Critical care pharmacy service provision and workforce in adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation centres: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: There is good evidence describing pharmacy workforce and service provision in general critical care units. However, no data exist from adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centres. AIM: To describe workforce characteristics, pharmacy service provision, and pharmaceutical care activities in critical care units (CCUs) providing an adult ECMO service in the United Kingdom (UK) and compare to national staffing standards for CCUs. METHOD: We conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional electronic survey inviting one pharmacy professional response per UK ECMO centre. We collated information on workforce, service provision, and pharmaceutical care activities provided by pharmacy teams in adult CCUs with an ECMO service. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 90.9%: representatives of 10/11 tertiary hospitals providing ECMO services responded. Median critical care pharmacist to critical care bed was 1:12.1 (IQR: 1:9.4-1:14.9). Most centres (90.0%) did not meet national standards for pharmacy professionals to critical care bed staffing ratios for weekday services. Total critical care beds covered by the critical care pharmacy team varied across the UK: median (IQR) - 45 (37-80) beds. Two centres funded pharmacist time for ECMO activity, and one centre funded a pharmacy technician post. Median peak ECMO activity was 4 ECMO patients in a single day (IQR: 3-5). Most respondents reported reduced pharmacy service at weekends compared to weekday, with limited on-site support. CONCLUSION: Most responding ECMO centres in the UK reported pharmacy staffing ratios below nationally agreed critical care standards. There was high variability in clinical pharmacy services to ECMO patients over 7 days.

Whole blood thiamine, intravenous thiamine supplementation and delirium occurrence in the intensive care unit: retrospective cohort analyses.

BACKGROUND: Thiamine di-phosphate is an essential cofactor in glucose metabolism, glutamate transformation and acetylcholinesterase activity, pathways associated with delirium occurrence. We hypothesised that a deficiency in whole blood thiamine and intravenous thiamine supplementation could impact delirium occurrence. AIM: To establish whether a deficiency in whole blood thiamine and/or intravenous thiamine supplementation within 72 h of intensive care admission is associated with delirium occurrence. METHOD: The first dataset was secondary analysis of a previous study in an intensive care unit in the Netherlands, reported in 2017. The second dataset contained consecutive intensive care admissions 2 years before (period 1: October 2014 to October 2016) and after (period 2: April 2017 to April 2019) routine thiamine supplementation was introduced within 72 h of admission. Delirium was defined as a positive Confusion Assessment Method-Intensive Care Unit score(s) in 24 h. RESULTS: Analysis of the first dataset (n = 57) using logistic regression showed no relationship between delirium and sepsis or whole blood thiamine, but a significant association with age (p = 0.014). In the second dataset (n = 3074), 15.1% received IV thiamine in period 1 and 62.6% during period 2. Hierarchical regression analysis reported reduction in delirium occurrence in the second period; this did not reach statistical significance, OR = 0.81 (95% CI 0.652-1.002); p = 0.052. CONCLUSION: No relationship was detected between whole blood thiamine and delirium occurrence on admission, at 24 and 48 h. It remains unclear whether routine intravenous thiamine supplementation during intensive care admission impacts delirium occurrence. Further prospective randomised clinical trials are needed.

Anti-Xa Assay Monitoring Improves the Precision of Anticoagulation in Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the most used anticoagulant in patients receiving veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). Its therapeutic levels are monitored using activated partial thromboplastin time ratio (aPTTr) or antifactor Xa (anti-Xa) assay. This was a retrospective, single-center, cohort study where all adult patients with viral etiology respiratory failure requiring VV-ECMO from January 2, 2015 to January 31, 2022 were included. Anticoagulation was monitored using aPTTr (until November 1, 2019) or anti-Xa assay (after November 1, 2019). We compared the accuracy and precision of anticoagulation monitoring tests using time in therapeutic range (TTR) and variance growth rate (VGR), respectively, and their impact on bleeding and thrombotic events (BTEs). A total of 254 patients, 74 in aPTTr and 180 in anti-Xa monitoring groups, were included with a total of 4,992 ECMO-person days. Accuracy was comparable: mean TTR of 47% in aPTTr and 51% in anti-Xa groups ( p = 0.28). Antifactor Xa monitoring group demonstrated improved precision with a lower variance (median VGR 0.21 vs. 1.61 in aPTTr, p < 0.05). Secondary outcome of less heparin prescription changes (adjusted rate ratio [RR] = 1.01, p = 0.01), fewer blood transfusions (adjusted RR = 0.78, p < 0.05), and ECMO circuit changes (adjusted RR = 0.68, p < 0.05) were seen with anti-Xa monitoring.

Critical care pharmacy workforce: a 2020 re-evaluation of the UK deployment and characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: Critical care pharmacists improve the quality and efficiency of medication therapy whilst reducing treatment costs where they are available. UK critical care pharmacist deployment was described in 2015, highlighting a deficit in numbers, experience level, and critical care access to pharmacy services over the 7-day week. Since then, national workforce standards have been emphasised, quality indicators published, and service commissioning documents produced, reinforced by care quality assessments. Whether these initiatives have resulted in further development of the UK critical care pharmacy workforce is unknown. This evaluation provides a 2020 status update. METHODS: The 2015 electronic data entry tool was updated and circulated for completion by UK critical care pharmacists. The tool captured workforce data disposition as it was just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, at critical care unit level. MAIN FINDINGS: Data were received for 334 critical care units from 203 organisations (96% of UK critical care units). Overall, 98.2% of UK critical care units had specific clinical pharmacist time dedicated to the unit. The median weekday pharmacist input to each level 3 equivalent bed was 0.066 (0.043-0.088) whole time equivalents, a significant increase from the median position in 2015 (+ 0.021, p < 0.0001). Despite this progress, pharmacist availability remains below national minimum standards (0.1/level 3 equivalent bed). Most units (71.9%) had access to prescribing pharmacists. Geographical variation in pharmacist staffing levels were evident, and weekend services remain extremely limited. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of clinical pharmacists in UK adult critical care units is improving. However, national standards are not routinely met despite widely publicised quality indicators, commissioning specifications, and assessments. Additional measures are needed to address persistent deficits and realise gains in organisational and patient-level outcomes. These measures must include promotion of cross-professional collaborative working, adjusted funding models, and a nationally recognised training pathway for critical care pharmacists.

Steroid exposure and outcome in COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background: Corticosteroids are used to treat COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the optimal dose is unclear. This study describes the association between corticosteroid exposure with disease severity and outcome in COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: This is a single-centre retrospective, observational study including adult ICU patients who received systemic corticosteroids for COVID-19 pneumonia between March 2020 and March 2021. We recorded patient characteristics, disease severity, total steroid exposure, respiratory support and gas exchange data, and 90-day mortality. Results: We included 362 patients. We allocated patients to groups with increasing disease severity according to the highest level of respiratory support that they received: high-flow nasal oxygen or continuous positive airway pressure (HFNO/CPAP) in 12.7%, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in 61.6%, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 25.7%. For these three groups, the median (inter-quartile range [IQR]) age was 61 (54-71) vs 58 (50-66) vs 46 (38-53) yr, respectively (P<0.001); median (IQR) APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) II scores were 12 (9-15) vs 14 (12-18) vs 15 (12-17), respectively (P=0.006); the median (IQR) lowest P a O 2 /FiO2 ratio was 15.1 (11.8-21.7) vs 15.1 (10.7-22.2) vs 9.5 (7.9-10.9) kPa, respectively (P<0.001). Ninety-day mortality was 9% vs 27% vs 37% (P=0.002). Median (IQR) dexamethasone-equivalent exposure was 37 (24-62) vs 174 (86-504) vs 535 (257-1213) mg (P<0.001). 'Pulsed' steroids were administered to 26% of the IMV group and 48% of the ECMO group. Patients with higher disease severity who received pulse steroids had a higher 90-day mortality. Conclusions: Corticosteroid exposure increased with the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Pulsed dose steroids were used more frequently in patients receiving greater respiratory support. Future studies should address patient selection and outcomes associated with pulsed dose steroids in patients with severe and deteriorating COVID-19 pneumonia.