Kelly Cawcutt

Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: Clinical Overview and Update on Management

Sepsis is among the oldest themes in medicine; however, despite modern advances, it remains a leading cause of death in the United States. Every clinician should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of sepsis, along with early management strategies, to expeditiously provide appropriate care and decrease resultant morbidity and mortality. This review addresses the definitions, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, management, and outcomes of patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock.

Complication rates among peripherally inserted central venous catheters and centrally inserted central catheters in the medical intensive care unit

PURPOSE There are limited contemporary data describing the rates of catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (CRDVT) and central line-associated bloodstream infection for peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) and centrally inserted central venous catheters (CICCs) in the medical intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of 200 PICCs (dual/triple lumen) and 200 CICCs (triple/quadruple lumen) placed in medical ICU adults at Mayo Rochester between 2012 and 2013. Central lines were followed from insertion time until hospital dismissal (primary analysis) or ICU discharge (secondary analysis). Symptomatic CRDVT was determined by Doppler ultrasound. Central line-associated bloodstream infection was defined according to federal reporting criteria. RESULTS During 1730 PICC days and 637 CICC days, the incidence of CRDVT when followed until hospital dismissal was 4% and 1% (4.6 and 3.1 per 1000 catheter-days), respectively, P = .055. When censored at the time of ICU dismissal, the rates were 2% and 1% (5.3 and 3.7 per 1000 catheter-days), P = .685. Only 1 central line-associated bloodstream infection occurred in a PICC following ICU dismissal, P > .999. CONCLUSIONS Thrombotic and infectious complications were uncommon following PICC and CICC insertion, with no significant difference in complication rates observed. Half of PICC DVTs occurred on the general floor, and like all central catheters placed in the ICU, PICCs should be aggressively discontinued when no longer absolutely needed.

The Evidence Base for Prophylactic Antibiotics in Patients Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

The aim of this review was to evaluate evidence for the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. We systematically reviewed MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and other major databases and included any study that reported rates of infection and whether antibiotic prophylaxis was a part of therapy for patients receiving ECMO. We abstracted rates of infection, microbiology of isolates, prophylactic practices, and individual study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among 11 studies identified, rates of infection were fairly uniform regardless of prophylaxis use, and the only two studies that directly compared outcomes with and without prophylaxis found no benefit. The causative infectious organisms were heterogeneous, which gives no clear rationale for any particular prophylactic strategy. Although infections during ECMO are serious complications that must be prevented, there is no good evidence to support routine use of prophylactic antibiotics in most patients. Certain subpopulations, such as those with open chests, may have an indication for prophylaxis, but evidence is poor. Future studies should investigate the role of other approaches to infection prevention, such as chlorhexidine bathing and preferential elective cannulation.

Gastrointestinal mucormycosis in immunocompromised hosts.

Invasive mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection in immunocompromised hosts, but it carries a high mortality rate. Primary gastrointestinal disease is the least frequent form of presentation. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical in the management; however, symptoms are typically non‐specific in gastrointestinal disease, leading to delayed therapy. To describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of gastrointestinal mucormycosis in immunocompromised hosts, we reviewed all cases of primary gastrointestinal mucormycosis in immunocompromised hosts reported in English literature as well as in our Institution from January 1st 1991 to December 31st 2013 for a total of 31 patients. About 52% of patients underwent solid organ transplant (SOT), while the rest had an underlying haematologic malignancy. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom, followed by gastrointestinal bleeding and fever. Gastric disease was more common in SOT, whereas those with haematologic malignancy presented with intestinal disease (P = 0.002). Although gastrointestinal mucormycosis remains an uncommon condition in immunocompromised hosts, it carries significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in cases with intestinal involvement. A high index of suspicion is of utmost importance to institute early and appropriate therapy and improve outcomes.

The Use of ECMO in HIV/AIDS with Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

There are few reports of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy for respiratory failure because of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). None of the cases reported involvement of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), a paradoxical clinical worsening after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in ART-naïve patients because of an exaggerated systemic inflammation with cell count recovery. We present a patient with newly diagnosed AIDS and PJP pneumonia that progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to probable IRIS for which veno-venous ECMO was initiated. He transitioned to conventional ventilator after 57 days of ECMO therapy. However, he did not survive to hospital discharge. Combined with four previously reported cases of ARDS in human immunodeficiency virus patients secondary to PJP treated with ECMO, three of the five patients survived to ECMO decannulation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is considered an accepted modality for adult patients with respiratory and/or cardiac failure refractory to maximal medical therapy. As ECMO becomes increasingly utilized in clinical practice, there is ongoing controversy regarding the appropriate selection of patients. In the past, contraindications to ECMO included immunocompromised states and conditions with known poor prognosis. The cases herein suggest the indications and contraindications warrant further discussion and research.

A Case of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis Endocarditis with Mycotic Aneurysm in an Immunocompetent Host

Scopulariopsis is a genus of mold that is usually associated with onychomycosis and rarely causes complicated infection in immunocompetent persons. We describe a case of an immunocompetent 65-year-old male with a history of mitral valve repair with prosthetic ring placement who developed acute left posterior knee pain. Imaging showed a left popliteal artery aneurysm and thrombus, and further evaluation with transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated two large, mobile mitral valve vegetations. He underwent debridement and replacement of the mitral valve, followed by debridement of the left popliteal artery with peroneal artery bypass. The intraoperative cultures grew Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. Due to the resistant nature of the organism, he was initially treated with combination antifungals including liposomal amphotericin B, caspofungin, and voriconazole and was continued on chronic suppression with posaconazole with no evidence of recurrence. Scopulariopsis is a rare cause of fungal endocarditis. Treatment of Scopulariopsis endocarditis is challenging and is not well understood due to its rarity.

Intensive care unit readmission prevention checklist: is it worth the effort?

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Checklists have been adopted by various institutions to improve patient outcomes. In particular, readmission prevention checklists may be of potential value to improve patient care and reduce medical costs. As a result, a prior quality improvement study was conducted to create an intensive care unit readmission prevention checklist. The previous pilot demonstrated zero readmissions when the readmission prevention checklist was utilized but yielded low compliance (30%). Thus, a subsequent quality initiative was undertaken to refine the readmission prevention checklist with the primary aim of improved compliance while maintaining a reduced readmission rate that was observed with the original quality improvement study. METHOD A single-centre, cross-sectional study for assessing baseline data and a prospective observational study to assess the effectiveness of a refined readmission prevention checklist tool in a 20-bed tertiary medical-surgical intensive care unit at an academic medical centre in Rochester, MN was conducted. Medical patients admitted through the emergency department, upon direct transfer from outside facility, and post-operative surgical patients at our institution were included. A refined readmission prevention checklist tool was administered during an 8-week pilot period for medical and post-operative surgical patients. RESULTS The refined readmission prevention checklist resulted in an even lower compliance (10.5%) from the initial phase likely resulting from utilization of a paper readmission prevention checklist in an electronic medical environment. Moreover, the refined readmission prevention checklist demonstrated a 22% unplanned readmission rate for patients in which the tool was utilized. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the findings of the current quality improvement study may serve to rethink the process of health care delivery that applies paper tools in an electronic medical environment.

Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Outcome of Clostridium difficile Infection in Heart and Heart-Lung Transplant Recipients

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of diarrhea in thoracic organ transplant recipients. We investigated the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcome of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in heart and heart‐lung transplant (HT) recipients.

Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for the Treatment of Influenza-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Immunocompromised Adults☆

ABSTRACT Influenza infection in the adult immunocompromised hosts can have severe presentations and rapid progression to lower respiratory tract infection requiring mechanical ventilation, and it even can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Little is known about the role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for management in this setting. We present a review of the current literature on the subject.

Critical Care Viral Infections

Abstract Viral infections are a common cause of critical illness, particularly of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Most are managed by supportive care alone. Early identification is critical to proper care to facilitate antimicrobial de-escalation. A small subset of viruses has directed treatment, and critical care providers should be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of influenza, herpes simplex meningoencephalitis, and viral hepatitis. Antivirals can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with each of these illnesses.