beneficial mainly in patients with sepsis-induced DIC, but not in the general population of septic patients. Sepsis-induced haemostatic disturbances are not adequately reflected by standard coagulation tests (SCTs) which only consider the plasmatic components of the haemostatic system and not the cellular components. In addition, SCTs only assess the initiation phase of coagulation and reflect the activity of pro-coagulant factors, but lack sensitivity for the anticoagulant drive and the fibrinolytic activity. Viscoelastic tests (VET) are whole-blood tests which can assess clot formation and dissociation, and the contribution of both plasmatic and cellular components with a shorter turnaround time compared to SCTs. The use of VET in septic patients has proved useful for the assessment of the fibrinolytic activity, detecting hypercoagulable status and for the diagnosis of DIC and mortality risk prediction. While having relevant advantages over SCTs, the VET also present some blind spots or limitations leaving space for future improvement by the development of new reagents or new viscoelastic parameters.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Lactate Clearance in Patients With Septic Shock: A Subanalysis of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Lactate clearance is useful to guide initial resuscitation of patients with septic shock. We conducted this study to evaluate whether dexmedetomidine increases lactate clearance in patients with septic shock. This was a randomized controlled trial that involved a post hoc subgroup analysis. Adult patients with septic shock under ventilation were randomized to receive sedation strategy with or without dexmedetomidine (60 in the dexmedetomidine and 51 in the nondexmedetomidine groups). The primary outcome was the lactate clearance at 6 h, defined as the percent decrease in lactate from randomization to 6 h after. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 25 (interquartile range 19-31). The median serum lactate value at randomization was lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the nondexmedetomidine group (4.0 mmol/L vs. 4.8 mmol/L; P = 0.053). The lactate clearance at 6 h was higher in the dexmedetomidine group, although this was not statistically significant (23.3 ± 29.8 vs. 11.1 ± 54.4, mean difference 12.2, 95% confidence interval (CI), -4.4 to 28.8). After adjusting for the lactate level at randomization, lactate clearance at 6 h was significantly higher in the dexmedetomidine group (adjusted mean difference 18.5, 95% CI, 2.2-34.9). There was no statistically significant difference in the 28-day mortality between the dexmedetomidine and the nondexmedetomidine groups (13 [22%] vs. 18 [35%] patients, P = 0.11). In conclusion, among mechanically ventilated patients with septic shock, sedation with dexmedetomidine resulted in increased lactate clearance compared with sedation without dexmedetomidine.

Basic Principles of Antibiotics Dosing in Patients with Sepsis and Acute Kidney Damage Treated with Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration

Sepsis is the leading cause of acute kidney damage in patients in intensive care units. Pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of acute kidney damage in patients with sepsis may be hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic. Patients with severe sepsis, septic shock and acute kidney damage are treated with continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration. Sepsis, acute kidney damage, and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration have a significant effect on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antibiotics. The impact dose of antibiotics is increased due to the increased volume of distribution (increased administration of crystalloids, hypoalbuminemia, increased capillary permeability syndrome toproteins). The dose of antibiotic maintenance depends on renal, non-renal and extracorporeal clearance. In the early stage of sepsis, there is an increased renal clearance of antibiotics, caused by glomerular hyperfiltration, while in the late stage of sepsis, as the consequence of the development of acute renal damage, renal clearance of antibiotics is reduced. The extracorporeal clearance of antibiotics depends on the hydrosolubility and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the antibiotic, but also on the type of continuous dialysis modality, dialysis dose, membrane type, blood flow rate, dialysis flow rate, net filtration rate, and effluent flow rate. Early detection of sepsis and acute kidney damage, early target therapy, early administration of antibiotics at an appropriate dose, and early extracorporeal therapy for kidney replacement and removal of the inflammatory mediators can improve the outcome of patients with sepsis in intensive care units.

Relationship between hemoglobin levels and vancomycin clearance in patients with sepsis

PURPOSE

It is important to accurately estimate accurate vancomycin (VCM) clearance (CLvcm) for appropriate VCM dosing in the treatment of patients with sepsis. However, the pathophysiology of sepsis can make CLvcm prediction less accurate. Clearance of hydrophilic antibiotics is disturbed by organ dysfunction, and hemoglobin levels are negatively correlated with sequential organ function assessment scores. We investigated whether hemoglobin levels are associated with CLvcm in sepsis patients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients treated with VCM in the Emergency and Critical Care Center of Nihon University Itabashi Hospital between 2005 and 2015. We enrolled 72 patients after exclusion of patients who received renal replacement therapy or surgery, had a change in hemoglobin levels more than 2 g/dL or received an erythrocyte infusion during the interval between initial VCM administration and measurement of initial trough levels, had a serum baseline creatinine level of ≥ 2 mg/dL, or were under 18 years old.

RESULTS

Enrolled patients consisted of 13 non-sepsis patients and 59 sepsis patients. In sepsis patients, although CLvcm was correlated with CrCl in HGB ≥ 9 group as well as in non-sepsis patients, its correlation was not observed in HGB < 9 group. Hemoglobin levels were correlated with CLvcm in sepsis patients but not in non-sepsis patient. Multiple linear regression analysis also indicated that lower CLvcm was associated with lower hemoglobin and CrCl.

CONCLUSION

Lower hemoglobin levels influence a relationship between CLvcm and CrCl in sepsis patients. We propose that VCM dosing should be adjusted for hemoglobin levels in sepsis patients.

Is early goal-directed therapy associated with a higher risk of adverse events?

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 suggested against the use of the early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) in patients with septic shock. This recommendation was based on the three large-scale trials (ProCESS, ARISE, and ProMISe). Although the three trials showed no difference in mortality between EGDT and usual care, the guidelines determined that the potential harms presented by EGDT likely outweigh its potential benefits. On the contrary, analysis of data from the three trials showed an approaching statistical significance lower risk of serious adverse events in the EGDT group compared to usual care (risk difference = - 1%, 95% confidence interval; - 2% to 0%, P = 0.05). EGDT may still be beneficial in patients with high disease severity and low central venous oxygen saturation, especially when managed by less experienced staff.

Early Changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Among Patients With Sepsis-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

It is unclear whether initial infection control or anticoagulant therapy exerts a greater effect on early changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score among patients with sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This retrospective propensity score cohort study aimed to evaluate whether adequacy of infection control or anticoagulation therapy had a greater effect on early changes in the SOFA scores among 52 patients with sepsis-induced DIC. Inadequate initial infection control was associated with a lower 28-day survival rate among patients with sepsis-induced DIC (odds ratio [OR]: 0.116, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.022-0.601; P = .010); however, the adequacy was not associated with an early improvement in the SOFA score. However, despite adjusting for inadequate initial infection control, administration of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin was associated with an early improvement in the SOFA score (OR: 5.058, 95% CI: 1.047-24.450; P = .044). Therefore, early changes in the SOFA score within 48 hours after the DIC diagnosis were more strongly affected by the administration of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin than the adequacy of initial infection control.

Relationship Between Initial Vancomycin Trough Levels and Early-Onset Vancomycin-Associated Nephrotoxicity in Critically Ill Patients

BACKGROUND

Appropriate initial dosing of vancomycin (VCM) is important in improving survival and in preventing nephrotoxicity in critically ill patients, but the potential relationship between initial VCM trough levels and early-onset nephrotoxicity remains unclear. We examined the relationship between initial VCM trough levels and early-onset VCM-associated nephrotoxicity.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of patients who had therapeutic drug monitoring of VCM with initial trough levels within 4 days after the beginning of VCM administration. We excluded patients who received renal replacement therapy from 2 days before to 7 days after the beginning of VCM administration, were younger than 18 years, or had renal dysfunction before the beginning of VCM administration. Early-onset VCM-associated nephrotoxicity was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of ≥0.5 mg/dL (44.2 μmol/L) or 50% above baseline for 2 or more consecutive days within 7 days after the beginning of VCM administration.

RESULTS

Among 109 enrolled patients, 13 patients had early-onset VCM-associated nephrotoxicity. Its incidence rate was 31.3% in patients with initial trough levels of ≥20g/mL, which was significantly higher than 6.3% in patients with initial trough levels of <10 mg/L. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that early-onset VCM-associated nephrotoxicity was associated with initial trough levels of ≥20 mg/L (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-19.1) and with vasopressor use (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-19.1). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the probability of nonnephrotoxicity for patients with initial VCM trough levels of ≥20 mg/L was lower compared with patients with trough levels of <15 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial trough levels of ≥20 mg/L but not ≥15 mg/L were associated with early-onset VCM-associated nephrotoxicity in critically ill patients. Future prospective studies are needed to examine outcomes in critically ill patients achieving initial VCM trough levels of 15-20 mg/L.

Plasma Adsorption Membranes Are Able to Efficiently Remove High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB-1)

BACKGROUND

High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB-1) is a 30 kDa protein that is a lethal mediator in sepsis and is a recognized therapeutic target. However, no consensus has been reached for acute blood purification therapy as a treatment for sepsis targeting HMGB-1. Previous studies demonstrated that a high anti-HMGB-1 antibody titer and the suppression of HMGB-1 activity improved survival rate in animal sepsis models. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether plasma adsorption therapy is able to decrease the level of HMGB-1, representing a new potential treatment strategy against sepsis.

METHODS

Plasma adsorption therapy has been known as a treatment for various autoimmune diseases. Three different adsorbent columns, including TR-350 (IM-TR), PH-350 (IM-PH), and BRS-350 (BRS), were used in this study for comparison. We made a 1/350 scale of these three columns. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) contains a significant amount of HMGB-1. After priming with saline, FBS was passed through the columns and the adsorption rates of HMGB-1 at 25 minutes, 50 minutes, and 75 minutes were evaluated. The total adsorbed HMGB-1 level at 75 minutes was also calculated.

RESULTS

The highest adsorption rate and total adsorbed amount of HMGB-1 were observed in IM-TR, followed by BRS and IM-PH. IM-TR showed a decline in adsorption rate over time. BRS showed a steady adsorption rate at all time points. IM-TR removed HMGB-1 significantly more than IM-PH and BRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed that plasma adsorption therapy efficiently adsorbed HMGB-1 and could be safely applied for the treatment of sepsis.

Ulinastatin is effective in reducing mortality for critically ill patients with sepsis: a causal mediation analysis

Ulinastatin has been found to have anti-inflammatory effect for patients with sepsis. However, its clinical effects were conflicting. The study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of ulinastatin and to perform mediation analysis to explore the proportion of the total effects that can be explained by inflammatory responses. This is a retrospective study involving critically ill patients with sepsis from January 2014 to July 2017. A total of 263 patients were included in the study, involving 179 patients in the ulinastatin group and 84 in the control group. Ulinastatin group showed significantly lower 28-day mortality rate than that in the control group (31% vs. 55%; p < 0.001). Both total (46330 [26000,83500] vs. 19870 [8747,41140] RMB; p < 0.01) and drug cost (18210 [9492,31920] vs. 7230 [2675,19270] RMB; p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the ulinastatin group than the control group. In multivariable model, the adjusted odds ratio for ulinastatin was 0.304 (95% CI: 0.152 to 0.592; p = 0.001). The mediation analysis showed that the use of ulinastatin was able to reduce the probability of death by 23.5%. The average causal mediation effect of delta C-reactive protein (CRP) was 8%, accounting for 35% of the total effect.

Comparison of accuracy of presepsin and procalcitonin concentrations in diagnosing sepsis in patients with and without acute kidney injury

BACKGROUND

Levels of the biomarkers presepsin and procalcitonin are affected by renal function. We evaluated the accuracies of presepsin and procalcitonin levels for diagnosing sepsis in patients with and without acute kidney injury (AKI).

METHODS

We evaluated patients with presepsin and procalcitonin data, and classified them into AKI and non-AKI groups based on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Each group was then subdivided according to sepsis status for each stage of AKI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to investigate the accuracies of biomarker levels for diagnosing sepsis.

RESULTS

In the non-AKI group, the area under the curves (AUCs) for procalcitonin and presepsin levels were 0.897 and 0.880, respectively (p = .525) and optimal cut-off values were 0.10 ng/ml (sensitivity: 85.1%, specificity: 79.1%) and 240 pg/ml (sensitivity: 80.9%, specificity: 83.2%), respectively. In the stage 3 subgroup, the AUC for procalcitonin (0.946) was significantly higher than that for presepsin (0.768, p < .001). The optimal cut-off values for diagnosing sepsis were 4.07 ng/ml (sensitivity: 87.2%, specificity: 93.5%) for procalcitonin and 500 pg/ml (sensitivity: 89.7%, specificity: 59.7%) for presepsin.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with severe AKI, the accuracy of the diagnosis of sepsis with procalcitonin was significantly higher than with presepsin.

Treatment of patients with sepsis in a closed intensive care unit is associated with improved survival: a nationwide observational study in Japan

Background

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between treatment in a closed ICU and survival at discharge in patients with sepsis.

Methods

This is a post hoc analysis utilizing data from the Japan Septic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation study, including data from patients with sepsis from 2011 to 2013. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between ICU policy and survival at discharge, and propensity score matching analysis was performed including the same covariates as a sensitivity analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis for the length of ICU stay in surviving patients was also performed with adjustments for the same covariates.

Results

Two thousand four hundred ninety-five patients were analyzed. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 22 [17–29], the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 9 [7–12], and the overall mortality was 33%. There were 979 patients treated in 17 open ICUs and 1516 patients in 18 closed ICUs. In comparison, the APACHE II score and SOFA scores were significantly higher in patients in closed ICUs (closed vs open = 23 [18–29] vs 21 [16–28]; p < .001, 9 [7–13] vs 9 [6–12]; p = 0.004). There was no difference in the unadjusted mortality (closed vs open; 33.1% vs 33.2%), but in multiple logistic regression analysis, treatment in a closed ICU is significantly associated with survival at discharge (odds ratio = 1.59, 95% CI [1.276–1.827], p = .001). The sensitivity analysis (702 pairs of the matching) showed a significantly higher survival rate in the closed ICU (71.8% vs 65.2%, p = 0.011). The length of ICU stay of patients in closed ICUs was significantly shorter (20% less).

Conclusion

This Japanese nationwide analysis of patients with sepsis shows a significant association between treatment in a closed ICU and survival at discharge, and a 20% decrease in ICU stay.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40560-018-0322-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Viewing sepsis and autoimmune disease in relation with infection and NETs-formation]

Neutrophil has been widely recognized as body's first line of defence against pathogens. NETosis was first reported in 2004 as a programmed cell death of neutrophil and distinguished from apoptosis and necrosis. This phenomenon has been already observed in both basic and clinical research. NETosis is induced by various stimulants such as PMA, IL-8, DAMPs/PAMPs, bacteria, and antigen-antibody complex including self-antibody such as ANCA. It is known that there are two types of NETosis following bacterial infections. Although both of them have the ability to capture and kill bacteria, they also damage the host tissues. The inhibition of the NETs-related enzymes prevents the NETs formation at that time. The production of O₂^- from respiratory burst of neutrophils triggers NETs formation. In the first type of NETosis, neutrophils are completely collapsed, while in the second type, they maintain the morphology and the ability of phagocytosis. However, bacteria can escape from NETs by degrading NETs with their secreting nucleases. Thus the animal models of infection, using these bacteria, oftentimes suffer from severe infectious diseases. Human CGD (Chronic Granulomatosis Disease) patients who do not have Nox2 are immunocompromised, and highly susceptible to infection due to the defect of NETs formation. On the other hand, SLE patients are unable to break down the NETs as their serum inhibits the DNase1 activity, which results in autoantibody generation against NETs as well as self-DNA. It is getting clear that there is a relationship between inflammatory diseases, including infectious diseases, Sepsis and autoimmune diseases, and NETs. Therefore, it is important to re-evaluate the inflammatory disorders from NETs' perspective, and to incorporate the emerging concepts for better understanding the mechanisms involved.

Antithrombin concentrate use in sepsis-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation: re-evaluation of a 'pendulum effect' drug using a nationwide database

There are four systematic reviews and meta-analyses of trials of antithrombin use for sepsis or critically ill patients published to date with conflicting results. The two studies that showed positive results used data only from septic patients who were also diagnosed with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), whereas the two studies showing negative results included data from all septic and/or critically ill patients in their analyses. We believe that the underlying diseases of the study population must be as homogeneous as possible when evaluating treatment efficacy for sepsis-associated DIC. We published two large-scale antithrombin studies of sepsis-associated DIC using a Japanese nationwide database. The above-mentioned DIC studies reported significant associations between antithrombin use and better 28-day mortality in both populations (DIC-associated with severe pneumonia, n = 9075; and with severe abdominal sepsis, n = 2164). Now is the time to initiate multinational antithrombin trials exclusively among sepsis-associated DIC patients.

The off-label use of drugs for parenteral nutrition as a solvent of substances slightly soluble in water in pharmacological research

Because of the problem to evaluate biological activity in water-soluble substances in all phases of preclinical and clinical studies, the research work enabled to develop the original solvent for poorly soluble compounds based on substances for parenteral nutrition. The main aim is to examine the impact of the original solvent based on substances for parenteral nutrition on biological systems exemplified by the hemostatic system, characterized by sensitivity and variability of the effects in response to any impact, and its comparison with the solvents that are conventional in pharmacological research. Experimental work is performed according to the “guidance on preclinical research of new pharmacological substances” in vitro. The findings show that traditional solvents at low dosages affect all the researched indicators of the hemostasis system. The smallest effect in respect of the hemostatic system was characterized by ethanol, and the most apparent antiaggregational effect was registered with dioxane. 10% concentration of original blend of lipids made no effect on hemostasis system. Thus, according to their own findings and experience in application of lipid emulsions as substances of parenteral nutrition, they can be considered to be an adequate solvent in all phases of preclinical and clinical studies of new drugs.

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in February 2017 and published in the Journal of JSICM, [2017; Volume 24 (supplement 2)] 10.3918/jsicm.24S0001 and Journal of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine [2017; Volume 28, (supplement 1)] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jja2.2017.28.issue-S1/issuetoc.This abridged English edition of the J-SSCG 2016 was produced with permission from the Japanese Association of Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Intensive Care Medicine.

METHODS

Members of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine were selected and organized into 19 committee members and 52 working group members. The guidelines were prepared in accordance with the Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) creation procedures. The Academic Guidelines Promotion Team was organized to oversee and provide academic support to the respective activities allocated to each Guideline Creation Team. To improve quality assurance and workflow transparency, a mutual peer review system was established, and discussions within each team were open to the public. Public comments were collected once after the initial formulation of a clinical question (CQ) and twice during the review of the final draft. Recommendations were determined to have been adopted after obtaining support from a two-thirds (> 66.6%) majority vote of each of the 19 committee members.

RESULTS

A total of 87 CQs were selected among 19 clinical areas, including pediatric topics and several other important areas not covered in the first edition of the Japanese guidelines (J-SSCG 2012). The approval rate obtained through committee voting, in addition to ratings of the strengths of the recommendation, and its supporting evidence were also added to each recommendation statement. We conducted meta-analyses for 29 CQs. Thirty-seven CQs contained recommendations in the form of an expert consensus due to insufficient evidence. No recommendations were provided for five CQs.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the evidence gathered, we were able to formulate Japanese-specific clinical practice guidelines that are tailored to the Japanese context in a highly transparent manner. These guidelines can easily be used not only by specialists, but also by non-specialists, general clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical engineers, and other healthcare professionals.

Impact of non-anticoagulant therapy on patients with sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation: A multicenter, case-control study

INTRODUCTION

Anticoagulant therapy for patients with sepsis is not recommended in the latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines, and non-anticoagulant therapy is the global standard treatment approach at present. We aimed at elucidating the effect of non-anticoagulant therapy on patients with sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), as evidence on this topic has remained inconclusive.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 3195 consecutive adult patients admitted to 42 intensive care units for the treatment of severe sepsis were retrospectively analyzed via propensity score analyses with and without multiple imputation. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Among 1784 patients with sepsis-induced DIC, 745 (41.8%) were not treated with anticoagulants. The inverse probability of treatment-weighted (with and without multiple imputation) and quintile-stratified propensity score analyses (without multiple imputation) indicated a significant association between non-anticoagulant therapy and higher in-hospital all-cause mortality (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.59 [1.19-2.12], 1.32 [1.02-1.81], and 1.32 [1.03-1.69], respectively). However, quintile-stratified propensity score analyses with multiple imputation and propensity score matching analysis with and without multiple imputation did not show this association. Survival duration was not significantly different between patients in the propensity score-matched non-anticoagulant therapy group and those in the anticoagulant therapy group (Cox regression analysis with and without multiple imputation: hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.26 [1.00-1.60] and 1.22 [0.93-1.59], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

It remains controversial if non-anticoagulant therapy is harmful, equivalent, or beneficial compared with anticoagulant therapy in the treatment of patients with sepsis-induced DIC.

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016)

Background and Purpose

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in February 2017 in Japanese. An English-language version of these guidelines was created based on the contents of the original Japanese-language version.

Methods

Members of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine were selected and organized into 19 committee members and 52 working group members. The guidelines were prepared in accordance with the Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) creation procedures. The Academic Guidelines Promotion Team was organized to oversee and provide academic support to the respective activities allocated to each Guideline Creation Team. To improve quality assurance and workflow transparency, a mutual peer review system was established, and discussions within each team were open to the public. Public comments were collected once after the initial formulation of a clinical question (CQ), and twice during the review of the final draft. Recommendations were determined to have been adopted after obtaining support from a two-thirds (>66.6%) majority vote of each of the 19 committee members.

Results

A total of 87 CQs were selected among 19 clinical areas, including pediatric topics and several other important areas not covered in the first edition of the Japanese guidelines (J-SSCG 2012). The approval rate obtained through committee voting, in addition to ratings of the strengths of the recommendation and its supporting evidence were also added to each recommendation statement. We conducted meta-analyses for 29 CQs. Thirty seven CQs contained recommendations in the form of an expert consensus due to insufficient evidence. No recommendations were provided for 5 CQs.

Conclusions

Based on the evidence gathered, we were able to formulate Japanese-specific clinical practice guidelines that are tailored to the Japanese context in a highly transparent manner. These guidelines can easily be used not only by specialists, but also by non-specialists, general clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical engineers, and other healthcare professionals.

Clinical Evaluation of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Combination with Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage for Acute Severe Biliary Pancreatitis: a Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aimed to report the clinical efficacy of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in combination with ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGD) (CRRT+PTGD) in the treatment of acute severe biliary pancreatitis (ASBP).

METHODS

Between January 2010 and January 2016, 40 cases of patients with ASBP who received routine CRRT (CRRT group) and 40 of those who received CRRT+PTGD (CRRT+PTGD group) at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (Qingdao, China) were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical (including abdominal pain remission time, gastrointestinal decompression time, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospital stay, respirator treatment time, and mortality rate), laboratory (white blood cells [WBC], platelet [PLT], procalcitonin [PCT], C-reactive protein [CRP], total bilirubin [TBIL], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], albumin [ALB], and blood lactic acid [Lac]) parameters, various critical disease scores, and incidence of complications after the treatment were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Compared with those in the routine CRRT group, patients in the CRRT+PTGD group exhibited significant remission of clinical symptoms (i.e. shorter abdominal pain remission time, gastrointestinal decompression time, respirator treatment time and ICU hospital stay) (all P<0.05), change of laboratory parameters (WBC, PLT, PCT, CRP, TBIL, ALT) (P<0.05), and improvement of various critical disease scores (P<0.05). Moreover, the variation of most of the above parameters after versus before the treatment was greater in the CRRT+PTGD group than in the CRRT group (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

CRRT in combination with PTGD is more effective in the treatment of ASBP than CRRT alone.

Antibiotic therapy, supportive treatment and management of immunomodulation-inflammation response in community acquired pneumonia: review of recommendations

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common and serious disease, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Management and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia are described in three main documents: the 2007 American Thoracic Society guidelines, the 2011 European Respiratory Society guidelines, and the 2009 British Thoracic Society guidelines, updated by the NICE in 2015. Despite the validity of current guidelines in improving prognosis and management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, not all recommendations have high levels of evidence and there are still some controversial issues. In particular, there are some areas of low evidence such as the efficacy of an antibiotic molecule or scheme in patients with same risk factors; duration of antibiotic treatment, supportive therapy for acute respiratory failure and immunomodulation molecules.

This review will summarize the main recommendations with high level of evidence and discuss the recommendations with lower evidence, analyzing the studies published after the guidelines’ release.

Endotoxin adsorption: Direct hemoperfusion with the polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX)

Toraymyxin^® is a medical device developed to adsorb circulating endotoxins in the blood using direct hemoperfusion therapy for patients with septic shock. In 1994, the Japanese National Health Insurance system approved the use of Toraymyxin for the treatment of endotoxemia and septic shock. Since then, Toraymyxin has been safely used in more than 100,000 cases in emergency and intensive care units in Japan. Toraymyxin is currently available for use in the clinical setting in 14 countries worldwide. In this study, we reviewed and introduced the development, clinical use, and efficacy of Toraymyxin and commented on its anticoagulant use and cartridge clotting issue in the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock. We also highlighted potential new applications of Toraymyxin for longer duration therapy and pulmonary diseases.

To What Extent Are the Terminal Stages of Sepsis, Septic Shock, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Actually Driven by a Prion/Amyloid Form of Fibrin?

A well-established development of increasing disease severity leads from sepsis through systemic inflammatory response syndrome, septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and cellular and organismal death. Less commonly discussed are the equally well-established coagulopathies that accompany this. We argue that a lipopolysaccharide-initiated (often disseminated intravascular) coagulation is accompanied by a proteolysis of fibrinogen such that formed fibrin is both inflammatory and resistant to fibrinolysis. In particular, we argue that the form of fibrin generated is amyloid in nature because much of its normal α-helical content is transformed to β-sheets, as occurs with other proteins in established amyloidogenic and prion diseases. We hypothesize that these processes of amyloidogenic clotting and the attendant coagulopathies play a role in the passage along the aforementioned pathways to organismal death, and that their inhibition would be of significant therapeutic value, a claim for which there is considerable emerging evidence.

The clinical practice guideline for the management of ARDS in Japan

BACKGROUND

The Japanese Society of Respiratory Care Medicine and the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine provide here a clinical practice guideline for the management of adult patients with ARDS in the ICU.

METHOD

The guideline was developed applying the GRADE system for performing robust systematic reviews with plausible recommendations. The guideline consists of 13 clinical questions mainly regarding ventilator settings and drug therapies (the last question includes 11 medications that are not approved for clinical use in Japan).

RESULTS

The recommendations for adult patients with ARDS include: we suggest against early tracheostomy (GRADE 2C), we suggest using NPPV for early respiratory management (GRADE 2C), we recommend the use of low tidal volumes at 6-8 mL/kg (GRADE 1B), we suggest setting the plateau pressure at 30cmH20 or less (GRADE2B), we suggest using PEEP within the range of plateau pressures less than or equal to 30cmH2O, without compromising hemodynamics (Grade 2B), and using higher PEEP levels in patients with moderate to severe ARDS (Grade 2B), we suggest using protocolized methods for liberation from mechanical ventilation (Grade 2D), we suggest prone positioning especially in patients with moderate to severe respiratory dysfunction (GRADE 2C), we suggest against the use of high frequency oscillation (GRADE 2C), we suggest the use of neuromuscular blocking agents in patients requiring mechanical ventilation under certain circumstances (GRADE 2B), we suggest fluid restriction in the management of ARDS (GRADE 2A), we do not suggest the use of neutrophil elastase inhibitors (GRADE 2D), we suggest the administration of steroids, equivalent to methylprednisolone 1-2mg/kg/ day (GRADE 2A), and we do not recommend other medications for the treatment of adult patients with ARDS (GRADE1B; inhaled/intravenous β2 stimulants, prostaglandin E1, activated protein C, ketoconazole, and lisofylline, GRADE 1C; inhaled nitric oxide, GRADE 1D; surfactant, GRADE 2B; granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, N-acetylcysteine, GRADE 2C; Statin.).

CONCLUSIONS

This article was translated from the Japanese version originally published as the ARDS clinical practice guidelines 2016 by the committee of ARDS clinical practice guideline (Tokyo, 2016, 293p, available from http://www.jsicm.org/ARDSGL/ARDSGL2016.pdf). The original article, written for Japanese healthcare providers, provides points of view that are different from those in other countries.

History and current status of polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column for treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock

Toraymyxin^® (Toray Medical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) has been developed as a direct hemoperfusion column that contains polymyxin B‐immobilized fiber to bind endotoxins in patients’ blood. Toraymyxin was approved by the Japanese National Health Insurance system for the treatment of endotoxemia and septic shock in 1994. Since then, PMX (defined as direct hemoperfusion with Toraymyxin) has been safely used in more than 100 000 cases in emergency and intensive care units in Japan. Toraymyxin is currently available for use in clinical settings in 12 countries outside of Japan. We reviewed and analyzed the development, clinical use, and efficacy of Toraymyxin, and assessed the current status of Toraymyxin use for the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock. Our review shows that PMX appeared to be effective in improving hemodynamics and respiratory function in septic shock requiring emergency abdominal surgery. Recent large‐scale ranomized controlled trialscould not demonstrate whether prognosis is improved by PMX. However, the latest meta‐analysis revealed that PMX significantly decreased mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Combination of PMX with continuous hemodiafiltration and longer duration of PMX might be an effective strategy to improve survival in such patients.

Potential survival benefit of polymyxin B hemoperfusion in patients with septic shock: a propensity-matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether polymyxin B hemoperfusion (PMX-HP) improves the survival of patients with septic shock.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, multicenter study conducted on patients treated during a 3-year period. We performed propensity-score analyses of the Japan Septic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (JSEPTIC DIC) study database. The study included data on 1723 patients with septic shock aged 16 years or older. Furthermore, we divided patients into to PMX-HP- and non-PMX-HP-treated groups. The primary endpoint was all-cause hospital mortality; secondary endpoints included intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and number of ICU-free days (ICUFDs) in the first 28 days.

RESULTS

Of 1,723 eligible patients, 522 had received PMX-HP. Propensity score matching created 262 matched pairs (i.e., 262 patients in each of the non-PMX-HP and PMX-HP groups). The proportion of all-cause hospital mortality was significantly lower in the PMX-HP group than in the non-PMX-HP group (32.8% vs. 41.2%; odds ratio (OR): 0.681; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.470-0.987; P = 0.042). The number of ICUFD in the first 28 days was significantly higher in the PMX-HP group than in the non-PMX-HP group (18 (0-22) vs. 14 (0-22) days, respectively; P = 0.045). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in ICU mortality between the two groups (21.8% vs. 24.4%; OR: 0.844; CI: 0.548-1.300; P = 0.443).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results strongly suggest that PMX-HP reduces all-cause hospital mortality and length of ICU stay in patients with septic shock.

Anticoagulant Therapy in Sepsis. The Importance of Timing

Sepsis associated coagulopathy is due to the inflammation-induced activation of coagulation pathways concomitant with dysfunction of anticoagulant and fibrinolytic systems, leading to different degrees of haemostasis dysregulation. This response is initially beneficial, contributing to antimicrobial defence, but when control is lost coagulation activation leads to widespread microvascular thrombosis and subsequent organ failure. Large clinical trials of sepsis-related anticoagulant therapies failed to show survival benefits, but posthoc analysis of databases and several smaller studies showed beneficial effects of anticoagulants in subgroups of patients with early sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation. A reasonable explanation could be the difference in timing of anticoagulant therapy and patient heterogeneity associated with large trials. Proper selection of patients and adequate timing are required for treatment to be successful. The time when coagulation activation changes from advantageous to detrimental represents the right moment for the administration of coagulation-targeted therapy. In this way, the defence function of the haemostatic system is preserved, and the harmful effects of overwhelming coagulation activation are avoided.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Mortality and Ventilator-Free Days in Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation With Sepsis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Dexmedetomidine provides sedation for patients undergoing ventilation; however, its effects on mortality and ventilator-free days have not been well studied among patients with sepsis.

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether a sedation strategy with dexmedetomidine can improve clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis undergoing ventilation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Open-label, multicenter randomized clinical trial conducted at 8 intensive care units in Japan from February 2013 until January 2016 among 201 consecutive adult patients with sepsis requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized to receive either sedation with dexmedetomidine (n = 100) or sedation without dexmedetomidine (control group; n = 101). Other agents used in both groups were fentanyl, propofol, and midazolam.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The co-primary outcomes were mortality and ventilator-free days (over a 28-day duration). Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8), sedation control, occurrence of delirium and coma, intensive care unit stay duration, renal function, inflammation, and nutrition state were assessed as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 203 screened patients, 201 were randomized. The mean age was 69 years (SD, 14 years); 63% were male. Mortality at 28 days was not significantly different in the dexmedetomidine group vs the control group (19 patients [22.8%] vs 28 patients [30.8%]; hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.38-1.22; P = .20). Ventilator-free days over 28 days were not significantly different between groups (dexmedetomidine group: median, 20 [interquartile range, 5-24] days; control group: median, 18 [interquartile range, 0.5-23] days; P = .20). The dexmedetomidine group had a significantly higher rate of well-controlled sedation during mechanical ventilation (range, 17%-58% vs 20%-39%; P = .01); other outcomes were not significantly different between groups. Adverse events occurred in 8 (8%) and 3 (3%) patients in the dexmedetomidine and control groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients requiring mechanical ventilation, the use of dexmedetomidine compared with no dexmedetomidine did not result in statistically significant improvement in mortality or ventilator-free days. However, the study may have been underpowered for mortality, and additional research may be needed to evaluate this further.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01760967.

Prolonged direct hemoperfusion using a polymyxin B immobilized fiber cartridge provides sustained circulatory stabilization in patients with septic shock: a retrospective observational before-after study

BACKGROUND

Direct hemoperfusion therapy with polymyxin B immobilized fiber cartridges (PMX-DHP) is widely used for septic shock in Japan and parts of Europe. Although this treatment is usually administered for 2 h, the optimal duration has not been established.

METHODS

This retrospective study compared the effects of prolonged and conventional PMX-DHP durations (2 and 12 h, respectively) for septic shock. Between October 2013 and March 2015, 18 patients underwent conventional PMX-DHP, and between April 2015 and May 2016, 18 patients underwent prolonged PMX-DHP. The primary outcome was the vasopressor dependency index during the 12 h after starting the first PMX-DHP session. The vasopressor dependency index was calculated as (inotropic score)/(mean blood pressure).

RESULTS

The patients' characteristics were almost similar in the conventional and prolonged PMX-DHP groups. The major site of infection was the abdomen in both groups (61 and 72%, respectively). The conventional PMX-DHP group had mean blood pressure values of 68.4 ± 8.9 mmHg and 78.2 ± 16.9 mmHg at 0 and 12 h after starting PMX-DHP (P = 0.13). The prolonged PMX-DHP group had mean blood pressure values of 70.3 ± 15.7 mmHg and 87.7 ± 16.9 mmHg at 0 and 12 h after starting PMX-DHP (P = 0.004). The conventional PMX-DHP group had vasopressor dependency index values of 0.52 ± 0.29 and 0.39 ± 0.25 at 0 and 12 h after starting PMX-DHP (P = 0.29). The prolonged PMX-DHP group had vasopressor dependency index values of 0.50 ± 0.26 and 0.28 ± 0.18 at 0 and 12 h after starting PMX-DHP (P = 0.01). Hospital mortality was similar in both groups (8/18 [44%] and 8/18 [44%]).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that prolonged PMX-DHP provides more sustained circulatory stabilization compared to conventional PMX-DHP. However, our study failed to detect any improvement in mortality. Well-designed prospective trials are needed to examine the clinical outcomes of prolonged PMX-DHP and to identify the optimal duration of PMX-DHP.

Antithrombin use and 28-day in-hospital mortality among severe-burn patients: an observational nationwide study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that antithrombin may be beneficial for treating coagulopathy in patients with severe burns. However, robust evidence for this idea is lacking. We examined the hypothesis that antithrombin may be effective in treating patients with severe burns.

METHODS

We performed propensity score-matched analyses of the nationwide administrative Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database. We identified patients with severe burns (burn index ≥ 10) who were recorded in the database from 1 July 2010 to 31 March 2013. We compared patients who were administered antithrombin within 2 days of admission (antithrombin group) and those who were not administered antithrombin (control group). The main outcomes were 28-day mortality and ventilator-free days (VFDs).

RESULTS

Eligible patients (n = 3223) from 618 hospitals were categorized into either an antithrombin group (n = 152) or control group (n = 3071). Propensity score matching created a matched cohort of 103 pairs with and without antithrombin. Twenty-eight-day mortality was lower in the antithrombin group compared with the control group in propensity-matched analysis (control vs. antithrombin, 47.6 vs. 33.0%; difference, 14.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-28.0). Cox regression analysis showed a significant difference in 28-day in-hospital mortality between the control and antithrombin propensity-matched groups (hazard ratio 0.58; 95% CI 0.37-0.90). There were significantly more VFDs in the antithrombin compared with the control group in propensity score-matched analysis (control vs. antithrombin, 12.6 vs. 16.4 days; difference -3.7; 95% CI -7.2 to -0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide database study demonstrated that antithrombin use may improve 28-day survival and increase VFDs in patients with severe burns. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these results.

Duration of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Influences Serum Vancomycin Concentration in Patients With Sepsis

PURPOSE

Vancomycin (VCM) is used in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. The dosage of VCM must be adjusted by using therapeutic drug monitoring because of the drug's narrow therapeutic concentration window. Although optimal administration based on population pharmacokinetic (PPK) analysis and/or a Bayesian method has improved prediction accuracy, serum concentrations of VCM in patients with sepsis often deviate significantly from predicted values. We investigated factors influencing prediction errors with PPK analysis in VCM dosing.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients treated with VCM. Their clinical data were recorded, and there were 27 nonseptic patients and 68 septic patients. VCM concentrations were predicted by using PPK analysis and data compared with observed concentrations.

FINDINGS

Patients with sepsis had a higher mean absolute error than nonseptic patients, indicating a deviation of VCM concentrations from predicted values in the septic patients. To determine factors influencing prediction errors, we classified patients with sepsis into 3 subgroups according to the mean absolute error value (2.17) for the nonseptic patients: "lower" group (prediction errors, below -2.17), "upper" group (>2.17), and "no change" group (-2.17 to 2.17). In a comparison of clinical characteristics of the 3 groups, significant differences were found in the duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), SIRS score, disseminated intravascular coagulation score, and levels of creatinine clearance (CrCl), hemoglobin, and diastolic blood pressure. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified SIRS duration and CrCl as factors associated with VCM concentrations in the lower and/or upper groups of septic patients. Shorter and longer SIRS duration were associated with VCM concentrations in the lower group and the upper group, respectively, compared with predicted values in patients with sepsis. According to receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of SIRS duration for the lower group was 2 days; for the upper group, it was 6 days. VCM clearance in patients with an SIRS duration <2 days was higher than that for patients with an SIRS duration ≥6 days.

IMPLICATIONS

SIRS duration was identified as influencing VCM concentration in patients with sepsis. This study has 2 limitations. First, we performed blood sampling only for trough concentrations. Repeated blood sampling for both peak and trough concentrations should be performed for more accurate pharmacokinetic evaluation in critically ill patients. Second, we determined CrCl by using the Cockcroft-Gault formula, which may not be accurate in critically ill patients. Modifying VCM dosing according to SIRS duration will improve prediction accuracy of VCM concentration based on therapeutic drug monitoring.

Efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparin in patients with sepsis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is part of standard supportive care. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of LMWH in septic patients. We searched Pubmed, Embase, CKNI and Wanfang database prior to July 2015 for randomized controlled trials investigating treatment with LMWH in septic patients. We identified 11 trials involving 594 septic patients. Meta-analysis showed that LMWH significantly reduced prothrombin time (mean differences [MD] −0.88; 95% CI −1.47 to −0.29), APACHE II score (MD −2.50; 95% CI −3.55 to −1.46), and 28-day mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0.72; 95% CI 0.57–0.91) as well as increased the platelet counts (MD 18.33; 95% CI 0.73–35.93) than the usual treatment. However, LMWH did not reduce D-dimer (MD −0.34; 95% CI −0.85 to 0.18). LMWH also significantly increased the bleeding events (RR 3.82; 95% CI 1.81–8.08). LMWH appears to reduce 28-day mortality and APACHE II score among septic patients. Bleeding complications should be monitored during the LMWH treatment. As for limited data about LMWH and sepsis in the English literature, only trials published in the Chinese were included in the meta-analysis.

IV Immunoglobulin for Acute Lung Injury and Bacteremia in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia

OBJECTIVES

Virulent and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes a lethal pneumonia, especially in patients who are artificially ventilated. It has been reported that the virulence mechanism used by P. aeruginosa, which is linked to acute lung injury, is strongly associated with the type III secretion system, and specific antibodies targeting this system have shown a protective effect in both experimental and clinical settings. We investigated the effect of administering IV immunoglobulins on P. aeruginosa pneumonia, including its associated bacteremia and mortality, although focusing especially on type III secretion system-associated P. aeruginosa virulence.

DESIGN

Prospective randomized and controlled animal study.

SETTING

University laboratory.

SUBJECTS

Male ICR mice.

INTERVENTIONS

Mice were infected intratracheally with a lethal dose of the virulent P. aeruginosa PA103 strain. IV immunoglobulin administration was examined in three different settings: 1) premixed; 2) pre-IV, prophylactic administration before bacterial infection; and 3) post-IV, therapeutic administration after bacterial infection. The effect of specific antigen titer depletion of IV immunoglobulins was also examined.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Survival and body temperature were monitored for 24 hours. Bacteremia, cytokine concentration, myeloperoxidase activity, WBC counts in the blood, and lung bacterial load were evaluated. Survival improved significantly in mice that received IV immunoglobulins (p < 0.05). Lung edema, lung bacteriologic load, and bacteremia decreased significantly in the IV immunoglobulin-treated mice (p < 0.05). The mechanism of protection was associated with the presence of antibodies against both PcrV and some bacterial surface antigens in the IV immunoglobulins.

CONCLUSIONS

IV immunoglobulin administration had a significantly protective effect against lethal infection from virulent P. aeruginosa. Prophylactic IV immunoglobulin administration at the highest dose was comparable with that achieved by administrating a specific anti-PcrV polyclonal IgG into the mice. The mechanism of protection is likely to involve the synergic action of anti-PcrV titers and antibodies against some surface antigen(s) that block the type III secretion system-associated virulence of P. aeruginosa.

Bundled strategies against infection after liver transplantation: Lessons from multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Infection is a life-threatening complication after liver transplantation (LT). A recent outbreak of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa triggered changes in our infection control measures. This study investigated the usefulness of our bundled interventions against postoperative infection after LT. This before-and-after analysis enrolled 130 patients who underwent living donor or deceased donor LT between January 2011 and October 2014. We initiated 3 measures after January 2013: (1) we required LT candidates to be able to walk independently; (2) we increased the hand hygiene compliance rate and contact precautions; and (3) we introduced procalcitonin (PCT) measurement for a more precise determination of empirical antimicrobial treatment. We compared factors affecting the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms, such as the duration of antimicrobial and carbapenem therapy and hospital stay, and outcomes such as bacteremia and death from infection between before (n = 77) and after (n = 53) the LT suspension period. The utility of PCT measurement was also evaluated. Patients' backgrounds were not significantly different before and after the protocol revision. Incidence of bacteremia (44% versus 25%; P = 0.02), detection rate of multiple bacteria (18% versus 4%; P = 0.01), and deaths from infections (12% versus 2%; P =  0.04) significantly decreased after the protocol revision. Duration of antibiotic (42.3 versus 25.1 days; P =  0.002) and carbapenem administration (15.1 versus 5.2 days; P < 0.001) and the length of postoperative hospital stay (85.4 versus 63.5 days; P =  0.048) also decreased after the protocol revision. PCT mean values were significantly higher in the bacteremia group (10.10 ng/mL), compared with the uneventful group (0.65 ng/mL; P =  0.002) and rejection group (2.30 ng/mL; P =  0.02). One-year overall survival after LT significantly increased in the latter period (71% versus 94%; P =  0.001). In conclusion, the bundled interventions were useful in preventing infections and lengthening overall survival after LT.

Sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation

Sepsis is frequently complicated by coagulopathy and, in about 35 % of severe cases, by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In Japan, aggressive treatment of septic DIC is encouraged using antithrombin and recombinant thrombomodulin. The macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils are a source of TF and participate in the direct activation of the coagulation cascade in the early phases of sepsis. And activated factor X (FXa), which is involved in hemostasis, thrombogenesis, inflammation, and cellular immune responses, induces TF expression in human peripheral monocytes and, conversely, that inhibition of FXa activity reduces TF expression. Both inflammation and coagulation play an important role in DIC due to sepsis. In addition to inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1 and so on), HMGB1 has recently been shown to mediate the lethal late phase of sepsis and caused coagulopathy. TM not only binds HMGB1 but also aids the proteolytic cleavage of HMGB1 by thrombin. There have been many reports of the efficacy of recombinant TM and antithrombin for treatment of septic DIC from Japan. Further investigation of the efficacy of recombinant TM and AT in countries other than Japan, as well as the monitoring of medical costs incurred during hospitalization, will help validate the use of TM and AT for treatment of septic DIC.