Association of age with extubation failure in neurocritical intensive care unit patients––Insight from an international prospective study named ENIO

Objective: To assess the association of age with extubation failure in neurocritical care patients. Design: Posthoc analysis of the ‘Extubation strategies in Neuro–Intensive care unit patients and associations with Outcomes (ENIO) study’, an international prospective observational study. Setting: ENIO was conducted in 73 centers in 18 countries from 2018 to 2020. Patients: Neurocritical care patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 12 and receiving ventilation for at least 24 h were included. We categorized patients into four age groups based on age quartiles. Main results: This analysis included 1095 patients with a median age of 53 [35 to 65] years. Younger patients were more likely to be admitted with traumatic brain injury, whereas older patients more often had cerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, central nervous infection, or brain malignancies. Extubation failure occurred in 209 (19 %) patients. In the unadjusted analysis, older patients had a higher risk of extubation failure (odds ratio (OR), 1.012 [95 %–confidence interval (CI) 1.004 to 1.021]; P = 0.006). However, after adjusting for confounding factors, the effect of age on extubation failure was no longer significant (OR, 1.008 [0.997 to 1.019]; P = 0.172). Conclusions: In this international cohort of intubated and ventilated neurocritical care patients, after adjusting for baseline covariates and for previously identified risk factors for extubation failure, age was not associated with extubation failure. Age may not be a factor to consider in extubation decisions for brain–injured patients. Registration: ENIO is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (study identifier NCT 03400904).</p

High PEEP/low FiO2 ventilation is associated with lower mortality in COVID-19

RATIONALE: The positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) strategy in patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains debated. Most studies originate from the initial waves of the pandemic. Here we aimed to assess the impact of high PEEP/low FiO2 ventilation on outcomes during the second wave in the Netherlands.METHODS: Retrospective observational study of invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients during the second wave. Patients were categorized based on whether they received high PEEP or low PEEP ventilation according to the ARDS Network tables. The primary outcome was ICU mortality, and secondary outcomes included hospital and 90-day mortality, duration of ventilation and length of stay, and the occurrence of kidney injury. Propensity matching was performed to correct for factors with a known relationship to ICU mortality.RESULTS: This analysis included 790 COVID-ARDS patients. At ICU discharge, 32 (22.5%) out of 142 high PEEP patients and 254 (39.2%) out of 848 low PEEP patients had died (HR 0.66 [0.46-0.96]; P = 0.03). High PEEP was linked to improved secondary outcomes. Matched analysis did not change findings.CONCLUSIONS: High PEEP ventilation was associated with improved ICU survival in patients with COVID-ARDS.</p

Will Patients Benefit from Regionalization of Gynecologic Cancer Care?

OBJECTIVE: Patient chances for cure and palliation for a variety of malignancies may be greatly affected by the care provided by a treating hospital. We sought to determine the effect of volume and teaching status on patient outcomes for five gynecologic malignancies: endometrial, cervical, ovarian and vulvar carcinoma and uterine sarcoma. METHODS: The Florida Cancer Data System dataset was queried for all patients undergoing treatment for gynecologic cancers from 1990-2000. RESULTS: Overall, 48,981 patients with gynecologic malignancies were identified. Endometrial tumors were the most common, representing 43.2% of the entire cohort, followed by ovarian cancer (30.9%), cervical cancer (20.8%), vulvar cancer (4.6%), and uterine sarcoma (0.5%). By univariate analysis, although patients treated at high volume centers (HVC) were significantly younger, they benefited from an improved short-term (30-day and/or 90-day) survival for cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Multivariate analysis (MVA), however, failed to demonstrate significant survival benefit for gynecologic cancer patients treated at teaching facilities (TF) or HVC. Significant prognostic factors at presentation by MVA were age over 65 (HR = 2.6, p<0.01), African-American race (HR = 1.36, p<0.01), and advanced stage (regional HR = 2.08, p<0.01; advanced HR = 3.82, p<0.01, respectively). Surgery and use of chemotherapy were each significantly associated with improved survival. CONCLUSION: No difference in patient survival was observed for any gynecologic malignancy based upon treating hospital teaching or volume status. Although instances of improved outcomes may occur, overall further regionalization would not appear to significantly improve patient survival

Syndrome of the sacroiliac joint in fractures of the anterior semi-ring of the pelvis

The aim of the work is to improve the diagnosis of injuries in the area of ​​the sacroiliac joint against the background of fractures of the anterior pelvic semicircle and to improve the methods of their treatment. A group of 137 patients with fractures of the anterior semi-ring of the pelvis without signs of gross pathology in the region of the sacroiliac joint on radiographs was studied. Clarification of the diagnosis was carried out on the basis of an assessment of radiographs based on bone landmarks, analysis of clinical manifestations, and scintigraphy data. Revealed changes in the sacroiliac joint in the form of a functional block or damage to the ligamentous apparatus. The functional block was removed by manual release. Fractures were treated according to the usual method, taking into account changes in the sacroiliac joint. Good results were obtained in 83.2%, satisfactory - in 16.8% of cases</jats:p

Association of age with extubation failure in neurocritical intensive care unit patients--Insight from an international prospective study named ENIO

Objective: To assess the association of age with extubation failure in neurocritical care patients. Design: Posthoc analysis of the ‘Extubation strategies in Neuro–Intensive care unit patients and associations with Outcomes (ENIO) study’, an international prospective observational study. Setting: ENIO was conducted in 73 centers in 18 countries from 2018 to 2020. Patients: Neurocritical care patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 12 and receiving ventilation for at least 24 h were included. We categorized patients into four age groups based on age quartiles. Main results: This analysis included 1095 patients with a median age of 53 [35 to 65] years. Younger patients were more likely to be admitted with traumatic brain injury, whereas older patients more often had cerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, central nervous infection, or brain malignancies. Extubation failure occurred in 209 (19 %) patients. In the unadjusted analysis, older patients had a higher risk of extubation failure (odds ratio (OR), 1.012 [95 %–confidence interval (CI) 1.004 to 1.021]; P = 0.006). However, after adjusting for confounding factors, the effect of age on extubation failure was no longer significant (OR, 1.008 [0.997 to 1.019]; P = 0.172). Conclusions: In this international cohort of intubated and ventilated neurocritical care patients, after adjusting for baseline covariates and for previously identified risk factors for extubation failure, age was not associated with extubation failure. Age may not be a factor to consider in extubation decisions for brain–injured patients. Registration: ENIO is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (study identifier NCT 03400904)