Impact of COVID-19 on the Intestinal Microbiome.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review article aims to explore the GI changes induced by SARS-CoV-2 and how gut microbial homeostasis can influence these changes and affect the lung-gut axis and its relationship with the induction of the cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19 patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects not only the respiratory system but can produce multi-systemic damage. The expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the high prevalence of GI symptoms in severely ill COVID-19 patients, and the abnormalities described in the gut microbiome in these patients have raised concerns about the influence of GI tract as a risk factor or as a potential modulator to reduce the severity of COVID-19. Understanding the mechanisms by which gut dysbiosis may influence viral transmission and disease progression in COVID-19 may help in shaping how accessible therapies, like diet modulation, can potentially help beat the devastating consequences of COVID-19.

Effects of Potential Micro- and Macro-nutrients in Combatting COVID-19.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Gain insight on the effect of some recently studied nutrients and nutritional markers on the COVID-19 disease course. RECENT FINDINGS: In vitro studies indicate that SCFAs do not interfere with SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Observational studies indicate that eating processed or red meat three or more times per week had overall higher risk of pneumonia. Studies suggest that markers of regular outdoor physical activity (high HDL, lack of vitamin D deficiency, lack of obesity, etc.) prevent severe complications of COVID-19. SUMMARY: Although no definitive nutrients were found to significantly alter the COVID-19 disease course, some therapeutic candidates such as calcium, vitamin D, and albumin were surmised. Other nutrients that modulate serum lipid levels, cytokine levels, and albumin levels may hold promise for prevention of morbid or fatal outcomes related to COVID-19, as does the reduction of red or processed meat consumption.

The Power of Mobile Health: The Girl With the Gadgets in Uganda.

Medical-grade ultrasound devices are now pocket sized and can be easily transported to underserved parts of the world, allowing health care providers to have the tools to optimize diagnoses, inform management plans, and improve patient outcomes in remote locations. Other great advances in technology have recently occurred, such as artificial intelligence applied to mobile health devices and cloud computing, as augmented reality instructions make these devices more user friendly and readily applicable across health care encounters. However, broader awareness of the impact of these mobile health technologies is needed among health care providers, along with training on how to use them in valid and reproducible environments, for accurate diagnosis and treatment. This article provides a summary of a Mayo International Health Program journey to Bwindi, Uganda, with a portable mobile health unit. This article shows how point-of-care ultrasonography and other technologies can benefit remote clinical diagnosis and management in underserved areas around the world.

Misplaced tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis: A case of foreign body aspiration.

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a rare, but potentially fatal condition frequently seen in the emergency department. Bronchoscopy plays a major role in its diagnosis and treatment. In patients with laryngectomy, the strategies for airway maintenance and foreign body retrieval are limited. We describe management of a patient with laryngectomy presenting with aspiration of a tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis (TEP). The TEP was not initially seen in chest radiography; however, computed tomography showed it within the right lower bronchus. Successful extraction of the TEP was achieved through bronchoscopy with forceps and retrieval basket. Otolaryngology placed a larger TEP and secured it with sutures. TEP migration is rare, but represents a risk for FBA. Initial imaging in the emergency department can be misleading, requiring a high degree of suspicion, as the TEP device may not be seen in standard chest radiography. Flexible bronchoscopy under moderate sedation in conjunction with forceps and retrieval basket may be appropriate for treatment of FBA in patients with laryngectomy and can be performed in the emergency department, preventing hospital admission.

Reintubation Summation Calculation: A Predictive Score for Extubation Failure in Critically Ill Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To derive and validate a multivariate risk score for the prediction of respiratory failure after extubation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2015, who received mechanical ventilation for ≥48 h. Extubation failure was defined as the need for reintubation within 72 h after extubation. Multivariate logistic regression model coefficient estimates generated the Re-Intubation Summation Calculation (RISC) score. RESULTS: The 6,161 included patients were randomly divided into 2 sets: derivation (n = 3,080) and validation (n = 3,081). Predictors of extubation failure in the derivation set included body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 [odds ratio (OR), 1.91; 95% CI, 1.12-3.26; P = 0.02], threshold of Glasgow Coma Scale of at least 10 (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.31-2.16; P < 0.001), mean airway pressure at 1 min of spontaneous breathing trial <10 cmH2O (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.68-2.66; P < 0.001), fluid balance ≥1,500 mL 24 h preceding extubation (OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.87-2.96; P < 0.001), and total mechanical ventilation days ≥5 (OR, 3.94; 95% CI 3.04-5.11; P < 0.001). The C-index for the derivation and validation sets were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.70-0.75) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.69-0.75). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that an increase of 1 in RISC score increased odds of extubation failure 1.6-fold (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.47-1.69; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RISC predicts extubation failure in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit using several clinically relevant variables available in the electronic medical record but requires a larger validation cohort before widespread clinical implementation.

A Combined Approach to Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Intravenous Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy with Minimally Invasive Hematoma Evacuation.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal cells currently being tested as therapy for a variety of diseases. MSC therapy and hematoma evacuation using a minimally invasive approach are being studied separately to improve clinical outcomes after stroke. We report the first case of a patient with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) treated with combination MSC therapy and endoscopic hematoma evacuation. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old woman with a past medical history of essential chronic hypertension and right lung bronchial atresia presented to the emergency department with acute neurologic decline (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score, 22). Computed tomography showed a 4.4 × 3.5 × 3.5 cm right basal ganglia hemorrhage with intraventricular extension. An external ventricular drain was placed, and she was enrolled in a Phase I clinical trial investigating intravenous MSC therapy for acute ICH. Continued neurologic deterioration due to increased intracranial pressure led to minimally invasive hematoma evacuation using the Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device (Penumbra, Inc.) on hospital day 4. Follow-up scans showed decreased density and extent of hemorrhage. She was discharged on day 41 with improved neurologic function scores (NIHSS score, 2). At 3-month follow-up, she was walking on her own, but had residual left arm and hand weakness (modified Rankin Score, 2). CONCLUSIONS: This case report suggests that the combination of MSC therapy and minimally invasive hematoma evacuation may be safe and well tolerated. Further larger randomized clinical trials are required to identify whether MSC therapy in combination with minimally invasive hematoma evacuation is safe, tolerable, and potentially improves outcomes than either alone.

Impact of Soluble Fiber in the Microbiome and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To discuss the controversy over the effect of dietary fiber (DF) on (1) outcomes in critical illness, (2) microbiome and metabolic homeostasis, and (3) current evidence and guidelines regarding supplementation in critically ill patients. RECENT FINDINGS: In healthy individuals, consumption of DF is widely known as a long-term protecting factor against colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease; in hospitalized patients, DF may have a beneficial effect in the incidence of diarrhea, infections, and length of stay. But, what does that mean for critically ill patients? What is the recommended DF intake and what are current guidelines? There are many confounding factors that limit the evidence of beneficial effects from fiber supplementation in critically ill patients, including the side effects critical care therapies can have on gut microbiota, but after extrapolating data from healthy and hospitalized non-critical patients and considering that its administration appears to be safe, it may be wise to administer fiber-containing enteral feedings in ICU patients. Analysis of those confounders requires future research.

High-Dose Vitamin B12 in Vasodilatory Shock: A Narrative Review.

Vasodilatory shock, as observed in postoperative states and sepsis, is hallmarked by low systemic vascular resistance and low blood pressure compensated by increased cardiac output. Gasotransmitters, such as nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide, are implicated in the development and perpetuation of vasodilatory shock. Established therapies do not target these physiologic drivers of vasodilation. Due to their nontoxic and pleotropic effects, micronutrients are being used as rescue therapy in postoperative vasoplegia and septic shock. Here, we outline the pathophysiology of vasodilatory shock, describe the rationale for vitamin B12 (hydroxocobalamin) in vasodilatory shock, and identify literature evaluating its use in vasoplegic states.

From Religion to Secularism: the Benefits of Fasting.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Since the early development of human societies, religious beliefs, and practices has been integral to their identity, culture, and social structure, traditions are influenced by the area, era, and culture wherein they developed. Some religions offer advice on behavioral and diet modifications as strategies to fortify the body, purify the spirit, and elevate consciousness. This review is an attempt to compare different practices, describe the health benefits and risks of fasting, and reconcile these age-old recommendations with practical modern life. RECENT FINDINGS: Research to clarify and quantify the impact of these dietary modifications is challenging due to the variability in recommendations among various religions and in day-to-day practices. Most religions share common goals of well-being, body-mind integration, and spiritual attainment. Historically, the transformational power of fasting periods has been appreciated, but there is still much to discover about the underlying beneficial physiologic mechanisms of fasting in preventing and treating metabolic diseases.

Focused transthoracic echocardiography curriculum for advanced practice providers assures good concordance with intensivists at echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a focused transthoracic echocardiography (FoTE) curriculum for advanced practice providers (APPs) for echocardiography-driven diagnosis of shock in critically ill patients. METHODS: Twelve APPs in 4 intensive care units at an academic medical center received didactic sessions on FoTE, including 1-on-1 proctorship with a registered cardiac sonographer. For a period of 6 months the trainees performed individual studies, then they performed FoTE examinations on critically ill patients; their diagnoses were compared with those of experienced intensivists for the same patients. RESULTS: After 6 months of multiple steps of training, APPs could acquire good echocardiographic views, achieving a good inter-rater agreement (Cohen's κ of 0.745 [95% CI, 0.385-1.0; P < .01]) in the diagnosis of shock when compared to experienced intensivists. CONCLUSIONS: Structured FoTE curriculum enables APPs to have reasonably good diagnostic concordance with intensivists in an echocardiography-driven diagnosis of shock in critically ill patients.

Concepts for the Simulation Community: Development of the International Simulation Data Registry.

STATEMENT: The past several decades have seen tremendous growth in our understanding of best practices in simulation-based healthcare education. At present, however, there is limited infrastructure available to assist programs in translation of these best practices into more standardized educational approaches, higher quality of care, and ultimately improved outcomes. In 2014, the International Simulation Data Registry (ISDR) was launched to address this important issue. The existence of such a registry has important implications not just for educational practice but also for research. The ISDR currently archives data related to pulseless arrest, malignant hyperthermia, and difficult airway simulations. Case metrics are designed to mirror the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines Registry, allowing for direct comparisons with clinical scenarios. This article describes the rationale for the ISDR, and outlines its development. Current data are presented to highlight the educational and research value of this approach. Projected future developments are also discussed.

Comparison between Simulation-based Training and Lecture-based Education in Teaching Situation Awareness. A Randomized Controlled Study.

RATIONALE: Situation awareness has been defined as the perception of the elements in the environment within volumes of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. Intensivists often make time-sensitive critical decisions, and loss of situation awareness can lead to errors. It has been shown that simulation-based training is superior to lecture-based training for some critical scenarios. Because the methods of training to improve situation awareness have not been well studied in the medical field, we compared the impact of simulation vs. lecture training using the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) score. OBJECTIVES: To identify an effective method for teaching situation awareness. METHODS: We randomly assigned 17 critical care fellows to simulation vs. lecture training. Training consisted of eight cases on airway management, including topics such as elevated intracranial pressure, difficult airway, arrhythmia, and shock. During the testing scenario, at random times between 4 and 6 minutes into the simulation, the scenario was frozen, and the screens were blanked. Respondents then completed the 28 questions on the SAGAT scale. Sample items were categorized as Perception, Projection, and Comprehension of the situation. Results were analyzed using SPSS Version 21. RESULTS: Eight fellows from the simulation group and nine from the lecture group underwent simulation testing. Sixty-four SAGAT scores were recorded for the simulation group and 48 scores were recorded for the lecture group. The mean simulation vs. lecture group SAGAT score was 64.3 ± 10.1 (SD) vs. 59.7 ± 10.8 (SD) (P = 0.02). There was also a difference in the median Perception ability between the simulation vs. lecture groups (61.1 vs. 55.5, P = 0.01). There was no difference in the median Projection and Comprehension scores between the two groups (50.0 vs. 50.0, P = 0.92, and 83.3 vs. 83.3, P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant, albeit modest, difference between simulation training and lecture training on the total SAGAT score of situation awareness mainly because of the improvement in perception ability. Simulation may be a superior method of teaching situation awareness.