Critical care explorations
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Given perceived similarities between coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia and the acute respiratory distress syndrome, we explored whether awake self-proning improved outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019-infected patients treated in a rural medical center with limited resources during a significant local coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.
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Limited evidence is available regarding the role of high-flow nasal oxygen in the management of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019. Our objective was to characterize outcomes associated with high-flow nasal oxygen use in critically ill adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. ⋯ We observed an overall high usage of high-flow nasal oxygen in our cohort of critically ill patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019. Rates of endotracheal intubation and mortality in this cohort were on par with and certainly not higher than other published series. These findings should prompt further considerations regarding the use of high-flow nasal oxygen in the management algorithm for coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.
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To assess the early physiologic response to angiotensin-II treatment in patients with coronavirus disease 2019-induced respiratory failure and distributive shock. ⋯ Angiotensin-II treatment for coronavirus disease 2019-induced distributive shock was associated with rapid improvement in multiple physiologic indices. Angiotensin-II in coronavirus disease 2019-induced shock warrants further study.
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Previous studies demonstrated that extensive fluid loading and consequently positive fluid balances during sepsis resuscitation are associated with adverse outcome. Yet, the association between fluid balance and mortality after reversal of shock, that is, during deresuscitation, is largely unappreciated. Our objective was to investigate the effects of fluid balance on mortality in the days after septic shock reversal. ⋯ A higher fluid balance in the days after septic shock reversal was associated with increased mortality. This stresses the importance of implementing restrictive and deresuscitative fluid management strategies after initial hemodynamic resuscitation. Prospective interventional studies are needed to confirm our results.
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We provide preliminary multicenter data to suggest that recruitment and collection of physiologic data necessary to quantify cerebral autoregulation and individualized blood pressure targets are feasible in postcardiac arrest patients. We evaluated the feasibility of a multicenter protocol to enroll patients across centers, as well as collect continuous recording (≥ 80% of monitoring time) of regional cerebral oxygenation and mean arterial pressure, which is required to quantify cerebral autoregulation, using the cerebral oximetry index, and individualized optimal mean arterial pressure thresholds. Additionally, we conducted an exploratory analysis to assess if an increased percentage of monitoring time where mean arterial pressure was greater than or equal to 5 mm Hg below optimal mean arterial pressure, percentage of monitoring time with dysfunctional cerebral autoregulation (i.e., cerebral oximetry index ≥ 0.3), and time to return of spontaneous circulation were associated with an unfavorable neurologic outcome (i.e., 6-mo Cerebral Performance Category score ≥ 3).