Jeremy Pamplin

Predictors of early acute lung injury at a combat support hospital: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND Acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome consisting of noncardiogenic acute hypoxemic respiratory failure with the presence of bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and occurs in up to 33% of critically ill trauma patients. Retrospective and observational studies have suggested that a blood component resuscitation strategy using equal ratios of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) may have a survival benefit in combat casualties. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this strategy is associated with an increased incidence of ALI. METHODS We performed a prospective observational study of all injured patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) at a combat support hospital who required >5 units of blood transfusion within the first 24 hours of admission. Baseline demographic data along with Injury Severity Score (ISS), pulmonary injury, presence of long bone fracture, blood products transfused, mechanical ventilation data, and arterial blood gas analysis were collected. The primary endpoint of the study was the development of ALI at 48 hours after injury. Those who did not survive to ICU admission were excluded from analysis. Follow-up (including mortality) longer than 48 hours was unavailable secondary to rapid transfer out of our facility. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the independent effects of variables on the incidence of early ALI. RESULTS During a 12-month period (from January 2008 to December 2008), 87 subjects were studied; of these, 66 patients met inclusion criteria, and 22 patients developed ALI at 48 hours (33%). Overall, the ratio of FFP to PRBC was 1:1.1. Those who developed ALI had a higher ISS (32 +/- 15 vs. 26 +/- 11; p = 0.04) and received more units of FFP (22 +/- 15 vs. 12 +/- 7; p < 0.001), PRBCs (22 +/- 16 vs. 13 +/- 7; p = 0.008), and platelets (5 +/- 11 vs. 1 +/- 2; p = 0.004) compared with those who did not develop ALI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that presence of pulmonary injury (odds ratio, 5.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-21.9) and volume of FFP transfused (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.3) had independent effects on ALI at 48 hours. CONCLUSION On the basis of this small, prospective, descriptive study of severely injured patients admitted to the ICU, we determined that the presence of pulmonary injury had the greatest impact on the incidence of early ALI. There was also an independent relationship between the amount of FFP transfused and the incidence of early ALI. Further studies are required to determine the effects of the development of early ALI from FFP transfusion on short- and long-term survival.

Checklists change communication about key elements of patient care

BACKGROUND Combat casualty care is distributed across professions and echelons of care. Communication within it is fragmented, inconsistent, and prone to failure. Daily checklists used during intensive care unit (ICU) rounds have been shown to improve compliance with evidence-based practices, enhance communication, promote consistency of care, and improve outcomes. Checklists are criticized because it is difficult to establish a causal link between them and their effect on outcomes. We investigated how checklists used during ICU rounds affect communication. METHODS We conducted this project in two military ICUs (burn and surgical/trauma). Checklists contained up to 21 questions grouped according to patient population. We recorded which checklist items were discussed during rounds before and after implementation of a “must address” checklist and compared the frequency of discussing items before checklist prompting. RESULTS Patient discussions addressed more checklist items before prompting at the end of the 2-week evaluation compared with the 2-week preimplementation period (surgical trauma ICU, 36% vs. 77%, p < 0.0001; burn ICU, 47% vs. 72 %, p < 0.001). Most items were addressed more frequently in both ICUs after implementation. Key items such as central line removal, reduction of laboratory testing, medication reconciliation, medication interactions, bowel movements, sedation holidays, breathing trials, and lung protective ventilation showed significant improvements. CONCLUSION Checklists modify communication patterns. Improved communication facilitated by checklists may be one mechanism behind their effectiveness. Checklists are powerful tools that can rapidly alter patient care delivery. Implementing checklists could facilitate the rapid dissemination of clinical practice changes, improve communication between echelons of care and between individuals involved in patient care, and reduce missed information. Level of Evidence Therapeutic/care management study, level III.

Oxalate Nephropathy After Continuous Infusion of High-Dose Vitamin C as an Adjunct to Burn Resuscitation

Fluid resuscitation is the foundation of management in burn patients and is the topic of considerable research. One adjunct in burn resuscitation is continuous, high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) infusion, which may reduce fluid requirements and thus decrease the risk for over resuscitation. Research in preclinical studies and clinical trials has shown continuous infusions of high-dose vitamin C to be beneficial with decrease in resuscitative volumes and limited adverse effects. However, high-dose and low-dose vitamin C supplementation has been shown to cause secondary calcium oxalate nephropathy, worsen acute kidney injury, and delay renal recovery in non-burn patients. To the best of our knowledge, the authors present the first case series in burn patients in whom calcium oxalate nephropathy has been identified after high-dose vitamin C therapy.

Use of a protocolized approach to the management of sepsis can improve time to first dose of antibiotics

PURPOSE The Surviving Sepsis Guidelines established recommendations for early recognition and rapid treatment of patients with sepsis. Recognizing systemic difficulties that delayed the application of early goal-directed therapy, the Emergency Department and Critical Care leadership instituted a sepsis protocol to identify patients with sepsis and expedite antibiotic delivery. We aimed to determine if the sepsis protocol improved the time to first dose of antibiotics in patients diagnosed with sepsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with sepsis comparing the time from antibiotic order placement to the first dose of antibiotic therapy over a 3-year period. Patients who received vancomycin and ciprofloxacin underwent additional subgroup analysis, as these antibiotics were made available by protocol for use without infectious disease consultation. RESULTS The average time to first dose of antibiotics for the presepsis protocol group was 160 minutes, and the average time for the sepsis protocol group was 99 minutes. Fifty-eight patients received vancomycin, and 30 received ciprofloxacin, with a decrease in time of 65 minutes and 41 minutes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Initiation of a sepsis protocol, which emphasizes early goal-directed therapy, can improve time to administration of first dose of antibiotics.

Progressive Reduction in Central Blood Volume is not Detected by Sublingual Capnography

ABSTRACT Early detection and management of shock are important in optimizing clinical outcomes. One regional marker, sublingual capnography (SLCO2), is particularly appealing as redistribution of blood flow away from the sublingual mucosa can happen very early in the compensatory phase of hypovolemic shock. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that SLCO2 would detect early hypovolemia in a human laboratory model of hemorrhage: progressive lower body negative pressure until onset of cardiovascular collapse. Eighteen healthy nonsmoking subjects (10 males, 8 females) with mean age of 28 (SD, 8) years, body weight of 72 (SD, 13) kg, and height of 172 (SD, 9) cm were recruited to participate, of whom 17 completed the experiment. Average time to presyncope was 1,579 ± 72 s (mean ± SE). At the time of cardiovascular collapse, lower body negative pressure altered (P < 0.001) systolic blood pressure (mean ± SE: 130 ± 3 vs. 98 ± 2 mm Hg), pulse pressure (mean ± SE: 58 ± 2 vs. 33 ± 2 mm Hg), and heart rate (mean ± SE: 63 ± 3 vs. 102 ± 6 beats/min) when compared with baseline, whereas SLCO2 did not change (49.1 ± 1.0 vs. 48.6 ± 1.5 mm Hg, P = 0.624). In a model of progressive central hypovolemia in humans, we did not detect metabolic derangements in the sublingual mucosa as measured by SLCO2.

Developing a Cognitive and Communications Tool for Burn Intensive Care Unit Clinicians

BACKGROUND Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU) work is necessarily complex and depends on clinician actions, resources, and variable patient responses to interventions. Clinicians use large volumes of data that are condensed in time, but separated across resources, to care for patients. Correctly designed health information technology (IT) systems may help clinicians to treat these patients more efficiently, accurately, and reliably. We report on a 3-year project to design and develop an ecologically valid IT system for use in a military BICU. METHODS We use a mixed methods Cognitive Systems Engineering approach for research and development. Observations, interviews, artifact analysis, survey, and thematic analysis methods were used to reveal underlying factors that mold the work environment and affect clinician decisions that may affect patient outcomes. Participatory design and prototyping methods have been used to develop solutions. RESULTS We developed 39 requirements for the IT system and used them to create three use cases to help developers better understand how the system might support clinician work to develop interface prototypes. We also incorporated data mining functions that offer the potential to aid clinicians by recognizing patterns recognition of clinically significant events, such as incipient sepsis. The gaps between information sources and accurate, reliable, and efficient clinical decision that we have identified will enable us to create scenarios to evaluate prototype systems with BICU clinicians, to develop increasingly improved designs, and to measure outcomes. CONCLUSION The link from data to analyses, requirements, prototypes, and their evaluation ensures that the solution will reflect and support work in the BICU as it actually occurs, improving staff efficiency and patient care quality.

Revealing ICU Cognitive Work Through Naturalistic Decision-Making Methods

The fragile health of patients who are admitted to a burn intensive care unit (ICU) requires clinicians and clinical teams to perform complex cognitive work that includes time-pressured diagnostic and therapeutic decisions that are based on emergent and interrelated patient information. Barriers to clinician efforts delay patient care and increase care cost, length of stay, and the potential for misadventures. The Cooperative Communication System is a real-time information technology system in its final year of development that is designed to support individual and team cognitive work and communication in the burn ICU. The project has used cognitive systems engineering methods to reveal genotypes: the traits that mold this naturalistic decision-making work setting. Requirements derived from findings guided development of seven core features, configurable displays, and machine learning features that enable clinicians to obtain and use the most important information on individual patients and among and across patients. Recent evaluation data demonstrate the system’s usability and value to the clinical staff. More efficient, reliable collaboration among members of the ICU staff who use the Cooperative Communication System is expected to improve patient safety and improve patient outcomes.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Patient With Refractory Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Secondary to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

Abstract : Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare condition affecting an estimated 1 to 2 cases per million per year, with reported mortality between 30% and 50% typically because of multiorgan failure or sepsis. Acute pulmonary complications from this disorder include bronchial mucosal sloughing, pulmonary edema, and infectious pneumonitis. Pulmonary complications in TEN occurred in 46% of patients in one series. Use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has increased markedly during the past few years after successful treatment in adults with swine flu (H1N1) and publication of the CESAR (conventional ventilation or ECMO for severe adult respiratory failure) trial, which demonstrated a lower mortality and disability at 6 months for patients referred to an ECLS center. The suggested ideal candidate for ECLS would be one with an acute, reversible, survivable illness if not for associated ARDS, no significant comorbidities, no contraindication to systemic anticoagulation, less than 8 days on mechanical ventilation, and younger than 65 years of age.

Inhalation Injury and Toxic Industrial Chemical Exposure

Toxic industrial chemicals include chlorine, phosgene, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia have variable effects on the respiratory tract, and maybe seen alone or in combination, secondary to inhalation injury. Other considerations include the effects of cyanide, carbon monoxide, and fire suppressants. This Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) will provide the reader with a brief overview of these important topics and general management strategies for each as well as for inhalation injury. Chlorine, phosgene, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia are either of intermediate or high water solubility leading to immediate reactions with mucous membranes of the face, throat, and lungs and rapid symptoms onset after exposure. The exception to rapid symptom onset is phosgene which may take up to a day to develop severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Management of these patients includes early airway management, lung-protective ventilator strategies, aggressive pulmonary toilet, and avoidance of volume overload.

Hydrocarbon Enema: An Unusual Cause of Chemical Burn

Hydrocarbons are a wide-ranging group of flammable chemicals and are often used in suicide attempts either by ingestion or as an accelerant in self-immolation. In this case study, we present a 37-year-old female who suffered 6% TBSA partial-thickness burns to her perineum and buttocks, which she claims resulted from diarrhea after ingesting a bottle of lighter fluid. The patient underwent decontamination and medical treatment for her burns and during her inpatient stay, it became apparent that the burns were more likely sustained from an intentional rectal administration of lighter fluid. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reported cases of hydrocarbon enema. We review hydrocarbon poisoning, including both ingestion and dermal exposure, and discuss medical management.