Mortality Predictive Value of APACHE II and SOFA Scores in COVID-19 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has become a global dilemma since December 2019. Are the standard scores, such as acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, accurate for predicting the mortality rate of COVID-19 or the need for new scores? We aimed to evaluate the mortality predictive value of APACHE II and SOFA scores in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods: In a cohort study, we enrolled 204 confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units at the Imam Khomeini hospital complex. APACHE II on the first day and daily SOFA scoring were performed. The primary outcome was the mortality rate in the nonsurvived and survived groups, and the secondary outcome was organ dysfunction. Two groups of survived and nonsurvived patients were compared by the chi-square test for categorical variables and an independent sample t-test for continuous variables. We used logistic regression models to estimate the mortality risk of high APACHE II and SOFA scores. Result: Among 204 severe COVID-19 patients, 114 patients (55.9%) expired and 169 patients (82.8%) had at least one comorbidity that 103 (60.9%) of them did not survive (P=0.002). Invasive mechanical ventilation and its duration were significantly different between survived and nonsurvived groups (P ≤ 0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Mean APACHE II and mean SOFA scores were significantly higher in the nonsurvived than in the survived group (14.4 ± 5.7 vs. 9.5 ± 5.1, P ≤ 0.001, 7.3 ± 3.1 vs. 3.1 ± 1.1, P ≤ 0.001, respectively). The area under the curve was 89.5% for SOFA and 73% for the APACHE II score. Respiratory diseases and malignancy were risk factors for the mortality rate (P=0.004 and P=0.007, respectively) against diabetes and hypertension. Conclusion: The daily SOFA was a better mortality predictor than the APACHE II in critically ill COVID-19 patients. But they could not predict death with high accuracy. We need new scoring with consideration of the prognostic factors and daily evaluation of changes in clinical conditions.

Chemotherapy alters cisatracurium induced neuromuscular blockade characteristics: A prospective cohort study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the characteristics of NMDR induced muscle paralysis in breast cancer patients with and without a history of recent chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil (CAF) regimen. DESIGN: This is a non-randomized prospective cohort study. SETTING: Operating room of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Out of a total of 50 patients who had undergone mastectomy, 22 patients were allocated to the "Chemo group" and 28 patients to the "Non-Chemo group", based on a valid history of recent chemotherapy. INTERVENTION: After induction of anesthesia with thiopental and cisatracurium, neuromuscular monitoring was started for all patients. MEASUREMENTS: Initially the time to 100% single-twitch (ST) suppression was measured. Then, the time for the appearance of the first response to post-tetanic count (PTC) stimulation, Train-of-Four (TOF) stimulation, and TOF50% were measured consequently. MAIN RESULTS: Time to get STzero was significantly longer in the Chemo group than in the Non-chemo group. Time for the appearance of the first response of PTC and TOF and TOF50% was significantly shorter in the Chemo group than the other group. The mean duration of intense block was 27.66 minutes in the Chemo group versus 42.47 minutes in the Non-chemo group. CONCLUSION: This research demonstrated that in patients having undergone chemotherapy, the effect of NDMRs starts with a longer lag time and finishes earlier too. Thus, these patients are ready for intubation after a longer time. Moreover, we have to repeat cisatracurium injections after shorter intervals to maintain the desired level of blockade.

Case report: A pulseless radial artery in a child under anesthesia for radiotherapy.

Treatment of cancer in children often requires a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not painful processes, but children undergoing these procedures must be made motionless through anesthesia or sedation. There are a few reports of complications during these procedures in relation to the procedures themselves or to the anesthesia given. This report describes an unexpected pulseless radial artery which was preliminarily and unduly attributed to anesthesia. A 2.5 year-old male pediatric patient with an acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was scheduled for radiotherapy. Anesthesia with intramuscular ketamine was induced before starting radiotherapy. About 5 minutes after injection of ketamine we found the right radial pulse undetectable. There was no other manifestation of hypoxia or hypo-perfusion. Carotid pulsation was normal. Examination of the left radial pulse and other peripheral pulses showed normal pulsation. The procedure was continued uneventfully. The next follow-up after radiotherapy, showed a scar and swelling on the right antecubital area, caused by extravasation of chemotherapeutic agent in the prior period of chemotherapy. Doppler ultrasonography of the antecubital vein confirmed the diagnosis. This case study therefore demonstrates that proper intravenous cannula establishment before chemotherapy is of great importance. Furthermore, accurate history and physical examination before induction of anesthesia or sedation may be useful in preventing mismanagement in pediatric cancer procedures.