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BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used in patients with COVID-19, but uncertainty remains about the determinants of in-hospital mortality and data on post-discharge outcomes are scarce. The aims of this study were to investigate the variables associated with in-hospital outcomes in patients who received ECMO during the first wave of COVID-19 and to describe the status of patients 6 months after ECMO initiation.METHODS: EuroECMO-COVID is a prospective, multicentre, observational study developed by the European Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. This study was based on data from patients aged 16 years or older who received ECMO support for refractory COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic-from March 1 to Sept 13, 2020-at 133 centres in 21 countries. In-hospital mortality and mortality 6 months after ECMO initiation were the primary outcomes. Mixed-Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate associations between patient and management-related variables (eg, patient demographics, comorbidities, pre-ECMO status, and ECMO characteristics and complications) and in-hospital deaths. Survival status at 6 months was established through patient contact or institutional charts review. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04366921, and is ongoing.FINDINGS: Between March 1 and Sept 13, 2020, 1215 patients (942 [78%] men and 267 [22%] women; median age 53 years [IQR 46-60]) were included in the study. Median ECMO duration was 15 days (IQR 8-27). 602 (50%) of 1215 patients died in hospital, and 852 (74%) patients had at least one complication. Multiorgan failure was the leading cause of death (192 [36%] of 528 patients who died with available data). In mixed-Cox analyses, age of 60 years or older, use of inotropes and vasopressors before ECMO initiation, chronic renal failure, and time from intubation to ECMO initiation of 4 days or more were associated with higher in-hospital mortality. 613 patients did not die in hospital, and 547 (95%) of 577 patients for whom data were available were alive at 6 months. 102 (24%) of 431 patients had returned to full-time work at 6 months, and 57 (13%) of 428 patients had returned to part-time work. At 6 months, respiratory rehabilitation was required in 88 (17%) of 522 patients with available data, and the most common residual symptoms included dyspnoea (185 [35%] of 523 patients) and cardiac (52 [10%] of 514 patients) or neurocognitive (66 [13%] of 512 patients) symptoms.INTERPRETATION: Patient's age, timing of cannulation (FUNDING: None.

In this work, we present a new experimental setup for the assessment of the anisotropic properties of Bovine Pericardium (BP) membranes. The chemically fixed BP samples have been subjected to a bulge test with in situ confocal laser scanning at increasing applied pressure. The high resolution topography provided by the confocal laser scanning has allowed to obtain a quantitative measure of the bulge displacement; after polynomial fitting, principal curvatures have been obtained and a degree of anisotropy (DA) has been defined as the normalized difference between the maximum and minimum principal curvatures. The experiments performed on the BP membranes have allowed us to obtain pressure-displacement data which clearly exhibit distinct principal curvatures indicating an anisotropic response. A comparison with curvatures data obtained on isotropic Nitrile Buthadiene Rubber (NBR) samples has confirmed the effectiveness of the experimental setup for this specific purpose. Numerical simulations of the bulge tests have been performed with the purpose of identifying a range of constitutive parameters which well describes the obtained range of DA on the BP membranes. The DA values have been partially validated with biaxial tests available in literature and with suitably performed uni-axial tensile tests.

Background: Identifying sex-related differences/variables associated with 30-day/1-year mortality in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). Methods: Multicenter/retrospective/observational study. Database sent to all-the-Italian vascular surgeries to collect all-the¬-patients operated for CLTI in 2019. Acute lower-limb ischemia and neuropathic-diabetic foot not included. Follow-up: 1-year. Data on demographics/comorbidities, treatments/outcome, and 30-day/1-year mortality investigated. Results: Information on 2399 cases (69.8% men) from 36/143 (25.2%) centers. Median (IQR) age: 73 (66-80) and 79 (71-85) yrs for men/women, respectively (p75 (HR3.63, p=.003) associated with 30-day mortality. Age >75 (HR2.14, p

Elevated Interleukin-6 (IL-6) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 yet attenuated response is not seen across all severe patients. We aimed to determine the effect of IL-6 baseline levels and other clinical variables on mortality and outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients as well as to explore genetic variants associated with attenuated IL-6 response.Baseline IL-6 cytokine levels were measured in hospitalized patients participating in ongoing ODYSSEY phase 3 randomized study of tradipitant and placebo in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 who are receiving supplemental oxygen support. Furthermore blood samples for whole genome sequencing analysis were collected from 150 participants.We report significantly elevated IL-6 in COVID-19 infected hospitalized patients, n = 100 (p-value 0.0001) when compared to controls n = 324. We also report a significantly increased level of IL-6 (p-value 0.01) between the severe and mild COVID-19 patients with severity defined on a WHO scale. Excessive IL-6 plasma levels correlate with higher mortality (p-value 0.001). Additionally, based on our classification analysis, combination of IL-6 elevation and high levels of serum glucose can identify highest risk-group of COVID19 patients. Furthermore, we explore the role of genetic regulatory variants affecting baseline IL-6 levels specifically in COVID-19 patients. We have directly tested the association between variants in the IL6 and IL6R gene region and IL6 plasma levels. We provide results for a common IL-6 variant previously associated with pneumonia, rs1800795, and rs2228145 that was previously shown to affect IL-6 plasma levels, as well as report on novel variants associated with IL-6 plasma levels detected in our study patients.While it is unlikely that "cytokine storm" is the norm in severe COVID19, baseline elevations above 150 pg/ml may be associated with worst outcomes and as such may warrant treatment considerations. So far no clinical studies used IL-6 baseline assessment to stratify the patient population participating in clinical studies. We believe that careful examination and interpretation of the IL-6 levels and genetic variants can help to determine a patient population with a potentially very robust clinical response to IL-6 inhibition.Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04326426.

The purpose of this analysis is to identify a therapeutic algorithm in case of Staple Line Leack (SLL) after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy...

Purpose Long-term cognitive impairment is a complication of critical illness survivors. Beside its lifesaving role, mechanical ventilation has potential complications. The aim of this study is to systematically review the evidence collected in animal studies that correlate mechanical ventilation with neuroinflammation, neuronal damage and cognitive impairment. Methods We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for studies published from inception until August 31st, 2020, that enrolled mechanically ventilated animals and reported on neuroinflammation or neuronal damage markers changes or cognitive-behavioural impairment. Results Of 5583 studies, 11 met inclusion criteria. Mice, rats, pigs were used. Impact of MV: 4 out of 7 studies reported higher neuroinflammation markers in MV-treated animals and 3 studies reported no differences; 7 out of 8 studies reported a higher neuronal damage and 1 reported no differences; 2 out of 2 studies reported cognitive decline up to 3 days after MV. Higher Tidal volumes are associated with higher changes in brain or serum markers. Conclusion Preclinical evidence suggests that MV induces neuroinflammation, neuronal damage and cognitive impairment and these are worsened if sub-optimal MV settings are applied. Future studies, with appropriate methodology, are necessary to evaluate for serum monitoring strategies. Trial registration number CRD42019148935.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed a sudden expansion of medical and ICU capability in order to deal with an unprecedented and overwhelming number of patients needing ventilatory support and intensive care. The request for new ICU beds has risen worldwide, due to the rapid spreading of the infection and was faced with structural and functional reorganization of preexisting spaces and to the creation of new facilities. The necessity to minimize in-hospital spreading of the infection and to ensure adequate management of patients were both crucial in reconsidering the logistic of preexisting and new spaces and equipment allocation.

We discuss the presentation of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurred as a rare complication after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Etiology of this complication is not clear, it seems that diverse and complex pathogenetic mechanism are involved so the prevention and treatment seems to be difficult.

How to cite this article: Giordano G, Purgatori A, Bilotta F. Colloids Use in Asian ICU Patients: Do not Mix Oranges with Apples. Consider the Proven Concerns on Hydroxyethyl Starch Use in ICU Patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(5):595-596.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with higher rates of postoperative delirium. The relationship between preoperative OSA risk and postoperative delirium and coma in thoracic surgery patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) is not well understood. This study tests the hypothesis that thoracic surgery patients hospitalized in ICU with a higher preoperative risk for OSA are more likely to develop postoperative delirium and coma, resulting in longer hospital stays. METHODS: Preoperative OSA risk was measured using the STOP-BANG questionnaire. STOP-BANG scores of ≥ 3 were defined as intermediate-high risk for OSA. 128 patients who underwent major thoracic surgery completed the STOP-BANG questionnaire preoperatively. The Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale was used to assess level of consciousness. The Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU was used to assess for delirium. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between risk of OSA and outcome measures. Results were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, instrumental activities of daily living, and surgery type. RESULTS: 96 out of 128 patients (76%) were in the intermediate-high risk OSA group. Adjusted analyses showed that the intermediate-high risk OSA group had a longer duration of postoperative ICU delirium and coma compared to the low risk OSA group (1.4 days ± 1.3 vs 0.9 days ± 1.4; P = 0.04). Total number of hospital days was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Higher preoperative risk for OSA in thoracic surgery patients was associated with a longer duration of postoperative delirium and coma.

Delayed neurocognitive recovery and postoperative neurocognitive disorders are major complications of surgery, hospitalization, and anesthesia that are receiving increasing attention. Their incidence is reported to be 10–80% after cardiac surgery and 10–26% after non-cardiac surgery. Some of the risk factors include advanced age, level of education, history of diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, perioperative hyperglycemia, depth of anesthesia, blood pressure fluctuation during surgery, chronic respiratory diseases, etc. Scientific evidence suggests a causal association between anesthesia and delayed neurocognitive recovery or postoperative neurocognitive disorders, and various pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed: mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, increase in tau protein phosphorylation, accumulation of amyloid-β protein, etc. Insulin receptors in the central nervous system have a non-metabolic role and act through a neuromodulator-like action, while an interaction between anesthetics and central nervous system insulin receptors might contribute to anesthesia-induced delayed neurocognitive recovery or postoperative neurocognitive disorders. Acute or chronic intranasal insulin administration, which has no influence on the blood glucose concentration, appears to improve working memory, verbal fluency, attention, recognition of objects, etc., in animal models, cognitively healthy humans, and memory-impaired patients by restoring the insulin receptor signaling pathway, attenuating anesthesia-induced tau protein hyperphosphorylation, etc. The aim of this review is to report preclinical and clinical evidence of the implication of intranasal insulin for preventing changes in the brain molecular pattern and/or neurobehavioral impairment, which influence anesthesia-induced delayed neurocognitive recovery or postoperative neurocognitive disorders.

Resumen: Contexto: Las neoplasias que afectan de forma secundaria al páncreas son extremadamente inusuales, acontecen en menos del 3% de los casos y dificultan el diagnóstico diferencial con un adenocarcinoma primario de páncreas, por la clínica y las características radiológicas y citológicas inespecíficas. El tratamiento quirúrgico ha sido considerado como una opción de primera elección en pacientes seleccionados con metástasis única. Sin embargo, los procedimientos quirúrgicos requeridos se caracterizan por una mortalidad notable y morbilidad significativa y cada caso tiene que ser valorado por un comité multidisciplinar. Caso clínico: Reportamos el caso de una mujer de 47 años que presentó una lesión en la cabeza pancreática cuatro años después de la mastectomía radical modificada por un carcinoma lobulillar infiltrante de mama derecha. Ante la sospecha de neoplasia primaria se realizó una duodenopancreatectomía cefálica. El análisis inmunohistoquímico de la pieza quirúrgica sugirió la naturaleza metastásica de la lesión descrita. Conclusión: Creemos que cuando una lesión pancreática se desarrolla en un paciente con neoplasia previa, la hipótesis de una metástasis solitaria en el páncreas siempre debe considerarse. La historia clínica debe analizarse meticulosamente y todas las suposiciones deben incluirse en el proceso del diagnóstico. Abstract: Context: Neoplasms that secondarily affect the pancreas are extremely rare, occur in less than 3% of cases and make differential diagnosis with a primary adenocarcinoma of the pancreas difficult, due to clinical and nonspecific radiological and cytological characteristics. Surgical treatment has been considered the first-choice option in selected patients with single metastases. However, the required surgical procedures are characterized by significant mortality and significant morbidity and each case must be assessed by a multidisciplinary committee. Case report: We report the case of a 47-year-old woman who presented a lesion in the pancreatic head, 4 years after radical mastectomy modified by an infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the right breast. Suspecting a primary tumour, a cephalic duodenopancreatectomy was performed. Immunohistochemica analysis of the surgical specimen suggested the metastatic nature of the described lesion. Conclusion: We think that when a pancreatic lesion develops in a patient with previous neoplasia, the hypothesis of a solitary metastasis in the pancreas should always be considered. The medical history should be carefully analysed, and all assumptions should be included in the diagnostic process.

Background. Healing of tibia fractures occurs over a wide time range of months, with a number of risk factors contributing to prolonged healing. In this prospective, multicentre, observational study, we investigated the capability of FRACTING (tibia FRACTure prediction healING days) score, calculated soon after tibia fracture treatment, to predict healing time.Methods. The study included 363 patients. Information on patient health, fracture morphology, and surgical treatment adopted were combined to calculate the FRACTING score. Fractures were considered healed when the patient was able to fully weight-bear without pain.Results. 319 fractures (88%) healed within 12 months from treatment. Forty-four fractures healed after 12 months or underwent a second surgery. FRACTING score positively correlated with days to healing:r=0.63(p<0.0001). Average score value was 7.3 ± 2.5; ROC analysis showed strong reliability of the score in separating patients healing before versus after 6 months: AUC = 0.823.Conclusions. This study shows that the FRACTING score can be employed both to predict months needed for fracture healing and to identify immediately after treatment patients at risk of prolonged healing. In patients with high score values, new pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments to enhance osteogenesis could be tested selectively, which may finally result in reduced disability time and health cost savings.

Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are unusual in developed countries and rarely associated with other wall hernias, such as controlateral inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia. The presence of more parietal defects can facilitate reinstatement of giant hernia content without respiratory and circulatory compromise, but the risk of occlusion and bowel strangulation results increased.Here, we report an unusual case of an asymptomatic giant inguinal hernia associated with controlateral inguinal and umbilical hernia in a 60 years old Caucasian male treated with sequential surgical approach. In particular, the Lichtenstein's technique under spinal anesthesia was performed and it could be considered the gold standard for this disease.Giant inguinal hernia and abdomen wall defects should not be repaired at the same time. It is more useful to be less aggressive, monitoring the progressive and natural adaptation of the viscera into the abdomen. Anyway, thereby literature results very poor and additional reports are required.Giant inguinoscrotal hernia, Hernia, Hernia treatment, Wall defects.Le ernie giganti sono rare nei Paesi sviluppati ed ancora più raramente sono associate ad altre ernie della parete addominale, come un’ernia inguinale controlaterale o un’ernia ombelicale. La presenza di più difetti di parete facilità il riposizionamento in addome del contenuto di una voluminosa ernia inguinale senza compromettere la funzionalità cardiorespiratoria, ma il rischio di intasamento o strozzamento intestinale negli altri orifizi erniari aumenta. In letteratura non esistono opinioni convergenti se riparare simultaneamente o in maniera sequenziale, cioè in maniera distanziata nel tempo, le diverse ernie di parete, quando sono associate ad un’ernia gigante. Riportiamo in questo lavoro il caso clinico di un uomo di 60 anni, italiano, che si recò nel nostro ambulatorio di chirurgia lamentando da molti anni la presenza di un’ernia inguinale gigante associata ad un’ernia inguinale controlaterale ed un’ernia ombelicale. Il paziente alla visita presentava difficoltà di deambulazione, ma non riferiva disturbi di canalizzazione. Aveva diverse comorbidità e tra queste quella più importante era una insufficienza respiratoria severa. Dopo un accurato studio cardiologico, respiratorio e metabolico il paziente fu sottoposto a riparazione delle ernie a partire da quella gigante, in maniera sequenziale ed in anestesia spinale secondo la tecnica di Lichtenstein. L’ernia ombelicale fu riparata per ultima con tecnica diretta, senza protesi, ed anch’essa in anestesia spinale. Il decorso operatorio fu regolare dopo i tre interventi e non si ebbe alcuna complicanza respiratoria, cardiologica né di canalizzazione. In conclusione riteniamo che nei pazienti con importanti comorbidità la riparazione di un’ernia gigante associata ad altre ernie di parete debba avvenire in maniera sequenziale, monitorando con attenzione la canalizzazione e soprattutto il progressivo adattamento dei visceri in addome attraverso la palpazione degli orifizi erniari. I dati della letteratura sono pochi ed ulteriori esperienze sono richieste.

Objective To externally validate the Young Academic Urologist (YAU) nomogram for the prediction of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic enlargement. Materials and Methods Between January 2013 and September 2014, a consecutive series of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic enlargement underwent standardized pressure flow studies (PFSs) in 2 tertiary Italian centers. Variables assessed were International Prostatic Symptom Score, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), prostate size, transitional zone volume, maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine. BPO was defined as a Schafer grade ≥3 at PFSs. Qmax and transitional zone volume were plotted on the YAU nomogram to predict the presence of BPO. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate predictive properties of the nomogram for the final diagnosis of BPO. Results A total of 449 patients were consecutively enrolled. In those, 310 patients (69%) presented a BPO (Schafer ≥3) at PFSs. The novel YAU nomogram presented an area under the curve of 0.76; 95% confidence interval: 0.72-0.82 for the diagnosis of BPO. At the best cutoff value of 80% (nomogram probability), the sensitivity was 74% and specificity was 79%, the positive predictive value was 89%, and the negative predictive value was 56%. Conclusion Although further studies are needed to confirm our results, the YAU nomogram was, in our experience, an excellent tool to predict the presence of BPO.