Soo Jin Na, Tae Sun Ha, Younsuck Koh, Gee Young Suh, Shin Ok Koh, Chae-Man Lim, Won-Il Choi, Young-Joo Lee, Seok Chan Kim, Gyu Rak Chon, Je Hyeong Kim, Jae Yeol Kim, Jaemin Lim, Sunghoon Park, Ho Cheol Kim, Jin Hwa Lee, Ji Hyun Lee, Jisook Park, Juhee Cho, Kyeongman Jeon
Acute Crit Care. 2018;33(3):121-129. Published online August 31, 2018
Background The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics and clinical outcomes of critically ill cancer patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Korea.
Methods This was a retrospective cohort study that analyzed prospective collected data from the Validation of Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS3) in Korean ICU (VSKI) study, which is a nationwide, multicenter, and prospective study that considered 5,063 patients from 22 ICUs in Korea over a period of 7 months. Among them, patients older than 18 years of age who were diagnosed with solid or hematologic malignancies prior to admission to the ICU were included in the present study.
Results During the study period, a total of 1,762 cancer patients were admitted to the ICUs and 833 of them were deemed eligible for analysis. Six hundred fifty-eight (79%) had solid tumors and 175 (21%) had hematologic malignancies, respectively. Respiratory problems (30.1%) was the most common reason leading to ICU admission. Patients with hematologic malignancies had higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (12 vs. 8, P<0.001) and SAPS3 (71 vs. 69, P<0.001) values and were more likely to be associated with chemotherapy, steroid therapy, and immunocompromised status versus patients with solid tumors. The use of inotropes/ vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, and/or continuous renal replacement therapy was more frequently required in hematologic malignancy patients. Mortality rates in the ICU (41.7% vs. 24.6%, P<0.001) and hospital (53.1% vs. 38.6%, P=0.002) were higher in hematologic malignancy patients than in solid tumor patients.
Conclusions Cancer patients accounted for one-third of all patients admitted to the studied ICUs in Korea. Clinical characteristics were different according to the type of malignancy. Patients with hematologic malignancies had a worse prognosis than did patients with solid tumor.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Impacto da enfermaria de cuidados paliativos na taxa de mortalidade padronizada da UTI do Hospital de Câncer de Mato Grosso Manoella Almeida De Amorim, Pamella Dal Bem, Renan Name Amaral, Carlos José Alves, Gilberto Paulo Pereira Franco , Millena Abe Botof, Tamis Coelho Nunes, José Geraldo Do Amaral Revista Sociedade Científica.2026; 9(1): 1492. CrossRef
Mortality-Related Risk Factors in Patients with Hematologic Neoplasm Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review Jhon H. Quintana, Cesar David López-Vanegas, Giovanna Patricia Rivas-Tafurt, Leidy Tatiana Ordoñez-Mora, Heiler Lozada-Ramos, Jorge Enrique Daza-Arana Current Oncology.2025; 32(3): 132. CrossRef
The critical role of timely medical emergency team activation in oncological and non-oncological patients Kaspar F. Bachmann, Samuel J. Michimura, Luca Cioccari, Joerg C. Schefold, Anna S. Messmer, Vinaya Satyawan Tari PLOS One.2025; 20(5): e0324831. CrossRef
Outcomes of Acute Respiratory Failure in Patients With Cancer in the United States Kiyan Heybati, Jiawen Deng, Archis Bhandarkar, Fangwen Zhou, Cameron Zamanian, Namrata Arya, Mohamad Bydon, Philippe R. Bauer, Ognjen Gajic, Allan J. Walkey, Hemang Yadav Mayo Clinic Proceedings.2024; 99(4): 578. CrossRef
Characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients admitted to intensive care units in cancer specialized hospitals in China Wensheng Liu, Dongmin Zhou, Li Zhang, Mingguang Huang, Rongxi Quan, Rui Xia, Yong Ye, Guoxing Zhang, Zhuping Shen Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Short-term and long-term outcomes of critically ill patients with solid malignancy: a retrospective cohort study Su Yeon Lee, Jin Won Huh, Sang-Bum Hong, Chae-Man Lim, Jee Hwan Ahn The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine.2024; 39(6): 957. CrossRef
Intensive Care Unit Outcomes and Mortality in Elderly Oncology Patients Arif TIMUROGLU, Selda MUSLU, Aysegul DANACI, Erce CAN URESIN, Suheyla UNVER Turkish journal of Geriatrics.2024; 27(1): 118. CrossRef
Predictors of ICU mortality in patients with hemoblastosis and infectious complications A.V. Lyanguzov, A.S. Luchinin, S.V. Ignatyev, I.V. Paramonov Russian Journal of Anesthesiology and Reanimatology.2023; (1): 33. CrossRef
Etiologies and Outcome of Patients with Solid Tumors Admitted to ICU with Acute Respiratory Failure: A Secondary Analysis of the EFRAIM Study Soraya Benguerfi, Guillaume Dumas, Marcio Soares, Anne-Pascale Meert, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Frederic Pene, Philippe Bauer, Sangeeta Mehta, Victoria Metaxa, Gaston Burghi, Achille Kouatchet, Luca Montini, Djamel Mokart, Andry Van de Louw, Elie Azoulay, V Respiratory Care.2023; 68(6): 740. CrossRef
Effect of the underlying malignancy on critically ill septic patient's outcome Man‐Yee Man, Hoi‐Ping Shum, Sin‐Man Lam, Jacky Li, Wing‐Wa Yan, Mei‐Wan Yeung Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology.2022; 18(4): 473. CrossRef
Impacts of Corticosteroid Therapy at Acute Stage of Hospital-Onset Clostridioides difficile Infections Ching-Chi Lee, Jen-Chieh Lee, Chun-Wei Chiu, Pei-Jane Tsai, Wen-Chien Ko, Yuan-Pin Hung Infection and Drug Resistance.2022; Volume 15: 5387. CrossRef
Hospital mortality and prognostic factors in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury and cancer undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy Da Woon Kim, Geum Suk Jang, Kyoung Suk Jung, Hyuk Jae Jung, Hyo Jin Kim, Harin Rhee, Eun Young Seong, Sang Heon Song Kidney Research and Clinical Practice.2022; 41(6): 717. CrossRef
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Evaluating Geographical Variation in Outcomes of Cancer Patients Treated in ICUs Lama H. Nazer, Maria A. Lopez-Olivo, Anne Rain Brown, John A. Cuenca, Michael Sirimaturos, Khader Habash, Nada AlQadheeb, Heather May, Victoria Milano, Amy Taylor, Joseph L. Nates Critical Care Explorations.2022; 4(9): e0757. CrossRef
Clinico-demographic and Outcome Predictors in Solid Tumor Patients with Unplanned Intensive Care Unit Admissions: An Observational Study Jigeeshu Divatia, Amit M Narkhede, Harish K Chaudhari, Ujwal Dhundi, Natesh Prabu Ravisankar, Satish Sarode Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2021; 25(12): 1421. CrossRef
Background The goal of this study was to analyze the process and characteristics of withholding or withdrawal of life support (WLS) in Korean intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: This was a single-centered retrospective analysis of patients who died in the ICUs of a tertiary hospital in Korea from January to December 2012. WLS informed consents and clinical data were analyzed. Results: Of 285 deaths during the study period, informed consents for WLS were obtained from 228 patients (80.0%). All WLS decisions were made by family members after the patient’s loss of decision-making capacity. Decisions were made most frequently by the patient’s son (50.6%). Patients in the WLS group were older than those in the non-WLS group, and older age was associated with the WLS decision. Thirty-seven patients (16.2%) died within one hour of WLS approval, and 182 patients (79.8%) died on the day of WLS approval. The most frequently withheld life support modality was chest compression (100%), followed by defibrillation (95.9%) and pacemaker insertion (63.3%). Conclusions: Aggressive and invasive life support measures were those most frequently withheld or withdrawn by decision-makers in Korean ICUs. The most common proxy was the son, rather than the spouse.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Decision-making regarding withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and the role of intensivists in the intensive care unit: a single-center study Seo In Lee, Kyung Sook Hong, Jin Park, Young-Joo Lee Acute and Critical Care.2020; 35(3): 179. CrossRef
Family-Clinician Communication About End-of-Life Care in Korea Minjeong Jo, Yang-Sook Yoo, George Knafl, Marcia Van Riper, Linda Beeber, Mi-Kyung Song Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing.2017; 19(6): 597. CrossRef
Urine discoloration occurs in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to many causes such as medications, metabolic disorders, and infections. Propofol is advocated as one of the first line sedatives in the ICU, but it is not well known to the intensivists that propofol can induce urine color change. We experienced two cases of green urine after propofol infusion. Propofol should be warranted as the cause of urine discoloration during ICU stay.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
An unusual instance of propofol-triggered green urine in anesthesia management: A case report Madhusoodan M Gonenavar, Sudhanshu Shukla, Tejashree Sridhar, Rashmi Prasad, Rudresh Tabali MGM Journal of Medical Sciences.2024; 11(1): 165. CrossRef
Propofol-Associated Urine Discoloration: Systematic Literature Review Ana Lasica, Cinzia Cortesi, Gregorio P. Milani, Mario G. Bianchetti, Federica M. Schera, Pietro Camozzi, Sebastiano A.G. Lava Pharmacology.2023; 108(5): 415. CrossRef
Green urine after general anesthesia with propofol: different responses in the same patient -A case report- Go Eun Kim, Dae Yoon Kim, Doek Kyu Yoo, Jong-Hwan Lee, Sangmin Maria Lee, Jeong Jin Min Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.2017; 12(1): 32. CrossRef
BACKGROUND Weaning from mechanical ventilation is difficult in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many controversial questions remain unanswered concerning the predictors of weaning failure. This study investigates patient characteristics and delayed weaning after lung transplantation. METHODS This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 17 lung transplantation patients from October 2012 to December 2013. Patients able to be weaned from mechanical ventilation within 8 days after surgery were assigned to an early group (n = 9), and the rest of the patients were assigned to the delayed group (n=8). Patients' intraoperative and postoperative characteristics were collected and analyzed, and conventional weaning predictors, including rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), were also assessed. RESULTS The results of the early group showed a significantly shorter ICU stay in addition to a shorter hospitalization overall. Notably, the early group had a higher body mass index (BMI) than the delayed group (20.7 vs. 16.9, p = 0.004). In addition, reopening occurred more frequently in the delayed group (1/9 vs. 5/8, p = 0.05).
During spontaneous breathing trials, tidal volume (TV) and arterial oxygen tension were significantly higher in the early group compared to the delayed weaning group, but differences in RSBI and respiratory rate (RR) between groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Low BMI might be associated with delayed ventilator weaning in lung transplantation patients. In addition, instead of the traditional weaning predictors of RSBI and RR, TV might be a better predictor for ventilator weaning after lung transplantation.
BACKGROUND Unlike other diseases, the management of sepsis has not been fully integrated in our daily practice. The aim of this study was to determine whether repeated training could improve compliance with a 6-h resuscitation bundle in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. METHODS Repeated education regarding a sepsis bundle was provided to the intensive care unit and emergency department residents, nurses, and faculties in a single university hospital. The educational program was led by a multidisciplinary team. A total of 175 adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock were identified (88 before and 87 after the educational program). Hemodynamic resuscitation bundle and timely antibiotics administration were measured for all cases and mortality at 28 days after sepsis diagnosis was evaluated. RESULTS The compliance rate for the sepsis resuscitation bundle before the educational program was poor (0%), and repeated training improved it to 80% (p < 0.001). The 28-day mortality was significantly lower in the intervention group (16% vs. 32%, p = 0.040). Within the intervention group, patients for whom the resuscitation bundle was successfully completed had a significantly lower 28-day mortality than other patients (11% vs. 41%, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Repeated education led by a multidisciplinary team and interdisciplinary communication improved the compliance rate of the 6-h resuscitation bundle in severe sepsis and septic shock patients. Compliance with the sepsis resuscitation bundle was associated with improved 28-day mortality in the study population.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Hypotension Prediction Index and Incidence of Perioperative Hypotension: A Single-Center Propensity-Score-Matched Analysis Julian Runge, Jessica Graw, Carla D. Grundmann, Thomas Komanek, Jan M. Wischermann, Ulrich H. Frey Journal of Clinical Medicine.2023; 12(17): 5479. CrossRef
Hemodynamic monitoring with Hypotension Prediction Index versus arterial waveform analysis alone and incidence of perioperative hypotension Carla D. Grundmann, Jan M. Wischermann, Philipp Fassbender, Petra Bischoff, Ulrich H. Frey Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica.2021; 65(10): 1404. CrossRef
Barriers to Clinical Practice Guideline Implementation for Septic Patients in the Emergency Department Elizabeth N. Reich, Karen L. Then, James A. Rankin Journal of Emergency Nursing.2018; 44(6): 552. CrossRef
The incidence of acute leukemia during pregnancy is extremely rare, and often it is not easy to differentiate it from other diseases associated with pregnancy such as sepsis or hemorrhage. Pregnancy itself is not known to affect the natural course of leukemia; however, complications of leukemia like anemia, infections, and coagulopathy can adversely influence both the fetus and the mother. In this case, a pregnant patient misdiagnosed with septic shock and severe leukocytosis was correctly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after surgical delivery.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a means for supporting adequate gas exchange in patients with severe respiratory failure and is the only therapeutic option for ventilation-refractory patients awaiting lung transplantation. Moreover, defining the patients likely to benefit from ECMO as a bridge to transplantation has recently become a point of interest. Here, we report a case of prolonged ECMO support to a patient awaiting lung transplantation. A 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute interstitial pneumonia and was placed on veno-venous (VV) ECMO due to unsatisfactory gas exchange despite maximal ventilator care. She underwent bilateral lung transplantation after 99 days of ECMO and was successfully weaned from it on the 107th ECMO day. This is the longest period of ECMO support to be reported among elderly patients.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Long-Term Venovenous Connection for Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal (ECCO2R)–Numerical Investigation of the Connection to the Common Iliac Veins N. B. Steuer, K. Hugenroth, T. Beck, J. Spillner, R. Kopp, S. Reinartz, T. Schmitz-Rode, U. Steinseifer, G. Wagner, J. Arens Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology.2020; 11(4): 362. CrossRef
One hundred forty six days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): Our longest ECMO run Ahmad Said Abdalmohsen Ali, Mohamed Yosri, Mohamed Abouelwafa, Mahmoud Saad, Kareem Zaki, Shady Mashhour, Husam Salah, Tarek Mohsen, Amaany Abozeid, Mohamed Khaled, Akram Abdelbary, Alia Abdelfattah The Egyptian Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2018; 6(3): 113. CrossRef
Recovery from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome with Long-Run Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Jin Jeon, Jin Won Huh, Chae-Man Lim, Younsuck Koh, Sang-Bum Hong Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2014; 29(3): 212. CrossRef
Burkholderia cepacia is a highly virulent pathogen known to cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. It accelerates lung disease and causes necrotizing pneumonia with associated severe sepsis, known as cepacia syndrome. In particular, lung transplant recipients infected with Burkholderia cepacia show higher mortality after lung transplantation than those who are not infected with this organism. Due to broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance, a combination therapy should be used according to the results of the susceptibility test. This bacterial infection is rare in Korea, and no case was reported in lung transplant recipients. However, we report a case of pneumonia caused by Burkholderia cepacia after lung transplantation. As Burkholderia cepacia was grown from a sputum culture, the patient was treated initially with a combination of meropenem and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and then ceftazidime and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole as a result of leukopenia. After antibiotics treatment for 20 days, sputum cultures became negative for Burkholderia cepacia and the patient successfully recovered.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Current perspective of lung transplantation Hyo Chae Paik Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2016; 59(2): 119. CrossRef
Critical care has focused on recovery from acute organ failure and resuscitation. Neuromuscular abnormalities related to critical illness is not uncommon in critically ill patients, but they were relatively underestimated and unnoticed. Intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICUAW) leading to severe functional impairments in ICU survivors can be divided into two disease entities: critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) and critical illness myopathy (CIM).
Electrophysiologic study, muscle biopsy and physical examination are helpful to diagnose ICUAW. Several researches and reviews identified many risk factors including systemic inflammation, corticosteroids, hyperglycemia, and immobility. Additional research is needed to identify the pathogenesis of this disorder and to testify its preventive or therapeutic modalities.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Update of Critical Illness Neuromyopathy Soo-Hyun Park, Nam-Hee Kim Korean Journal of Neuromuscular Disorders.2024; 16(2): 21. CrossRef
BACKGROUND Although head of bed (HOB) elevation is an important strategy to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), some observational studies have reported that the application of the semi-recumbent position was lower in patients receiving mechanical ventilator support.
We performed this study to assess the effect of implementation of the HOB elevation protocol in the intensive care unit (ICU) on clinical and nutritional outcomes. METHODS We developed a HOB elevation protocol including a flow chart to determine whether the HOB of newly admitted patients to ICU could be elevated. We measured the level of HOB elevation in patients with mechanical ventilator twice a day and 2 days a week for 5 weeks before and after the implementation of the protocol, respectively. Hemodynamic, respiratory and nutritional data were also collected, resulting in 251 observations from 35 patients and 467 observations from 66 patients before and after implementation. RESULTS After implementing the protocol, the level of HOB elevation (16.7 +/- 9.9 vs. 23.6 +/-1 2.9, p < 0.0001) and observations of HOB elevation > 30degrees increased significantly (34 vs. 151, p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of VAP. Arterial oxygen tension/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio improved (229 +/- 115 vs. 262 +/- 129, p = 0.02). Mean arterial blood pressure decreased after the implementation of the protocol, but remained within the normal limits. Calorie intake from tube feeding increased significantly (672 +/- 649 vs. 798 +/- 670, p = 0.021) and the events of high gastric residual volume (> 100 ml) occurred less frequently after implementing the protocol (50% vs. 17%, p = 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the protocol for HOB elevation could improve the level of HOB elevation, oxygenation parameter and enteral nutrition delivery.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Nutrition Support in the Intensive Care Unit of 6 Korean Tertiary Teaching Hospitals: A National Multicenter Observational Study Song Mi Lee, Seon Hyeung Kim, Yoon Kim, Eunmee Kim, Hee Joon Baek, Seungmin Lee, Hosun Lee, Chul Ho Chang, Cheung Soo Shin Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2012; 27(3): 157. CrossRef
To achieve adequate depth of sedation and assess the severity of pain in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit, appropriate communication with the patients is necessary. Communication is also important for successful weaning from the mechanical ventilator as well as weaning predictors, such as respiratory muscle capacity.
Here, we present a case report of a 39-year-old man with congenial blindness and hearing impairment who successfully weaned off ventilator support using Braille to communicate under an optimal level of sedation and analgesia after septic shock management.
Although venous thrombosis is one of the most frequent complications of malignant disease including multiple myeloma, massive pulmonary embolism is an uncommon complication. Free-floating intracardiac thrombus has been rarely reported as a cause of acute pulmonary embolism in patients with multiple myeloma. We report a case presenting acute pulmonary embolism due to free-floating right atrial thrombus in a patient with multiple myeloma.
BACKGROUND Nutrition delivery is frequently interrupted or delayed by physicians' ordering patterns. We conducted this study to investigate the effect of physician compliance with tube feeding (TF) protocol on the nutritional and clinical outcomes in acute lung injury (ALI) patients. METHODS After implementing a TF protocol, 71 ALI patients with mechanical ventilation (MV) for > or = 7 days were observed. A dietician assessed the nutritional status of the patients and established individualized nutrition plans according to the protocol. If the physicians followed the dietician's recommendation within 48 hours, the patients were classified under the compliant group (Group 1). RESULTS Forty patients (56.3%) were classified into Group 1. Prealbumin was comparable in both groups at ICU admission but higher in Group 1 at the time of discharge from the ICU (228 +/- 81 vs 157 +/- 77 mg/dl, p = 0.025). Nitrogen balance was only improved in Group 1. The time to reach calorie goal was shorter and non-feeding days were reduced in Group 1. The proportion of parenteral nutrition to nutritional support days was lower and delivered calories on the 4th and 7th day of TF were higher in Group 1 (p < 0.001). ICU mortality/stay and hospital mortality failed to show differences but hospital stay was prolonged in the noncompliant group (Group 2) (p = 0.023). Arterial oxygen tension and PaO2/FiO2 were maintained during the 1st week of ICU stay in Group 1 but were decreased in Group 2. CONCLUSIONS Physicians' compliance with the TF protocol contributed to the likelihood of nutritional improvement and a shorter hospital stay in ALI patients with prolonged MV.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Barriers to the Implementation of Prospective Studies Evaluating the Benefits of Early Tube Feeding on Hip Fracture Outcomes: Lessons and Future Directions from a Failed Pilot Study Fernando Huyke-Hernández, Megan Sorich, Julie Switzer Journal of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Nutritional Assessment of ICU Inpatients with Tube Feeding Yu-Jin Kim, Jung-Sook Seo Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association.2015; 21(1): 11. CrossRef
Identifying Barriers to Implementing Nutrition Recommendations Nancy Stamp, Anne M. Davis Topics in Clinical Nutrition.2013; 28(3): 249. CrossRef
The major limitation to heart transplantation is the shortage of donor organs. In order to increase the cardiac donor pool, it is important to maintain stable hemodynamics and closely monitor cardiac function in cadaveric organ donors or potent donors. Recently, management of a potential cardiac donor pool has focused on aggressive hemodynamic management protocols and dobutamine stress echocardiography.
In our case, management with low dose dobutamine, glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK), and hormone therapy reversed heart failure following brain death and the heart was successfully transplanted. We suggest that aggressive hemodynamic management with low-dose dobutamine, GIK, and hormone therapy can result in the recruitment of more cadaveric hearts in marginal conditions.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Predisposing Hemodynamic Factors Associated with a Failed Apnea Test during Brain Death Determination Eun Young Kim, Ji Hyun Kim The Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2016; 31(3): 236. CrossRef
BACKGROUND Success of transplantation is critically dependent upon the quality of the donor organ and optimal management. Recently, hormonal replacement therapy has been reported to result in rapid recovery of cardiac function and enable significantly more organs to be transplanted, while some other studies show conflicting results. The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate changes in basal circulating hormonal levels of the brain-dead organ donors. METHODS We reviewed the records of all brain-dead patients between January, 2004, and June, 2007. Hemodynamic variables, plasma hormone levels were recorded at following time points: admission to the ICU (T1, baseline), 30 minutes (min) after first apnea test (T2), 30 min after second apnea test (T3), before operation for harvesting (T4). Hormonal measurements included cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, triiodothyronine (T(3)), thyroxine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, and testosterone. RESULTS Nineteen patients were included in this study.
Comparisons of hemodynamic parameters and hormonal levels to baseline values revealed no significant changes throughout the study period. When the patients were divided into 2 groups according to the requirement of norepinephrine (either>0.05 or < or =0.05microgram/kg/min), patients requiring >0.05microgram/kg/min of norepinephrine had T(3) level below the normal range at significantly more time points of measurement (7 vs. 0). CONCLUSION In this comprehensive assessment of hormonal levels in brain-dead organ donors, we could not observe any significant changes during the ICU stay. Replacement therapy of T(3) may be considered in patients requiring >0.05microgram/kg/min of norepinephrine.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Alterations in neuroendocrine axes in brain-dead patients Türkay Akbaş, Ayhan Öztürk Hormones.2023; 22(4): 539. CrossRef
Acute airway obstruction during endotracheal intubation status is embarrassing and critical situation which requires early diagnosis and immediate management. Endotracheal tube obstruction with foreign body is rare but a variety of objects have been reported. We present a case of endotracheal tube obstruction as a result of previous aspirated foreign body that moved from the bronchial tree into the endobroncheal tube.
BACKGROUND Patients readmitted to intensive care unit (ICU) have significantly higher mortality. The role of intensivists to judge when to discharge from ICU may be important. We performed this study to assess the effect of intensivist's discharge decision-making on readmission to ICU. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively from patients admitted to ICUs (group 1). Another data were collected retrospectively from the patients' record (group 2). Discharge of the patients in group 1 were based on intensivist's discharge decision-making but not in group 2.
We encouraged deep breathing and expectoration to patients of group 1 at risk of pulmonary complication during ICU stay and used a guideline for making discharge decisions.
Readmission cause, length of ICU stay, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) score of readmitted patients were evaluated. RESULTS: Readmission rate of group 1 was lower than that of group 2 (p<0.05). The mortality of readmitted patients in each group was higher than that of non-readmitted patients (p<0.05). Respiratory disease was the major cause of readmission. In non-survivors of readmitted patients, APACHE III score on initial discharge and readmission, MODS score on initial admission, discharge and readmission were higher than those of survivors (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Readmission rate was lower when intensivists participated in discharge decision- making. ICU readmission was associated with higher hospital mortality and longer ICU stay. MODS and APACHE III score at first discharge and readmission were significant prognostic factors of the outcome in readmitted patients.
BACKGROUND Unplanned endotracheal extubation is a potentially serious complication, as some patients may need reintubation while in very critical conditions that may increase the morbidity and mortality rates. We conducted a study to evaluate the predictors for reintubation after unplanned extubation. METHODS: Patients who presented unplanned extubation over a 35-month period in two multidisciplinary intensive care units of university affiliated hospital were included. Any replacement of an endotracheal tube within 48 hours after unplanned extubation was considered as reintubation. RESULTS: There were 62 episodes of unplanned endotracheal extubation in 56 patients (incidence rate 2.8%). Fifty seven episodes (91.9%) were deliberate self-extubation, while 5 episodes (8.1%) were accidental extubation. Reintubation was required in 42 episodes (67.7%). Only 44.4% (12/27) of the patients who presented unplanned extubation required reintubation during weaning period, while reintubation was mandatory in 85.7% (30/35) of the patients who presented unplanned extubation during full ventilatory support (P<0.001). The multiple logistic regression analysis was made to obtain a model to predict the need for reintubation as a dependent variable: ventilatory support mode (odds ratio: 12.0) was significantly associated with the need for reintubation. The model correctly classified the need of reintubation in 72.6% (45/62) of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Reintubation in unplanned extubation strongly depended on the type of the mechanical ventilatory support. The probability of requiring reintubation after unplanned extubation was higher during full ventilatory support than during weaning period.
Cervical spinal cord injury results in significant dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system. Reduced sympathetic activity below the level of spinal cord injury is associated with low resting blood pressure,orthostatic hypotension,and reflex bradycardia.Hypotension can be treated with vasoactive agents,such as dopamine,epinephrine,norepinephrine, and phenylephine .Orally administered midodrine is an alpha adrenergic receptor agonist that increases blood pressure with vasoconstriction.Its action is fast and effective in treating hypotension in patients with spinal cord injury,and it has less severe side effects.A 70-year-old tetraplegic patient with fracture and dislocation of C6-7 after a motor vehicle accident was admitted to ICU and underwent anterior cervical intervertebral body fusion.Symptomatic hypotension following postural changes was treated with intravenous infusion of dopamine,but it was difficult to reduce the dose of dopamine without causing severe hypotension.Midodrine was prescribed and the patient was well tolerated without any adverse effect.With adequately maintained blood pressure,intravenous infusion of dopamine was successfully switched to the oral midodrine.This case suggests that the midodrine is effective for the treatment of hypotension in tetraplegic patients with spinal cord injury and enables patients to participate in early rehabilitation therapies.
Phrenic nerve palsy is a well-known complication following cardiac surgery in children. The incidence is approximately 1~2%. In infants and young children, it often causes a life-threatening respiratory distress. They must be treated with mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Many patients with phrenic nerve injury who is impossible to wean from a ventilator are candidates of diaphragmatic plication.
Diaphragmatic plication is performed to restore the normal pulmonary parenchymal volume by replacing the diaphragm to its proper location. This is a case of 2-months-old infant who had phrenic nerve palsy after the removal of cavernous lymphangioma of the chest. He underwent 4 operations to remove the mass and to have pericardiotomy. We tried to wean him from the ventilator but failed several times in the ICU.
After 4th operation, right diaphragmatic elevation was noted from the chest X ray. Phrenic nerve palsy was confirmed with fluoroscopy and he underwent diaphragmatic plication on 42 days after his 4th operation. Three days after the diaphragmatic plication, weaning was successfully carried out.
The increase in short-term survival of near-drowning victims after an acute submersion episode has resulted in an increase of major complications. Two major complications are the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and persistent hypoxic-ischemic central nervous system injury. A 43-year-old male patient was presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome after near drowning. He was severely hypothermic and hypotensive when he arrived to emergency department. His body temperature was 24oC. There was no pulse and no spontaneous respiration. He was treated with advanced life support measure. He was intubated and vasoactive drugs such as epinephrine and norepinephrine were used. On ICU admission, his blood pressure and pulse rate were 80/40 mmHg, 170 beats/min respectively. His oxygen saturation was 40~60% with 100% oxygen. We applied 16~30 cmH2O of PEEP with low tidal volume for recruitment. Patient was flipped over to prone position. Solu-medrol 1.0 g was infused. The blood pressure restored to 140/50 mmHg, and the pulse rate was normalized to 100 beats/min. The dose of vasopressors and inotropes were reduced and stopped 5 hour after the arrival. When the oxygenation has improved, the position was changed to supine and PEEP was lowered.
Eventually weaning was successful. Brain MRI and EEG showed global atrophy of cerebral cortex and moderate diffuse brain dysfunction respectively. He received tracheostomy since he was semi-comatose. He was transferred to general ward on 39th ICU day.
BACKGROUND Not much of the fund is invested in the intensive care unit (ICU) in Korean hospitals since the cost of ICU care is set too low compared to the other medical fields as well as to the other part of the world. This study is designed to support the base of an ICU standard guideline in Korea. METHODS The questionnaire were sent to 73 ICUs and 24 neonatal ICUs (NICU) of 30 hospitals. Twenty-two of them were teaching hospitals and 8 of them were general hospitals. RESULTS The ratios of ICU bed number to total bed number were 5.0% and 6.0% in teaching hospital and general hospital respectively. The ratios of NICU bed to total bed were 3.4% and 2.0% in teaching hospital and general hospital respectively. Intensivists were kept in 24.6% of ICU and 36.4% of NICU. Residents were kept in 43.1% of ICU and 45.5% of NICU. The utilization of ICU service was 90% for teaching hospital and 86% for general hospital. The utilization of NICU was 89% for teaching hospital and 3% of general hospital. Nurse to patient ratios varied widely. Most ICUs in teaching hospital showed the nurse to patients ratio of 1 : 4 which was about 32% of total ICU. Most NICUs in teaching hospital showed the nurse to patients ratio of 1 : 5 which was around 20% of total NICU. Most of the ICUs were equipped with central piping system for oxygen and compressed air supply, vacuum system and all the necessary medical gadgets such as mechanical ventilators, ECG monitors, defibrillators, pulse oximeters and infusion pumps. CONCLUSIONS The distribution of medical personnel as well as medical equipments were varied widely. The variation existed between teaching hospital and general hospital as well as within the teaching hospitals. We need to establish a standard, which grades the level of ICU according to the number of keeping physician, nurse-patients ratio, and the types of medical equipments they have.
Ketamine is well known for its analgesic, bronchodilating and sympathetic stimulating effect. Hence, it has been widely used for induction of patients with hypotension or asthma and also for analgesic and sedating purposes in the ICU. We presented a 62 year old female patient with ventilator support in septic shock with refractory asthma whom we managed successfully with continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine postoperatively in the ICU. The patient had a history of asthma but had been asymptomatic recently and was scheduled for an emergent explo-laparotomy under the diagnosis of acute panperitonitis. Before the induction of anesthesia, the patient was in septic shock but no wheezing could be auscultated. After the induction of general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation, wheezing was apparent in both lung fields with a high peak inspiratory pressure. Inotropics, vasopressors and bronchodilators were promptly instituted without any improvement of asthma and the patient had to be transferred to the ICU with intubated after the operation. Clinical symptoms of asthma continued throughout the first day despite using bronchodilators under mechanical ventilation but, after starting the IV infusion of ketamine, there were decrease in the peak inspiratory pressure and wheezing with a subsequent improvement in the arterial blood gas analysis findings. We could also achieve considerable analgesic and sedating effect without any decrease in the blood pressure. The patient's general physical status improved and weaning with extubation was successfully done on the 21st day and was transferred to the general ward on the 28th day.
BACKGOUND: The number of ICU beds related to the number of general acute care beds provides a broad measure of intensive care, but it has obvious limitations and underestimates extreme regional differences. As a first step, we evaluated the number of ICU beds or the ratio of ICU beds to hospital beds in university and non-university hospitals in Korea. METHODS The number of ICU beds and hospital beds, the ratio of the number of ICU beds to hospital beds, and the types of ICU in each range of ICU beds and hospital beds in the university and non-university hospital were analyzed as well. RESULTS Thirty university hospitals had 1,824 ICU beds out of 25,966 hospital beds, an average of 7.0%. The number of ICU beds ranged from 17 to 159 beds and hospital beds ranged from 400 to 2,000 beds in university hospitals. Fourteen non-university hospitals had 377 ICU beds out of 6,121 hospital beds, an average of 6.2%. In non-university hospitals, the number of ICU beds ranged from 6 to 67 beds with 50 to 700 hospital beds. If there was only one ICU, e.g. multidisciplinary, or more than one, the director of a multidisciplinary and surgical ICU was usually filled by an anesthesiologist, while the directors of other ICUs were usually specialists according to each specific ICU. CONCLUSIONS There was a large disparity in the number of ICU beds and in the ratio of ICU beds to hospital beds between university and non-university hosptials, and even between university hospitals.
Introduction: Lung Injury Score (LIS) provides a quantitative method for scoring acute lung injury that usually occurs after sepsis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the LIS in prediction the patients outcome and determine the relationship between the LIS and mortality rate, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score and multiple organ failure (MOF) score. METHODS Patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Severance Hospital Yonsei University College of Medicine from November 1995 to March 1996 were included. LIS at admission and discharge, APACHE II score with MOF score and duration of ICU stay between survivors and nonsurvivors were compared. Relationship of LIS between mortality rate and APACHE II score and MOF score were evaluated. RESULTS LIS is higher in nonsurvivors than survivors at admission and discharge with statistical significance. LIS of survivors and nonsurvivors at discharge was lower and higher than those at admission (p<0.05) respectively.
Correlation coeffcient of LIS with mortality rate, MOF score and APACHE II score were 0.60 (p<0.05), 0.23 and 0.17. CONCLUSIONS LIS score was highly correlated with mortality rate. Therefore LIS is a good predictor of outcome in the intensive care unit.