Monitoring During Mechanical Ventilation

Nomogram establishment for short-term survival prediction in ICU patients with aplastic anemia based on the MIMIC-IV database

OBJECTIVE

To establish an efficient nomogram model to predict short-term survival in ICU patients with aplastic anemia (AA).

METHODS

The data of AA patients in the MIMIC-IV database were obtained and randomly assigned to the training set and testing set in a ratio of 7:3. Independent prognosis factors were identified through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The variance inflation factor was calculated to detect the correlation between variables. A nomogram model was built based on independent prognostic factors and risk scores for factors were generated. Model performance was tested using C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA) and Kaplan-Meier curve.

RESULTS

A total of 1,963 AA patients were included. A nomogram model with 7 variables was built, including SAPS II, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, body temperature, red cell distribution width, saturation of peripheral oxygen, age and mechanical ventilation. The C-indexes in the training set and testing set were 0.642 and 0.643 respectively, indicating certain accuracy of the model. ROC curve showed favorable classification performance of nomogram. The calibration curve reflected that its probabilistic prediction was reliable. DCA revealed good clinical practicability of the model. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that receiving mechanical ventilation could improve the survival status of AA patients in the short term but did not in the later period.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram model of the short-term survival rate of AA patients was built based on clinical characteristics, and early mechanical ventilation could help improve the short-term survival rate of patients.

Care of the Patient With an Artificial Airway

BACKGROUND

Artificial airways are essential in various clinical settings to maintain a patient's airway and provide necessary support for ventilation and oxygenation. These devices are commonly temporary and come in several types, each serving specific purposes. Understanding the indications, types, and proper care of artificial airways is crucial for health care professionals to ensure patients receive optimal care and prevent complications.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to review the indications for using artificial airways and discuss the most commonly used types, including supraglottic airway devices, endotracheal tubes, tracheostomy tubes, and laryngectomy tubes. It also provides insights into the procedures involved in intubation and percutaneous tracheostomy and offers guidance on patient management, emphasizing assessment, oral care, suctioning, and humidification for patients with these airway devices.

CONCLUSION

This article underscores the significance of understanding artificial airways, not just as a set of skills but as a commitment to patient welfare. Health care professionals who master the knowledge and care of these devices can significantly contribute to their patients' well-being and quality of life.

Establishing a course to train ICU nurses on prone position mechanical ventilation: A Delphi study

AIM

To develop a comprehensive training course for training ICU nurses in prone positioning.

DESIGN

A mixed study combining semi-structured interviews and two rounds of Delphi surveys.

METHODS

We constructed a questionnaire after collecting data through a literature review and semi-structured interviews. We used the Delphi expert correspondence method to conduct two rounds of research among 17 experts in the field of critical illness. Data collection took place between May and August 2022.

RESULTS

The effective questionnaire recovery rate was 88.2%. The expert authority coefficient was 0.876; the Kendall coordination coefficient was 0.402; the average importance score for each index ranged from 4.00 to 4.93; and the coefficient of variation for each index ranged from 0.05 to 0.19. We established 13 second-level indicators and 41 third-level indicators on prone position ventilation training according to three aspects: training contents, training methods and training assessment. The training system of prone mechanical ventilation for ICU nurses established in this study will provide an effective framework for training and evaluating the practical ability of prone mechanical ventilation for ICU nurses.

Executive Summary of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy (SEDAR) Spanish Society of Emergency and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Spanish Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) Guideline for difficult airway management

The Airway section of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy (SEDAR), Spanish Society of Emergency and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Spanish Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) present the Guidelines for the integral management of difficult airway in adult patients. This document provides recommendations based on current scientific evidence, theoretical-educational tools and implementation tools, mainly cognitive aids, applicable to the treatment of the airway in the field of anesthesiology, critical care, emergencies and prehospital medicine. Its principles are focused on the human factors, cognitive processes for decision-making in critical situations and optimization in the progression of the application of strategies to preserve adequate alveolar oxygenation in order to improve safety and quality of care.

Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy (SEDAR), Spanish Society of Emergency and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Spanish Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) Guideline for difficult airway management. Part II

The Airway Management section of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, and Pain Therapy (SEDAR), the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), and the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) present the Guide for the comprehensive management of difficult airway in adult patients. Its principles are focused on the human factors, cognitive processes for decision-making in critical situations, and optimization in the progression of strategies application to preserve adequate alveolar oxygenation in order to enhance safety and the quality of care. The document provides evidence-based recommendations, theoretical-educational tools, and implementation tools, mainly cognitive aids, applicable to airway management in the fields of anesthesiology, critical care, emergencies, and prehospital medicine. For this purpose, an extensive literature search was conducted following PRISMA-R guidelines and was analyzed using the GRADE methodology. Recommendations were formulated according to the GRADE methodology. Recommendations for sections with low-quality evidence were based on expert opinion through consensus reached via a Delphi questionnaire.

Derivation and validation of a quantitative risk prediction model for weaning and extubation in neurocritical patients

Background

Patients with severe neurological conditions are at high risk during withdrawal and extubation, so it is important to establish a model that can quantitatively predict the risk of this procedure.

Methods

By analyzing the data of patients with traumatic brain injury and tracheal intubation in the ICU of the affiliated hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, a total of 200 patients were included, of which 140 were in the modeling group and 60 were in the validation group. Through binary logistic regression analysis, 8 independent risk factors closely related to the success of extubation were screened out, including age ≥ 65 years old, APACHE II score ≥ 15 points, combined chronic pulmonary disease, GCS score < 8 points, oxygenation index <300, cough reflex, sputum suction frequency, and swallowing function.

Results

Based on these factors, a risk prediction scoring model for extubation was constructed with a critical value of 18 points. The AUC of the model was 0.832, the overall prediction accuracy was 81.5%, the specificity was 81.6%, and the sensitivity was 84.1%. The data of the validation group showed that the AUC of the model was 0.763, the overall prediction accuracy was 79.8%, the specificity was 84.8%, and the sensitivity was 64.0%.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the extubation risk prediction model constructed through quantitative scoring has good predictive accuracy and can provide a scientific basis for clinical practice, helping to assess and predict extubation risk, thereby improving the success rate of extubation and improving patient prognosis.

The combined use of parasternal intercostal muscle thickening fraction and P0.1 for prediction of weaning outcomes

BACKGROUND

A variety of parameters and diaphragmatic ultrasound in ventilator weaning has been studied extensively, and the findings yield inconsistent conclusions. The parasternal intercostal muscle holds important substantial respiratory reserve capacity when the central drive is enhanced, the predictive value of combining parasternal intercostal muscle ultrasound parameters with P0.1(airway occlusion pressure at 100 msec) in assessing ventilator weaning outcomes is still unknown.

OBJECTIVES

Our study aimed to evaluate the predictive efficacy of parasternal intercostal muscle ultrasound in conjunction with P0.1 in determining weaning failure.

METHODS

We recruited patients who had been admitted to ICU and had been receiving mechanical ventilation for over two days. All patients underwent a half-hour spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) with low-level pressure support ventilation (PSV). They were positioned semi-upright for parasternal intercostal muscle ultrasound evaluations, including parasternal intercostal muscle thickness (PIMT), and parasternal intercostal muscle thickening fraction (PIMTF); P0.1 was obtained from the ventilator. Weaning failure was defined as the need for non-invasive positive pressure ventilation or re-intubation within 48 h post-weaning.

RESULTS

Of the 56 enrolled patients with a mean age of 63.04 ± 15.80 years, 13 (23.2%) experienced weaning failure. There were differences in P0.1 (P = .001) and PIMTF (P = .017) between the two groups, but also in patients with a diaphragm thickness ≥ 2 mm. The predictive threshold values were PIMTF ≥ 13.15% and P0.1 ≥ 3.9 cmH2O for weaning failure. The AUROC for predicting weaning failure was 0.721 for PIMTF, 0.792 for P0.1, and 0.869 for the combination of PIMTF and P0.1.

CONCLUSIONS

The parasternal intercostal muscle thickening fraction and P0.1 are independently linked to weaning failure, especially in patients with normal diaphragm thickness. The combination of parasternal intercostal muscle thickening fraction and P0.1 can serve as a valuable tool for the precise clinical prediction of weaning outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry website (ChiCTR2200065422).

Comparison of clinical outcomes in critical patients undergoing different mechanical ventilation modes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of different mechanical ventilation modes on critical patients.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from their inception to November 15, 2022 for randomized controlled trials on the application of different mechanical ventilation modes in critical patients. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. R4.2.1 was used for this network meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-eight RCTs involving 3,189 patients were included. The interventions in these RCTs included NAVA (neurally adjusted ventilatory assist), PAV (proportional assist ventilation), ASV (adaptive support ventilation), Smartcare/PS (Smartcare/pressure support), PSV (pressure support ventilation), PSV_ATC (pressure support ventilation_automatic tube compensation), and SIMV (synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation). The network meta-analysis showed that, compared with the PSV group, there was no significant difference in duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of ICU stay, and hospital stay between NAVA, SIMV, AVS, PAV, Smartcare/PS, and PSV_ATC groups. Compared with PSV, PAV improved the success rate of withdrawal of ventilator [OR = 3.07, 95%CI (1.21, 8.52)]. Compared with PSV and PAV, NAVA reduced mortality in the ICU [OR = 0.63, 95%CI (0.43, 0.93); OR = 0.45, 95%CI (0.21, 0.97)].

Conclusion

NAVA can reduce mortality in ICU, and PAV may increase the risk of withdrawal of the ventilator. There was no significant difference between PSV and other mechanical ventilation modes (NAVA, SIMV, AVS, PAV, Smartcare/PS, and PSV_ATC) in the duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of ICU stay, or hospital stay. Due to the limitations, more high-quality studies are needed to verify these findings.

Nursing strategies for the mechanically ventilated patient

The goal of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary review of the best nursing practices of caring for mechanically ventilated patients. By reviewing human medicine literature, the authors will extrapolate procedures that have been found to be most effective in reducing the risk of mechanical ventilation (MV) complications. Paired with review of the current standards in veterinary medicine, the authors will compile the best practice information on mechanically ventilated patient care, which will serve as a detailed resource for the veterinary nursing staff. Written from a nursing standpoint, this manuscript aims to consolidate the nursing assessment of a mechanically ventilated patient, addressing both systemic and physical changes that may be encountered during hospitalization. The goal of this review article is to present information that encourages a proactive approach to nursing care by focusing on understanding the effects of polypharmacy, hemodynamic changes associated with MV, complications of recumbent patient care, and sources of hospital acquired infections. When applied in conjunction with the more technical aspects of MV, this manuscript will allow veterinary technicians involved in these cases to understand the dynamic challenges that mechanically ventilated patients present, provide guidance to mitigate risk, address issues quickly and effectively, and create an up-to date standard of practice that can be implemented.

Invasive CO 2 monitoring with arterial line compared to end tidal CO 2 during peroral endoscopic myotomy

Background and study aims  Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has become a recognized treatment for achalasia. The technique requires CO 2 insufflation. It is estimated that the partial pressure of CO 2 (PaCO 2 ) is 2 to 5 mm Hg higher than the end tidal CO 2 (etCO 2 ), and etCO 2 is used as a surrogate for PaCO 2 because PaCO 2 requires an arterial line. However, no study has compared invasive and noninvasive CO 2 monitoring during POEM. Patients and methods  Seventy-one patients who underwent POEM were included in a prospective comparative study. PaCO 2 plus etCO 2 was measured in 32 patients (invasive group) and etCO 2 only in 39 matched patients (noninvasive group). Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and Spearman's Rho were used to calculate the correlation between PaCO 2 and ETCO 2 . Results  PaCO 2 and ETCO 2 were strongly correlated: PCC R value: 0.8787 P  ≤ 0.00001, Spearman's Rho R value: 0.8775, P  ≤ 0.00001. Within the invasive group, the average difference between PaCO 2 and ETCO 2 was 3.39 mm Hg (median 3, standard deviation 3.5), within the 2- to 5-mm Hg range. The average procedure time (scope in to scope out) was increased 17.7 minutes ( P  = 0.044) and anesthesia duration was 46.3 minutes. Adverse events (AEs) included three hematomas and one nerve injury in the invasive group and one pneumothorax in the noninvasive group. There were no differences in AE rates between the groups (13 % vs 3 % P  = 0.24). Conclusions  Universal PaCO 2 monitoring contributes to increased procedure and anesthesia times without any decrease in AEs in patients undergoing POEM. CO 2 monitoring with an arterial line should only be performed in patients with major cardiovascular comorbidities; in all other patients, ETCO 2 is an appropriate tool.

Safety of High-Frequency Jet Ventilation During Image-Guided Thermal Ablation Procedures

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

Percutaneous thermal ablative technique is a common radiological procedure for malignant lesions treatment. Controlled assisted ventilation during general anesthesia is the usual mode of ventilation, but high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) can be a helpful alternative for the operator. The objective was to evaluate the safety of HFJV during thermal ablation procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This monocentric prospective analysis included adult patients undergoing percutaneous thermal ablation procedures for abdominal tumor performed under HFJV. Procedures with a transpulmonary path were excluded. The primary outcome was the incidence of respiratory complications. Secondary outcomes included gas exchange modifications (hypercapnia, hypoxemia, pulmonary atelectasis) and the incidence of barotrauma.

RESULTS

Sixty patients were included during the study period. The mean duration time was 88 min. All procedures went according to the protocol and there was no respiratory complication. There was no barotrauma event. Three patients had an exhaled capnia above 45 mmHg at the end of the procedure which normalized within 10 min of conventional ventilation.

CONCLUSION

HFJV during thermal ablation procedures is safe regarding gas exchange and barotrauma. This technique could be an interesting alternative to conventional ventilation during image-guided thermal ablation procedures. Clinical Trials database This study was registered in Clinical Trials database (NCT04209608).

Reverse Triggering during Controlled Ventilation: From Physiology to Clinical Management

Reverse triggering dyssynchrony is a frequent phenomenon recently recognized in sedated critically ill patients under controlled ventilation. It occurs in at least 30-55% of these patients and often occurs in the transition from fully passive to assisted mechanical ventilation. During reverse triggering, patient inspiratory efforts start after the passive insufflation by mechanical breaths. The most often referred mechanism is the entrainment of the patient's intrinsic respiratory rhythm from the brainstem respiratory centers to periodic mechanical insufflations from the ventilator. However, reverse triggering might also occur because of local reflexes without involving the respiratory rhythm generator in the brainstem. Reverse triggering is observed during the acute phase of the disease, when patients may be susceptible to potential deleterious consequences of injurious or asynchronous efforts. Diagnosing reverse triggering might be challenging and can easily be missed. Inspection of ventilator waveforms or more sophisticated methods, such as the electrical activity of the diaphragm or esophageal pressure, can be used for diagnosis. The occurrence of reverse triggering might have clinical consequences. On the basis of physiological data, reverse triggering might be beneficial or injurious for the diaphragm and the lung, depending on the magnitude of the inspiratory effort. Reverse triggering can cause breath-stacking and loss of protective lung ventilation when triggering a second cycle. Little is known about how to manage patients with reverse triggering; however, available evidence can guide management on the basis of physiological principles.

Mean platelet volume as a predictive biomarker for in-hospital mortality in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation

Background

Although mean platelet volume (MPV) has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis of various critical illness, the relationship between MPV and in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is unclear.

Methods

A retrospective observational study including patients receiving IMV was conducted from January, 2014 to January, 2019. The patients were divided into two groups by MPV cutoff value. The receiver operating characteristics curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of MPV for in-hospital mortality. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were conducted to analyze the value of MPV for predicting in-hospital mortality. Kaplan–Meier cumulative incidence curve was employed to observe the incidence of in-hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 274 patients were enrolled in the study, and 42 patients (15.3%) died in hospital. MPV > 11.4 fl was a valuable predictor for in-hospital mortality (AUC0.848; 95%CI, 0.800–0.889) with sensitivity 66.7%, and specificity = 86.21%. MPV > 11.4 fl was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (adjusted HR 2.640, 95%CI, 1.208–5.767, P = 0.015). Compared to the group of MPV ≤ 11.4 fl, patients with MPV > 11.4 fl had increased mortality (log-rank test = 40.35, HR = 8.723, P < 0.0001). The relationship between MPV and in-hospital mortality was stronger in female patients than in male patients.

Conclusion

MPV > 11.4 fl is a more useful marker for predicting in-hospital mortality among critically ill patients receiving IMV, especially in female patients. Attention to the MPV marker is simple and profitable with immediate applicability in daily clinical practice.

Breath Sensor Technology for the Use in Mechanical Lung Ventilation Equipment for Monitoring Critically Ill Patients

Background: The need for mechanical lung ventilation is common in critically ill patients, either with COVID-19 infection or due to other causes. Monitoring of patients being ventilated is essential for timely and improved management. We here propose the use of a novel breath volatile organic compound sensor technology to be used in a mechanical lung ventilation machine for this purpose; the technology was evaluated in critically ill COVID-19 patients on mechanical lung ventilation. Methods: Based on the consistency results of our study data, the breath sensor device with metal oxide gas sensors and environment-controlling sensors was mounted on the ventilation exhaust port of the ventilation machine; this allowed to ensure additional safety since the device was placed outside the contour between the patient and equipment. Results: The sensors allowed stable registration of the signals for up to several weeks for 10 patients in total, depending on the storage amount; a proportion of patients were intubated or received tracheostoma during the evaluation period. Future studies are on the way to correlate sensor readings to other parameters characterizing the severity of the patient condition and outcome. Conclusions: We suppose that such technology will allow patient monitoring in real-time for timely identification of deterioration, potentially requiring some change of management. The obtained results are preliminary and further studies are needed to examine their clinical significance.

Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care: Point-of-Care Approach

The concept of intensive care units (ICU) has existed for almost 70 years, with outstanding development progress in the last decades. Multidisciplinary care of critically ill patients has become an integral part of every modern health care system, ensuing improved care and reduced mortality. Early recognition of severe medical and surgical illnesses, advanced prehospital care and organized immediate care in trauma centres led to a rise of ICU patients. Due to the underlying disease and its need for complex mechanical support for monitoring and treatment, it is often necessary to facilitate bed-side diagnostics. Immediate diagnostics are essential for a successful treatment of life threatening conditions, early recognition of complications and good quality of care. Management of ICU patients is incomprehensible without continuous and sophisticated monitoring, bedside ultrasonography, diverse radiologic diagnostics, blood gas analysis, coagulation and blood management, laboratory and other point-of-care (POC) diagnostic modalities. Moreover, in the time of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, particular attention is given to the POC diagnostic techniques due to additional concerns related to the risk of infection transmission, patient and healthcare workers safety and potential adverse events due to patient relocation. This review summarizes the most actual information on possible diagnostic modalities in critical care, with a special focus on the importance of point-of-care approach in the laboratory monitoring and imaging procedures.

Application Evaluation of High-Flow Humidified Oxygen in Patients with Respiratory Failure after General Anesthesia Extubation for Multiple Injuries

Objective

To explore the effect of high-flow humidified oxygen therapy (HFNC) on patients with respiratory failure after general anesthesia extubation for multiple injuries.

Methods

214 patients with multiple injuries in our hospital who underwent general anesthesia and suffered respiratory failure after weaning extubation and received sequential treatment were included. And, they were divided into control group (HFNC group) and observation group (NIMV group) according to the random number table method. Patients in the control group (125 cases) used high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) after general anesthesia extubation, while patients in the observation group (89 cases) used NIMV. The respiratory rate, heart rate, finger pulse oxygen, oxygenation index (PaO₂/FiO₂), and re-tracheal intubation rate in the two groups were compared at 2, 8, and 24 hours after sequential treatment, and the mortality rate and hospital stay of ICU time were whole-course observation. And, the effect of conventional oxygen inhalation or HFNC on oxygenation and prognosis was analyzed. Then, SPSS21.0 software was applied for statistical analysis. To analyze the effect of conventional oxygen inhalation or HFNC on the improvement of oxygenation and prognosis, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve can be used to evaluate the feasibility and treatment effect of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNC) for patients with respiratory failure after general anesthesia extubation for multiple injuries.

Results

Compared with the NIMV group, the respiratory frequency and heart rate of the HFNC group were significantly improved after 2 h, 8 h, and 24 h. At the same time, the finger pulse oxygen and oxygenation index increased significantly and returned to normal levels. HFNC can significantly reduce the reintubation rate, ICU hospital stay, and mortality rate. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9102, with 95% CI (0.8256, 0.9949) and P < 0.0001.

Conclusion

For patients with multiple injuries undergoing general anesthesia and respiratory failure after weaning and extubation, the application of HFNC can moderate patients' heart rate and respiratory rate faster, increase oxygenation index and finger pulse oxygen, and reduce the reintubation rate, mortality rate, and ICU stay. At the same time, it can effectively improve the respiratory failure of patients after extubation and reduce the occurrence of complications.