Polypharmacy and emergency readmission to hospital after critical illness: a population-level cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy is common and closely linked to drug interactions. The impact of polypharmacy has not been previously quantified in survivors of critical illness who have reduced resilience to stressors. Our aim was to identify factors associated with preadmission polypharmacy and ascertain whether polypharmacy is an independent risk factor for emergency readmission to hospital after discharge from a critical illness. METHODS: A population-wide cohort study consisting of patients admitted to all Scottish general ICUs between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013, whom survived their ICU stay. Patients were stratified by presence of preadmission polypharmacy, defined as being prescribed five or more regular medications. The primary outcome was emergency hospital readmission within 1 yr of discharge from index hospital stay. RESULTS: Of 23 844 ICU patients, 29.9% were identified with polypharmacy (n=7138). Factors associated with polypharmacy included female sex, increasing age, and social deprivation. Emergency 1-yr hospital readmission was significantly higher in the polypharmacy cohort (51.8% vs 35.8%, P<0.001). After confounder adjustment, patients with polypharmacy had a 22% higher hazard of emergency 1-yr readmission (adjusted hazard ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.16-1.28, P<0.001). On a linear scale of polypharmacy each additional prescription conferred a 3% increase in hazard of emergency readmission by 1 yr (adjusted hazard ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.03, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This national cohort study of ICU survivors demonstrates that preadmission polypharmacy is an independent risk factor for emergency readmission. In an ever-growing era of polypharmacy, this risk factor may represent a substantial burden in the at-risk post-intensive care population.

Predicting risk of unplanned hospital readmission in survivors of critical illness: a population-level cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors experience high levels of morbidity after hospital discharge and are at high risk of unplanned hospital readmission. Identifying those at highest risk before hospital discharge may allow targeting of novel risk reduction strategies. We aimed to identify risk factors for unplanned 90-day readmission, develop a risk prediction model and assess its performance to screen for ICU survivors at highest readmission risk. METHODS: Population cohort study linking registry data for patients discharged from general ICUs in Scotland (2005-2013). Independent risk factors for 90-day readmission and discriminant ability (c-index) of groups of variables were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Derivation and validation risk prediction models were constructed using a time-based split. RESULTS: Of 55 975 ICU survivors, 24.1% (95%CI 23.7% to 24.4%) had unplanned 90-day readmission. Pre-existing health factors were fair discriminators of readmission (c-index 0.63, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.64) but better than acute illness factors (0.60) or demographics (0.54). In a subgroup of those with no comorbidity, acute illness factors (0.62) were better discriminators than pre-existing health factors (0.56). Overall model performance and calibration in the validation cohort was fair (0.65, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.66) but did not perform sufficiently well as a screening tool, demonstrating high false-positive/false-negative rates at clinically relevant thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Unplanned 90-day hospital readmission is common. Pre-existing illness indices are better predictors of readmission than acute illness factors. Identifying additional patient-centred drivers of readmission may improve risk prediction models. Improved understanding of risk factors that are amenable to intervention could improve the clinical and cost-effectiveness of post-ICU care and rehabilitation.

'Intensive care unit survivorship' - a constructivist grounded theory of surviving critical illness.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To theorise intensive care unit survivorship after a critical illness based on longitudinal qualitative data. BACKGROUND: Increasingly, patients survive episodes of critical illness. However, the short- and long-term impact of critical illness includes physical, psychological, social and economic challenges long after hospital discharge. An appreciation is emerging that care needs to extend beyond critical illness to enable patients to reclaim their lives postdischarge with the term 'survivorship' being increasingly used in this context. What constitutes critical illness survivorship has, to date, not been theoretically explored. DESIGN: Longitudinal qualitative and constructivist grounded theory. Interviews (n = 46) with 17 participants were conducted at four time points: (1) before discharge from hospital, (2) four to six weeks postdischarge, (3) six months and (4) 12 months postdischarge across two adult intensive care unit setting. METHOD: Individual face-to-face interviews. Data analysis followed the principles of Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory. 'Intensive care unit survivorship' emerged as the core category and was theorised using concepts such as status passages, liminality and temporality to understand the various transitions participants made postcritical illness. FINDINGS: Intensive care unit survivorship describes the unscheduled status passage of falling critically ill and being taken to the threshold of life and the journey to a life postcritical illness. Surviving critical illness goes beyond recovery; surviving means 'moving on' to life postcritical illness. 'Moving on' incorporates a redefinition of self that incorporates any lingering intensive care unit legacies and being in control of one's life again. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: For healthcare professionals and policymakers, it is important to realise that recovery and transitioning through to survivorship happen within an individual's time frame, not a schedule imposed by the healthcare system. Currently, there are no care pathways or policies in place for critical illness survivors that would support intensive care unit survivors and their families in the transitions to survivorship.

PReventing early unplanned hOspital readmission aFter critical ILlnEss (PROFILE): protocol and analysis framework for a mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: Survivors of critical illness experience multidimensional disabilities that reduce quality of life, and 25-30% require unplanned hospital readmission within 3 months following index hospitalisation. We aim to understand factors associated with unplanned readmission; develop a risk model to identify intensive care unit (ICU) survivors at highest readmission risk; understand the modifiable and non-modifiable readmission drivers; and develop a risk assessment tool for identifying patients and areas for early intervention. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will use mixed methods with concurrent data collection. Quantitative data will comprise linked healthcare records for adult Scottish residents requiring ICU admission (1 January 2000-31 December 2013) who survived to hospital discharge. The outcome will be unplanned emergency readmission within 90 days of index hospital discharge. Exposures will include pre-ICU demographic data, comorbidities and health status, and critical illness variables representing illness severity. Regression analyses will be used to identify factors associated with increased readmission risk, and to develop and validate a risk prediction model. Qualitative data will comprise recorded/transcribed interviews with up to 60 patients and carers recently experiencing unplanned readmissions in three health board regions. A deductive and inductive thematic analysis will be used to identify factors contributing to readmissions and how they may interact. Through iterative triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data, we will develop a construct/taxonomy that captures reasons and drivers for unplanned readmission. We will validate and further refine this in focus groups with patients/carers who experienced readmissions in six Scottish health board regions, and in consultation with an independent expert group. A tool will be developed to screen for ICU survivors at risk of readmission and inform anticipatory interventions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Data linkage has approval but does not require ethical approval. The qualitative study has ethical approval. Dissemination with key healthcare stakeholders and policymakers is planned. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UKCRN18023.

Increased Hospital-Based Physical Rehabilitation and Information Provision After Intensive Care Unit Discharge: The RECOVER Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Critical illness results in disability and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL), but the optimum timing and components of rehabilitation are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of increasing physical and nutritional rehabilitation plus information delivered during the post-intensive care unit (ICU) acute hospital stay by dedicated rehabilitation assistants on subsequent mobility, HRQOL, and prevalent disabilities. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A parallel group, randomized clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment at 2 hospitals in Edinburgh, Scotland, of 240 patients discharged from the ICU between December 1, 2010, and January 31, 2013, who required at least 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Analysis for the primary outcome and other 3-month outcomes was performed between June and August 2013; for the 6- and 12-month outcomes and the health economic evaluation, between March and April 2014. INTERVENTIONS: During the post-ICU hospital stay, both groups received physiotherapy and dietetic, occupational, and speech/language therapy, but patients in the intervention group received rehabilitation that typically increased the frequency of mobility and exercise therapies 2- to 3-fold, increased dietetic assessment and treatment, used individualized goal setting, and provided greater illness-specific information. Intervention group therapy was coordinated and delivered by a dedicated rehabilitation practitioner. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) (range 0-15) at 3 months; higher scores indicate greater mobility. Secondary outcomes included HRQOL, psychological outcomes, self-reported symptoms, patient experience, and cost-effectiveness during a 12-month follow-up (completed in February 2014). RESULTS: Median RMI at randomization was 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 1-6) and at 3 months was 13 (IQR, 10-14) for the intervention and usual care groups (mean difference, -0.2 [95% CI, -1.3 to 0.9; P = .71]). The HRQOL scores were unchanged by the intervention (mean difference in the Physical Component Summary score, -0.1 [95% CI, -3.3 to 3.1; P = .96]; and in the Mental Component Summary score, 0.2 [95% CI, -3.4 to 3.8; P = .91]). No differences were found for self-reported symptoms of fatigue, pain, appetite, joint stiffness, or breathlessness. Levels of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress were similar, as were hand grip strength and the timed Up & Go test. No differences were found at the 6- or 12-month follow-up for any outcome measures. However, patients in the intervention group reported greater satisfaction with physiotherapy, nutritional support, coordination of care, and information provision. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Post-ICU hospital-based rehabilitation, including increased physical and nutritional therapy plus information provision, did not improve physical recovery or HRQOL, but improved patient satisfaction with many aspects of recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: isrctn.com Identifier: ISRCTN09412438.

Restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies for older mechanically ventilated critically ill patients: a randomized pilot trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare hemoglobin concentration (Hb), RBC use, and patient outcomes when restrictive or liberal blood transfusion strategies are used to treat anemic (Hb≤90 g/L) critically ill patients of age≥55 years requiring≥4 days of mechanical ventilation in ICU. DESIGN: Parallel-group randomized multicenter pilot trial. SETTING: Six ICUs in the United Kingdom participated between August 2009 and December 2010. PATIENTS: One hundred patients (51 restrictive and 49 liberal groups). INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to a restrictive (Hb trigger, 70 g/L; target, 71-90 g/L) or liberal (90 g/L; target, 91-110 g/L) transfusion strategy for 14 days or the remainder of ICU stay, whichever was longest. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Baseline comorbidity rates and illness severity were high, notably for ischemic heart disease (32%). The Hb difference among groups was 13.8 g/L (95% CI, 11.5-16.0 g/L); p<0.0001); mean Hb during intervention was 81.9 (SD, 5.1) versus 95.7 (6.3) g/L; 21.6% fewer patients in the restrictive group were transfused postrandomization (p<0.001) and received a median 1 (95% CI, 1-2; p=0.002) fewer RBC units. Protocol compliance was high. No major differences in organ dysfunction, duration of ventilation, infections, or cardiovascular complications were observed during intensive care and hospital follow-up. Mortality at 180 days postrandomization trended toward higher rates in the liberal group (55%) than in the restrictive group (37%); relative risk was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.44-1.05; p=0.073). This trend remained in a survival model adjusted for age, gender, ischemic heart disease, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and total non-neurologic Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at baseline (hazard ratio, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.28-1.03]; p=0.061). CONCLUSIONS: A large trial of transfusion strategies in older mechanically ventilated patients is feasible. This pilot trial found a nonsignificant trend toward lower mortality with restrictive transfusion practice.

A randomised controlled trial evaluating a rehabilitation complex intervention for patients following intensive care discharge: the RECOVER study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients who survive an intensive care unit admission frequently suffer physical and psychological morbidity for many months after discharge. Current rehabilitation pathways are often fragmented and little is known about the optimum method of promoting recovery. Many patients suffer reduced quality of life. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The authors plan a multicentre randomised parallel group complex intervention trial with concealment of group allocation from outcome assessors. Patients who required more than 48 h of mechanical ventilation and are deemed fit for intensive care unit discharge will be eligible. Patients with primary neurological diagnoses will be excluded. Participants will be randomised into one of the two groups: the intervention group will receive standard ward-based care delivered by the NHS service with additional treatment by a specifically trained generic rehabilitation assistant during ward stay and via telephone contact after hospital discharge and the control group will receive standard ward-based care delivered by the current NHS service. The intervention group will also receive additional information about their critical illness and access to a critical care physician. The total duration of the intervention will be from randomisation to 3 months postrandomisation. The total duration of follow-up will be 12 months from randomisation for both groups. The primary outcome will be the Rivermead Mobility Index at 3 months. Secondary outcomes will include measures of physical and psychological morbidity and function, quality of life and survival over a 12-month period. A health economic evaluation will also be undertaken. Groups will be compared in relation to primary and secondary outcomes; quantitative analyses will be supplemented by focus groups with patients, carers and healthcare workers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Consent will be obtained from patients and relatives according to patient capacity. Data will be analysed according to a predefined analysis plan. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered as ISRCTN09412438 and funded by the Chief Scientist Office, Scotland.

An assessment of the validity of spectral entropy as a measure of sedation state in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the Entropy Module (GE Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland), a device to measure hypnosis in anesthesia, is a valid measure of sedation state in critically ill patients by comparing clinically assessed sedation state with Spectral Entropy DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Teaching hospital general ICU. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: 30 intubated, mechanically ventilated patients without primary neurological diagnoses or drug overdose receiving continuous sedation. INTERVENTIONS: Monitoring of EEG and fEMG activity via forehead electrodes for up to 72h and assessments of conscious level using a modified Ramsay Sedation Scale. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: 475 trained observer assessments were made and compared with concurrent Entropy numbers. Median State (SE) and Response (RE) Entropy values decreased as Ramsay score increased, but wide variation occurred, especially in Ramsay 4-6 categories. Discrimination between different sedation scores [mean (SEM) P(K) value: RE 0.713 (0.019); SE 0.710 (0.019)] and between lighter (Ramsay 1-3) vs.deeper (Ramsay 4-6) sedation ranges was inadequate [P(K): RE 0.750 (0.025); SE 0.748 (0.025)]. fEMG power decreased with increasing Ramsay score but was often significant even at Ramsay 4-6 states. Frequent "on-off" effects occurred for both RE and SE, which were associated with fEMG activity. Values switched from low to high values even in deeply sedated patients. High Entropy values during deeper sedation were strongly associated with simultaneous high relative fEMG powers. CONCLUSIONS: Entropy of the frontal EEG does not discriminate sedation state adequately for clinical use in ICU patients. Facial EMG is a major confounder in clinical sedation ranges.