Anthony Holley

International study on microcirculatory shock occurrence in acutely ill patients

Objectives:Microcirculatory alterations are associated with adverse outcome in subsets of critically ill patients. The prevalence and significance of microcirculatory alterations in the general ICU population are unknown. We studied the prevalence of microcirculatory alterations in a heterogeneous ICU population and its predictive value in an integrative model of macro- and microcirculatory variables. Design:Multicenter observational point prevalence study. Setting:The Microcirculatory Shock Occurrence in Acutely ill Patients study was conducted in 36 ICUs worldwide. Patients:A heterogeneous ICU population consisting of 501 patients. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Demographic, hemodynamic, and laboratory data were collected in all ICU patients who were 18 years old or older. Sublingual Sidestream Dark Field imaging was performed to determine the prevalence of an abnormal capillary microvascular flow index (< 2.6) and its additional value in predicting hospital mortality. In 501 patients with a median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 15 (10–21), a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 5 (2–8), and a hospital mortality of 28.4%, 17% exhibited an abnormal capillary microvascular flow index. Tachycardia (heart rate > 90 beats/min) (odds ratio, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.67–4.39; p < 0.001), mean arterial pressure (odds ratio, 0.979; 95% CI, 0.963–0.996; p = 0.013), vasopressor use (odds ratio, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.11–3.07; p = 0.019), and lactate level more than 1.5 mEq/L (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.28–3.62; p = 0.004) were independent risk factors for hospital mortality, but not abnormal microvascular flow index. In reference to microvascular flow index, a significant interaction was observed with tachycardia. In patients with tachycardia, the presence of an abnormal microvascular flow index was an independent, additive predictor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.30–8.06; p = 0.011). This was not true for nontachycardic patients nor for the total group of patients. Conclusions:In a heterogeneous ICU population, an abnormal microvascular flow index was present in 17% of patients. This was not associated with mortality. However, in patients with tachycardia, an abnormal microvascular flow index was independently associated with an increased risk of hospital death.

Temporal trends, risk factors and outcomes in albicans and non-albicans candidaemia: an international epidemiological study in four multidisciplinary intensive care units

This multicentre study (i) evaluated geographic and temporal changes in candidaemia ecology in the critically ill, (ii) identified risk factors associated with non-albicans candidaemia and (iii) examined the association of Candida ecology with mortality. A retrospective cohort study of patients who developed candidaemia in four general Intensive Care Units located in Australia, Greece, Belgium and Brazil was performed. Two hundred Candida organisms were identified by positive blood culture in 189 patients, including 112 Candida albicans (56.0%), 38 Candidaglabrata (19.0%), 21 Candidaparapsilosis (10.5%), 18 Candidatropicalis (9.0%), 6 Candidakrusei (3.0%), 1 Candidafamata (0.5%), 1 Candidazeylanoides (0.5%) and 3 non-differentiated Candida spp. (1.5%). No trend towards increased non-albicans species over the study period (P=0.68) or by geographic area (P=0.35) was demonstrated. Independent risk factors for non-albicans candidaemia included: female gender [odds ratio (OR) 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-3.86] and increased central venous catheter days (OR 1.16 per 5-day interval, 95% CI 1.05-1.28). Mortality in the non-albicans group was non-significantly higher than in the albicans group (65% vs. 53%; P=0.10). This study is unique in that a large number of intensive care candidaemias in four geographically diverse units have been studied.

Review article: Management of acute severe and near-fatal asthma

Despite a decline in the Australian overall asthma mortality, near‐fatal/critical asthma continues to be a significant management issue for emergency physicians and intensivists. Near‐fatal asthma is a unique subtype of asthma, with a variety of clinical presentations, requiring rapid and aggressive intervention. The pharmacological and non‐pharmacological management of near‐fatal asthma remains very complex. The present review discusses recent advances and evidence for current available strategies targeting this time critical emergency.

Scurvy: Historically a plague of the sailor that remains a consideration in the modern intensive care unit

We report the case of the case of a 56 year old female with sepsis on a background of rheumatoid arthritis and steroid use manifesting with overt clinical features of scurvy. Ascorbic acid assays were able to demonstrate severe deficiency and confirm a diagnosis of scurvy. Clinical resolution of signs and symptoms following commencement of vitamin C replacement was rapid. The intensivist and dietitian need to consider this diagnosis even in the first world setting, particularly in the presence of sepsis, inflammatory conditions, steroid use and importantly malnutrition.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis ‘down under’: Case series and literature review

Infective endocarditis is a common complication of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, but literature reports of community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) endocarditis are relatively uncommon and mostly comprise intravenous drug users (IVDUs) with the USA300 strain. We report 5 cases of CA-MRSA endocarditis in previously healthy young Australian adults, 4 in IVDUs. Morbidity was high with frequent septic emboli; 3 patients required cardiac surgery and 1 patient died. Typing revealed the 2 most common Australian strains, the Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive ST93 (Queensland) strain and the PVL-negative ST1 (WA-MRSA-1) strain.

Review article: Part one: Goal-directed resuscitation - Which goals? Haemodynamic targets

Part 2: Goal Directed Resuscitation – Which Goals? Perfusion Targets will follow in the next issue.

Fibrinogen Early In Severe Trauma studY (FEISTY): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundHaemorrhage is a leading cause of death in severe trauma. Fibrinogen plays a critical role in maintaining haemostasis in traumatic haemorrhage. Early fibrinogen replacement is recommended by several international trauma guidelines using either fibrinogen concentrate (FC) or cryoprecipitate (Cryo). There is limited evidence to support one product over the other with widespread geographic and institutional variation in practice. This pilot trial is the first randomised controlled trial comparing FC to Cryo in traumatic haemorrhage.Methods/designThe Fibrinogen Early In Severe Trauma studY (FEISTY) is an exploratory, multicentre, randomised controlled trial comparing FC to Cryo for fibrinogen supplementation in traumatic haemorrhage. This trial will utilise thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) to guide and dose fibrinogen supplementation. The trial will recruit 100 trauma patients at four major trauma centres in Australia. Adult trauma patients with evidence of haemorrhage will be enrolled on arrival in the trauma unit and randomised to receiving fibrinogen supplementation with either FC or Cryo. The primary outcome is the differential time to fibrinogen supplementation. There are a number of predetermined secondary outcomes including: effects of the intervention on plasma fibrinogen levels, feasibility assessments and clinical outcomes including transfusion requirements and mortality.DiscussionThe optimal method for replacing fibrinogen in traumatic haemorrhage is fiercely debated. In this trial the feasibility and efficacy of fibrinogen supplementation using FC will be compared to Cryo. The results of this pilot study will facilitate the design of a larger trial with sufficient power to address patient-centred outcomes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02745041. Registered 4 May 2016.

The 'procoagulopathy' of trauma: too much, too late?

Purpose of reviewAlthough early acute traumatic coagulopathy has received much recent attention, the procoagulopathy that often follows appears less appreciated. Thromboembolic disease following trauma is common and lethal, but very effective prophylactic strategies are available. These strategies are variably implemented because of the difficulty in quantifying the magnitude of procoagulopathy in individual patients. Recent findingsThe principal mechanisms of the procoagulopathy of trauma include inflammation and disseminated intravascular coagulation, tissue factor and thrombin dysregulation, and circulating microparticles and phospholipids. Quantification of these factors may allow better risk assessment in individual patients, but as yet none of these tests is in routine practice. Viscoelastic measurement of developing clot strength identifies a procoagulant state in many trauma patients, and may be a guide to the best choice of the many options for thromboembolic prophylaxis. SummaryThe logical next step following from the improved pathophysiological understanding of the procoagulopathy of trauma should be a simultaneous clinical trial of procoagulopathy diagnosis and thromboembolic prophylaxis.

Two rare severe and fulminant presentations of Q fever in patients with minimal risk factors for this disease.

We described two rare severe and fulminant clinical presentations of acute Q fever. The first patient had severe multiorgan failure. The second patient had fever and severe cholera‐like diarrhoea. Coxiella burnetii polymerase chain reaction on blood or serum can be clinically useful in the diagnosis of acute Q fever before seroconversion.

Fibrinogen in traumatic haemorrhage: a narrative review

Haemorrhage in the setting of severe trauma is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is increasing awareness of the important role fibrinogen plays in traumatic haemorrhage. Fibrinogen levels fall precipitously in severe trauma and the resultant hypofibrinogenaemia is associated with poor outcomes. Hence, it has been postulated that early fibrinogen replacement in severe traumatic haemorrhage may improve outcomes, although, to date there is a paucity of high quality evidence to support this hypothesis. In addition there is controversy regarding the optimal method for fibrinogen supplementation. We review the current evidence regarding the role of fibrinogen in trauma, the rationale behind fibrinogen supplementation and discuss current research.