OBJECTIVES

Epidemiology data on prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) and PMV patient features in the Philippines is lacking. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of PMV among intubated patients, describe patient characteristics and outcomes, and identify risk factors associated with PMV.

A retrospective review of records was done on adult intubated patients admitted under the Medical Intensive Care Unit Service from July 2022 to June 2023. Various clinical characteristics and outcomes of PMV and non-PMV patients were collected, compared, and analyzed. PMV was defined as having MV for ≥6 hours per day
for >21 days.

Among 261 intubated ICU patients admitted, 75 (28.7%) required PMV. PMV patients were older (62 vs.
53.5), had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (4 vs. 3), and required vasopressors (81.33% vs. 54.84%)
and blood products (93.33% vs. 51.08%) more often. Nosocomial infections (86.67% vs. 45.70%), ventila- tor-related (30.67% vs. 12.37%) and in-hospital (66.22% vs. 32.97%) complications developed more frequently.
Outcomes such as ICU length of stay (29.5 vs. 7 days) and hospital mortality (61.33% vs. 41.94%) were longer. Vasopressor use (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.06-4.76), develop- ment of nosocomial infections (OR 6.20, 95% CI 2.64-
14.56), and development of in-hospital-related compli- cations (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.13-4.30) were independent predictors of PMV.

In this single-center investigation, 28.7% of ICU patients required PMV. Knowledge of patient characteristics and risk factors aid in the development of interventions that improve outcomes and reduce PMV prevalence. Larger studies are recommended to assess nationwide PMV epidemiology and provide data on the need for step-down units for weaning.

BACKGROUND

Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has been utilized as an emergency and last-resort treatment for viral infections, particularly in the absence of vaccine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CPT was implemented worldwide based on its potential to provide passive immunity through SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. While numerous studies explored the effectiveness of CPT to cure COVID-19 patients, there has no research specifically focused on superiority of CPT impact on the length of hospitalization.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CPT on the length of hospital stay among patients with moderate COVID-19.

This is a single blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) study involved 30 moderate-grade COVID-19 patients age 18-75 years with positive PCR result treated at Unggul Karsa Medika Hospital Bandung from February 2 to May 31, 2022. Moderate-grade COVID-19 defined by clinical pneumonia symptoms based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) and outcome assessors were blinded, while care providers and patients were not due to the intervention nature. The intervention arm (n=15) received 200 ml of high-titer CPT within 24 hours of admission with standard care and the control arm (n=15) received standard care only. The primary outcome measured was the length of stay (LOS) in both the Emergency Room (ER) and COVID-19 High Care Unit (HCU). Data were analyzed using independent T-tests.

Thirty (30) eligible patients (mean age 40 years; 53% female) were analyzed for the primary outcome and all completed follow-ups. The CPT group had significantly shorter LOS than controls (mean difference for ER:-32.7 hours [95% CI:-45.0,-20.4]; HCU:-33.3 hours [95% CI:- 45.8,-20.8]; p

The administration of CPT may reduce the LOS in moderate COVID-19 patients. However, the small sample size can limit the generalizability of this result and larger sample studies are needed to strengthen this finding. Early CPT implementation may improve patient management and optimize healthcare resource utilization during the pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has been utilized as an emergency and last-resort treatment for viral infections, particularly in the absence of vaccine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CPT was implemented worldwide based on its potential to provide passive immunity through SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. While numerous studies explored the effectiveness of CPT to cure COVID-19 patients, there has no research specifically focused on superiority of CPT impact on the length of hospitalization.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CPT on the length of hospital stay among patients with moderate COVID-19.

This is a single blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) study involved 30 moderate-grade COVID-19 patients age 18-75 years with positive PCR result treated at Unggul Karsa Medika Hospital Bandung from February 2 to May 31, 2022. Moderate-grade COVID-19 defined by clinical pneumonia symptoms based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) and outcome assessors were blinded, while care providers and patients were not due to the intervention nature. The intervention arm (n=15) received 200 ml of high-titer CPT within 24 hours of admission with standard care and the control arm (n=15) received standard care only. The primary outcome measured was the length of stay (LOS) in both the Emergency Room (ER) and COVID-19 High Care Unit (HCU). Data were analyzed using independent T-tests.

Thirty (30) eligible patients (mean age 40 years; 53% female) were analyzed for the primary outcome and all completed follow-ups. The CPT group had significantly shorter LOS than controls (mean difference for ER:-32.7 hours [95% CI:-45.0,-20.4]; HCU:-33.3 hours [95% CI:- 45.8,-20.8]; p

The administration of CPT may reduce the LOS in moderate COVID-19 patients. However, the small sample size can limit the generalizability of this result and larger sample studies are needed to strengthen this finding. Early CPT implementation may improve patient management and optimize healthcare resource utilization during the pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric patients admitted to the inpatient units from the emergency department (ED) are increasing, but the mean length of stay has fallen significantly. We aimed to determine the reasons behind paediatric one-day admissions in Singapore and to assess their necessity. METHODS: A retrospective study involving paediatric patients who were admitted from a general ED of an adult tertiary hospital to a paediatric tertiary hospital between 1 August 2018 and 30 April 2020. One-day admission was defined as an inpatient stay of less than 24 h from the time of admission to discharge. An unnecessary admission was defined as one with no diagnostic test ordered, intravenous medication administered, therapeutic procedure performed or specialty review made in the inpatient unit. Data were captured in a standardised form and analysed. RESULTS: There were 13,944 paediatric attendances - 1,160 (8.3%) paediatric patients were admitted. Among these, 481 (41.4%) were one-day admissions. Upper respiratory tract infection (62, 12.9%), gastroenteritis (60, 12.5%) and head injury (52, 10.8%) were the three most common conditions. The three most common reasons for ED admissions were inpatient treatment (203, 42.2%), inpatient monitoring (185, 38.5%) and inpatient diagnostic investigations (32, 12.3%). Ninety-six (20.0%) one-day admissions were unnecessary. CONCLUSION Paediatric one-day admissions present an opportunity to develop and implement interventions targeted at the healthcare system, the ED, the paediatric patient and their caregiver, in order to safely slow down and perhaps reverse the trend of increased hospital admissions.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Child ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Adolescent ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant, Newborn ; Gastroenteritis/therapy* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

INTRODUCTION: In December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) virus emerged and caused a worldwide pandemic, leading to measures being imposed by many countries to reduce its transmission. Singapore implemented the 'circuit breaker', which restricted all movements except for access to necessities and healthcare services. We aimed to investigate the impact of lockdown measures on the pattern of trauma and its effects. METHODS: An observational, retrospective, single-centre descriptive study was conducted using the trauma registry in Singapore General Hospital. It included patients above 18 years old who presented to the emergency department with trauma and were subsequently admitted. Patients admitted from 1 February 2020 to 31 July 2020 and those admitted during the same timeframe in 2019 were studied. Subgroup analyses were performed for patients aged ≥65 years and those <65 years. RESULTS: A total of 1,037 patients were included for analysis. A 17.6% increase in trauma presentations was seen from 2019 to 2020. Patients aged ≥65 years accounted for the rise in admissions. The predominant mechanism of injury was falls at home for older patients and vehicular accidents in patients <65 years. There were no significant differences in injury severity score, intensive care/high-dependency unit admission rates, length of stay, mortality rate, and subsequent need for inpatient rehabilitation. CONCLUSION Our study provided information on differences in trauma presentations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies are required to better inform on additional precautionary measures needed to reduce trauma and improve safety during future lockdowns and pandemics.
Humans ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Middle Aged ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Registries ; Accidental Falls/statistics & numerical data* ; Pandemics ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data* ; Length of Stay ; Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data*

BACKGROUND: While emotional distress, encompassing anxiety and depression, has been associated with negative clinical outcomes, its impact across various clinical departments and general hospitals has been less explored. Previous studies with limited sample sizes have examined the effectiveness of specific treatments (e.g., antidepressants) rather than a systemic management strategy for outcome improvement in non-psychiatric inpatients. To enhance the understanding of the importance of addressing mental health care needs among non-psychiatric patients in general hospitals, this study retrospectively investigated the impacts of emotional distress and the effects of early detection and management of depression and anxiety on hospital length of stay (LOS) and rate of long LOS (LLOS, i.e., LOS >30 days) in a large sample of non-psychiatric inpatients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 487,871 inpatients from 20 non-psychiatric departments of a general hospital. They were divided, according to whether they underwent a novel strategy to manage emotional distress which deployed the Huaxi Emotional Distress Index (HEI) for brief screening with grading psychological services (BS-GPS), into BS-GPS ( n = 178,883) and non-BS-GPS ( n = 308,988) cohorts. The LOS and rate of LLOS between the BS-GPS and non-BS-GPS cohorts and between subcohorts with and without clinically significant anxiety and/or depression (CSAD, i.e., HEI score ≥11 on admission to the hospital) in the BS-GPS cohort were compared using univariable analyses, multilevel analyses, and/or propensity score-matched analyses, respectively. RESULTS: The detection rate of CSAD in the BS-GPS cohort varied from 2.64% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.49%-2.81%) to 20.50% (95% CI: 19.43%-21.62%) across the 20 departments, with a average rate of 5.36%. Significant differences were observed in both the LOS and LLOS rates between the subcohorts with CSAD (12.7 days, 535/9590) and without CSAD (9.5 days, 3800/169,293) and between the BS-GPS (9.6 days, 4335/178,883) and non-BS-GPS (10.8 days, 11,483/308,988) cohorts. These differences remained significant after controlling for confounders using propensity score-matched comparisons. A multilevel analysis indicated that BS-GPS was negatively associated with both LOS and LLOS after controlling for sociodemographics and the departments of patient discharge and remained negatively associated with LLOS after controlling additionally for the year of patient discharge. CONCLUSION Emotional distress significantly prolonged the LOS and increased the LLOS of non-psychiatric inpatients across most departments and general hospitals. These impacts were moderated by the implementation of BS-GPS. Thus, BS-GPS has the potential as an effective, resource-saving strategy for enhancing mental health care and optimizing medical resources in general hospitals.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Psychological Distress ; Inpatients/psychology* ; Aged ; Anxiety/diagnosis* ; Depression/diagnosis*

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors contributing to prolonged postoperative length of stay (LOS) in very elderly patients following hip fracture surgery, with a focus on postoperative complications and the impact of different anesthesia approaches. METHODS: This retrospective single-center cohort study enrolled patients aged 90 years or older who underwent hip fracture surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 31, 2013 and December 31, 2023. Relevant perioperative data were collected. The primary outcome was postoperative LOS, and the study cohort was divided into two groups: postoperative LOS ≤ 7 days and LOS > 7 days. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors related to prolonged postoperative LOS. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients were included. The average age was 92.7 ± 2.6 years. There were 73 (47%) patients with postoperative LOS > 7 days. Postoperative pneumonia was the only factor associated with a prolonged postoperative LOS (OR = 2.12, 95% CI [1.09, 4.16], P = 0.028). Neither the type of anesthesia (regional vs. general anesthesia, OR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.53, 1.90], P = 0.993) nor the method of airway management (laryngeal mask ventilation vs. spontaneous breathing, OR = 1.46, 95% CI [0.58, 3.76], P = 0.424; endotracheal intubation vs. spontaneous breathing, OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.39, 1.69], P = 0.592) showed a significant association with a prolonged postoperative LOS. Preoperative chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 2.78, 95% CI [1.05, 7.65], P = 0.040) and preoperative neutrophil count (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.01, 1.26], P = 0.029) were both significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia, while anesthesia type and airway management method were not. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative pneumonia was associated with prolonged postoperative LOS in very elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, whereas anesthesia types and airway management methods show no association with prolonged postoperative LOS or postoperative pneumonia. Preoperative comorbidities, especially respiratory conditions and systemic inflammation, potentially play a substantial role in postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Hip Fractures/surgery* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Risk Factors ; Length of Stay ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Postoperative Complications/etiology*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between blood pressure reactivity index (BPRI) and in-hospital mortality risk in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect data from patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and clinically diagnosed with SA-AKI between 2008 and 2019 in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV) database in the United States. The collected data included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory parameters, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and simplified acute physiology scoreII(SAPSII) within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis, stages of AKI, treatment regimens, mean BPRI during the first and second 24 hours (BPRI_0_24, BPRI_24_48), and outcome measures including primary outcome (in-hospital mortality) and secondary outcomes (ICU length of stay and total hospital length of stay). Variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in LASSO regression analysis for variable selection, and the selected variables were subsequently incorporated into multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors associated with in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was employed to examine whether there was a linear relationship between BPRI within 48 hours and in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Basic prediction models were constructed based on the independent predictors identified through multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance of each basic prediction model before and after incorporating BPRI. RESULTS: A total of 3 517 SA-AKI patients admitted to the ICU were included, of whom 826 died during hospitalization and 2 691 survived. The BPRI values within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis were significantly lower in the death group compared with the survival group [BPRI_0_24: 4.53 (1.81, 8.11) vs. 17.39 (5.16, 52.43); BPRI_24_48: 4.76 (2.42, 12.44) vs. 32.23 (8.85, 85.52), all P < 0.05]. LASSO regression analysis identified 20 variables with non-zero coefficients that were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The results showed that respiratory rate, temperature, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), lactate, oxygenation index, SOFA score, fluid balance (FB), BPRI_0_24, and BPRI_24_48 were all independent predictors for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients (all P < 0.05). RCS analysis revealed that both BPRI showed "L"-shaped non-linear relationships with the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. When BPRI_0_24 ≤ 14.47 or BPRI_24_48 ≤ 24.21, the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI increased as BPRI values decreased. Three basic prediction models were constructed based on the identified independent predictors: Model 1 (physiological indicator model) included respiratory rate, temperature, SpO₂, and oxygenation index; Model 2 (laboratory indicator model) included WBC, HCT, APTT, and lactate; Model 3 (scoring indicator model) included SOFA score and FB. ROC curve analysis showed that the predictive performance of the basic models ranked from high to low as follows: Model 3, Model 2, and Model 1, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.755, 0.661, and 0.655, respectively. The incorporation of BPRI indicators resulted in significant improvement in the discriminative ability of each model (all P < 0.05), with AUC values increasing to 0.832 for Model 3+BPRI, 0.805 for Model 2+BPRI, and 0.808 for Model 1+BPRI. CONCLUSIONS BPRI is an independent predictor factor for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Incorporating BPRI into the prediction model for in-hospital mortality risk in SA-AKI can significantly improve its predictive capability.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/mortality* ; Sepsis/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Prognosis ; Blood Pressure ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Female ; Length of Stay ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; Logistic Models

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in indwelling duration, clinical scenarios, and complications between the modified midline catheter (MMC) and the central venous catheter (CVC) in the treatment of patients in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) and the risk factors for complications based on real-world data. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The adult patients admitted to the medical ICU of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and had undergone placement of either a MMC or a CVC between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024, were consecutively enrolled by querying the hospital's electronic medical record system. Based on the type of catheter inserted, the patients were divided into the MMC group and the CVC group. The two groups were compared regarding the selection of catheters in the context of different underlying diseases, the actual clinical application after catheterization, catheter-related complications, the international normalized ratio (INR) and platelet count (PLT) during puncture and catheterization, the length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay, catheter indwelling duration, and mortality during hospitalization. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent risk factors for catheter removal. RESULTS: Among the 274 patients, 52 received a MMC and 222 received a CVC. The utilization rate of MMC was significantly higher than that of CVC in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cardiovascular disease, and cancer [ARDS: 92.3% (48/52) vs. 70.3% (156/222), cardiovascular disease: 84.6% (44/52) vs. 54.5% (121/222), cancer: 30.8% (16/52) vs. 17.1% (38/222), all P < 0.05]. However, the use of MMC was significantly lower than CVC when vasoactive drug infusion was required [57.7% (30/52) vs. 79.7% (177/222), P < 0.05]. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the MMC group had a catheter indwelling time ≥ 12 days as compared with the CVC group [32.7% (17/52) vs. 13.5% (30/222), P < 0.05]. There were no statistically significant differences in other underlying diseases, venous access usage, INR and PLT during puncture and catheterization, length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality of patients between the two groups. Regarding catheter-related complications, although the incidence of partial or complete catheter removal in the MMC group was significantly higher than that in the CVC group [36.5% (19/52) vs. 5.4% (12/222), P < 0.05], the incidence of puncture site fluid leakage, puncture site skin allergy, and deep vein thrombosis were significantly lower than those in the CVC group [puncture site fluid leakage: 1.9% (1/52) vs. 22.1% (49/222), puncture site skin allergy: 0% (0/52) vs. 20.7% (46/222), deep vein thrombosis: 3.8% (2/52) vs. 16.7% (37/222), all P < 0.05]. Furthermore, the proportion of patients experiencing three or more types of complications in the MMC group was significantly lower than that in the CVC group [5.8% (3/52) vs. 17.6% (39/222), P < 0.05]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis of risk factors for catheter removal identified the use of a MMC [odds ratio (OR) = 8.518, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 3.710-19.560, P < 0.001] and a catheter indwelling time ≥ 12 days (OR = 3.133, 95%CI was 1.297-7.567, P = 0.011) as independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS MMC was more frequently used in patients with ARDS, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, whereas CVC was primarily employed for vasoactive drug infusion. The use of MMC and a longer indwelling time were identified as independent risk factors for catheter removal. Despite a higher removal rate, the overall incidence of complications was significantly lower with MMC than with CVC. These findings suggest that MMC could serve as a routine alternative to CVC in most of clinical scenarios, provided that measures are implemented to prevent removal.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Intensive Care Units ; Catheterization, Central Venous/methods* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Risk Factors ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Aged

Objective To analyze the risk factors for prolonged length of hospital stay in patients with peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis(PDAP)and construct a nomogram based on Logistic regression model.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with PDAP who were hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from January 2013 to December 2023.Using the 75th percentile of hospitalization time as the cutoff(>21 days),the patients were divided into prolonged length of hospital stay group and normal length of hospital stay group.Clinical data were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for prolonged hospital stay in PDAP patients and to construct a nomogram.Results A total of 131 PDAP patients were included in this study,including 40 cases in prolonged length of hospital stay group and 91 cases in normal length of hospital stay group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that Gram-negative bacteria detected in ascites(OR=6.012,95% CI=1.878-19.248,P=0.003)and elevated platelet count(OR=1.010,95% CI=1.005-1.015,P<0.001)were independent risk factors for prolonged length of hospital stay,while elevated serum chloride(OR=0.885,95% CI=0.802-0.978,P=0.016)was a protective factor.Based on the above three indicators,a nomogram was constructed.The multivariate Logistic regression model showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)of 0.755,with an internal validation AUC of 0.727 using the Bootstrap method.The calibration curve indicated that the predicted probability was consistent with the actual probability.The decision curve showed that the model was clinically applicable when the threshold probabilities were 9%-10%,13% and 18%-92%.Conclusion A nomogram,based on the detection of gram-negative bacteria in ascites,platelet count and serum chloride,was helpful for clinical screening PADP patients at risk for prolonged length of hospital stay,and can provide a basis for optimizing clinical decision-making.
Humans ; Nomograms ; Risk Factors ; Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Length of Stay ; Peritonitis/etiology* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged