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Purpose: To assess whether pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) modified the relationship between the strategy for renal-replacement theraphy (RRT) initiation and clinical outcomes in the STARRT-AKI trial. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a multi-national randomized trial. We included patients who had documented pre-existing estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) data prior to hospitalization, and we defined CKD as an eGFR ≤ 59 mL/min/1.73 m2. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included RRT dependence and RRT-free days at 90 days. We used logistic and linear regression and interaction testing to explore the effect of RRT initiation strategy on outcomes by CKD status. Results: We studied 1121 patients who had pre-hospital measures of kidney function. Of these, 432 patients (38.5%) had CKD. The median (IQR) baseline serum creatinine was 130 (114–160) and 76 (64–90) µmol/L for those with and without CKD, respectively. Patients with CKD were older and more likely to have cardiovascular comorbidities and diabetes mellitus. Patients with CKD had higher 90-day mortality (47% vs. 40%, p < 0.001) compared to those without CKD, though this was not significant after covariate adjustment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.05; 95% CI, 0.79–1.41). Patients with CKD were more likely to remain RRT dependent at 90 days (14% vs. 8%; aOR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.05–3.43). CKD status did not modify the effect of RRT initiation strategy on 90-day mortality. Among patients with CKD, allocation to the accelerated strategy conferred more than threefold greater odds of RRT dependence at 90 days (aOR 3.18; 95% CI, 1.41–7.91) compared with the standard strategy, whereas RRT initiation strategy had no effect on this outcome among those without CKD (aOR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.34–1.47, p value for interaction, 0.009). Conclusion: In this secondary analysis of the STARRT-AKI trial, an accelerated strategy of RRT initiation conferred a higher risk of 90-day RRT dependence among patients with pre-existing CKD; however, no effect was observed in the absence of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has disrupted critical care services across the world. In anticipation of surges in the need for critical care services, governments implemented "lockdown" measures to preserve and create added critical care capacity. Herein, we describe the impact of lockdown measures on the utilization of critical care services and patient outcomes compared with nonlockdown epochs in a large integrated health region.Design: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study.Setting: Seventeen adult ICUs across 14 acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada.Patients: All adult (age ≥ 15 yr) patients admitted to any study ICU.Interventions: None.Measurements and Main Results: The main exposure was ICU admission during "lockdown" occurring between March 16, 2020, and June 30, 2020. This period was compared with two nonpandemic control periods: "year prior" (March 16, 2019, to June 30, 2019) and "pre lockdown" immediately prior (November 30, 2019, to March 15, 2020). The primary outcome was the number of ICU admissions. Secondary outcomes included the following: daily measures of ICU utilization, ICU duration of stay, avoidable delay in ICU discharge, and occupancy; and patient outcomes. Mixed multilevel negative binomial regression and interrupted time series regression were used to compare rates of ICU admissions between periods. Multivariable regressions were used to compare patient outcomes between periods. During the lockdown, there were 3,649 ICU admissions (34.1 [8.0] ICU admissions/d), compared with 4,125 (38.6 [9.3]) during the prelockdown period and 3,919 (36.6 [8.7]) during the year prior. Mean bed occupancy declined significantly during the lockdown compared with the nonpandemic periods (78.7%, 95.9%, and 96.4%; p < 0.001). Avoidable ICU discharge delay also decreased significantly (42.0%, 53.2%, and 58.3%; p < 0.001). During the lockdown, patients were younger, had fewer comorbid diseases, had higher acuity, and were more likely to be medical admissions compared with the nonpandemic periods. Adjusted ICU and hospital mortality and ICU and hospital lengths of stay were significantly lower during the lockdown compared with nonpandemic periods.Conclusions: The coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown resulted in substantial changes to ICU utilization, including a reduction in admissions, occupancy, patient lengths of stay, and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Persistent critical illness has been described as a subtype of chronic critical illness, characterized as a transition after ICU admission where primary diagnosis and illness acuity are no better at predicting outcome than pre-hospital characteristics. Herein we describe the occurrence and outcomes associated with persistent critical illness in a large Canadian health region.Methods: In this multi-center observational cohort study, all patients aged older than 14 years admitted to 12 ICUs in Alberta, Canada, between June 2012 and December 2014 were included. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Predictors at ICU admission were separated into: (1) antecedent characteristics component (e.g., demographics, chronic health component of the APACHE II score, comorbid conditions); and (2) acute illness component (e.g., APACHE II score at admission, SOFA score, primary diagnostic category, surgical status, acute organ support). Using multiple statistical methods and randomly splitting the cohort into development and validation samples for risk scoring using logistic regression, we examined mortality prediction of each of these components to characterize the timing of transition to persistent critical illness.Results: We included 17,783 patients with a median (IQR) age 61 years (49-71), 62% were male, and mean APACHE II score was 19.0 (7.9). In-hospital mortality was 16.8%. Among patients alive and in ICU, the acute illness component, which accurately predicted outcome at the time of admission [area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) 0.861; 95% CI 0.860-0.862], progressively lost predictive ability and was no longer more predictive than antecedent characteristics after 9 days. This transition defined the onset of persistent critical illness and comprised 16.1% (n = 2856) of the cohort. Transition ranged between 5 and 21 days across subgroups. In-hospital mortality was greater for those with persistent critical illness [23.9% vs. 15.5%, odds ratio (OR) 1.54; 95% CI 1.43-1.67, p < 0.001]. Persistently critically ill patients accounted for 54.5% of 97844 ICU bed-days and 36.3% of 420119 hospital bed-days, respectively.Conclusions: Persistent critical illness occurred in one in six patients admitted to Alberta ICUs and portended greater risk of death, prolonged ICU and hospital stay, and disproportionate use of health resources compared to patients without persistent critical illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current reports on acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) show wide variation in occurrence rate and are limited by study biases such as use of incomplete AKI definition, selected cohorts, or retrospective design. Our aim was to prospectively investigate the occurrence and outcomes of AKI in ICU patients. Methods: The Acute Kidney Injury-Epidemiologic Prospective Investigation (AKI-EPI) study was an international cross-sectional study performed in 97 centers on patients during the first week of ICU admission. We measured AKI by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, and outcomes at hospital discharge. Results: A total of 1032 ICU patients out of 1802 [57.3 %; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 55.0-59.6] had AKI. Increasing AKI severity was associated with hospital mortality when adjusted for other variables; odds ratio of stage 1 = 1.679 (95 % CI 0.890-3.169; p = 0.109), stage 2 = 2.945 (95 % CI 1.382-6.276; p = 0.005), and stage 3 = 6.884 (95 % CI 3.876-12.228; p < 0.001). Risk-adjusted rates of AKI and mortality were similar across the world. Patients developing AKI had worse kidney function at hospital discharge with estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m in 47.7 % (95 % CI 43.6-51.7) versus 14.8 % (95 % CI 11.9-18.2) in those without AKI, p < 0.001. Conclusions: This is the first multinational cross-sectional study on the epidemiology of AKI in ICU patients using the complete KDIGO criteria. We found that AKI occurred in more than half of ICU patients. Increasing AKI severity was associated with increased mortality, and AKI patients had worse renal function at the time of hospital discharge. Adjusted risks for AKI and mortality were similar across different continents and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Octogenarians (aged ≥ 80 years) are increasingly being referred for cardiac surgery. We aimed to describe the morbidity, mortality, and health services utilization of octogenarians undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Methods: Retrospective population-based cohort study of adult patients receiving elective cardiac surgery between January 1 2004 and December 31 2009. Primary exposure was age ≥80 years. Outcomes were 30-day, 1- and 5-year mortality, post-operative complications, and ICU/hospital lengths of stay. Multi-variable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to explore the association between older age and outcome. Results: Of 6,843 patients receiving cardiac surgery, 544 (7.9%) were octogenarians. There was an increasing trend in the proportion of octogenarians undergoing surgery during the study period (0.3% per year, P = 0.073). Octogenarians were more likely to have combined procedures (valve plus coronary artery bypass or multiple valves) compared with younger strata (p < 0.001). Crude 30-day, 1-year and 5-year mortality for octogenarians were 3.7%, 10.8% and 29.0%, respectively. Compared to younger strata, octogenarians had higher adjusted 30-day (OR 4.83, 95%CI 1.30-17.92; P = 0.018) and 1-year mortality (OR 4.92; 95% CI, 2.32-10.46. P<0.001). Post-operative complications were more likely among octogenarians. Octogenarians had longer post-operative stays in ICU and hospital, and higher rates of ICU readmission (P < 0.001 for all). After multi-variable adjustment, age ≧ 80 years was an independent predictor of death at 30-days and 1 year. Conclusions: Octogenarians are increasingly referred for elective cardiac surgery with more combined procedures. Compared to younger patients, octogenarians have a higher risk of post-operative complications, consume greater resources, and have worse but acceptable short and long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the occurrence of recurrent clinical deterioration and repeat medical emergency team activation and assess its effect on processes and outcomes of care. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Two community hospitals and two tertiary care hospitals, Alberta, Canada. Patients: Consecutive hospitalized adult patients with sudden clinical deterioration and medical emergency team activation without admission to ICU. Intervention: None. Measurement and Main Results: We compared ICU admission rates (admissions > 2 hr following index medical emergency team), hospital length of stay, and hospital mortality for a cohort of 3,200 patients with and without recurrent clinical deterioration following medical emergency team activation adjusting for patient, provider, and hospital characteristics. The cohort consisted of 3,200 patients. Ten percent of patients (n = 337) experienced recurrent clinical deterioration and repeat medical emergency team activation during their hospital stay. Patients more likely to experience recurrent clinical deterioration and repeat medical emergency team activation included those with chronic liver disease (odds ratio, 1.75; 95% Cl, 1.14-2.69) or who received airway suctioning (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% Cl, 1.23-2.25), noninvasive mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 1.67; 95% Cl, 0.94-2.94), or central IV catheter insertion (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% Cl, 1.02-3.21) during the index medical emergency team activation. Patients with recurrent clinical deterioration were more likely than patients without recurrent clinical deterioration to be subsequently admitted to ICU (43% vs 13%; odds ratio, 6.11; 95% Cl, 4.67-8.00; p < 0.01), to have longer lengths of hospital stay (median, 31 d vs 13 d; p<0.01), and to die during their hospital stay (34% vs 23%; odds ratio, 1.98; 95% Cl, 1.47-2.67; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Recurrent clinical deterioration and repeat medical emergency team activation are common and associated with increased risk of subsequent ICU admission, increased length of hospital stay, and increased hospital mortality. It may be possible to identify patients at risk of recurrent clinical deterioration following medical emergency team activation and target interventions to improve patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the incidence and outcomes associated with early acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic shock and explore the association between duration from hypotension onset to effective antimicrobial therapy and AKI. Retrospective cohort study. A total of 4,532 adult patients with septic shock from 1989 to 2005. Intensive care units of 22 academic and community hospitals in Canada, the United States and Saudi Arabia. In total, 64.4% of patients with septic shock developed early AKI (i.e., within 24 h after onset of hypotension). By RIFLE criteria, 16.3% had risk, 29.4% had injury and 18.7% had failure. AKI patients were older, more likely female, with more co-morbid disease and greater severity of illness. Of 3,373 patients (74.4%) with hypotension prior to receiving effective antimicrobial therapy, the median (IQR) time from hypotension onset to antimicrobial therapy was 5.5 h (2.0–13.3). Patients with AKI were more likely to have longer delays to receiving antimicrobial therapy compared to those with no AKI [6.0 (2.3–15.3) h for AKI vs. 4.3 (1.5–10.8) h for no AKI, P < 0.0001). A longer duration to antimicrobial therapy was also associated an increase in odds of AKI [odds ratio (OR) 1.14, 95% CI 1.10–1.20, P < 0.001, per hour (log-transformed) delay]. AKI was associated with significantly higher odds of death in both ICU (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.60–1.9, P < 0.0001) and hospital (OR 1.62, 95% CI, 1.5–1.7, P < 0.0001). By Cox proportional hazards analysis, including propensity score-adjustment, each RIFLE category was independently associated with a greater hazard ratio for death (risk 1.31; injury 1.45; failure 1.56). Early AKI is common in septic shock. Delays to appropriate antimicrobial therapy may contribute to significant increases in the incidence of AKI. Survival was considerably lower for septic shock associated with early AKI, with increasing severity of AKI, and with increasing delays to appropriate antimicrobial therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that aims to examine temporal trends in blood glucose (BG) control and identify their association with hospital mortality in critically ill patients from Australia. It mentions that 24 intensive care units (ICU) across Australia are considered in the study. It identifies that there was no significant change in early glycemic control from 2000 to 2005 and that high and early low BG levels were associated with hospital mortality.

The article provides a systematic review of randomized trials comparing intermittent renal replacement therapy (IRRT) and continuous RRT (CRRT) modality for critically-ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). The review's objectives were to evaluate whether modality influences mortality, renal recovery, treatment-related complications and physiologic outcomes. The study found no difference in mortality or renal recovery to RRT independence.

Purpose: Patients with hematological malignancies are at high risk for life-threatening complications. To date, little attention has been paid to the impact of hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use on mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) and 28-day mortality in critically ill patients with hematologic malignancies. Methods: Data from three international cohorts (Europe, Canada, Oceania) of patients who received respiratory support (noninvasive ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula, invasive mechanical ventilation) were obtained. We used mixed-effect Cox models to investigate the association between day one PaO2 or excess oxygen use (inspired fraction of oxygen ≥ 0.6 with PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day-28 mortality. Results: 11,249 patients were included. On day one, 5716 patients (50.8%) had normoxemia (60 ≤ PaO2 ≤ 100 mmHg), 1454 (12.9%) hypoxemia (PaO2 < 60 mmHg), and 4079 patients (36.3%) hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg). Excess oxygen was used in 2201 patients (20%). Crude day-28 mortality rate was 40.6%. There was a significant association between PaO2 and day-28 mortality with a U-shaped relationship (p < 0.001). Higher PaO2 levels (> 100 mmHg) were associated with day-28 mortality with a dose–effect relationship. Subgroup analyses showed an association between hyperoxemia and mortality in patients admitted with neurological disorders; however, the opposite relationship was seen across those admitted with sepsis and neutropenia. Excess oxygen use was also associated with subsequent day-28 mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.11[1.04–1.19]). This result persisted after propensity score analysis (matched HR associated with excess oxygen:1.31 [1.20–1.1.44]). Conclusion: In critically-ill patients with hematological malignancies, exposure to hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use were associated with increased mortality, with variable magnitude across subgroups. This might be a modifiable factor to improve mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the potential of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarkers in enhancing clinical strategies. It mentions that both diseases induce admission to intensive care units (ICU) with significant inference towards the mortality and morbidity of patients as well as utilization of health resources. An overview of its usefulness is also presented.

The "very old intensive care patients" (abbreviated to VOPs; greater than 80 years old) are probably the fastest expanding subgroup of all intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Up until recently most ICU physicians have been reluctant to admit these VOPs. The general consensus was that there was little survival to gain and the incremental life expectancy of ICU admission was considered too small. Several publications have questioned this belief, but others have confirmed the poor long-term mortality rates in VOPs. More appropriate triage (resource limitation enforced decisions), admission decisions based on shared decision-making and improved prediction models are also needed for this particular patient group. Here, an expert panel proposes a research agenda for VOPs for the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Evidence examining commonly used drug treatments remains uncertain. We assessed the comparative effectiveness of inpatient treatments for HRS by performing a network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception.Study Selection and Data Extraction: Pairs of reviewers independently identified eligible RCTs that enrolled patients with type 1 or 2 HRS. Pairs of reviewers independently extracted data.Data Synthesis: We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool for RCTs and certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach. Our main outcomes are all-cause mortality, HRS reversal, and serious adverse events. Of 3,079 citations, we included 26 RCTs examining 1,736 patients. Based on pooled analysis, terlipressin increases HRS reversal compared with placebo (142 reversals per 1,000 [95% CI, >87.7 to >210.9]; high certainty). Norepinephrine (112.7 reversals per 1,000 [95% CI, 52.6 to >192.3]) may increase HRS reversal compared with placebo (low certainty). The effect of midodrine+octreotide (67.8 reversals per 1,000 [95% CI, <2.8 to >177.4]; very low) on HRS reversal is uncertain. Terlipressin may reduce mortality compared with placebo (93.7 fewer deaths [95% CI, 168.7 to <12.5]; low certainty). Terlipressin probably increases the risk of serious adverse events compared with placebo (20.4 more events per 1,000 [95% CI, <5.1 to >51]; moderate certainty).Conclusions: Terlipressin increases HRS reversal compared with placebo. Terlipressin may reduce mortality. Until access to terlipressin improves, initial norepinephrine administration may be more appropriate than initial trial with midodrine+octreotide. Our review has the potential to inform future guideline and practice in the treatment of HRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Critical care transition programs have been widely implemented to improve the safety of patient discharge from ICU, but have undergone limited evaluation. We sought to evaluate implementation of a critical care transition program on patient readmission to ICU (72 h) and mortality (14 days).Methods: Interrupted time series analysis of 32,234 consecutive adult patients discharged alive from medical-surgical ICUs in eight hospitals in two cities between January 1, 2002 and January 1, 2012. A multidisciplinary ICU provider team (physician, nurse, respiratory therapist) that serially evaluated each patient after ICU discharge was implemented in three hospitals in one city (study group), but not the five hospitals in the other city (control group). Temporal changes were examined using multivariable, segmented linear regression models.Results: After implementation of the program, there was an immediate non-significant decrease in the absolute proportion of patients readmitted to ICU in the study group (-0.4%, 95% CI -1.7 to +1.0%) and a non-significant increase in the absolute proportion of patients readmitted to ICU in the control group (+1.0%, 95% CI -0.3 to +2.2%). Subsequently, there were non-significant changes in the absolute proportion of patients readmitted to ICU in both the study (+0.1% per quarter; 95% CI, -0.1 to +0.2%) and control (-0.1 per quarter; 95% CI, -0.2 to +0.1%) groups over time. No significant changes were observed in mortality. The results were stable across patient subgroups.Conclusions: Implementation of a critical care transition program was not associated with patient readmission to ICU or mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is conflicting evidence on the association between afterhours discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital mortality. We examined the effects of afterhours discharge, including the potential effect of residual organ dysfunction, on hospital mortality in a large integrated health region. Methods: We performed a multi-center retrospective cohort study of 10,463 adults discharged from 9 mixed medical/surgical ICUs in Alberta from June 2012 to December 2014. We applied a 2-stage modeling strategy to investigate the association between afterhours discharge (19:00h to 07:59h) and post-ICU hospital mortality. We applied mixed-effect multi-variable linear regression to assess the relationship between discharge organ dysfunction and afterhours discharge. We then applied mixed-effect multi-variable logistic regression to evaluate the direct, indirect and integrated associations of afterhours discharge on hospital mortality and hospitalization duration. Results: Of 10,463 patients, 23.7% (n = 2,480) were discharged afterhours, of which 27.4% occurred on a holiday or weekend. This varied significantly by ICU size, type, and site. Patients discharged afterhours were more likely medical admissions, had greater multi-morbidity and illness acuity. A greater average SOFA score in the 72 hours prior to ICU discharge was not associated with afterhours discharge. However, a greater average SOFA score was associated with hospital mortality (adjusted-odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.18-1.28). Afterhours discharge was associated with higher hospital mortality (adjusted-OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01-1.39), increased hospital stay (adjusted-risk ratio [RR], 1.10; 95% CI, 1.09-1.11) and increased post-ICU stay (adjusted-RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.17) when compared with workhours discharge. Conclusions: Afterhours discharge is common, occurring in 1 in 4 discharges, and is widely variable across ICUs. Patients discharged afterhours have greater risk of hospital mortality and prolonged hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.There are no suitably powered epidemiological studies of ‘transient azotaemia’ (TA). The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of TA and its independent association with hospital mortality. We hypothesized that TA would be associated with an independent increase in the risk of death. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The long-term mortality outcome associated with sepsis and septic shock has not been well defined in a nonselected critically ill population. This study investigated the occurrence and the role of bloodstream infection (BSI) associated sepsis and septic shock at time of intensive care unit (ICU) admission on the 1-year mortality of patients admitted to a regional critical care system.Design and Setting: Population-based inception cohort in all adult multidisciplinary and cardiovascular ICUs in the Calgary Health Region (population approx. 1 million) between 1 July 1999 and 31 March 2002.Patients and Participants: Adults (>/=18 years; n=4,845) who had at least one ICU admission to CHR ICUs.Results: In 251 (5%) patients there was BSI-associated sepsis at presentation to ICU, and 159 of these also had septic shock. The 28-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates overall were 18%, 21%, and 24%: 23%, 30%, and 36% for BSI-associated sepsis without shock, and 51%, 57%, and 61% with shock, respectively. Surgical diagnosis, BSI-associated sepsis, and increasing age were independently associated with late (28-day to 1-year) mortality whereas higher APACHE II and TISS scores were associated with reduced odds in logistic regression analysis.Conclusions: BSI-associated sepsis and septic shock are associated with increased risk of mortality persisting after 28-days up to 1 year or more. Follow-up duration beyond 28 days better defines the burden of illness associated with these syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The optimal time to initiate renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury is controversial. We investigated the effect of such earlier versus later initiation of renal replacement therapy on the primary outcome of 28-day mortality and other patient-centered secondary outcomes.Design: We searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane databases to July 17, 2020, and included randomized controlled trials comparing earlier versus later renal replacement therapy.Setting: Multiple centers involved in eight trials.Patients: Total of 4,588 trial participants.Intervention: Two independents investigators screened and extracted data using a predefined form. We selected randomized controlled trials in critically ill adult patients with acute kidney injury and compared of earlier versus later initiation of renal replacement therapy regardless of modality.Measurements and Main Results: Overall, 28-day mortality was similar between earlier and later renal replacement therapy initiation (38.43% vs 38.06%, respectively; risk ratio, 1.01; [95% CI, 0.94-1.09]; I2 = 0%). Earlier renal replacement therapy, however, shortened hospital length of stay (mean difference, -2.14 d; [95% CI, -4.13 to -0.14]) and ICU length of stay (mean difference, -1.18 d; [95% CI, -1.95 to -0.42]). In contrast, later renal replacement therapy decreased the use of renal replacement therapy (relative risk, 0.69; [95% CI, 0.58-0.82]) and lowered the risk of catheter-related blood stream infection (risk ratio, 0.50, [95% CI, 0.29-0.86). Among survivors, renal replacement therapy dependence at day 28 was similar between earlier and later renal replacement therapy initiation (risk ratio, 0.98; [95% CI, 0.66-1.40]).Conclusions: Earlier or later initiation of renal replacement therapy did not affect mortality. However, earlier renal replacement therapy was associated with significantly shorter ICU and hospital length of stay, whereas later renal replacement therapy was associated with decreased use of renal replacement therapy and decreased risk of catheter-related blood stream infection. These findings can be used to guide the management of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence and outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced kidney injury have been variably described. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, correlates and outcomes of critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 671 critically ill adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from 19 hospitals in China between January 1 to February 29, 2020. Data were captured on demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, acute physiology, laboratory parameters, interventions, and outcomes. The primary exposure was ICU admission for confirmed COVID-19 related critically illness. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included factors associated with AKI, organ dysfunction, treatment intensity, and health services use. Measurements and Main Results: Of 671 severe COVID-19 patients (median [IQR] 65 [56-73] years; male sex 65% (n = 434); hypertension 43% (n = 287) and APACHE II score 10 [7-14]), 39% developed AKI. Patients with AKI were older, had greater markers of inflammation and coagulation activation, and had greater acuity and organ dysfunction as presentation. Despite similar treatment with antivirals, patients with AKI had lower viral conversion negative rates than those without AKI. The 28-day mortality was much higher in AKI patients than patients without AKI (72% vs. 42%), and there was an increase in 28-day mortality according to the severity of AKI. Non-survivors were less likely to receive antiviral therapy [132 (70%) vs. 65 (88%)] compared with survivors and have lower viral negative conversion rate [17 (9%) vs. 47 (64%)]. Conclusions: Acute kidney injury was quite common in severe COVID-19 pneumonia, which associated with higher mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Determinants of fluid use and the association between volume of fluid used and effect of balanced solutions on mortality in critically ill patients: a secondary analysis of the BaSICS trial" published in the journal Intensive Care Medicine. The correction states that the given name of the third author was incorrectly listed as "Vivivane" and should be "Viviane." The original article has been corrected, and the authors apologize for the mistake. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Fernando G. Zampieri, Flavia R. Machado, Viviane C. Veiga, Luciano C. P. Azevedo, Sean M. Bagshaw, Lucas P. Damiani, and Alexandre B. Cavalcanti. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The timing of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for severe acute kidney injury is highly debated when no life-threatening complications are present. We assessed whether a strategy of delayed versus early RRT initiation affects 28-day survival in critically ill adults with severe acute kidney injury.Methods: In this systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomised trials published from April 1, 2008, to Dec 20, 2019, that compared delayed and early RRT initiation strategies in patients with severe acute kidney injury. Trials were eligible for inclusion if they included critically ill patients aged 18 years or older with acute kidney injury (defined as a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes [KDIGO] acute kidney injury stage 2 or 3, or, where KDIGO was unavailable, a renal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 3 or higher). We contacted the principal investigator of each eligible trial to request individual patient data. From the included trials, any patients without acute kidney injury or who were not randomly allocated were not included in the individual patient data meta-analysis. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at day 28 after randomisation. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019125025).Findings: Among the 1031 studies identified, one study that met the eligibility criteria was excluded because the recruitment period was not recent enough, and ten (including 2143 patients) were included in the analysis. Individual patient data were available for nine studies (2083 patients), from which 1879 patients had severe acute kidney injury and were randomly allocated: 946 (50%) to the delayed RRT group and 933 (50%) to the early RRT group. 390 (42%) of 929 patients allocated to the delayed RRT group and who had available data did not receive RRT. The proportion of patients who died by day 28 did not significantly differ between the delayed RRT group (366 [44%] of 837) and the early RRT group (355 [43%] of 827; risk ratio 1·01 [95% CI 0·91 to 1·13], p=0·80), corresponding to an overall risk difference of 0·01 (95% CI -0·04 to 0·06). There was no heterogeneity across studies (I2=0%; τ2=0), and most studies had a low risk of bias.Interpretation: The timing of RRT initiation does not affect survival in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury in the absence of urgent indications for RRT. Delaying RRT initiation, with close patient monitoring, might lead to a reduced use of RRT, thereby saving health resources.Funding: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frailty is one of the major challenges for intensive care, affecting one-third of intensive care unit patients and being associated with a range of poor health outcomes. Determination of frailty in critical illness using the Clinical Frailty Scale has recently been adopted by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, but it is not known whether this is able to be measured from the clinical record without interviewing patients or their relatives. The aims of this retrospective cohort study were to test whether a Clinical Frailty Scale score could be assigned in an intensive care unit population from the clinical record, and to assess the inter-rater reliability of frailty measured in this manner. A total of 144 patients were enrolled. Of these, 137 (95%) were able to have a Clinical Frailty Scale score assigned, and 22 (15%) were scored as frail (Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5). Cohen's kappa coefficient for inter-rater reliability between assessors was 0.67, confirming substantial agreement. Consistent with other critically ill cohorts, frailty was associated on multivariate analysis with age, Charlson comorbidity score, dependence with activities of daily living, and limitation of medical treatment, indicating validity of this approach to frailty measurement. Our results imply that frailty measurement is possible and feasible from the intensive care unit clinical record, which is of importance as routine measurement and reporting of frailty in intensive care units in our region increases. Future work should seek to validate an assigned Clinical Frailty Scale score with that obtained directly from patients or their next of kin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital mortality rates are elevated in critically ill patients with bloodstream infections. Given that mortality may be even higher if appropriate treatment is delayed, we sought to determine the effect of inadequate initial empiric treatment on mortality in these patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted across 13 intensive care units in Canada. We defined inadequate initial empiric treatment as not receiving at least one dose of an antimicrobial to which the causative pathogen(s) was susceptible within one day of initial blood culture. We evaluated the association between inadequate initial treatment and hospital mortality using a random effects multivariable logistic regression model. Among 1,190 patients (1,097 had bacteremia and 93 had candidemia), 476 (40%) died and 266 (22%) received inadequate initial treatment. Candidemic patients more often had inadequate initial empiric therapy (64.5% versus 18.8%), as well as longer delays to final culture results (4 vs 3 days) and appropriate therapy (2 vs 0 days). After adjustment, there was no detectable association between inadequate initial treatment and mortality among bacteremic patients (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.02, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.70–1.48); however, candidemic patients receiving inadequate treatment had nearly three times the odds of death (OR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.05–7.99). Inadequate initial empiric antimicrobial treatment was not associated with increased mortality in bacteremic patients, but was an important risk factor in the subgroup of candidemic patients. Further research is warranted to improve early diagnostic and risk prediction methods in candidemic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The optimum duration of antimicrobial treatment for patients with bacteremia is unknown. Our objectives were to determine duration of antimicrobial treatment provided to patients who have bacteremia in ICUs, to assess pathogen/patient factors related to treatment duration, and to assess the relationship between treatment duration and survival.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Settings: Fourteen ICUs across Canada.Patients: Patients with bacteremia and were present in the ICU at the time culture reported positive.Interventions: Duration of antimicrobial treatment for patients who had bacteremia in ICU.Measurements and Main Results: Among 1,202 ICU patients with bacteremia, the median duration of treatment was 14 days, but with wide variability (interquartile range, 9-17.5). Most patient characteristics were not associated with treatment duration. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the only pathogens associated with shorter treatment (odds ratio, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.51-5.26). The urinary tract was the only source of infection associated with a trend toward lower likelihood of shorter treatment (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.42-1.08); an unknown source of infection was associated with a greater likelihood of shorter treatment (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.17-3.91). The association of treatment duration and survival was unstable when analyzed based on timing of death.Conclusions: Critically ill patients who have bacteremia typically receive long courses of antimicrobials. Most patient/pathogen characteristics are not associated with treatment duration; survivor bias precludes a valid assessment of the association between treatment duration and survival. A definitive randomized controlled trial is needed to compare shorter versus longer antimicrobial treatment in patients who have bacteremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to determine the impact of nighttime discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the ward on hospital mortality and readmission rates in consecutive critically ill patients admitted to five Canadian ICUs. We hypothesized that hospital mortality and readmission rates would be higher for patients discharged after hours compared with discharge during the day.Methods: A multi-center retrospective cohort study was carried out at five hospitals in Edmonton, Canada, between July 2002 and December 2009. Nighttime discharge was defined as discharge from the ICU occurring between 07:00 pm and 07:59 am. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations between nighttime discharge and outcomes.Results: Of 19,622 patients discharged alive from the ICU, 3,505 (17.9%) discharges occurred during nighttime. Nighttime discharge occurred more commonly among medical than surgical patients (19.9% vs. 13.8%, P < 0.001) and among those with more comorbid conditions, compared with daytime discharged patients. Crude hospital mortality (11.8% versus 8.8%, P < 0.001) was greater for nighttime discharged as compared to daytime discharged patients. In a multivariable analysis, after adjustment for comorbidities, diagnosis and source of admission, nighttime discharge remains associated with higher mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.29; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.46, P < 0.001). This finding was robust in two sensitivity analyses examining discharges occurring between 00:00 am and 04:59 am (OR 1.28; 1.12-1.47; P < 0.001) and for those who died within 48 h of ICU discharge without readmission (OR 1.24; 1.07-1.42, P = 0.002). There was no difference in ICU readmission for nighttime compared with daytime discharges (7.4% vs. 6.9 %, p = 0.26). However, rates were higher for nighttime discharges in community compared with tertiary hospitals (7.7% vs. 5.7%, P = 0.023).Conclusions: In a large integrated health region, 1 in 5 ICU patients are discharged at nighttime, a factor with increasing occurrence during our study and shown to be independently associated with higher hospital mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacteremia is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in critically ill adults. No previous randomized controlled trials have directly compared shorter versus longer durations of antimicrobial treatment in these patients. Methods/Design: This is a multicenter pilot randomized controlled trial in critically ill patients with bacteremia. Eligible patients will be adults with a positive blood culture with pathogenic bacteria identified while in the intensive care unit. Eligible, consented patients will be randomized to either 7 days or 14 days of adequate antimicrobial treatment for the causative pathogen(s) detected on blood cultures. The diversity of pathogens and treatment regimens precludes blinding of patient and clinicians, but allocation concealment will be extended to day 7 and outcome adjudicators will be blinded. The primary outcome for the main trial will be 90-day mortality. The primary outcome for the pilot trial is feasibility defined by (i) rate of recruitment exceeding 1 patient per site per month and (ii) adherence to treatment duration protocol = 90%. Secondary outcomes include intensive care unit, hospital and 90-day mortality rates, relapse rates of bacteremia, antibiotic-related side effects and adverse events, rates of Clostridium difficile infection, rates of secondary infection or colonization with antimicrobial resistant organisms, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, mechanical ventilation and vasopressor duration in intensive care unit, and procalcitonin levels on the day of randomization, and day 7, 10 and 14 after the index blood culture. Discussion: The BALANCE pilot trial will inform the design and execution of the subsequent BALANCE main trial, which will evaluate shorter versus longer duration treatment for bacteremia in critically ill patients, and thereby provide an evidence basis for treatment duration decisions for these infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication following lung transplantation (LTx). We aimed to describe the incidence and outcomes associated with AKI following LTx. Methods A retrospective population-based cohort study of all adult recipients of LTx at the University of Alberta between 1990 and 2011. The primary outcome was AKI, defined and classified according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, in the first 7 post-operative days. Secondary outcomes included risk factors, utilization of renal replacement therapy (RRT), occurrence of post-operative complications, mortality and kidney recovery. Results Of 445 LTx recipients included, AKI occurred in 306 (68.8%), with severity classified as Stage I in 38.9% (n = 173), Stage II in 17.5% (n = 78) and Stage III in 12.4% (n = 55). RRT was received by 36 (8.1%). Factors associated with AKI included longer duration of cardiopulmonary bypass [per minute, odds ratio (OR) 1.003; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.001–1.006; P = 0.02], and mechanical ventilation [per hour (log-transformed), OR 5.30; 95% CI, 3.04–9.24; P < 0.001], and use of cyclosporine (OR 2.03; 95% CI, 1.13–3.64; P = 0.02). In-hospital and 1-year mortality were significantly higher in those with AKI compared with no AKI (7.2 versus 0%; adjusted P = 0.001; 14.4 versus 5.0%; adjusted P = 0.02, respectively). At 3 months, those with AKI had greater sustained loss of kidney function compared with no AKI [estimated glomerular filtration rate, mean (SD): 68.9 (25.7) versus 75.3 (22.1) mL/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.01]. Conclusions By the KDIGO definition, AKI occurred in two-thirds of patients following LTx. AKI portended greater risk of death and loss of kidney function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intraoperative continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has been utilized during liver transplantation (LT). Our objective was to assess intraoperative CRRT for metabolic control, postoperative complications and outcomes. Methods: Retrospective matched cohort study. Cases were LT patients receiving intraoperative CRRT. Controls were matched for demographics and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. Data were extracted on physiology, course and outcomes. Results: 72 patients were included. Despite effort to match by MELD, cases had higher scores (35.4 vs. 29.9, p = 0.01) compared to controls. Preoperatively, cases received more vasopressors (p = 0.006), and more RRT (94.4 vs. 25.7%, p < 0.0001). There was no difference in complications (p = 0.35) or ICU re-admission rate (p = 0.29). Cases were more likely to require postoperative RRT (p < 0.0001). There was no difference in hospital mortality (p = 0.61). Conclusions: LT patients selected for intraoperative CRRT more commonly have hemodynamic instability and preoperative acute kidney injury requiring RRT. Despite higher illness severity for cases, there were no differences in complications or mortality. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI) components of cardio-renal syndromes (CRS). It states that type 1 acute cardio renal failure, which is characterized by an initial abrupt change in cardiovascular function, is prevented through blood pressure control, use of beta-adrenergic blockers (BB), and avoidance of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Furthermore, type 2 chronic CRS can be prevented through optimal intake of sodium and extracellular fluid volume.

Background: The prevalence of frailty, an important risk factor for short- and long-term outcomes in hospitalized adults, differs by sex. Studies in critically ill adults have also found differences in mortality and organ support rates in males and females. The objective of this study was to determine if these observed differences in mortality and organ support rates can be explained by sex and frailty alone, or if the interaction between sex and frailty is an important risk factor. Methods: This is a retrospective multi-centre population-based cohort study of all adult patients (≥ 18 years) admitted to the seventeen intensive care units (ICUs) across Alberta, Canada, between 2016 and 2017. On admission, physicians assigned a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score (1 = very fit, 9 = terminally ill) to all patients. Patients with missing CFS scores or who died within 24 h of ICU admission were excluded. Frailty was defined as CFS ≥ 5. Outcomes included all-cause hospital mortality, ICU mortality, and organ support rates. A propensity score for female sex was generated and 1:1 matching on sex was performed. Multivariable Cox regression or logistic regression, as appropriate, was performed to evaluate the association between sex, frailty, and the sex-frailty interaction term with outcomes. Results: Of 15,238 patients included in the cohort, after propensity score matching 11,816 patients remained (mean [standard deviation] age 57.3 [16.9]). In the matched cohort, females had a higher prevalence of frailty than males (32% vs. 27%, respectively) and higher odds of frailty (odds ratio [95% confidence interval (CI)] 1.29 [1.20–1.40]). Though females were less likely to receive invasive mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio [95% CI] 0.78 [0.71–0.86]), the interaction between sex and frailty (i.e., males and females with and without frailty) was not associated with differences in organ support rates. Receipt of dialysis and vasoactive support, as well as hospital mortality and ICU mortality were associated with frailty but were not associated with female sex or the interaction between sex and frailty. Conclusions: Although frailty and sex were individually associated with mortality and differences in organ support in the ICU, there does not appear to be a significant interaction between sex and frailty with regards to these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]