Overuse of laboratory and X-ray testing is common in the intensive care unit (ICU). This review highlights focused strategies for critical care clinicians as outlined by the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) as part of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign. The campaign aims to promote the use of judicious testing and decrease unnecessary treatment measures in the ICU. The CCSC outlines five specific recommendations for reducing unnecessary testing in the ICU. First, reduce the use of daily or regular interval diagnostic testing. Second, do not transfuse red blood cells in hemodynamically stable, non-bleeding ICU patients with a hemoglobin concentration greater than 7 mg/dl. Third, do not use parenteral nutrition in adequately nourished critically ill patients within the first 7 days of ICU stay. Fourth, do not deeply sedate mechanically ventilated patients without a specific indication and without daily attempts to lighten sedation. Finally, do not continue life support for patients at high risk of death without offering patients and their families the alternative of comfort focused care. A number of strategies can be used to reduce unnecessary testing in the ICU, including educational campaigns, audit and feedback, and implementing prompts in the electronic ordering system to allow only acceptable indications when ordering routine testing. Greater awareness of the lack of outcome benefit and associated costs can prompt clinicians to be more mindful of ordering tests and procedures in order to reduce unnecessary testing in the ICU.
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Background High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is known to increase global ventilation volume in healthy subjects. We sought to investigate the effect of HFNC on global and regional ventilation patterns in patients with hypoxia.
Methods Patients were randomized to receive one of two oxygen therapies in sequence: nasal cannula (NC) followed by HFNC or HFNC followed by NC. Global and regional ventilation was assessed using electric impedance tomography.
Results Twenty-four patients participated. Global tidal variation (TV) in the lung was higher during HFNC (NC, 2,241 ± 1,381 arbitrary units (AU); HFNC, 2,543 ± 1,534 AU; P < 0.001). Regional TVs for four iso-gravitational quadrants of the lung were also all higher during HFNC than NC. The coefficient of variation for the four quadrants of the lung was 0.90 ± 0.61 during NC and 0.77 ± 0.48 during HFNC (P = 0.035). Within the four gravitational layers of the lung, regional TVs were higher in the two middle layers during HFNC when compared to NC. Regional TV values in the most ventral and dorsal layers of the lung were not higher during HFNC compared with NC. The coefficient of variation for the four gravitational layers of the lung were 1.00 ± 0.57 during NC and 0.97 ± 0.42 during HFNC (P = 0.574).
Conclusions In patients with hypoxia, ventilation of iso-gravitational regions of the lung during HFNC was higher and more homogenized compared with NC. However, ventilation of gravitational layers increased only in the middle layers. (Clinical trials registration number: NCT02943863).
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Methods Critically ill patients who received mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours were included. After passive range of motion exercise, in-bed cycling was applied for 20 minutes, and FES was applied for 20 minutes on the left leg. The right leg received in-bed cycling and the left leg received both FES and in-bed cycling. Thigh circumferences and rectus femoris cross-sectional area (CSA) were assessed with ultrasonography before and after the intervention. Muscle strength was assessed by Medical Research Council scale.
Results A total of 10 patients were enrolled in this study as a pilot study. Before and after the intervention, the CSA of right rectus femoris increased from 5.08 ± 1.51 cm2 to 6.01 ± 2.21 cm2 , which was statistically significant (P = 0.003). The thigh circumference was also increased and statistically significant (P = 0.006). There was no difference between left and right in regard to FES application. There is no significant change in muscle strength before and after the intervention (right and left, P = 0.317 and P = 0.368, respectively).
Conclusions In-bed cycling increased thigh circumferences rectus femoris CSA. Adding FES did not show differences.
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Background Delirium is common among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, so recent clinical guidelines recommended routine delirium monitoring in the ICU. But, its effect on the patient’s clinical outcome is still controversial. In particular, the effect of systems that inform the primary physician of the results of monitoring is largely unknown.
Methods The delirium notification program using bedside signs and electronic chart notifications was applied to the pre-existing delirium monitoring protocol. Every patient was routinely evaluated for delirium, pain, and anxiety using validated tools. Clinical outcomes, including duration of delirium, ICU stay, and mortality were reviewed and compared for 3 months before and after the program implementation.
Results There was no significant difference between the two periods of delirium, ICU stay, and mortality. However, anxiety, an important prognostic factor in the ICU survivor’s mental health, was significantly reduced and pain tended to decrease.
Conclusions Increasing the physician’s awareness of the patient’s mental state by using a notification program could reduce the anxiety of ICU patients even though it may not reduce delirium. The results suggested that the method of delivering the results of monitoring was also an important factor in the success of the delirium monitoring program.
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Background Flecainide acetate is a drug used primarily for cardiac arrhythmia. Some studies also imply that flecainide acetate has the potential to regulate inflammatory-immune responses; however, its mechanism of action is contended. We determined the effects of flecainide acetate on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human neutrophils in vitro and on mortality in a septic rat model.
Methods Neutrophils from human blood were cultured with varying concentrations of flecainide acetate (1 μM, 10 μM, or 100 μM) with or without LPS (100 ng/ml). To assess neutrophil activation, the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were measured after a 4-hour culture period. To assess the intracellular signaling pathways, the levels of phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were measured after a 30-minute culture period, and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB was measured after a 1-hour culture period. Additionally, the survival rate was investigated in a rat sepsis model.
Results Flecainide acetate down-regulated the activation of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6 and IL-8, and intracellular signaling pathways including ERK 1/2 and NF-κB. Flecainide acetate also improved the survival rate in the rat sepsis model.
Conclusions Collectively, these findings indicate that flecainide acetate can improve survival in a rat sepsis model by attenuating LPS-induced neutrophil responses. We therefore suggest that flecainide acetate plays an important role in modulating inflammatoryimmune responses.
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