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Aim Increasing numbers of tracheostomy patients are discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to general hospital wards. There is evidence that a Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Team (MTT) can have a positive impact on the care of tracheostomy patients discharged from the ICU. We compared tracheostomy management and patient outcome in two time periods, at the start of our MTT practice in 2009-2011 and again in 2017. Methods In a retrospective audit, we compared tracheostomy management and patient outcome in 117 patients who had a tracheostomy in 2009-2011 with 81 patients who had a tracheostomy in 2017. Results The duration of tracheostomy cannulation was significantly shorter (21 vs 31 days, p=0.0005) in 2017 compared to 2009-2011. A Mini-Trach was used after tracheostomy decannulation in 56 of the 81 (69%) tracheostomy patients in 2017. Conclusions The continued development of our MTT service over 8 years was associated with a significantly shorter duration of tracheostomy cannulation and the introduction of Mini-Trach use after tracheostomy decannulation. These results support the importance of maintaining an active MTT service to manage tracheostomy patients after discharge from the ICU., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

This study, a modified subsection of the European ETHICUS study on End-of-Life (EOL) Decision Making in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), examines the pattern of limiting futile life-sustaining therapies in an Irish ICU including the practice of withdrawing mechanical ventilation in anticipation of death. 1146 patients were admitted to the Mater Hospital, Dublin ICU from 1/9/1999 to 30/6/2000 and all 126 patients who died in ICU were included. EOL categories were prospectively defined (by Ethicus methodology) as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); brain death; withholding (WH); withdrawing (WD) life sustaining therapy and active shortening of the dying process (SDP). Complete data were obtained for 122 of the 126 patients who died during this period. 45 patients (36%) had therapy withheld, 40 (33%) had therapy withdrawn, 26 (21%) had unsuccessful CPR and 11 (10%) were Brain Dead. SDP was not performed. In total, 85 patients had a limitation of life sustaining therapy. CPR was the main therapy withheld (96% of WH/WD patients). Inotropic infusions were limited (WH or WD) in 40/85 (47%) of patients. Fluids, feeding and oxygen were rarely withdrawn (2.4%, 6%, 4.8% respectively). Twenty-two patients had two or more EOL decisions. Tracheal extubation or withdrawal of ventilation was less frequent (16.4%) but more common if a second EOL decision was made. No patient had sedation withdrawn or decreased. Eight patients of 85 (9%) had sedation increased. The study demonstrates that EOL decision making is common (69% of deaths and 7.4% of ICU admissions) in Ireland and demonstrates that the pattern of treatment limitation relates primarily to cardiovascular and other treatments and less to respiratory life sustaining treatment. Artificial nutrition and hydration were rarely withdrawn.

The transfer of critically ill patients between hospitals carries significant risk. The Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance Service (MICAS) in Ireland was established in 1996 to provide a ground transfer service between hospitals for critically ill patients. The aim of this audit was to determine if a centralised retrieval system for interhospital transport of critically ill patients in Ireland by MICAS is safe and efficient. 484 critically ill patients transported by MICAS between April 1996 and December 2004 were studied retrospectively. There were no patient deaths during transfer. 47% of transfers were between hospitals in the greater Dublin area. 45% were from regional centres to Dublin. 93% of patients required airway intervention before transfer (intubation or tracheostomy) and 32% needed inotropic support during transfer. The MICAS data confirm the demand for interhospital transport of critically ill patients and suggest that transfer using a centralised retrieval system is safe.

The European Nosocomial Infection Survey enrolled 9127 patients in 14 countries providing epidemiological data on pneumonia in 325 Intensive Care Units (ICU). Ten ICUs took part in Ireland recruiting 205 patients. Using strict diagnostic criteria, the pneumonia rate for the Irish group was 11.7%; European-wide it was of 11.8%. The ICU mortality Ireland was 14.2%, in the overall survey it was 14.3%. The pneumonia mortality rate in the overall survey was 30%.

Koro is a psychiatric syndrome rare outside certain areas of South East Asia. Most cases described outside of this area are associated with other primary psychiatric syndromes. In this case a primary Koro like syndrome precipitated a brief reactive psychosis in a 32 year old single Irish male.

Septicaemia frequently presents without "classic" signs of infection--tachypnoea, hypotension and confusion are the commonest features. The mortality rate is 40 to 80% and in intensive care units, septicaemia accounts for 70% of all deaths. Despite the use of antimicrobial drugs to which the offending organism is sensitive, patients are still dying. Effects on distant organ systems are due to "Mediators". "Microvascular Failure" resulting in tissue hypoxia is the unifying hypothesis of multiple organ failure in septicaemia. Mortality is correlated with the number of organ system failures. Supportive management is aimed at prevention of organ failure--manipulation of the circulation being the central key. Intravascular volume expansion, vasoactive drugs, mechanical ventilation and invasive monitoring are the means. Antimicrobial therapy must be guided by 'best guess' approach with multiple agents until isolation of the offending organism can recommend specific therapy. Aggressive surgical drainage or excision, is particularly applicable in abdominal sepsis. Several adjunctive therapies aimed at mediators of sepsis, are as yet experimental.