BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

A mounting evidence links dysregulated immune response to cases of fatal pneumonia seen in COVID-19 infection. We aimed to validate the COVID-19-associated Hyperinflammatory Syndrome (cHIS) score, a novel clinical tool devised to identify those at risk for adverse outcomes, in a local population and investigate the relationship of cHIS score taken at admission and the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation.

This retrospective cohort study analyzed the sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data of 1,881 COVID-19 patients admitted at a tertiary hospital in Davao City, Philippines from January to December 2021. We calculated the cHIS score, composed of six clinical and laboratory criteria from admission, and used multivariate logistic regression to determine the risk of mortality and need of mechanical ventilation.

The cHIS score taken at admission, regardless of cut-off value, was a significant predictor of mortality (OR 0.979 [99% CI 0.894-1.064]) and need of mechanical ventilation (OR 0.586 [99% CI 0.4975-0.6745]). Using the Youden Index, a cut-off cHIS score of 3 or more was a better predictor of mortality (sensitivity, 88.59%; specificity, 71.72%), and a cut-off score of 2 or more was a better predictor of need of mechanical ventilation (sensitivity, 84.02%; specificity, 70.82%) than other cutoff cHIS scores.

Among COVID-19 patients, the cHIS score at admission correlated with the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation. Cutoff scores of 3 and 2 had the optimal sensitivities and specificities to predict the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation, respectively.

Introduction: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at the greatest risk of acquiring nosocomial infections, partly because of their serious underlying disease, but also by exposure to life-saving invasive procedures. Hospital-acquired infections increase patient morbidity, increase the length of hospital stay and hospital costs, and also increases mortality rate. The basic knowledge of organisms infecting ICU patients is very important to empirically select appropriate antibiotics, so that the most likely infecting organisms are addressed. Objective: The aim of the study was to find out the etiologic agents causing infection in medical intensive care unit patients. Results In our study of 289 patients, 180 (62.3%) showed a growth of organism during the stay in ICU. The most common site of infection was the respiratory tract in 138 patients (47.8%) with 60 patients (20.8%) showing Acinetobacter baumannii.
Cross Infection ; Intensive Care Units ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Respiration, Artificial

Background: With the surge of COVID-19 infections, there were concerns about shortage of mechanical ventilator in several countries including the Philippines. Objective: To transform a locally made, low-cost, neonatal ventilator into a volume- and pressure-controlled, adult ventilator and to determine its safe use among ventilated, adult patients at the Philippine General Hospital. Methods: The modification of the neonatal ventilator (OstreaVent1) to the adult OstreaVent2 was based on the critical need for adult ventilators, in volume or pressure mode, in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The adult ventilator settings were calibrated and tested for two days to check for consistency and tolerance and then submitted to a third party for certification. Once certified, a safety trial of 10 stable adult patients on mechanical ventilator was conducted. The patients were placed on the OstreaVent2 for four hours while ventilator parameters, patient’s vital signs, and arterial blood gases were monitored at baseline, during, and after placement on the OstreaVent2. A poststudy chest radiograph was also done to rule out pulmonary complications, particularly atelectasis and pneumothorax. Results: The prototype OstreaVent2 received an FDA Certification for Medical Listing after passing its thirdparty certification. Ten patients (60% male) recruited in the study had a mean age of 39.1 ± 11.6 years. Half of the patients had a diagnosis of non-COVID-19 pneumonia. During the 4-hour study period, the patients while on the OstreaVent2, had stable ventilator settings and most of the variabilities were within the acceptable tolerances. Vital signs were stable and arterial blood gases were within normal limits. One patient developed alar flaring which was relieved by endotracheal tube suctioning. No patient was withdrawn from the study. One patient who was already transferred out of the ICU subsequently deteriorated and died three days after transfer to the stepdown unit from a non-ventilator related cause. Conclusion The new OstreaVent2 is safe to use among adults who need ventilator support. Variabilities in the ventilator’s performance were within acceptable tolerances. Clinical and blood gas measurements of the patients were stable while on the ventilator.
Respiration, Artificial

Background and Objectives: A mounting evidence links dysregulated immune response to cases of fatal pneumonia seen in COVID-19 infection. We aimed to validate the COVID-19-associated Hyperinflammatory Syndrome (cHIS) score, a novel clinical tool devised to identify those at risk for adverse outcomes, in a local population and investigate the relationship of cHIS score taken at admission and the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed the sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data of 1,881 COVID-19 patients admitted at a tertiary hospital in Davao City, Philippines from January to December 2021. We calculated the cHIS score, composed of six clinical and laboratory criteria from admission, and used multivariate logistic regression to determine the risk of mortality and need of mechanical ventilation. Results: The cHIS score taken at admission, regardless of cut-off value, was a significant predictor of mortality (OR 0.979 [99% CI 0.894-1.064]) and need of mechanical ventilation (OR 0.586 [99% CI 0.4975-0.6745]). Using the Youden Index, a cut-off cHIS score of 3 or more was a better predictor of mortality (sensitivity, 88.59%; specificity, 71.72%), and a cut-off score of 2 or more was a better predictor of need of mechanical ventilation (sensitivity, 84.02%; specificity, 70.82%) than other cut-off cHIS scores. Conclusion Among COVID-19 patients, the cHIS score at admission correlated with the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation. Cutoff scores of 3 and 2 had the optimal sensitivities and specificities to predict the risk of mortality and the need of mechanical ventilation, respectively.
COVID-19 ; Inflammation ; Mortality ; Respiration, Artificial ; Cytokine Release Syndrome

Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Case-Control Studies ; Tracheotomy ; Respiration, Artificial

BACKGROUND: Although intensively studied in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the prognostic value of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) has little been elucidated in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). This study aimed to reveal the prognostic value of DBP in AECOPD patients. METHODS: Inpatients with AECOPD were prospectively enrolled from 10 medical centers in China between September 2017 and July 2021. DBP was measured on admission. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality; invasive mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were secondary outcomes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariable Cox regressions were used to identify independent prognostic factors and calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Among 13,633 included patients with AECOPD, 197 (1.45%) died during their hospital stay. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that low DBP on admission (<70 mmHg) was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.53-3.05, Z = 4.37, P <0.01), invasive mechanical ventilation (HR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.32-2.05, Z = 19.67, P <0.01), and ICU admission (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24-1.69, Z = 22.08, P <0.01) in the overall cohort. Similar findings were observed in subgroups with or without CVDs, except for invasive mechanical ventilation in the subgroup with CVDs. When DBP was further categorized in 5-mmHg increments from <50 mmHg to ≥100 mmHg, and 75 to <80 mmHg was taken as reference, HRs for in-hospital mortality increased almost linearly with decreased DBP in the overall cohort and subgroups of patients with CVDs; higher DBP was not associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Low on-admission DBP, particularly <70 mmHg, was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes among inpatients with AECOPD, with or without CVDs, which may serve as a convenient predictor of poor prognosis in these patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, No. ChiCTR2100044625.
Humans ; Blood Pressure ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/therapy* ; Cohort Studies ; Respiration, Artificial ; Inpatients ; Hospital Mortality

Child ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Consensus ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Respiration, Artificial ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) continues to be one of the most life-threatening conditions for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The 2023 European Society of Intensive Care Medicine guidelines on ARDS: definition, phenotyping and respiratory support strategies (2023 Guideline) update the 2017 An Official American Thoracic Society/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine/Society of Critical Care Medicine clinical practice guideline: mechanical ventilation in adult patients with ARDS (2017 Guideline), including 7 aspects of 3 topics of definitions, phenotyping, and respiratory support strategies [including high flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNO), non-invasive ventilation (NIV), neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA), extracorporeal life support (ECLS), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with recruitment maneuvers (RM), tidal volume (VT), and prone positioning]. 2023 Guideline review and summarize the literature since the publication of the 2017 Guideline, covering ARDS and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, as well as ARDS caused by novel coronavirus infection. Based on the most recent medical evidence, the 2023 Guideline provide clinicians with new ideas and approaches for nonpharmacologic respiratory support strategies for adults with ARDS. This article provides interpretation of the new concepts, the new approaches, the new recommended grading and new levels of evidence for ARDS in the 2023 Guideline.
Adult ; Humans ; COVID-19 ; Respiration, Artificial ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy* ; Noninvasive Ventilation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of lateral prone position ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: A prospective control study was conducted. A total of 75 patients with moderate to severe ARDS admitted to the department of critical care medicine of Jingxian Hospital in Anhui province from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the research objects. According to the envelope method, the patients were divided into the lateral prone position ventilation group (38 cases) and the traditional prone position ventilation (PPV) group (37 cases), using lateral prone position ventilation and traditional PPV, respectively. The mechanical ventilation parameters were set according to the ARDS treatment guidelines and lung protective ventilation requirements in both groups, and the time of prone position for the first 3 times was not less than 16 hours per day. General data of patients were recorded, including heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), airway resistance and lung static compliance (Cst) before prone position (T0), 1 hour (T1), 4 hours (T2), 8 hours (T3), and before the end of prone position (T4), oxygenation index (PaO₂/FiO₂) before the first prone position (t0) and 12 hours (t1), 24 hours (t2), 48 hours (t3), and 72 hours (t4) after the intensive care unit (ICU) admission, as well as the incidence of pressure injury (PI) and vomiting, tracheal intubation time, and mechanical ventilation time. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the effects of different prone positions on patients before and after the prone position. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, gender, body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), underlying diseases, HR, MAP, pH value, PaO₂/FiO₂, blood lactic acid (Lac), arterial blood pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) and other general information between the two groups. The HR (intergroup effect: F = 0.845, P = 0.361; time effect: F = 1.373, P = 0.247; interaction: F = 0.245, P = 0.894), MAP (intergroup effect: F = 1.519, P = 0.222; time effect: F = 0.169, P = 0.954; interaction: F = 0.449, P = 0.773) and airway resistance (intergroup effect: F = 0.252, P = 0.617; time effect: F = 0.578, P = 0.679; interaction: F = 1.467, P = 0.212) of T0-T4 between two groups showed no significant difference. The Cst of T0-T4 between the two groups showed no significant difference in the intergroup effect (F = 0.311, P = 0.579) and the interaction (F = 0.364, P = 0.834), while the difference in the time effect was statistically significant (F = 120.546, P < 0.001). The PaO₂/FiO₂ of t0-t4 between the two groups showed no significant difference in the intergroup effect (F = 0.104, P = 0.748) and the interaction (F = 0.147, P = 0.964), while the difference in the time effect was statistically significant (F = 17.638, P < 0.001). The group factors and time factors were tested separately, and there were no significant differences in the HR, MAP, airway resistance, Cst, PaO₂/FiO₂ between the two groups at different time points (all P > 0.05). The Cst at T1-T4 and PaO₂/FiO₂ at t1-t4 in the two groups were significantly higher than those at T0/t0 (all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the tracheal intubation time [days: 6.75 (5.78, 8.33) vs. 7.00 (6.30, 8.45)] and mechanical ventilation time [days: 8.30 (6.70, 9.20) vs. 7.40 (6.80, 8.75)] between the lateral prone position ventilation group and the traditional PPV group (both P > 0.05). However, the incidences of PI [7.9% (3/38) vs. 27.0% (10/37)] and vomiting [10.5% (4/38) vs. 29.7% (11/37)] in the lateral prone position ventilation group were significantly lower than those in the traditional PPV group (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both lateral prone position ventilation and traditional PPV can improve Cst and oxygenation in patients with moderate to severe ARDS. The two types of prone position have little influence on HR, MAP and airway resistance of patients, and there is no difference in the influence on tracheal intubation time and mechanical ventilation time of patients. However, the lateral prone position ventilation mode can reduce the incidence of PI and vomiting, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.
Humans ; Respiration, Artificial ; Prone Position ; Prospective Studies ; Lung ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy* ; Respiration ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review safety and tolerance of enteral nutrition (EN) in a prone position, as well as the risks of increased gastric residual volume (GRV), vomiting, aspiration, and ventilator-associated pneumonia, and determine the ways to improve EN tolerance in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Embase and Wanfang Medical data of the English and Chinese literatures were retrieved up from January 1979 to January 2022 to collet the randomized controlled trial (RCT), non-RCT, and observational studies, concerning safety and tolerance of EN in a prone position with ARDS. All trials must have a minimum of two patient groups, one of which must be prone to ARDS and receive EN. Data searching extracting and quality evaluation were assessed by two reviewers independently. RevMan 5.4 software was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies were included, including 2 RCTs, 2 non-RCTs, 4 prospective observational studies, and 1 retrospective observational study. The starting and increasing rate of EN were typically well tolerated in the prone position compared to the supine position in patients with ARDS, there was no significant increase in GRV (mL: 95 vs. 110), and the incidence of vomiting was not noticeably higher (0%-35% vs. 33%-57%). The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia with EN was not significantly higher in the prone position than in the supine position in patients with ARDS (6%-35% vs. 15%-24%). Aspiration occurred at a similar rate in patients in the nasogastric tube and post-pyloric feeding groups with EN in patients with ARDS in the prone position (22% vs. 20%). EN tolerability with nasogastric and nasojejunal tubes was similar in prone positions, with no significant difference in EN intolerance incidences (15% vs. 22%). Head elevation (30 degree angle-45 degree angle) improved EN tolerance in the prone position in patients with ARDS, thereby increasing the early EN dose [odds ratio (OR) = 0.48, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.22-1.08, P = 0.08]. Additionally, prophylactic application of gastrointestinal motility drugs, such as erythromycin, at the start of EN in a prone position significantly improved patients' EN tolerance (OR = 1.14, 95%CI was 0.63-2.05, P = 0.67). CONCLUSIONS The use of gastric tube for EN in prone position and similar feeding speed to the supine position in patients with ARDS is safe and well tolerated. The initiation and dosing of EN should not be delayed in the prone position. EN tolerance may be increased by elevating the head of the bed during enteral feeding in a prone position, and gastrointestinal motility medications should be promptly administered with EN initiation in patients with ARDS.
Humans ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/etiology* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Prone Position ; Respiration, Artificial/adverse effects* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/etiology* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Observational Studies as Topic