Filter life and safety of heparin-grafted membrane for continuous renal replacement therapy - A randomized controlled trial.

Polyethyleneimine-layered membrane with grafted heparin (oXiris) may improve filter life during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in addition to its immunoadsorptive capability, compared with that of conventional membrane. In this single center, prospective, open-label pilot study, we randomized critically ill patients with bleeding risk who underwent anticoagulation-free CRRT, to commence with oXiris or M150 filter with sequential crossover. We examined the filter life with each circuit and its effect on systemic coagulation parameters. We randomized 11 and nine patients to commence CRRT with oXiris and M150 respectively, with 19 oXiris and 20 M150 filter-circuits in all. Patient profiles in both arms were comparable for illness severity and comorbidities. Median filter lives for oXiris versus M150 circuits were 13 h versus 18 h (p = 0.10). Among 11 patients with paired crossover filters, filter lives for 14 oXiris-M150 circuit pairs were 13 h versus 16 h (p = 0.27), and corresponding transmembrane pressures increased to 111 mmHg versus 75 mmHg by 12 h (p = 0.02). Patients' coagulation parameters were comparable following both filter-circuits. CRRT with oXiris (vs. M150) was independently associated with shorter filter life, adjusted for prescribed dose, vascular access, and coagulopathy. Use of oXiris did not prolong filter life over conventional membrane with no evidence of systemic heparin exposure; significant membrane clogging is observed by 12 h with oXiris.

Differential Effects of Early Energy and Protein Inadequacies on the Outcome of Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Differential effects of energy and protein inadequacies of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in first 72 hours are unknown. METHODS: We included all adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) > 72 hours between August 2012 and December 2014. Energy and protein doses were 25 kcal/kg/day and 1.5 g/kg/day, respectively. We used multivariable Cox regression analysis for 28-day mortality and competing risks regression analysis for post-ICU length of stay (LOS) in hospital survivors. RESULTS: In 421 patients (male 63.4%, mean age 62 ± 15.1 years) the energy and protein adequacies at 72 hours were 70% and 56%, respectively. Non-survivors by day 28 were started on feeding significantly later (median, 14.13 (5.48-33.78) versus 9.25 (5.45-16.58) hours, P = .003) and received lower energy (mean, 0.57 ± 0.36 versus 0.76 ± 0.29, P < 0.001) and protein (median, 0.51 (0.13-0.74) versus 0.61 (0.40-0.84), P < 0.001) adequacies at day 7 (same effect seen at 72 hours, P < 0.001). Higher energy adequacy at 72 hours was associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.39 (95% CI 0.20-0.75), P = 0.004); the lowest mortality was seen between 61% and 70% energy adequacies. No such association was seen with protein adequacy. In 280 hospital survivors, higher energy adequacy at 72 hours (subdistribution HR 1.63; 95% CI, 1.06-2.50, P = 0.025) was significantly associated with shorter post-ICU LOS. No such effect was seen with protein adequacy. CONCLUSION: Higher energy but not protein adequacy at 72 hours of MV was associated with improved patient-centric outcomes.

Nutritional risk assessment at admission can predict subsequent muscle loss in critically ill patients.

Muscle loss in critically ill patients may be related to nutrition. We study the association between modified NUTrition RIsk in the Critically ill (mNUTRIC) score obtained at admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and subsequent muscle loss. We measured rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) by ultrasound on days 1, 3, 7, and 10 of ICU admission. We used linear mixed effects model following natural logarithmic transformation of the data. Forty-eight patients (median (IQR) age 66 (55-72.5) years, 71% male, APACHE II score 31 (25-34), BMI 24.2 (21.5-27.1) kg/m2) were analyzed. The high mNUTRIC score (>5) cohort (n = 35) lost significantly more muscle as compared to the low (≤5) group (n = 13); the adjusted ratio (high versus low group) of the geometric mean RFCSA were (0.58, 95% CI 0.46-0.75) for right and (0.61, 95% CI 0.49-0.77) for left, both p < 0.001. mNUTRIC score obtained at admission to ICU can identify patients at risk of subsequent muscle loss.

Age related inverse dose relation of sedatives and analgesics in the intensive care unit.

Sedative and analgesic practices in intensive care units (ICUs) are frequently based on anesthesia regimes but do not take account of the important patient related factors. Pharmacologic properties of sedatives and analgesics change when used as continuous infusions in ICU compared to bolus or short-term infusions during anesthesia. In a prospective observational cohort study, we investigated the association between patient related factors and sedatives/analgesics doses in patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) and their association with cessation of sedation/analgesia. We included patients expected to receive MV for at least 24 hours and excluded those with difficulty in assessing the depth of sedation. We collected data for the first 72 hours or until extubation, whichever occurred first. Multivariate analysis of variance, multivariate regression as well as logistic regression were used. The final cohort (N = 576) was predominantly male (64%) with mean (SD) age 61.7 (15.6) years, weight 63.4 (18.2) Kg, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 28.2 (8) and 30% hospital mortality. Increasing age was associated with reduced propofol and fentanyl doses requirements, adjusted to the weight (p<0.001). Factors associated with higher propofol and fentanyl doses were vasopressor use (Relative mean difference (RMD) propofol 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28-1.90); fentanyl 1.48 (1.25-1.76) and central venous line placement (CVL, RMD propofol 1.64 (1.15-2.33); fentanyl 1.41 (1.03-1.91). Male gender was also associated with higher propofol dose (RMD 1.27 (1.06-1.49). Sedation cessation was less likely to occur in restrained patients (Odds Ratio, OR 0.48 (CI 0.30-0.78) or those receiving higher sedative/analgesic doses (OR propofol 0.98 (CI 0.97-0.99); fentanyl 0.99 (CI 0.98-0.997), independent of depth of sedation. In conclusion, increasing age is associated with the use of lower doses of sedative/analgesic in ICU, whereas CVL and vasopressor use were associated with higher doses.