Long-Term Outcome of Critically Ill Advanced Cancer Patients Managed in an Intermediate Care Unit.

Background: To analyze the long-term outcomes for advanced cancer patients admitted to an intermediate care unit (ImCU), an analysis of a do not resuscitate orders (DNR) subgroup was made. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted from 2006 to January 2019 in a single academic medical center of cancer patients with stage IV disease who suffered acute severe complications. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3) was used as a prognostic and severity score. In-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality and survival after hospital discharge were calculated. Results: Two hundred and forty patients with stage IV cancer who attended at an ImCU were included. In total, 47.5% of the cohort had DNR orders. The two most frequent reasons for admission were sepsis (32.1%) and acute respiratory failure (excluding sepsis) (38.7%). Mortality in the ImCU was 10.8%. The mean predicted in-hospital mortality according to SAPS 3 was 51.9%. The observed in-hospital mortality was 37.5% (standard mortality ratio of 0.72). Patients discharged from hospital had a median survival of 81 (30.75−391.25) days (patients with DNR orders 46 days (19.5−92.25), patients without DNR orders 162 days (39.5−632)). The observed mortality was higher in patients with DNR orders: 52.6% vs. 23.8%, p 0 < 0.001. By multivariate logistic regression, a worse ECOG performance status (3−4 vs. 0−2), a higher SAPS 3 Score and DNR orders were associated with a higher in-hospital mortality. By multivariate analysis, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, higher bilirubin levels and DNR orders were significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusion: For patients with advanced cancer disease, even those with DNR orders, who suffer from acute complications or require continuous monitoring, an ImCU-centered multidisciplinary management shows encouraging results in terms of observed-to-expected mortality ratios.

Acquiring sepsis competencies through simulation-based learning bundle during intermediate care unit internship.

ABSTRACT: Intermediate care units (ImCUs) have been shown as appropriate units for the management of selected septic patients. Developing specific protocols for residents in training may be useful for their medical performance. The objective of this study was to analyze whether a simulation-based learning bundle is useful for residents while acquiring competencies in the management of sepsis during their internship in an ImCU.A prospective study, set in a tertiary-care academic medical center was performed enrolling residents who performed their internship in an ImCU from 2014 to 2017. The pillars of the simulation-based learning bundle were sepsis scenario in the simulation center, instructional material, and sepsis lecture, and management of septic patients admitted in the ImCU. Each resident was evaluated in the beginning and at the end of their internship displaying a sepsis-case scenario in the simulation center. The authors developed a sepsis-checklist that residents must fulfill during their performance which included 5 areas: hemodynamics (0-10), oxygenation (0-5), antibiotic therapy (0-9), organic injury (0-5), and miscellaneous (0-4).Thirty-four residents from different years of residency and specialties were evaluated. The total median score (interquartile range) increased significantly after training: 12 (25) vs 23 (16), P = .001. First-year residents scored significantly lower than older residents at baseline: 10 (14) vs 14.5 (19), P = .024. However, the performance at the end of the training period was similar in both groups: 21.5 (11) vs 23 (16), P = 1.000. Internal Medicine residents scored significantly higher than residents from other specialties: 18 (17) vs 10.5 (21), P = .007. Nonetheless, the performance at the end of the training period was similar in both groups: 24.5 (9) vs 22 (13), P = 1.000.Combining medical simulation with didactic lectures and a rotation in an ImCU staffed by hospitalists seems to be useful in acquiring competencies to manage critically ill patients with sepsis. We designed a checklist to assure an objective evaluation of the performance of the residents and to identify those aspects that could be potentially improved.

Hospital mortality prediction for intermediate care patients: Assessing the generalizability of the Intermediate Care Unit Severity Score (IMCUSS).

PURPOSE: The Intermediate Care Unit Severity Score (IMCUSS) is an easy to calculate predictor of in-hospital death, and the only such tool developed for patients in the intermediate care setting. We sought to examine its external validity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from patients admitted to the intermediate care unit (IMCU) of an urban academic medical center from July to December of 2012, model discrimination and calibration for predicting in-hospital death were assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit chi-squared (HL GOF X2) test, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was also calculated. RESULTS: The cohort included data from 628 unique admissions to the IMCU. Overall hospital mortality was 8.3%. The median IMCUSS was 10 (Interquartile Range: 0-16), with 229 (36%) patients having a score of zero. The AUROC for the IMCUSS was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.64-0.78), the HL GOF X2 = 30.7 (P < 0.001), and the SMR was 1.22 (95% CI: 0.91-1.60). CONCLUSIONS: The IMCUSS exhibited acceptable discrimination, poor calibration, and underestimated mortality. Other centers should assess the performance of the IMCUSS before adopting its use.

Mortality Prediction in Patients Undergoing Non-Invasive Ventilation in Intermediate Care.

BACKGROUND: Intermediate Care Units (ImCU) have become an alternative scenario to perform Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV). The limited number of prognostic studies in this population support the need of mortality prediction evaluation in this context. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to analyze the performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and 3 in patients undergoing NIV in an ImCU. Additionally, we searched for new variables that could be useful to customize these scores, in order to improve mortality prediction. DESIGN: Cohort study with prospectively collected data from all patients admitted to a single center ImCU who received NIV. The SAPS II and 3 scores with their respective predicted mortality rates were calculated. Discrimination and calibration were evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and with the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test for the models, respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to identify new variables to customize the scores for mortality prediction in this setting. PATIENTS: The study included 241 patients consecutively admitted to an ImCU staffed by hospitalists from April 2006 to December 2013. KEY RESULTS: The observed in-hospital mortality was 32.4% resulting in a Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) of 1.35 for SAPS II and 0.68 for SAPS 3. Mortality discrimination based on the AUC was 0.73 for SAPS II and 0.69 for SAPS 3. Customized models including immunosuppression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute pulmonary edema (APE), lactic acid, pCO2 and haemoglobin levels showed better discrimination than old scores with similar calibration power. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that SAPS II and 3 should be customized with additional patient-risk factors to improve mortality prediction in patients undergoing NIV in intermediate care.

Design and Performance of a New Severity Score for Intermediate Care.

BACKGROUND: Application of illness-severity scores in Intermediate Care Units (ImCU) shows conflicting results. The aim of the study is to design a severity-of-illness score for patients admitted to an ImCU. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study in a single academic medical centre in Pamplona, Spain. Demographics, past medical history, reasons for admission, physiological parameters at admission and during the first 24 hours of ImCU stay, laboratory variables and survival to hospital discharge were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables for mortality prediction. RESULTS: A total of 743 patients were included. The final multivariable model (derivation cohort = 554 patients) contained only 9 variables obtained at admission to the ImCU: previous length of stay 7 days (6 points), health-care related infection (11), metastatic cancer (9), immunosuppressive therapy (6), Glasgow comma scale 12 (10), need of non-invasive ventilation (14), platelets 50000/mcL (9), urea 0.6 g/L (10) and bilirubin 4 mg/dL (9). The ImCU severity score (ImCUSS) is generated by summing the individual point values, and the formula for determining the expected in-hospital mortality risk is: e(ImCUSS points*0.099 - 4,111)/(1 + e(ImCUSS points*0.099 - 4,11)1). The model showed adequate calibration and discrimination. Performance of ImCUSS (validation cohort = 189 patients) was comparable to that of SAPS II and 3. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit C test was χ2 8.078 (p=0.326) and the area under receiver operating curve 0.802. CONCLUSIONS: ImCUSS, specially designed for intermediate care, is based on easy to obtain variables at admission to ImCU. Additionally, it shows a notable performance in terms of calibration and mortality discrimination.

Renal autotransplant for subsequent endovascular exclusion of the thoracoabdominal aorta.

In the last 20 years, endovascular procedures have radically altered the treatment of diseases of the aorta. The objective of endovascular treatment of dissections is to close the entry point to redirect blood flow toward the true lumen, thereby achieving thrombosis of the false lumen. In extensive chronic dissections that have evolved with the formation of a large aneurysm, the dissection is maintained from the end of the endoprosthesis due to multiple orifices, or reentries, that communicate with the lumens. In addition, one of the primary limitations of this technique is when the visceral arteries have disease involvement. In this report we present a case where, despite having treated the entire length of the descending thoracic aorta, the dissection was maintained distally, leading to progression of the diameter of the aneurysm. After reviewing the literature, and to the best of our knowledge, we describe the first case in which renal autotransplant was performed to allow for subsequent exclusion of the aorta at the thoracoabdominal level using a fenestrated endoprosthesis for the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery.

Results of a retrospective observational study of intermediate care staffed by hospitalists: impact on mortality, co-management, and teaching.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients are complex and institutions have to face the high cost of critical care and the limited resources of the ward. Intermediate care appears as an attractive strategy to provide rational care according to patient needs. It is an interesting scenario to expand co-management and teaching. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Intermediate care unit (ImCU) of a single academic hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 456 patients admitted from April 2006 to April 2010 were included in the study. Demographics, admission physiologic parameters and in-hospital mortality were recorded. We used the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) as prognostic score system. Co-management with medical and surgical teams, and the number of training residents were evaluated. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 20.6%, whereas the expected mortality was 23.2% based on SAPS II score. The correlation between SAPS II predicted and observed death rates was accurate and statistically significant (Rho = 1.0, p < 0.001). Co-management was performed with several medical and surgical teams, with an increase in perioperative comanagement of 22.7% (p = 0.014). The number of training residents in ImCU increased from 4.3% to 30.4% (p = 0.002) CONCLUSIONS: An ImCU led by hospitalists showed encouraging results regarding patient survival and SAPS II is an useful tool for prognostic evaluation in this population. Intermediate care serves as an expansion of role for hospitalists; and clinicians, trainees and patients may benefit from co-management and teaching opportunities at this unique level of care.

Liver transplant recipients older than 60 years have lower survival and higher incidence of malignancy.

Older age is not considered a contraindication for liver transplantation, but age-related morbidity may be a cause of mortality. Survival and the incidence of the main post-transplant complications were assessed in 111 adult liver transplant recipients. They were divided in two groups according to their age (patients younger than 60 years, n=54; patients older than 60 years, n=57) and both groups were compared. Older patients were more frequently transplanted for hepatitis C (p= 0.03) and hepatocellular carcinoma (p= 0.05) and their liver disease was less advanced (Child-Pugh and MELD scores were significantly lower; p=0.004 and p=0.05, respectively). After transplantation, older patients had a significantly lower survival (p=0.02). Higher age was independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio for each 10-year increase: 2.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.1- 4.0; p=0.02). The incidence of de novo neoplasia and nonskin neoplasia were higher in older patients (p=0.02 and p =0.007, respectively). Malignancy was the cause of death in one patient younger than 60 years and in 12 patients older than 60 years (p =0.002). In multivariate analysis, a higher age and smoking were independently associated with a higher risk of dying of de novo neoplasia. In conclusion, older liver transplant recipients have a significantly lower survival than younger patients. Malignancy is responsible for this decreased survival.

A multidrug resistance 3 gene mutation causing cholelithiasis, cholestasis of pregnancy, and adulthood biliary cirrhosis.

We describe a 47-year-old patient who developed cholelithiasis in adolescence, followed by recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and finally biliary cirrhosis in adulthood. In our patient, the consecutive presentation of the 3 mentioned disorders raised the suspicion of a defect of MDR3, the canalicular protein involved in the transport of phospatidylcholine to bile. Mutational analysis in our patient showed a heterozygous missense mutation of the MDR3 gene that has not been described previously, which occurs in exon 14 at codon 535, and results in the substitution of glycine for aspartic acid. Further analysis of 7 members of the family showed the same mutation in her daughter who, on follow-up, developed cholestasis of pregnancy and persisting high serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase after delivery. Although biliary cirrhosis associated with MDR3 deficiency typically appears before the age of 25 years, in our case, the relatively mild MDR3 dysfunction allowed for a slower progression of the disease with established, well-advanced cirrhosis in the fifth decade of life. The present case, which accumulates the 3 clinical disorders assocaited with MDR3 deficiency, shows that this condition should be suspected not only in children or young people with high gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase cholestasis but also in middle-aged or older patients with chronic idiopathic cholestasis, especially when there is a previous history of cholestasis of pregnancy or juvenile cholelithiasis.