Indwelling urinary catheterization was unnecessary in non-drainage total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether catheterization remains necessary in non-drainage total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) with a short-acting opioid by comparing (1) incidences of postoperative urinary retention (POUR), and (2) postoperative clinical outcomes between retained urinary catheter (UC) and non-retained urinary catheter (non-UC) groups. METHODS: A total of 230 patients underwent non-drainage TKA using CSEA with fentanyl were randomized into UC and non-UC groups (115 patients each, 115 knees each). Incidences of POUR, clinical outcomes (intraoperative intravenous fluid, operative time, whole blood loss, urinary tract infection (UTI), and length of stay) were evaluated after the operation, while range of motion (ROM) and Knee society score (KSS) were evaluated 3- and 6-month postoperatively. RESULTS: Incidences of POUR and other perioperative and postoperative clinical outcomes between the two groups were not significantly different. ROM and KSS at 3- and 6-month postoperatively revealed no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: Given no significant difference in POUR incidence, clinical outcomes and knee scores and functions, catheterization in non-drainage TKA under CSEA with a short-acting opioid might not be necessary. CLINICAL TRIALS: Clinical Trials gov (NCT03341819) (11/09/2017).

Acute kidney injury in critically ill surgical patients: Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes.

AIM: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most serious complications seen in intensive care units (ICUs). However, its epidemiology, risk factors and clinical outcomes in surgical critically ill patients remains unclear. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of the university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. AKI was diagnosed according to the KDIGO 2012 criteria. RESULTS: A total of 189 of the 400 patients enrolled in our study developed AKI (47.3%). The severity was: stage 1 = 29.6% of all AKI (56 cases), stage 2 = 30.7% (58 cases), and stage 3 = 39.7% (75 cases). Risk factors of AKI development included a higher BMI, a greater APACHE-II score, septic shock, use of mechanical ventilation, acute medical complications during surgical admission, and pre-existing chronic kidney disease. After adjustment for covariates, only the most severe stage of AKI (stage 3) was associated with increasing 28-day ICU mortality compared with no AKI stage, HR = 7.75 (95% CI, 1.46-41.20, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Acute kidney injury is common and is associated with an increase in mortality in surgical ICU patients. There should be more focus on patients with AKI risk factors to prevent this deleterious event.

The effect of early renal replacement therapy guided by plasma neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin on outcome of acute kidney injury: A feasibility study.

PURPOSE: The optimal time and the parameter utilized for decision to initiate renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) are still controversial. Recently, high levels of plasma NGAL (pNGAL) has been strongly correlated with poor AKI outcome. This is a feasibility study conducted to test whether early RRT initiation guided by pNGAL could improve AKI outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised of triage trial and interventional trial running subsequently. As a guide for triage to RRT, we measured pNGAL at the enrollment time. Forty patients with pNGAL≥400ng/mL (high pNGAL group) were randomized to 'early' or 'standard' group. Patients with pNGAL<400ng/mL (n=20) were defined as low pNGAL group. RESULTS: The triggering pNGAL selected AKI patients with more severity of illness and worse clinical outcome. However, in high pNGAL group, early RRT did not result in different 28-day mortality from the standard group. The median numbers of day free from mechanical ventilation were significantly higher in the early RRT group. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding suggested that it was feasible to use pNGAL to triage severe AKI patients. However, early initiation of RRT in this high risk group did not affect the 28-day mortality.

The Incidence, Characteristics and Outcomes of Pneumothorax in Thai Surgical Intensive Care Units (Thai-SICU Study).

Objective: To identify incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of pneumothorax among patients who specifically stayed in surgical intensive care units (SICUs). Material and Method: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study conducted in 9 University-affiliated SICUs in Thailand. Incidence of pneumothorax and its outcomes were evaluated from April 2011 to January 2013. Results: 4,652 patients who were admitted to SICU were enrolled. The incidence of pneumothorax was 0.5% (25 cases) in our study. Significant characteristics were found in the pneumothorax group, including: lower BMI, underlying malignancy and COPD, higher APACHE-II and SOFA score within 24 hours of first ICU admission, pulmonary infiltration pattern of chest imaging and usage of mechanical ventilation. In terms of outcome, there were higher SICU mortality and 28-day hospital mortality in pneumothorax than non-pneumothorax patients at 28.0% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.002 and at 44.0% vs. 13.6%, p<0.001, respectively. Conclusion: Patients admitted to surgical intensive care units who developed pneumothorax had higher risk of intensive care unit mortality and 28-day hospital mortality than non-pneumothorax patients, as well as a longer intensive care unit and hospital length of stays.