Major Publications in the Critical Care Pharmacotherapy Literature: 2020.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize selected meta-analyses and trials related to critical care pharmacotherapy published in 2020. DATA SOURCES: The Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Pharmacotherapy Literature Update group screened 36 journals monthly for impactful publications. STUDY SELECTION: The group reviewed a total of 119 articles during 2020 according to relevance for practice. DATA EXTRACTION: Articles were selected with consensus and importance to clinical practice from those included in the monthly Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Pharmacotherapy Literature Update. The group reviewed articles according to Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations criteria. Articles with a 1A grade were selected. DATA SYNTHESIS: Several trials were summarized, including two meta-analyses and five original research trials. Original research trials evaluating vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamine versus hydrocortisone in sepsis, the use of nonsedation strategies, dexmedetomidine in cardiac surgery, remdesivir for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke. Two meta-analyses determining the impact of norepinephrine initiation in patients with septic shock and the use of corticosteroids in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was included. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical review provides summary and perspectives of clinical practice impact on influential critical care pharmacotherapy publications in 2020.

Critically ill patients with severe immune checkpoint inhibitor related neurotoxicity: A multi-center case series.

PURPOSE: Serious immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-related neurotoxicity is rare. There is limited data on the specifics of care and outcomes of patients with severe neurological immune related adverse events (NirAEs) admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with severe NirAEs admitted to the ICU at 3 academic centers between January 2016 and December 2018. Clinical data collected included ICI exposure, type of NirAE (central [CNS] or peripheral nervous system [PNS) disorders), and patient outcomes including neurological recovery and mortality. RESULTS: Seventeen patients developed severe NirAEs. Eight patients presented with PNS disorders; 6 with myasthenia gravis (MG), 1 had a combination of MG and polyneuropathy and 1 had Guillain-Barre syndrome. Nine patients had CNS disorders (6 seizures and 5 had concomitant encephalopathy. During ICU admission, 65% of patients required mechanical ventilation, 35% vasopressors, and 18% renal replacement therapy. The median ICU and hospital length of stay were 7 (2-36) and 18 (4-80) days, respectively. Hospital mortality was 29%. At hospital discharge, 18% of patients made a full neurologic recovery, 41% partial recovery, and 12% did not recover. CONCLUSION: Severe NirAEs while uncommon, can be serious or even life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.

Out-of-Hospital ICU Transfers to an Oncological Referral Center: Characteristics, Resource Utilization, and Patient Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:: To determine resource utilization and outcomes of out-of-hospital transfer patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a cancer referral center. DESIGN:: Single-center cohort. SETTING:: A tertiary oncological center. PATIENTS:: Patients older than 18 years transferred to our ICU from an outside hospital between January 2013 and December 2015. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: A total of 2127 (90.3%) were emergency department (ED) ICU admissions and 228 (9.7%) out-of-hospital transfers. The ICU length of stay (LOS) was longer in the out-of-hospital transfers when compared to all other ED ICU admissions ( P = .001); however, ICU and hospital mortality were similar between both groups. The majority of patients were transferred for a higher level of care (77.2%); there was no difference in the amount of interventions performed, ICU LOS, and ICU mortality between nonhigher level-of-care and higher level-of-care patients. Factors associated with an ICU LOS ≥10days were a higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, weekend admissions, presence of shock, need for mechanical ventilation, and acute kidney injury on admission or during ICU stay ( P < .008). The ICU mortality of transferred patients was 17.5% and associated risk factors were older age, higher SOFA score on admission, use of mechanical ventilation and vasopressors during ICU stay, and renal failure on admission ( P < .0001). Data related to the transfer such as LOS at the outside facility, time of transfer, delay in transfer, and longer distance traveled were not associated with increased LOS or mortality in our study. CONCLUSION:: Organ failure severity on admission, and not transfer-related factors, continues to be the best predictor of outcomes of critically ill patients with cancer when transferred from other facilities to the ICU. Our data suggest that transferring critically ill patients with cancer to a specialized center does not lead to worse outcomes or increased resource utilization when compared to patients admitted from the ED.