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Background: The ratio of dead space to tidal volume (V D /V T ) is associated with mortality in patients with ARDS. Corrected minute ventilation ([Formula: see text]) is a simple surrogate of dead space, but, despite its increasing use, its association with mortality has not been proven. The aim of our study was to assess the association between [Formula: see text] and hospital mortality. We also compared the strength of this association with that of estimated V D /V T and ventilatory ratio., Methods: We performed a retrospective study with prospectively collected data. We evaluated 187 consecutive mechanically ventilated subjects with ARDS caused by novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The association between [Formula: see text] and hospital mortality was assessed in multivariable logistic models. The same was done for estimated V D /V T and ventilatory ratio., Results: Mean ± SD [Formula: see text] was 11.8 ± 3.3 L/min in survivors and 14.5 ± 3.9 L/min in nonsurvivors ( P < .001) and was independently associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.15, P = .01). The strength of association of [Formula: see text] with mortality was similar to that of V D /V T and ventilatory ratio., Conclusions: [Formula: see text] was independently associated with hospital mortality in subjects with ARDS caused by COVID-19. [Formula: see text] could be used at the patient's bedside for outcome prediction and severity stratification, due to the simplicity of its calculation. These findings need to be confirmed in subjects with ARDS without viral pneumonia and when lung-protective mechanical ventilation is not rigorously applied., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Objectives: Early tracheotomy, defined as a procedure performed within 10 days from intubation, is associated with more ventilator free days, shorter ICU stay, and lower mortality than late tracheotomy. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it was especially important to save operating room resources and to have a shorter ICU stay for patients, when ICUs had insufficient beds. In this context of limited resources, early percutaneous tracheostomy could be an effective way to manage mechanically ventilated patients. Nevertheless, current recommendations suggest delaying or avoiding the tracheotomy in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Aim of the study was to analyze the hospital mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 patients who had received early percutaneous tracheostomy and factors associated with removal of tracheostomy cannula at ICU discharge., Design: Cohort study., Setting: Coronavirus disease 2019 ICU., Patients: Adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 3 days after ICU admission., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Three days after ICU admission, 164 patients were present in ICU and included in the analysis. One-hundred and twenty-one patients (74%) were tracheostomized, whereas the other 43 (26%) were managed with translaryngeal intubation only. In multivariable analysis, early percutaneous tracheostomy was associated with lower hospital mortality. Sixty-six of tracheostomized patients (55%) were discharged alive from the hospital. Age and male sex were the only characteristics that were independently associated with mortality in the tracheostomized patients (45.5% and 62.8% in tracheostomized and nontracheostomized patients, respectively; p = 0.009). Tracheostomy tube was removed in 47 of the tracheostomized patients (71%). The only variable independently associated with weaning from tracheostomy at ICU discharge was a faster start of spontaneous breathing after tracheotomy was performed., Conclusions: Early percutaneous tracheostomy was safe and effective in coronavirus disease 2019 patients, giving a good chance of survival and of weaning from tracheostomy cannula at ICU discharge., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Objective: To compare the effects of norepinephrine and metaraminol on hemodynamics in septic shock patients., Design and Setting: Open-label, controlled clinical trial in the general intensive care unit of a university-affiliated hospital., Patients and Participants: Ten consecutive septic shock patients receiving norepinephrine to maintain the mean arterial pressure higher than 65 mmHg., Interventions: Patients were monitored with pulmonary artery catheter and indirect calorimetry. At the baseline hemodynamic variables were obtained during norepinephrine infusion. Subsequently norepinephrine was replaced by metaraminol infusion in a dose sufficient to keep mean arterial pressure constant. After 20 min of stable arterial pressure a new set of measurement was repeated., Measurements and Results: Mean arterial pressure did not differ significantly with norepinephrine or metaraminol; there was no relationship between the norepinephrine and metaraminol doses. Replacement norepinephrine with metaraminol did not modify hemodynamic variables; in particular there were no changes in heart rate, stroke volume index, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, or oxygen consumption index., Conclusions: This study shows that metaraminol increases arterial pressure as does norepinephrine in septic shock patients. Despite similar effects of norepinephrine and metaraminol, there was no relationship between the dose of the two drugs.