Subhash Prasad Acharya

Intravenous ketamine for treatment of super-refractory convulsive status epilepticus with septic shock: A report of two cases.

Refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus is a life-threatening neurological emergency, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Treatment should be aimed to stop seizure and to avoid cerebral damage and another morbidity. Published data about effectiveness, safety and outcome of various therapies and treatment approaches are sparse and are mainly based on small case series and retrospective data. Here we report successful management of two cases of super-refractory status epilepticus refractory to anesthetic therapy with midazolam and complicated by septic shock, managed successfully with ketamine infusion.

Critical care medicine in Nepal: where are we?

Although critical care medicine has been established as a separate specialty in the rest of the world it is still in its initial stages of development in Nepal and intensive care units (ICUs) here are still in primitive stages. This article describes the history, the types and current status of ICUs, the challenges, and academic training and certification in critical care medicine in Nepal, compared with existing ICUs in other parts of the world.

Apnea testing with continuous positive airway pressure for the diagnosis of brain death in a patient with poor baseline oxygenation status.

Apnea testing is a key component in the clinical diagnosis of brain death. Patients with poor baseline oxygenation may not tolerate the standard 8-10 min apnea testing with oxygen insufflation through tracheal tube. No studies have assessed the safety and feasibility of other methods of oxygenation during apnea testing in these types of patients. Here, we safely performed apnea testing in a patient with baseline PaO2 of 99.1 mm Hg at 100% oxygen. We used continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of 10 cm of H2O and 100% oxygen at the flow rate of 12 L/min using the circle system of anesthesia machine. After 10 min of apnea testing, PaO2 decreased to 75.7 mm Hg. There was a significant rise in PaCO2 and fall in pH, but without hemodynamic instability, arrhythmias, or desaturation. Thus, the apnea test was declared positive. CPAP can be a valuable, feasible and safe means of oxygenation during apnea testing in patients with poor baseline oxygenation, thus avoiding the need for ancillary tests.

Comparison of outcome predictions by the Glasgow coma scale and the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness score in the neurological and neurosurgical patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Assessment of level of consciousness is very important in predicting patients outcome from neurological illness. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) is the most commonly used scale, and Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score is also recently validated as an alternative to GCS in the evaluation of the level of consciousness. We carried out a prospective study in 97 patients aged above 16 years. We measured GCS and FOUR score within 24 h of Intensive Care Unit admission. The mean GCS and the FOUR scores were lower among nonsurvivors than among the survivors and were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Discrimination for GCS and FOUR score was fair with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 and 0.82, respectively. The cutoff point with best Youden index for GCS and FOUR score was 6.5 each. Below the cutoff point, mortality was higher in both models (P < 0.001). The Hosmer-Lemeshow Chi-square coefficient test showed better calibration with FOUR score than GCS. A positive correlation was seen between the models with Spearmans correlation coefficient of 0.91 (P < 0.001).

Colistin and tigecycline for management of external ventricular device-related ventriculitis due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important cause of nosocomial ventriculitis associated with external ventricular device (EVD). It is frequently multidrug resistant (MDR), carries a poor outcome, and is difficult to treat. We report a case of MDR Acinetobacter ventriculitis treated with intravenous and intraventricular colistin together with intravenous tigecycline. The patient developed nephrotoxicity and poor neurological outcome despite microbiological cure. Careful implementation of bundle of measures to minimize EVD-associated ventriculitis is valuable.

Epidemiology of device-associated infections in an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Nepal: A prospective surveillance study from a developing country

HighlightsProspective epidemiological surveillance of device‐associated infections in an ICU of a major teaching hospital in Nepal.Higher incidences of DAIs‐VAP, CLABSI and CAUTI than that of developed countries.Major pathogens in DA‐HAIs were multidrug resistant Acinetobacter and Klebsiella spp.DA‐HAIs found associated with longer duration stay and higher crude mortality. Background: Device‐associated health care‐acquired infections (DA‐HAIs) in intensive care unit patients are a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs. Methods: A prospective, structured clinicomicrobiological surveillance was carried out for 3 common DA‐HAIs: ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP), central line‐associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) present in the patients of an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Nepal. DA‐HAIs were identified using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions, and their rates were expressed as number of DA‐HAIs per 1,000 device‐days. Results: Overall incidence rate of DA‐HAIs was 27.3 per 1,000 patient‐days occurring in 37.1% of patients. The device utilization ratio for mechanical ventilation, central line catheter, and urinary catheter was 0.83, 0.63, and 0.78, respectively. The rates of VAP, CLABSI, and CAUTI were 21.40, 8.64, and 5.11 per 1,000 device‐days, respectively. Acinetobacter spp (32.7%), Klebsiella spp (23.6%), Burkholderia cepacia complex (12.7%), and Escherichia coli (10.9%) were the common bacterial pathogens. Most of the bacterial isolates associated with DA‐HAIs were found to be multidrug‐resistant. Conclusions: Incidence of DA‐HAIs in the study intensive care unit was high compared with that of developed countries. Formulation and implementation of standard infection control protocols, active surveillance of DA‐HAIs, and antimicrobial stewardship are urgently needed in our country.

Intranasal midazolam for rapid sedation of an agitated patient

Rapidly, establishing a difficult intravenous access in a dangerously agitated patient is a real challenge. Intranasal midazolam has been shown to be effective and safe for rapidly sedating patients before anesthesia, for procedural sedation and for control of seizure. Here, we report a patient in intensive care unit who was on mechanical ventilation and on inotropic support for management of septic shock and who turned out extremely agitated after accidental catheter removal. Intravenous access was successfully established following sedation with intranasal midazolam, using ultrasound guidance.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Emergency Neurological Life Support educational framework in low-income countries

Abstract Background The Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) is an educational initiative designed to improve the acute management of neurological injuries. However, the applicability of the course in low-income countries in unknown. We evaluated the impact of the course on knowledge, decision-making skills and preparedness to manage neurological emergencies in a resource-limited country. Methods A prospective cohort study design was implemented for the first ENLS course held in Asia. Knowledge and decision-making skills for neurological emergencies were assessed at baseline, post-course and at 6 months following course completion. To determine perceived knowledge and preparedness, data were collected using surveys administered immediately post-course and 6 months later. Results A total of 34 acute care physicians from across Nepal attended the course. Knowledge and decision-making skills significantly improved following the course (p=0.0008). Knowledge and decision-making skills remained significantly improved after 6 months, compared with before the course (p=0.02), with no significant loss of skills immediately following the course to the 6-month follow-up (p=0.16). At 6 months, the willingness to participate in continuing medical education activities remained evident, with 77% (10/13) of participants reporting a change in their clinical practice and decision-making, with the repeated use of ENLS protocols as the main driver of change. Conclusions Using the ENLS framework, neurocritical care education can be delivered in low-income countries to improve knowledge uptake, with evidence of knowledge retention up to 6 months.

Olanzapine overdose presenting with acute muscle toxicity

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is being increasingly used as an intentional overdose. It usually presents with reduced and fluctuating level of consciousness and coma. It may rarely present with muscle toxicity by binding to HT2A receptor in skeletal muscle and increasing its permeability. We report a case of such poisoning which had no obvious symptoms but was brought to emergency due to overdose and was found to have acute muscle toxicity as evidenced by raised creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels. From this, we also want to emphasize that CPK levels should be checked in all the patients prescribed olanzapine to look for muscle toxicity.

Accidentally Missed Guidewire during Insertion of a Dialysis Catheter

Missed guidewire is a rare and potentially avoidable complication of central venous cannulation. Unsupervised insertion by trainees, distraction during insertion, and high workload may increase the risk. Simple measures such as holding onto the wire at all times until removal from the vessel, routine use of central venous catheter insertion checklist, and vigilant supervision of the trainees may help prevent missing of the guidewire.