ABSTRACT
Background: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) readmissions during the same hospitalization are associated with increased hospital stays, morbidity and mortality. Whereas mortality rates in patients admitted to the ICU for the first time may range from 10 to 20% depending on various factors, readmission mortality rates can be up to 50 to 70%. Factors leading to readmission in ICU in Indian Armed Forces Hospitals have not been well studied till date. Methods: This was a record based cross sectional descriptive study conducted at the ICU of a tertiary care Armed Forces hospital. Demographic and clinical data of ICU patients were analysed. ICU admission and discharge data for the duration of last three years were acquired from admission and discharge registers and Hospital Informatics system (HIS) software. The primary outcome was readmission rates to ICU during the same hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included diagnosis at time of index admission (first time admission) to ICU and at readmission, multiple readmissions to ICU and mortality rates in readmitted patients. Results: There were 3021 admissions to the ICU during the study period. 422 patients succumbed to illness during initial admission resulting in a mortality rate of 14%. 198 patients were readmitted to the ICU. The readmission rate to the ICU was 7.8%. The mortality rate in readmitted patients was 31% as compared to the ICU mortality rate of 14%. The triggering factors for readmission were usually respiratory or cardiac decompensations. Conclusion: Readmission to ICU occurred in about 7.8 % of all ICU patients in our study. ICU readmissions increase the risk of adverse outcomes. Objective measures in the form of a discharge protocol incorporating the stability and work index for transfer (SWIFT Score) may help minimizing readmission to ICU. Such protocols must be in place while shifting any patients from ICU so as to improve outcomes in patients of tertiary care hospitals.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor is recommended for the initial management of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP CML) based on the more favorable balance of toxicity and long-term disease control. Background: Mean trough plasma Imatinib Mesylate (IM) levels are detected to be significantly higher in patients with a complete cytogenetic response or major molecular response (MMR). Methodology: The primary objective of the study was to correlate the IM drug levels with MMR on two different occasions at least 3 months apart and to study the variation in the plasma trough levels of IM during the treatment with standard dose for at least 12 months. Results: After exclusion, 30 patients of CML-CP in MMR, on standard dose over a period of 2 years were finally analyzed. The mean IM plasma levels (IPLs) of the first sample for all patients were 1722 ± 566 ng/ml (IPL-1) with a corresponding mean molecular response (MR) 0.0257 ± 0.0279 breakpoint cluster region-abelson murine leukemia (BCR-ABL) IS % (MR-1). The mean IPLs of the second sample for all patients were 1549 ± 375 ng/ml (IPL-2) with a corresponding mean MR 0.0143 ± 0.0184 BCR-ABL IS % (MR-2). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for IPL-1 was 0.565 and IPL-2 was 0.639. For IM level at second point of 1800 ng/ml, the specificity for predicting MMR was 81.8% and sensitivity was 31.6%. Conclusion: Monitoring of trough IM plasma concentrations may become the part of standard management of CML patients.