Patient Characteristics and Outcomes in Necrotizing Soft-tissue Infections: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study in a Tertiary Care Center Intensive Care Unit in South India.

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are life-threatening infections characterized by progressive destruction of muscle, fascia, and overlying subcutaneous tissue. Prospective studies in the field are few, and data from the Indian subcontinent are bleak. Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment are critical for optimal outcomes. The aims of this study are to provide detailed information on the clinical profile of patients with NSTIs and to identify predictors of mortality in order to pick up reversible factors that may improve outcomes. Materials and methods: This study was a prospective cohort study of adult patients with NSTIs in a tertiary center in South India. All patients who were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of the institute with a diagnosis of NSTI were screened and enrolled. All patients were managed according to the local protocol for treatment of NSTIs and intensive care support. Results: In our cohort of patients, simple and multiple logistic regression analysis showed that four factors, namely, AKIN stage 3, shock, need for mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days, and low serum albumin values were found to be significantly associated with higher mortality. Conclusion: The successful management of these patients calls for early diagnosis, resuscitation, surgical debridement, appropriate and timely antibiotics, and early ventilatory weaning before multi-organ failure associated with shock and AKI occurs. How to cite this article: Kurian GP, Korula PJ, Jacob JM, Desha AMK, Karuppusami R, Kandasamy S. Patient Characteristics and Outcomes in Necrotizing Soft-tissue Infections: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study in a Tertiary Care Center Intensive Care Unit in South India. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(4):452-456.

Feasibility and Accuracy of a Nonmedical Research Person in Assimilation and Calculation of Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation Scores in an Indian Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: The Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) score assimilation and calculation, as well as other demographic data collection, is inherent to research and nonresearch related needs of intensive care. There may be a role for well-trained nonmedical personnel to collect this vital material to enhance research and the standard of care in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in countries that are poorly funded and resourced in terms of medical personnel. AIMS: The aim of this study is to verify the interrater reliability of a trained nonmedical personnel and ICU trainee in the collection and calculation APACHE scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study, two raters who were blinded, one a trained nonmedical ward clerk and another an ICU trainee, assimilated data and calculated APACHE scores for 60 consecutive patients admitted to two tertiary mixed ICUs (with a total of 19 beds). Primary outcomes were to assess interrater and interclass correlation as well as the agreement of scores between the two raters. RESULTS: There was an excellent correlation of APACHE scores (Kappa coefficient of 0.92) and Bland-Altman plot depicted overall good agreement with low bias between raters. CONCLUSIONS: A well-trained and supervised nonmedical research person can assimilate and calculate APACHE II scores with good agreement with an ICU trainee. This may help in deriving data from medically understaffed ICUs in India, thus promoting much-needed research from such ICUs.

Schimidt Syndrome: An Unusual Cause of Hypercalcaemia.

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 also known as Schmidt syndrome. It is a rare disorder involving a combination of Addison's disease with autoimmune thyroid disease with or without type 1 diabetes mellitus. In this case report one such patient with this rare syndrome is described who presented with hyperpigmentation of knuckles, palms and soles with significant weight loss for 2 months. At presentation she also had severe hypercalcaemia. Severe hypercalcaemia is rare and hypercalcaemia at the initial presentation of Addison's disease is also unusual. The mechanism of hypercalcaemia in addisons and management of this patient is discussed.