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Liver abscess due to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection has been widely reported in Asia, but rarely reported in Australia until now. We describe four previously well Asian-born patients who presented across Australia with community-acquired K. pneumoniae liver abscesses. With prompt recognition, appropriate antibiotics and early drainage, outcome is significantly improved, although vigilance for metastatic complications is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After cardiac surgery, fluid bolus therapy (FBT) with 20% human albumin may facilitate less fluid and vasopressor administration than FBT with crystalloids. We aimed to determine whether, after cardiac surgery, FBT with 20% albumin reduces the duration of vasopressor therapy compared with crystalloid FBT., Methods: We conducted a multicentre, parallel-group, open-label, randomised clinical trial in six intensive care units (ICUs) involving cardiac surgery patients deemed to require FBT. We randomised 240 patients to receive up to 400 mL of 20% albumin/day as FBT, followed by 4% albumin for any subsequent FBT on that day, or to crystalloid FBT for at least the first 1000 mL, with use of crystalloid or 4% albumin FBT thereafter. The primary outcome was the cumulative duration of vasopressor therapy. Secondary outcomes included fluid balance., Results: Of 480 randomised patients, 466 provided consent and contributed to the primary outcome (mean age 65 years; median EuroSCORE II 1.4). The cumulative median duration of vasopressor therapy was 7 (interquartile range [IQR] 0-19.6) hours with 20% albumin and 10.8 (IQR 0-22.8) hours with crystalloids (difference - 3.8 h, 95% confidence interval [CI] - 8 to 0.4; P = 0.08). Day one fluid balance was less with 20% albumin FBT (mean difference - 701 mL, 95% CI - 872 to - 530)., Conclusions: In patients after cardiac surgery, when compared to a crystalloid-based FBT, 20% albumin FBT was associated with a reduced positive fluid balance but did not significantly reduce the duration of vasopressor therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: None declared.

Monitoring and optimisation of brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO 2 ) has been associated with improved neurological outcome and survival in observational studies of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We carried out a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to determine if PbtO 2 -guided management is associated with differential neurological outcomes, survival, and adverse events. Searches were carried out to 10 February 2022 in Medline (OvidSP), 11 February in EMBASE (OvidSP) and 8 February in Cochrane library. Randomized controlled trials comparing PbtO 2 and ICP-guided management to ICP-guided management alone were included. The primary outcome was survival with favourable neurological outcome at 6-months post injury. Data were extracted by two independent authors and GRADE certainty of evidence assessed. There was no difference in the proportion of patients with favourable neurological outcomes with PbtO 2 -guided management (relative risk [RR] 1.42, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.08; p = 0.07; I2 = 0%, very low certainty evidence) but PbtO 2 -guided management was associated with reduced mortality (RR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.93; p = 0.03; I2 = 42%; very low certainty evidence) and ICP (mean difference (MD) - 4.62, 95% CI - 8.27 to - 0.98; p = 0.01; I2 = 63%; very low certainty evidence). There was no significant difference in the risk of adverse respiratory or cardiovascular events. PbtO 2 -guided management in addition to ICP-based care was not significantly associated with increased favourable neurological outcomes, but was associated with increased survival and reduced ICP, with no difference in respiratory or cardiovascular adverse events. However, based on GRADE criteria, the certainty of evidence provided by this meta-analysis was consistently very low. MESH: Brain Ischemia; Intensive Care; Glasgow Outcome Scale; Randomized Controlled Trial; Craniocerebral Trauma., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background/objective: Dysnatremia is common in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients and may contribute to mortality. However, serum sodium variability has not been studied in TBI patients. We hypothesized that such variability would be independently associated with mortality., Methods: We collected 6-hourly serum sodium levels for the first 7 days of ICU admission from 240 severe TBI patients in 14 neurotrauma ICUs in Europe and Australia. We evaluated the association between daily serum sodium standard deviation (dNa SD ), an index of variability, and 28-day mortality., Results: Patients were 46 ± 19 years of age with a median initial GCS of 6 [4-8]. Overall hospital mortality was 28%. Hypernatremia and hyponatremia occurred in 64% and 24% of patients, respectively. Over the first 7 days in ICU, serum sodium standard deviation was 2.8 [2.0-3.9] mmol/L. Maximum daily serum sodium standard deviation (dNa SD ) occurred at a median of 2 [1-4] days after admission. There was a significant progressive decrease in dNa SD over the first 7 days (coefficient - 0.15 95% CI [- 0.18 to - 0.12], p < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline TBI severity, diabetes insipidus, the use of osmotherapy, the occurrence of hypernatremia, and hyponatremia and center, dNa SD was significantly independently associated with 28-day mortality (HR 1.27 95% CI (1.01-1.61), p = 0.048)., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that daily serum sodium variability is an independent predictor of 28-day mortality in severe TBI patients. Further prospective investigations are necessary to confirm the significance of sodium variability in larger cohorts of TBI patients and test whether attenuating such variability confers outcome benefits to such patients.

Patient position change and tracheal suctioning are routine interventions in mechanically ventilated traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. We sought to better understand the impact of these interventions on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral hemodynamics. We conducted a prospective study in TBI patients requiring ICP monitoring. The timing of position changes and suctioning episodes were recorded with concurrent blood pressure and ICP measurements. We collected data on 460 patient position changes and 204 suctioning episodes over 2404 h in 18 ventilated patients (mean age 34 [13] years, median Glasgow Coma Score 4 [3-7]). We recorded 24 (20-31) positioning and 11 (6-18) suctioning episodes per patient, with 54% and 39% of position changes associated with ICP ≥22 mm Hg and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) <60 mm Hg, respectively, and 22% and 27% of suctioning episodes associated with an ICP ≥22 mm Hg and CPP <60 mm Hg. The median change in ICP was 11 (6-16) mm Hg after position changes and 3 (1-9) mm Hg after suctioning. Reduction in CPP to <60 mm Hg lasted ≥10 min in 17% of positioning and 11% of suctioning episodes. The baseline ICP and its amplitude were both predictive of a rise in ICP ≥22 mm Hg after positioning and suctioning episodes, whereas cerebral autoregulation was not. Baseline CPP was predictive of a decrease in CPP <60 mm Hg after both interventions. Increases in ICP and reductions in CPP are common following patient positioning and tracheal suctioning episodes. Frequently, these changes are substantial and sustained.

The optimal osmotic agent to treat intracranial hypertension in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains uncertain. We aimed to test whether the choice of mannitol or hypertonic saline (HTS) as early (first 96 h) osmotherapy in these patients might be associated with a difference in mortality. We retrospectively analyzed data from 2015 from 14 tertiary intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia, UK, and Europe treating severe TBI patients with intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and compared mortality in those who received mannitol only versus HTS only. We performed multi-variable analysis adjusting for site and illness severity (Injury Severity Score, extended IMPACT score, and mean ICP over the first 96 h) using Cox proportional hazards regression. We collected data on 262 patients and compared patients who received early osmotherapy with mannitol alone ( n  = 46) with those who received HTS alone ( n  = 46). Mannitol patients were older (median age, 49.2 (19.2) vs. 40.5 (16.8) years; p  = 0.02), with higher Injury Severity Scores (42 (15.9) vs. 32.1 [11.3]; p  = 0.001), and IMPACT-TBI predicted 6-month mortality (34.5% [23-46] vs. 25% [13-38]; p  = 0.02), but had similar APACHE-II scores, and mean and maximum ICPs over the first 96 h. The unadjusted hazard ratio for in-hospital mortality in patients receiving only mannitol was 3.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60-7.03; p  = 0.001). After adjustment for key mortality predictors, the hazard ratio for in-hospital mortality in patients receiving only mannitol was 2.64 (95% CI, 0.96-7.30; p  = 0.06). The choice of early osmotherapy in severe TBI patients may affect survival, or simply reflect clinician beliefs about their different roles, and warrants controlled investigation.

Objective: To compare the effects of fluid bolus therapy using 20% albumin versus crystalloid on fluid balance, hemodynamic parameters, and intensive care unit (ICU) treatment effects in post-cardiac surgery patients., Design: Sequential period open-label pilot study., Setting: University teaching hospital., Participants: One hundred adult cardiac surgery patients who were prescribed fluid bolus therapy to correct hypotension or perceived hypovolemia or to optimize cardiac index during the first 24 hours in the ICU., Interventions: The first 50 patients were treated with crystalloid fluid bolus therapy in the first period (control), and 50 patients with up to 2 treatments of 100 mL of 20% albumin fluid bolus therapy in the second period (intervention), followed by crystalloid therapy if needed., Measurements and Main Results: Demographic characteristics were similar at baseline. The intervention was associated with a less positive median fluid balance in the first 24 hours (albumin: 1,100 [650-1,960] v crystalloid: 1,970 [1,430-2,550] p = 0.001), fewer episodes of fluid bolus therapy (3 [2-5] v 5 [4-7]; p < 0.0001) and a lesser volume of fluid bolus therapy (700 [200-1,450] v 1,500 mL/24 h [1,100-2,250]; p < 0.0001). The intervention also was associated with a decreased median overall dose of norepinephrine in the first 24 hours of ICU stay (19 [0-52] v 47 µg/kg/24 hours [0-134]; p = 0.025) and shorter median time to cessation of norepinephrine (17 [5-28] v 28 hours [20-48]; p = 0.002)., Conclusion: Post-cardiac surgery fluid bolus therapy with 20% albumin when compared with crystalloid fluid resulted in less positive fluid balance as well as several hemodynamic and potential ICU treatment advantages., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients desmopressin administration may induce rapid decreases in serum sodium and increase intracranial pressure (ICP)., Aim: In an international multi-centre study, we aimed to report changes in serum sodium and ICP after desmopressin administration in TBI patients., Methods: We obtained data from 14 neurotrauma ICUs in Europe, Australia and UK for severe TBI patients (GCS ≤ 8) requiring ICP monitoring. We identified patients who received any desmopressin and recorded daily dose, 6-hourly serum sodium, and 6-hourly ICP., Results: We studied 262 severe TBI patients. Of these, 39 patients (14.9%) received desmopressin. Median length of treatment with desmopressin was 1 [1-3] day and daily intravenous dose varied between centres from 0.125 to 10 mcg. The median hourly rate of decrease in serum sodium was low (- 0.1 [- 0.2 to 0.0] mmol/L/h) with a median period of decrease of 36 h. The proportion of 6-h periods in which the rate of natremia correction exceeded 0.5 mmol/L/h or 1 mmol/L/h was low, at 8% and 3%, respectively, and ICPs remained stable. After adjusting for IMPACT score and injury severity score, desmopressin administration was independently associated with increased 60-day mortality [HR of 1.83 (1.05-3.24) (p = 0.03)]., Conclusions: In severe TBI, desmopressin administration, potentially representing instances of diabetes insipidus is common and is independently associated with increased mortality. Desmopressin doses vary markedly among ICUs; however, the associated decrease in natremia rarely exceeds recommended rates and median ICP values remain unchanged. These findings support the notion that desmopressin therapy is safe.

Diabetes insipidus and the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion lie at opposite ends of the spectrum of disordered renal handling of water. Whereas renal retention of water insidiously causes hypotonic hyponatremia in syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, diabetes insipidus may lead to free water loss, hypernatremia, and volume depletion. Hypernatremia and hyponatremia are associated with worse outcomes and longer intensive care stays. Moreover, pathologies causing polyuria and hyponatremia in patients in intensive care may be multiple, making diagnosis challenging. We provide an approach to the diagnosis and management of these conditions in intensive care patients., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present the case of a man with a bicuspid aortic valve who presented with persistent fever. Blood cultures yielded Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and the diagnosis of infected mycotic aneurysm was confirmed by detection of the bacterial genome in the aortic wall. The patient was cured with surgery and intravenous ceftriaxone.