Residency training programs in anesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine: from curriculum to practice.

Residency programs in anesthesiology and intensive care (AIC), and emergency medicine (EM) continually evolve to ensure well-prepared trainees for these critical fields of healthcare. The objective of this study was to collect comprehensive feed-back from AIC and EM residents, comprising opinions and attitudes on: curriculum and structure of the residency program; scope of training environment, opportunities and complexity; training guidance and mentorship; teaching approach. An anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted among AIC and EM trainees during December 2023-January 2024 and June 2023-July 2023, respectively. Two hundred and thirty-five answers were collected: 137 (73/64 female/male) and 98 (55/43 female/male) respondents from the AIC and EM programs, respectively. Overall feed-back was equivalent for both residency programs, with differences related to the distinct characteristics of each medical specialty. The main issues identified across the programs were the need to improve and diversify the teaching approaches, with trainees' strong desire for more professional guidance, mentoring, and constant feed-back. The findings would inform decision-making beyond current residency programs in these critical care specialties, highlighting the need to design solutions for interactive and highly immersive educational experiences, such as simulation, augmented reality or virtual reality.

Quality of Life Assessment Using the WHOQOL-BREF Survey in Hospitalized Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder from Romania.

This cross-sectional analysis aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) among hospitalized patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Romania, utilizing the WHOQOL survey. Conducted from January to December 2023 in the Psychiatry Clinic of the "Pius Brinzeu" Emergency Clinical Hospital in Timisoara, this study engaged 70 participants, adhering to ethical standards outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Employing the WHOQOL-BREF instrument, the research hypothesized that AUD patients would show significantly lower QoL scores across its domains compared to general population norms. The study focused on identifying the QoL domains most impacted by AUD, exploring correlations between QoL scores and AUD background characteristics, and pinpointing intervention areas for patient care improvement. Participants were predominantly males (88.57%) with a middle-aged average of 55.51 years. Educational backgrounds varied, with a notable percentage having attended college (44.29%) or university (17.14%). Regarding marital status, 41.43% were married. Comorbidities were present in 52.86% of the sample, with hypertension being the most common (34.29%). Results showed mean QoL scores in the physical (61.84 ± 16.05), psychological (64.11 ± 17.16), social (60.48 ± 24.85), and environmental (68.44 ± 17.34) domains, revealing a significant diversity in satisfaction levels across these areas. Statistical analyses highlighted marital status as significantly associated with a better QoL in the physical domain, with married, co-habiting, and divorced participants reporting higher scores compared to single ones. In conclusion, while AUD significantly affects the QoL of hospitalized patients in Romania, marital status emerges as a critical factor in mitigating these effects, particularly in the physical domain of QoL. These findings underscore the complexity of AUD's impact on QoL and the importance of considering sociodemographic factors in patient care practices and interventions. The study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced relationship between AUD and QoL, proposing a foundation for enhancing care outcomes for AUD patients in Romania.

Predictive Value of Neutrophil-to-Monocyte Ratio, Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio, C-Reactive Protein, Procalcitonin, and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha for Neurological Complications in Mechanically Ventilated Neonates Born after 35 Weeks of Gestation.

This prospective study investigated the association between elevated neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio (NMR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and the risk of developing neurological complications in mechanically ventilated neonates. The aim was to evaluate these biomarkers' predictive value for neurological complications. Within a one-year period from January to December 2022, this research encompassed neonates born at ≥35 weeks of gestational age who required mechanical ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from the first day of life. Biomarkers were measured within the first 24 h and at 72 h. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated for each biomarker to establish the best cutoff values for predicting neurological complications. The final analysis included a total of 85 newborns, of which 26 developed neurological complications and 59 without such complications. Among the studied biomarkers, TNF-alpha at >12.8 pg/mL in the first 24 h demonstrated the highest predictive value for neurological complications, with a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 69%, and the highest AUC (0.574, p = 0.005). At 72 h, TNF-alpha levels greater than 14.3 pg/mL showed further increased predictive accuracy (sensitivity of 87%, specificity of 72%, AUC of 0.593, p < 0.001). The NMR also emerged as a significant predictor, with a cutoff value of >5.3 yielding a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 67% (AUC of 0.562, p = 0.029) at 24 h, and a cutoff of >6.1 showing a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 68% (AUC of 0.567, p = 0.025) at 72 h. Conversely, CRP and procalcitonin showed limited predictive value at both time points. This study identifies TNF-alpha and NMR as robust early predictors of neurological complications in mechanically ventilated neonates, underscoring their potential utility in guiding early intervention strategies. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating specific biomarker monitoring in the clinical management of at-risk neonates to mitigate the incidence of neurological complications.

Postoperative Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Patients With and Without Preoperative Colonization.

Importance: Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections (SSIs) and bloodstream infections (BSIs) are important complications of surgical procedures for which prevention remains suboptimal. Contemporary data on the incidence of and etiologic factors for these infections are needed to support the development of improved preventive strategies. Objectives: To assess the occurrence of postoperative S aureus SSIs and BSIs and quantify its association with patient-related and contextual factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter cohort study assessed surgical patients at 33 hospitals in 10 European countries who were recruited between December 16, 2016, and September 30, 2019 (follow-up through December 30, 2019). Enrolled patients were actively followed up for up to 90 days after surgery to assess the occurrence of S aureus SSIs and BSIs. Data analysis was performed between November 20, 2020, and April 21, 2022. All patients were 18 years or older and had undergone 11 different types of surgical procedures. They were screened for S aureus colonization in the nose, throat, and perineum within 30 days before surgery (source population). Both S aureus carriers and noncarriers were subsequently enrolled in a 2:1 ratio. Exposure: Preoperative S aureus colonization. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was cumulative incidence of S aureus SSIs and BSIs estimated for the source population, using weighted incidence calculation. The independent association of candidate variables was estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: In total, 5004 patients (median [IQR] age, 66 [56-72] years; 2510 [50.2%] female) were enrolled in the study cohort; 3369 (67.3%) were S aureus carriers. One hundred patients developed S aureus SSIs or BSIs within 90 days after surgery. The weighted cumulative incidence of S aureus SSIs or BSIs was 2.55% (95% CI, 2.05%-3.12%) for carriers and 0.52% (95% CI, 0.22%-0.91%) for noncarriers. Preoperative S aureus colonization (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 4.38; 95% CI, 2.19-8.76), having nonremovable implants (AHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.15-3.49), undergoing mastectomy (AHR, 5.13; 95% CI, 1.87-14.08) or neurosurgery (AHR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.09-5.61) (compared with orthopedic surgery), and body mass index (AHR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08 per unit increase) were independently associated with S aureus SSIs and BSIs. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of surgical patients, S aureus carriage was associated with an increased risk of developing S aureus SSIs and BSIs. Both modifiable and nonmodifiable etiologic factors were associated with this risk and should be addressed in those at increased S aureus SSI and BSI risk.

The Impact of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange on Inflammatory Markers and Acute Phase Reactants in Patients with Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background and Objectives: Due to the poor prognosis and the very high mortality rate associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infections, various regimens have been tried to stop the evolution of the inflammatory cascade, such as immunomodulatory therapy and plasma clearance of the acute phase reactants involved. Therefore, the objective of this review was to analyze the effects of using therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), also known as plasmapheresis, on the inflammatory markers of critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: A thorough scientific database search was performed, and it included a review of articles published on PubMed, Cochrane Database, Scopus, and Web of Science from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 until September 2022 that focused on the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections using plasma exchange for patients admitted to the ICU. The current study included original articles, reviews, editorials, and short or special communications regarding the topic of interest. Results: A total of 13 articles were selected after satisfying the inclusion criterion of three or more patients enrolled with clinically severe COVID-19 that were eligible for TPE. From the included articles, it was observed that TPE was used as a last-resort salvage therapy that can be regarded as an alternative treatment method when the standard management for these patients fails. TPE significantly decreased the inflammatory status as measured by Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocyte count, and D-dimers, as well as improving the clinical status measured with PaO2/FiO2 and duration of hospitalization. The pooled mortality risk reduction after TPE was 20%. Conclusions: There are sufficient studies and evidence to show that TPE reduces inflammatory mediators and improves coagulation function and the clinical/paraclinical status. Nevertheless, although it was shown that TPE decreases the severe inflammatory status without significant complications, the improvement of survival rate remains unclear.

Assessing the Outcomes of Patients with Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection after Therapeutic Plasma Exchange by Number of TPE Sessions.

The high mortality risk in severe SARS-CoV-2 infections is tightly correlated to the extreme elevation of inflammatory markers. This acute accumulation of inflammatory proteins can be cleared using plasma exchange (TPE), commonly known as plasmapheresis, although the available data on performing TPE in COVID-19 patients is limited regarding the optimal treatment protocol. The purpose for this study was to examine the efficacy and outcomes of TPE based on different treatment methods. A thorough database search was performed to identify patients from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumology between March 2020 and March 2022 with severe COVID-19 that underwent at least one session of TPE. A total of 65 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were eligible for TPE as a last resort therapy. Of these, 41 patients received 1 TPE session, 13 received 2 TPE sessions, and the remaining 11 received more than 2 TPE sessions. It was observed that IL-6, CRP, and ESR decreased significantly after all sessions were performed in all three groups, with the highest decrease of IL-6 in those who received >2 TPE sessions (from 305.5 pg/mL to 156.0 pg/mL). Interestingly, there was a significant increase in leucocyte levels after TPE, but there was no significant difference in MAP changes, SOFA score, APACHE 2 score, or the PaO2/FiO2 ratio. The ROX index was significantly higher among the patients who underwent more than two TPE sessions, with an average of 11.4, compared to 6.5 in group 1 and 7.4 in group 2, which increased significantly after TPE. Nevertheless, the mortality rate was very high (72.3%), and the Kaplan-Meier analysis identified no significant difference in survival according to the number of TPE sessions. TPE can be used as last resort salvage therapy that can be regarded as an alternative treatment method when the standard management of these patients fails. It significantly decreases the inflammatory status measured via IL-6, CRP, and WBC, as well as demonstrating an improvement of the clinical status measured via PaO2/FiO2, and duration of hospitalization. However, the survival rate does not seem to change with the number of TPE sessions. Based on the survival analysis, one session of TPE as last resort treatment in patients with severe COVID-19 proved to have the same effect as repeated TPE sessions of 2 or more.

Clinical characteristics and factors associated with ICU mortality during the first year of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in Romania: A prospective, cohort, multicentre study of 9000 patients.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be different worldwide. Despite similarities in medicine quality and formation, there are also significant differences concerning healthcare and ICU organisation, staffing, financial resources and population compliance and adherence. Large cohort data of critically ill patients from Central and Eastern Europe are also lacking. OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to describe the clinical characteristics of patients admitted to Romanian ICUs with SARS-CoV-2 infection and to identify the factors associated with ICU mortality. DESIGN: Prospective, cohort, observational study. SETTING: National recruitment, multicentre study, between March 2020 to March 2021. PATIENTS: All patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to Romanian ICUs were eligible. There were no exclusion criteria. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: ICU mortality. RESULTS: The statistical analysis included 9058 patients with definitive ICU outcome. The multivariable mixed effects logistic regression model found that age [odds ratio (OR) 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23 to 1.31], male gender (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.4), medical history of neoplasia (OR 1.74; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.22), chronic kidney disease (OR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.88), type II diabetes (OR 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.43), chronic heart failure (OR 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.49), dyspnoea (OR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5), SpO2 less than 90% (OR 3; 95% CI, 2.5 to 3.5), admission SOFA score (OR 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.09), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on ICU admission (OR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.63) and the need for noninvasive (OR 1.8, 95% CI, 1.5 to 1.22) or invasive ventilation (OR 28; 95% CI, 22 to 35) and neuromuscular blockade (OR 3.5; 95% CI, 2.6 to 4.8), were associated with larger ICU mortality.Higher GCS on admission (OR 0.81; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.83), treatment with hydroxychloroquine (OR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.95) and tocilizumab (OR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.71) were inversely associated with ICU mortality. CONCLUSION: The SARS-CoV-2 critically ill Romanian patients share common personal and clinical characteristics with published European cohorts. Public health measures and vaccination campaign should focus on patients at risk.

Evaluating the Aspects of Quality of Life in Individuals with Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review Based on the WHOQOL Questionnaire.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has become a significant public health concern and it profoundly impacts an individual's quality of life (QOL). This systematic review aimed to assess the QOL among patients with SUD, and to understand the differential impact of SUD on physical, mental, social, and environmental QOL domains, considering a variety of substances and identifying key factors that influence these outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus in January 2023, covering literature published until December 2022. The QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) instrument and the brief version of the WHOQOL, identifying the same four domains of QOL (physical, mental, social, and environmental). A total of 19 studies were selected for inclusion in the systematic review, based on individuals' polysubstance use, and excluding those using only nicotine or alcohol. The analysis included 6079 patients, with only 40.3% women, and a mean age of 36.6 years. The substances most commonly involved in SUD were cocaine (47.1%), alcohol (46.3%), and amphetamine (43.6%), considering most individuals being polysubstance users. The highest variability in QOL scores was observed in the physical domain. Mental disorders were reported in 68.3% of the patients, while long-term use of drugs, criminal history, unemployment, and low levels of education were identified as significant predictors for lower QOL by some of the studies. Similarly, sleep problems and teeth decay were also identified as significant worsening factors for QOL. This systematic review highlights that the WHOQOL survey is widely accepted and applicable for individuals with SUD worldwide. The results suggest a substantial negative impact of SUD on the QOL of affected individuals. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions to address the physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions of QOL among individuals with SUD.

Efficacy of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in COVID-19 Patients from the Western Part of Romania.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has surprised the medical world with its devastating effects such as severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and cytokine storm, but also with the scant therapeutic solutions which have proven to be effective against the disease. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been proposed from the very beginning as a possible adjuvant treatment in severe cases. Our objective was to analyze the evolution of specific biological markers of the COVID-19 disease before and one day after a therapeutic plasma exchange session, how a change in these parameters influences the patient's respiratory status, as well as the impact of TPE on the survival rate. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we include 65 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit department of our hospital between March 2020 and December 2021, and who received a total of 120 sessions of TPE. Results: TPE significantly reduced the following inflammation markers (p < 0.001): interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibrinogen, ferritin, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This procedure significantly increased the number of lymphocytes and decreased D-dimers levels (p = 0.0024). TPE significantly improved the PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p < 0.001) in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FiO2 < 100). Survival was improved in intubated patients who received TPE. Conclusions: TPE involved the reduction in inflammatory markers in critical patients with COVID-19 disease and the improvement of the PaO2/FiO2 ratio in patients with severe ARDS and had a potential benefit on the survival of patients with extremely severe COVID-19 disease.

Bacterial and Fungal Superinfections in COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit from Timișoara, Romania.

Purpose: Critically ill patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) have an increased infection risk. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial and fungal superinfections rate in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients stationed in the ICU, identify risk factors associated with their development and to determine whether superinfection plays a role in patients' outcome in this population. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective, non-interventional, single centre, cohort study, medical records of 302 consecutive patients with SARS-COV-2 pneumonia admitted into the COVID-19 ICU of the largest university hospital from Western Romania between October 2020 and May 2021, were reviewed, of whom 236 patients met the inclusion criteria. Results: One hundred and nineteen patients developed a superinfection ≥48 h after being admitted to the hospital. Superinfection rate in the ICU was 50.42%. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) and Enterococcus spp. were predominantly isolated from blood cultures, while Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. from tracheobronchial aspirates. Significant independent risk factors regarding bacterial/fungal superinfection in COVID-19 patients were obtained for the following variables: number of days of central venous catheter (HR = 1.13 [1.07-1.20], p < 0.001) and prior administration of corticosteroids (HR = 2.80 [1.33-5.93], p = 0.007). Four independent predictive risk factors were associated with unfavorable outcome: age (HR = 1.07 [95% CI 1.03-1.12], p = 0.001); Carmeli Score (HR = 6.09 [1.18-31.50], p = 0.031); body mass index (HR = 1.11 [1.02-1.21], p = 0.011) and the presence of a central venous catheter (HR = 6.49 [1.93-21.89], p = 0.003). Conclusion: The superinfection rate in COVID-19 patients was high in this study group. Exogenous risk factors were associated with superinfection more than endogenous factors. Only a small percentage of uninfected COVID-19 patients were not prescribed antibiotics during their hospitalization, raising serious concerns regarding the judicious prescribing of antibiotics in viral infections.