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Background Oliguria is a frequent trigger for administering a fluid bolus, but the effect of fluid bolus in improving urine output is inadequately demonstrated. Here, we summarize the protocol and detailed statistical analysis plan of the randomized, controlled RESPONSE trial comparing follow-up as the experimental group and a 500 mL crystalloid fluid bolus as the control group for oliguria in critically ill oliguric patients. Methods Our trial is an investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled, pilot trial conducted in three ICUs in two centers. We aim to randomize 1:1 altogether 130 hemodynamically stable oliguric patients either to a 2-hour follow-up without interventions or to receive a crystalloid bolus of 500 mL over 30 minutes. The primary outcome is the change in individual urine output during the 2-hour period compared to 2 hours preceding randomization. Doubling of the urine output is considered clinically significant. Additionally, we record the duration of oliguria, physiological and biochemical variables, adverse events, and the incidences of acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy. Conclusions Oliguria is a frequent trigger for potentially harmful fluid loading. Therefore, the RESPONSE trial will give information of the potential effect of fluid bolus on oliguria in critically ill patients. Trial registration clinical.trials.gov, NCT02860572.

Background: Supplemental oxygen is the key intervention for severe and critical COVID-19 patients. With the unstable supplies of oxygen in many countries, it is important to define the lowest safe dosage. Methods: In spring 2020, 110 COVID-19 patients were enrolled as part of the Handling Oxygenation Targets in the ICU trial (HOT-ICU). Patients were allocated within 12 h of ICU admission. Oxygen therapy was titrated to a partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) of 8 kPa (lower oxygenation group) or a PaO2 of 12 kPa (higher oxygenation group) during ICU stay up to 90 days. We report key outcomes at 90 days for the subgroup of COVID-19 patients. Results: At 90 days, 22 of 54 patients (40.7%) in the lower oxygenation group and 23 of 55 patients (41.8%) in the higher oxygenation group had died (adjusted risk ratio: 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.58–1.32). The percentage of days alive without life support was significantly higher in the lower oxygenation group (p = 0.03). The numbers of severe ischemic events were low with no difference between the two groups. Proning and inhaled vasodilators were used more frequently, and the positive end-expiratory pressure was higher in the higher oxygenation group. Tests for interactions with the results of the remaining HOT-ICU population were insignificant. Conclusions: Targeting a PaO2 of 8 kPa may be beneficial in ICU patients with COVID-19. These results come with uncertainty due to the low number of patients in this unplanned subgroup analysis, and insignificant tests for interaction with the main HOT-ICU trial. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03174002. Date of registration: June 2, 2017.

Background The prognostic role of what a surgeon observes in the abdomen of patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) is largely unknown. The aim of this prospective study was to systemically analyze components of the intra-abdominal view (IAV) and their association to severe complicated intra-abdominal sepsis (SCIAS) or mortality. Methods The study cohort consisted of adult patients with cIAI. The operating surgeon filled a paper form describing the intra-abdominal view. Demographics, operative details, and preoperative physiological status were collected. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate statistical analyses were performed, and a new score was developed based on regression coefficients. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of SCIAS or 30-day mortality, in which SCIAS was defined as organ dysfunctions requiring intensive care unit admission. Results A total of 283 patients were analyzed. The primary outcome was encountered in 71 (25%) patients. In the IAV, independent risk factors for the primary outcome were fecal or bile as exudate (odds ratio (OR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.05–3.73), diffuse peritonitis (OR 2.15, 1.02–4.55), diffuse substantial redness of the peritoneum (OR 5.73, 2.12–15.44), and a non-appendiceal source of cIAI (OR 11.20, 4.11–30.54). Based on these factors, an IAV score was developed and its performance analyzed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic for the IAV score was 0.81. The IAV score also correlated significantly with several outcomes and organ dysfunctions. Conclusions The extent of peritonitis, diffuse substantial redness of the peritoneum, type of exudate, and source of infection associate independently with SCIAS or mortality. A high IAV score associates with mortality and organ dysfunctions, yet it needs further external validation. Combining components of IAV into comprehensive scoring systems for cIAI patients may provide additional value compared to the current scoring systems. Trial registration The study protocol was retrospectively registered on April 4, 2016, right after the first enrolled patient at Clinicaltrials.gov database (NCT02726932). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13017-019-0232-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BACKGROUND Patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) are treated with supplemental oxygen, but the benefits and harms of different oxygenation targets are unclear. We hypothesized that using a lower target for partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao 2) would result in lower mortality than using a higher target. METHODS In this multicenter trial, we randomly assigned 2928 adult patients who had recently been admitted to the ICU (≤12 hours before randomization) and who were receiving at least 10 liters of oxygen per minute in an open system or had a fraction of inspired oxygen of at least 0.50 in a closed system to receive oxygen therapy targeting a Pao 2 of either 60 mm Hg (lower-oxygenation group) or 90 mm Hg (higher-oxygenation group) for a maximum of 90 days. The primary outcome was death within 90 days. RESULTS At 90 days, 618 of 1441 patients (42.9%) in the lower-oxygenation group and 613 of 1447 patients (42.4%) in the higher-oxygenation group had died (adjusted risk ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.94 to 1.11; P=0.64). At 90 days, there was no significant between-group difference in the percentage of days that patients were alive without life support or in the percentage of days they were alive after hospital discharge. The percentages of patients who had new episodes of shock, myocardial ischemia, ischemic stroke, or intestinal ischemia were similar in the two groups (P=0.24). CONCLUSIONS Among adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in the ICU, a lower oxygenation target did not result in lower mortality than a higher target at 90 days.

Purpose We compared a restrictive fluid management strategy to usual care among critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) who had received initial fluid resuscitation. Methods This multicenter feasibility trial randomized 100 AKI patients 1:1 in seven ICUs in Europe and Australia. Restrictive fluid management included targeting negative or neutral daily fluid balance by minimizing fluid input and/or enhancing urine output with diuretics administered at the discretion of the clinician. Fluid boluses were administered as clinically indicated. The primary endpoint was cumulative fluid balance 72 h from randomization. Results Mean (SD) cumulative fluid balance at 72 h from randomization was − 1080 mL (2003 mL) in the restrictive fluid management arm and 61 mL (3131 mL) in the usual care arm, mean difference (95% CI) − 1148 mL (− 2200 to − 96) mL, P = 0.033. Median [IQR] duration of AKI was 2 [1–3] and 3 [2–7] days, respectively (median difference − 1.0 [− 3.0 to 0.0], P = 0.071). Altogether, 6 out of 46 (13%) patients in the restrictive fluid management arm and 15 out of 50 (30%) in the usual care arm received renal replacement therapy (RR 0.42; 95% CI 0.16–0.91), P = 0.043. Cumulative fluid balance at 24 h and 7 days was lower in the restrictive fluid management arm. The dose of diuretics was not different between the groups. Adverse events occurred more frequently in the usual care arm. Conclusions In critically ill patients with AKI, a restrictive fluid management regimen resulted in lower cumulative fluid balance and less adverse events compared to usual care. Larger trials of this intervention are justified. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00134-021-06401-6.

Background To ensure adequate intensive care unit (ICU) capacity for SARS-CoV-2 patients, elective neurosurgery and neurosurgical ICU capacity were reduced. Further, the Finnish government enforced strict restrictions to reduce the spread. Our objective was to assess changes in ICU admissions and prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods Retrospective review of all consecutive patients with TBI and aneurysmal SAH admitted to the neurosurgical ICU in Helsinki from January to May of 2019 and the same months of 2020. The pre-pandemic time was defined as weeks 1–11, and the pandemic time was defined as weeks 12–22. The number of admissions and standardized mortality rates (SMRs) were compared to assess the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on these. Standardized mortality rates were adjusted for case mix. Results Two hundred twenty-four patients were included (TBI n = 123, SAH n = 101). There were no notable differences in case mix between TBI and SAH patients admitted during the Covid-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic. No notable difference in TBI or SAH ICU admissions during the pandemic was noted in comparison with early 2020 or 2019. SMRs were no higher during the pandemic than before. Conclusion In the area of Helsinki, Finland, there were no changes in the number of ICU admissions or in prognosis of patients with TBI or SAH during the Covid-19 pandemic.

IntroductionRemote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) using a non-invasive pneumatic tourniquet is a potential method for reducing ischaemia-reperfusion injury. RIPC has been extensively studied in animal models and cardiac surgery, but scarcely in solid organ transplantation. RIPC could be an inexpensive and simple method to improve function of transplanted organs. Accordingly, we aim to study whether RIPC performed in brain-dead organ donors improves function and longevity of transplanted organs.Methods and analysesRIPTRANS is a multicentre, sham-controlled, parallel group, randomised superiority trial comparing RIPC intervention versus sham-intervention in brain-dead organ donors scheduled to donate at least one kidney. Recipients of the organs (kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, lungs) from a randomised donor will be included provided that they give written informed consent. The RIPC intervention is performed by inflating a thigh tourniquet to 300 mm Hg 4 times for 5 min. The intervention is done two times: first right after the declaration of brain death and second immediately before transferring the donor to the operating theatre. The sham group receives the tourniquet, but it is not inflated. The primary endpoint is delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney allografts. Secondary endpoints include short-term functional outcomes of transplanted organs, rejections and graft survival in various time points up to 20 years. We aim to show that RIPC reduces the incidence of DGF from 25% to 15%. According to this, the sample size is set to 500 kidney transplant recipients.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by Helsinki University Hospital Ethics Committee and Helsinki University Hospital’s Institutional Review Board. The study protocol was be presented at the European Society of Organ Transplantation congress in Copenhagen 14−15 September 2019. The study results will be submitted to an international peer-reviewed scientific journal for publication.Trial registration numberNCT03855722.

Purpose We assessed the effects of targeting low-normal or high-normal arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) and normoxia or moderate hyperoxia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) on markers of cerebral and cardiac injury. Methods Using a 23 factorial design, we randomly assigned 123 patients resuscitated from OHCA to low-normal (4.5–4.7 kPa) or high-normal (5.8–6.0 kPa) PaCO2 and to normoxia (arterial oxygen tension [PaO2] 10–15 kPa) or moderate hyperoxia (PaO2 20–25 kPa) and to low-normal or high-normal mean arterial pressure during the first 36 h in the intensive care unit. Here we report the results of the low-normal vs. high-normal PaCO2 and normoxia vs. moderate hyperoxia comparisons. The primary endpoint was the serum concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) 48 h after cardiac arrest. Secondary endpoints included S100B protein and cardiac troponin concentrations, continuous electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) results and neurologic outcome at 6 months. Results In total 120 patients were included in the analyses. There was a clear separation in PaCO2 (p

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., OBJECTIVES: This explorative substudy aimed at determining the effect of inhaled xenon on left ventricular function by echocardiography in comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. DESIGN: A randomized two-group single-blinded phase 2 clinical drug trial. SETTING: A multipurpose ICU in two university hospitals. PATIENTS: Of the 110 randomized comatose survivors after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with a shockable rhythm in the xenon in combination with hypothermia after cardiac arrest trial, 38 patients (24–76 yr old) with complete echocardiography were included in this study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive either inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia (33°C) for 24 hours or hypothermia treatment alone. Echocardiography was performed at hospital admission and 24 ± 4 hours after hypothermia. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Left ventricular ejection fraction, myocardial longitudinal systolic strain, and diastolic function were analyzed blinded to treatment. There were 17 xenon and 21 control patients in whom echocardiography was completed. Clinical characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. At admission, ejection fraction was similar in xenon and control patients (39% ± 10% vs 38% ± 11%; p = 0.711) but higher in xenon than control patients after hypothermia (50% ± 10% vs 42% ± 10%; p = 0.014). Global longitudinal systolic strain was similar in xenon and control patients at admission (–9.0% ± 3.8% vs –8.1% ± 3.6%; p = 0.555) but better in xenon than control patients after hypothermia (–14.4.0% ± 4.0% vs –10.5% ± 4.0%; p = 0.006). In patients with coronary artery disease, longitudinal strain improved in the nonischemic myocardial segments in xenon patients. There were no changes in diastolic function between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among comatose survivors of a cardiac cause out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia was associated with greater recovery of left ventricular systolic function in comparison with hypothermia alone.

Background The authors previously reported that inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia attenuates brain white matter injury in comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Objectives A pre-defined secondary objective was to assess the effect of inhaled xenon on myocardial ischemic damage in the same study population. Methods A total of 110 comatose patients who had experienced OHCA from a cardiac cause were randomized to receive either inhaled xenon (40% end-tidal concentration) combined with hypothermia (33°C) for 24 h (n = 55; xenon group) or hypothermia treatment alone (n = 55; control group). Troponin-T levels were measured at hospital admission, and at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-cardiac arrest. All available cases were analyzed for troponin-T release. Results Troponin-T measurements were available from 54 xenon patients and 54 control patients. The baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. After adjustments for age, sex, study site, primary coronary percutaneous intervention (PCI), and norepinephrine dose, the mean ± SD post-arrival incremental change of the ln-transformed troponin-T at 72 h was 0.79 ± 1.54 in the xenon group and 1.56 ± 1.38 in the control group (adjusted mean difference −0.66; 95% confidence interval: −1.16 to −0.16; p = 0.01). The effect of xenon on the change in the troponin-T values did not differ in patients with or without PCI or in those with a diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (group by PCI or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction interaction effect; p = 0.86 and p = 0.71, respectively). Conclusions Among comatose survivors of OHCA, in comparison with hypothermia alone, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia suggested a less severe myocardial injury as demonstrated by the significantly reduced release of troponin-T.

Background According to earlier studies where the main aim has been quality of life, there is growing evidence of increased levels of persistent pain in survivors of critical illness. The cause of admission and several factors during intensive care may have associated risk factors for pain persistence. This systematic review aims to determine the incidence or prevalence of persistent pain after critical illness and to identify risk factors for it. Methods Six databases were searched, and eventually nine studies were included in the final systematic process. The validity of observational and cross-sectional studies was analysed using the National Institute of Health ‘Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies'. Results The incidence of persistent pain after intensive care varied from 28% to 77%. Risk factors for persistent pain were acute pain at discharge from ICU, higher thoracic trauma score, surgery, pre-existing pain, organ failure, longer length of ventilator or hospital stay, and sepsis. No difference in incidence between medical and surgical patients was found. Conclusions New systematic, observational studies are warranted to identify persistent pain-related factors in intensive care to improve pain management protocols and thereby diminish the risk of persistent pain after ICU stay.

Background Cerebral hypoperfusion may aggravate neurological damage after cardiac arrest. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides information on cerebral oxygenation but its relevance during post-resuscitation care is undefined. We investigated whether cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) measured with NIRS correlates with the serum concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a marker of neurological injury, and with clinical outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Methods We performed a post hoc analysis of a randomised clinical trial (COMACARE, NCT02698917) comparing two different levels of carbon dioxide, oxygen and arterial pressure after resuscitation from OHCA with ventricular fibrillation as the initial rhythm. We measured rSO2 in 118 OHCA patients with NIRS during the first 36 h of intensive care. We determined the NSE concentrations from serum samples at 48 h after cardiac arrest and assessed neurological outcome with the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scale at 6 months. We evaluated the association between rSO2 and serum NSE concentrations and the association between rSO2 and good (CPC 1–2) and poor (CPC 3–5) neurological outcome. Results The median (inter-quartile range (IQR)) NSE concentration at 48 h was 17.5 (13.4–25.0) μg/l in patients with good neurological outcome and 35.2 (22.6–95.8) μg/l in those with poor outcome, p

Background Organ dysfunction is common after cardiac arrest and associated with worse short-term outcome, but its impact on long-term outcome and treatment costs is unknown. Methods We used nationwide registry data from the intensive care units (ICU) of the five Finnish university hospitals to evaluate the association of 24-h extracerebral Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (24h-EC-SOFA) score with 1-year survival and healthcare-associated costs after cardiac arrest. We included adult cardiac arrest patients treated in the participating ICUs between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2013. We acquired the confirmed date of death from the Finnish Population Register Centre database and gross 1-year healthcare-associated costs from the hospital billing records and the database of the Finnish Social Insurance Institution. Results A total of 5814 patients were included in the study, and 2401 were alive 1 year after cardiac arrest. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) 24h-EC-SOFA score was 6 (5–8) in 1-year survivors and 7 (5–10) in non-survivors. In multivariate regression analysis, adjusting for age and prior independency in self-care, the 24h-EC-SOFA score had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.18) per point for 1-year mortality. Median (IQR) healthcare-associated costs in the year after cardiac arrest were €47,000 (€28,000–75,000) in 1-year survivors and €12,000 (€6600–25,000) in non-survivors. In a multivariate linear regression model adjusting for age and prior independency in self-care, an increase of one point in the 24h-EC-SOFA score was associated with an increase of €170 (95% CI €150–190) in the cost per day alive in the year after cardiac arrest. In the same model, an increase of one point in the 24h-EC-SOFA score was associated with an increase of €4400 (95% CI €3300–5500) in the total healthcare-associated costs in 1-year survivors. Conclusions Extracerebral organ dysfunction is associated with long-term outcome and gross healthcare-associated costs of ICU-treated cardiac arrest patients. It should be considered when assessing interventions to improve outcomes and optimize the use of resources in these patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13054-019-2359-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction: Post-extubation dysphagia is commonly observed in ICU patients and associated with increased aspiration rates, delayed resumption of oral intake/ malnutrition, prolonged ICU and hospital length of stay, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Conventional therapeutic approaches are limited. Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) was previously shown to improve swallowing function and airway safety in severely dysphagic tracheostomised stroke patients. Methods: In a multi-center, single-blind, 1:1 randomized controlled study, up to 400 (360 evaluable) mixed emergency adult ICU patients with recent extubation following mechanical ventilation and confirmed oropharyngeal dysphagia will be enrolled at investigational academic ICUs. Primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of PES in reducing the severity of unsafe swallows. Patients will be randomized to receive PES (or sham) treatment on 3 consecutive days in addition to best supportive care. Primary endpoint is a composite of 2 endpoints with hierarchy based on clinical priorities: 1) Swallowing safety based on worst penetration-aspiration-scale (PAS) score in series of up to 4 boli using thin stimuli approx. From 24 to 60 hours after treatment completion, converted to a trichotomized ordinal response of safe (PAS 1-3), penetration (PAS 4-5), or aspiration (PAS 6-8). 2) Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale scores determined by bedside assessment 7 +/- 1 days after treatment completion. Oropharyngeal dysphagia will be assessed by Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing by blinded study staff. Patients will be followed-up for a maximum of 90 days. Discussion: This study will evaluate the effects of PES on swallowing safety in critically ill ICU patients post mechanical ventilation with oropharyngeal dysphagia.

We assessed the association between the premorbid functional status (PFS) and 1-year mortality and functional status of very old intensive care patients. Using a nationwide quality registry, we retrieved data on patients treated in Finnish intensive care units (ICUs) during the period May 2012aEuro'April 2013. Of 16,389 patients, 1827 (11.1%) were very old (aged 80 years or older). We defined a person with good functional status as someone independent in activities of daily living (ADL) and able to climb stairs without assistance; a person with poor functional status was defined as needing assistance for ADL or being unable to climb stairs. We adjusted for severity of illness and calculated the impact of PFS. Overall, hospital mortality was 21.3% and 1-year mortality was 38.2%. For emergency patients (73.5% of all), hospital mortality was 28% and 1-year mortality was 48%. The functional status at 1 year was comparable to the PFS in 78% of the survivors. PFS was poor for 43.3% of the patients. A poor PFS predicted an increased risk of in-hospital death, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.50 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.10), and of 1-year mortality, OR 2.18 (1.67-2.85). PFS data significantly improved the prediction of 1-year mortality. Of very old ICU patients, 62% were alive 1 year after ICU admission and 78% of the survivors had a functional status comparable to the premorbid situation. A poor PFS doubled the odds of death within a year. Knowledge of PFS improved the prediction of 1-year mortality.

Importance Evidence from preclinical models indicates that xenon gas can prevent the development of cerebral damage after acute global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury but, thus far, these putative neuroprotective properties have not been reported in human studies. Objective To determine the effect of inhaled xenon on ischemic white matter damage assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Design, Setting, and Participants A randomized single-blind phase 2 clinical drug trial conducted between August 2009 and March 2015 at 2 multipurpose intensive care units in Finland. One hundred ten comatose patients (aged 24-76 years) who had experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were randomized. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to receive either inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia (33°C) for 24 hours (n = 55 in the xenon group) or hypothermia treatment alone (n = 55 in the control group). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was cerebral white matter damage as evaluated by fractional anisotropy from diffusion tensor MRI scheduled to be performed between 36 and 52 hours after cardiac arrest. Secondary end points included neurological outcome assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (score 0 [no symptoms] through 6 [death]) and mortality at 6 months. Results Among the 110 randomized patients (mean age, 61.5 years; 80 men [72.7%]), all completed the study. There were MRI data from 97 patients (88.2%) a median of 53 hours (interquartile range [IQR], 47-64 hours) after cardiac arrest. The mean global fractional anisotropy values were 0.433 (SD, 0.028) in the xenon group and 0.419 (SD, 0.033) in the control group. The age-, sex-, and site-adjusted mean global fractional anisotropy value was 3.8% higher (95% CI, 1.1%-6.4%) in the xenon group (adjusted mean difference, 0.016 [95% CI, 0.005-0.027], P = .006). At 6 months, 75 patients (68.2%) were alive. Secondary end points at 6 months did not reveal statistically significant differences between the groups. In ordinal analysis of the modified Rankin Scale, the median (IQR) value was 1 (1-6) in the xenon group and 1 (0-6) in the control group (median difference, 0 [95% CI, 0-0]; P = .68). The 6-month mortality rate was 27.3% (15/55) in the xenon group and 34.5% (19/55) in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.23-1.01]; P = .053). Conclusions and Relevance Among comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia compared with hypothermia alone resulted in less white matter damage as measured by fractional anisotropy of diffusion tensor MRI. However, there was no statistically significant difference in neurological outcomes or mortality at 6 months. These preliminary findings require further evaluation in an adequately powered clinical trial designed to assess clinical outcomes associated with inhaled xenon among survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00879892

BACKGROUND The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is used to quantify the severity of illness daily during intensive care. Our aim was to evaluate how accurately SOFA is recorded in clinical practice, and whether this can be improved by a refresher course in scoring rules. METHODS The scores recorded by physicians in a university hospital intensive care unit (ICU) were compared with the gold standard determined by two expert assessors. Data concerning all consecutive patients during two 6-week-long observation periods (baseline and after the refresher course) were compared. RESULTS SOFA was accurate on 75/158 (48%) patient days at baseline. The cardiovascular, coagulation, liver, and renal component scores showed excellent accuracy (>or=82%, weighted kappa >or=0.92), while the neurological score showed only moderate (70%, weighted kappa 0.51) and the respiration score showed good accuracy (75%, weighted kappa 0.79). After the refresher course, the number of >or=2 point errors decreased (P

Background: Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often have low magnesium, phosphate and zinc levels. Monitoring of serum concentrations and supplementation may be important, but there is no consensus on optimal practice. The objective of the WhyTrace survey was to describe current practice regarding the measurement and supplementation of magnesium, phosphate and zinc in ICUs. Methods: A 54-item electronic questionnaire was developed in accordance with SURGE, SUrvey Reporting GuidelinE, to address international clinical practice in the ICU. National investigators recruited ICUs in ten countries with one physician responding per ICU using a unique e-mail distributed survey-link. Results: The questionnaire was sent to clinicians in 336 ICUs of whom 283 (84%) responded. In 62% of the ICUs, a standard procedure was in place regarding the measurement of serum magnesium levels, in 58% for phosphate and in 9% for zinc. Zinc was never or rarely measured in 64% of ICUs. The frequency of requesting serum levels varied from twice daily to once weekly. Regarding supplementation, 66% of ICUs had a standard procedure for magnesium, 63% for phosphate and 15% for zinc. Most procedures recommended supplementation when serum levels were below the lower reference level, but some used the upper reference levels as the threshold for supplementation and others decided on a case-by-case basis. Conclusion: The practice of measuring and supplementing magnesium, phosphate and zinc differed substantially between ICUs. Our findings indicate that there is a need for high-quality prospective data on frequencies of measurements, treatment goals and effects of supplementation on patient-important outcomes.