Joseph L. Nates

Percutaneous tracheostomy in critically ill patients: a prospective, randomized comparison of two techniques.

ObjectiveTo prospectively compare two commonly used methods for percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) in critically ill patients. DesignProspective, randomized, clinical trial. SettingTrauma and general intensive care units of a university tertiary teaching hospital, which is also a level 1 trauma center. PatientsOne hundred critically ill patients with an indication for PDT. InterventionsPDT with the Ciaglia technique using the Ciaglia PDT introducer set and the Griggs technique using a Griggs PDT kit and guidewire dilating forceps. Measurements and Main ResultsSurgical time, difficulties, and surgical and anesthesia complications were measured at 0–2 hrs, 24 hrs, and 7 days postprocedure. Groups were well matched, and there were no differences between the two methods in surgical time or in anesthesia complications. Major bleeding complications were 4.4 times more frequent with the Griggs PDT kit. With the Ciaglia PDT kit, both intraoperative and at 2 and 24 hrs, surgical complications were less common (p = .023) and the procedure was more often completed without expert assistance (p = .013). Tracheostomy bleeding was not associated with either anticoagulant therapy or an abnormal clotting profile. Multivariate analysis identified the predictors of PDT complications as the Griggs PDT kit (p = .027) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (p = .041). The significant predictors of time required to complete PDT were the APACHE II score (p = .041), a less experienced operator (p = .0001), and a female patient (p = .013). ConclusionsPatients experiencing PDT with the Ciaglia PDT kit had a lower surgical complication rate (2% vs. 25%), less operative and postoperative bleeding, and less overall technical difficulties than did patients undergoing PDT with the Griggs PDT kit. Ciaglia PDT is, therefore, the preferred technique for percutaneous tracheostomy in critically ill patients.

ICU Admission, Discharge, and Triage Guidelines: A Framework to Enhance Clinical Operations, Development of Institutional Policies, and Further Research.

Objectives:To update the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s guidelines for ICU admission, discharge, and triage, providing a framework for clinical practice, the development of institutional policies, and further research. Design:An appointed Task Force followed a standard, systematic, and evidence-based approach in reviewing the literature to develop these guidelines. Measurements and Main Results:The assessment of the evidence and recommendations was based on the principles of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. The general subject was addressed in sections: admission criteria and benefits of different levels of care, triage, discharge timing and strategies, use of outreach programs to supplement ICU care, quality assurance/improvement and metrics, nonbeneficial treatment in the ICU, and rationing considerations. The literature searches yielded 2,404 articles published from January 1998 to October 2013 for review. Following the appraisal of the literature, discussion, and consensus, recommendations were written. Conclusion:Although these are administrative guidelines, the subjects addressed encompass complex ethical and medico-legal aspects of patient care that affect daily clinical practice. A limited amount of high-quality evidence made it difficult to answer all the questions asked related to ICU admission, discharge, and triage. Despite these limitations, the members of the Task Force believe that these recommendations provide a comprehensive framework to guide practitioners in making informed decisions during the admission, discharge, and triage process as well as in resolving issues of nonbeneficial treatment and rationing. We need to further develop preventive strategies to reduce the burden of critical illness, educate our noncritical care colleagues about these interventions, and improve our outreach, developing early identification and intervention systems.

Combined external and internal hospital disaster: impact and response in a Houston trauma center intensive care unit.

ObjectiveTo increase awareness of specific risks to healthcare systems during a natural or civil disaster. We describe the catastrophic disruption of essential services and the point-by-point response to the crisis in a major medical center. DesignCase report, review of the literature, and discussion. SettingA 28-bed intensive care unit in a level I trauma center in the largest medical center in the world. CaseIn June 2001, tropical storm Allison caused >3 feet of rainfall and catastrophic flooding in Houston, TX. Memorial Hermann Hospital, one of only two level I trauma centers in the community, lost electrical power, communications systems, running water, and internal transportation. All essential hospital services were rendered nonfunctional. Life-saving equipment such as ventilators, infusion pumps, and monitors became useless. Patients were triaged to other medical facilities based on acuity using ground and air ambulances. No patients died as result of the internal disaster. ConclusionAdequate training, teamwork, communication, coordination with other healthcare professionals, and strong leadership are essential during a crisis. Electricity is vital when delivering care in today’s healthcare system, which depends on advanced technology. It is imperative that hospitals take the necessary measures to preserve electrical power at all times. Hospitals should have battery-operated internal and external communication systems readily available in the event of a widespread disaster and communication outage. Critical services such as pharmacy, laboratories, blood bank, and central supply rooms should be located at sites more secure than the ground floors, and these services should be prepared for more extensive performances. Contingency plans to maintain protected water supplies and available emergency kits with batteries, flashlights, two-way radios, and a nonelectronic emergency system for patient identification are also very important. Rapid adaptation to unexpected adverse conditions is critical to the successful implementation of any disaster plan.

Clinical effectiveness and risk of emerging resistance associated with prolonged use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters: more than 0.5 million catheter days and 7 years of clinical experience.

Objectives:Catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin are proven to decrease the rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection; however, it is unclear whether success occurs independent of other infection control precautions. We evaluated the effect of catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin with and without other infection control precautions on our rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection in critically ill patients and on antibiotic resistance throughout the hospital and in the intensive care unit. Design:Retrospective clinical cohort study conducted during 1999–2006 with an observational laboratory component. Setting:A tertiary university-based cancer center. Patients:All 8009 patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit were subjects for the surveillance of central line-associated bloodstream infection. All Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci clinical isolates cultured at our institution during the same period were subjects for laboratory testing. Interventions:Using catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin and implementing infection control precautions. Measurements and Main Results:Incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the medical intensive care unit. Change in resistance to tetracycline and rifampin in clinically relevant staphylococcal isolates in the intensive care unit and hospitalwide. During the study period, 9200 catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin were used hospitalwide over a total of 511,520 catheter days. The incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection per 1000 patient days in the medical intensive care unit significantly and gradually decreased from 8.3 in 1998 to 1.2 in 2006 (p ≤ .001). The resistance of S. aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci clinical isolates to tetracycline or rifampin in the intensive care unit and on a hospitalwide level remained stable or decreased significantly during the same period. Conclusions:Catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin significantly decreased the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the medical intensive care unit in a manner that was independent and complementary to the infection control precautions. Although this study strongly suggests an association between catheters coated with minocycline and rifampin use and a decrease in central line-associated bloodstream infection, because of multiple other concurrent interventions, the results should be interpreted cautiously until a prospective study is conducted. Furthermore, long-term use of these devices is not associated with increased resistance of staphylococcal isolates to tetracycline and rifampin in the intensive care unit or throughout the hospital.

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation–Specific Comorbidity Index Predicts Inpatient Mortality and Survival in Patients Who Received Allogeneic Transplantation Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

PURPOSE To investigate the prognostic value of the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) in patients who received transplantation admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS AND METHODS We investigated the association of HCT-CI with inpatient mortality and overall survival (OS) among 377 patients who were admitted to the ICU within 100 days of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) at our institution. HCT-CI scores were collapsed into four groups and were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS The most common pretransplantation comorbidities were pulmonary and cardiac diseases, and respiratory failure was the primary reason for ICU admission. We observed a strong trend for higher inpatient mortality and shorter OS among patients with HCT-CI values ≥ 2 compared with patients with values of 0 to 1 in all patient subsets studied. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with HCT-CI values ≥ 2 had significantly higher inpatient mortality than patients with values of 0 to 1 and that HCT-CI values ≥ 4 were significantly associated with shorter OS compared with values of 0 to 1 (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.47). The factors associated with lower inpatient mortality were ICU admission during the ASCT conditioning phase or the use of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens. The overall inpatient mortality rate was 64%, and the 1-year OS rate was 15%. Among patients with HCT-CI scores of 0 to 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4, the 1-year OS rates were 22%, 17%, 18%, and 9%, respectively. CONCLUSION HCT-CI is a valuable predictor of mortality and survival in critically ill patients after ASCT.

Outcome Analyses After the First Admission to an Intensive Care Unit in Patients With Advanced Cancer Referred to a Phase I Clinical Trials Program

PURPOSE This study assessed outcomes of individuals with advanced cancer who required admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) after referral for an early clinical trial because they did not respond to conventional therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Outcome analyses were conducted for 212 consecutive patients admitted to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ICU after being seen in the phase I clinic starting on May 1, 2007. All data were obtained by a review of electronic medical records of patients. RESULTS The median survival of 212 patients with advanced cancer referred to phase I care after the initial ICU admission was 3.2 weeks (95% CI, 2.5 to 4.9 weeks). Patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) succumbed within a median survival of 1 day (75% and 25% estimated survival of 1 and 3 days, respectively). Patients admitted for a postsurgical intervention did better than patients admitted for a nonsurgical intervention (median survival, 21.5 versus 2.1 weeks; P < .0001). The multivariate analysis revealed that a nonsurgical intervention, hypoalbuminemia, and higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores were associated with poor overall survival. CONCLUSION The outcome of patients in a phase I clinic after initial ICU admission was poor, particularly when admission was for a nonsurgical intervention and/or when CPR was needed.

Sustained Low Efficiency Dialysis in the Continuous Mode (C-SLED): Dialysis Efficacy, Clinical Outcomes, and Survival Predictors in Critically Ill Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Oliguric, hypotensive patients who require large amounts of fluids may benefit from sustained low-efficiency dialysis performed continuously (C-SLED). C-SLED through higher clearance may improve survival, or through greater nutritional loss may worsen survival. No studies have assessed survival on C-SLED. The objective was to examine patient outcomes and survival predictors on C-SLED. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS The data of 199 consecutive cancer patients treated with C-SLED were analyzed. The median duration of C-SLED was 50 h. With 48 h of C-SLED, the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels had decreased by 80% and 73%, respectively. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was maintained despite higher ultrafiltration and reduced vasopressor use. The 30-d mortality rate was 65%. Despite excellent dialysis, the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score remained predictive of mortality. In the univariate model, higher SOFA scores and lower values for MAP, blood pH, and serum albumin and creatinine levels were associated with higher mortality. Administration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was, however, associated with lower mortality. RESULTS In the multivariate model, the higher SOFA score and lower blood pH, MAP and C-SLED duration were associated with higher mortality. In a subset analysis of 129 patients who received C-SLED for at least 48 h, those with higher BUN levels, which were associated with higher TPN infusion, had a lower mortality risk. CONCLUSION This first detailed report on C-SLED indicates that C-SLED can be effective and suggests a link between nutrition and survival.

Prevention of Biofilm Colonization by Gram-Negative Bacteria on Minocycline-Rifampin-Impregnated Catheters Sequentially Coated with Chlorhexidine

ABSTRACT Resistant Gram-negative bacteria are increasing central-line-associated bloodstream infection threats. To better combat this, chlorhexidine (CHX) was added to minocycline-rifampin (M/R) catheters. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of CHX-M/R catheters against multidrug resistant, Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was tested. M/R and CHX-silver sulfadiazine (CHX/SS) catheters were used as comparators. The novel CHX-M/R catheters were significantly more effective (P < 0.0001) than CHX/SS or M/R catheters in preventing biofilm colonization and showed better antimicrobial durability.

Hospital Versus Home Death: Results from the Mexican Health and Aging Study

CONTEXT Characterizing where people die is needed to inform palliative care programs in Mexico. OBJECTIVES To determine whether access to health care influences the place of death of older Mexicans and examine the modifying effects of demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS We analyzed 2001 baseline and 2003 follow-up data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Cases included adults who completed the baseline interview and died before the follow-up interview and for whom a proxy interview was obtained in 2003. The main outcome variable was the place of death (hospital vs. home). The predictors of the place of death were identified using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS The study group included 473 deceased patients; 52.9% died at home. Factors associated with hospital death were having spent at least one night in a hospital during the last year of life (odds ratio [OR]: 6.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.29, 13.78) and dying in a city other than the city of usual residence (OR: 4.68, 95% CI: 2.56, 8.57). Factors associated with home death were not having health care coverage (OR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.34, 5.88), living in a city of less than 100,000 residents (OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.43, 4.17), and older age (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.05). CONCLUSION Older Mexicans with access to health care services were more likely to die in the hospital even after controlling for important clinical and demographic characteristics. Findings from the study may be used to plan the provision of accessible end-of-life hospital and home-based services.

Demographic and Clinical Determinants of Having Do Not Resuscitate Orders in the Intensive Care Unit of a Comprehensive Cancer Center

To understand the needs of patients and family members as physicians communicate their expectations about patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), we evaluated the demographic and clinical determinants of having a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order for adults with cancer. Patients included were admitted from June 16, 2008-August 16, 2008, to the ICU in a comprehensive cancer center. We conducted a prospective chart review and collected data on patient demographics, length of stay, advance directives, clinical characteristics, and DNR orders. A total of 362 patients met the inclusion criteria; only 15.2% had DNR orders before ICU discharge. In the multivariate analysis, we found that medical admission was an independent predictor of having a DNR order during the ICU stay (odds ratio = 3.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-9.28); we also found a significant two-way interaction between race/ethnicity and type of admission (medical vs. surgical) with having a DNR order (p = .04). Although medical admissions were associated with significantly more DNR orders than were surgical admissions, we observed that the subgroup of non-white patients admitted for medical reasons was significantly less likely to have DNR orders. This finding could reflect different preferences for aggressive care by race/ethnicity in patients with cancer, and deserves further investigation.