3 research outputs found
Outcomes of World Health Organization–defined Severe Respiratory Distress without Shock in Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sepsis is the leading cause of global mortality and is most often attributed to lower respiratory tract infections and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (1). The greatest burden of sepsis rests on sub-Saharan Africa, where lower respiratory tract infections account for approximately 390,000 adult deaths each year (2). However, patients from sub-Saharan Africa are underrepresented in sepsis and ARDS research (3).
ARDS is difficult to diagnose in low-income countries because it requires often unavailable imaging, mechanical ventilation to set positive end-expiratory pressure and deliver a reliable fraction of inspired oxygen, and arterial blood gases to identify hypoxemia (4). To mitigate this gap, the World Health Organization (WHO) pragmatically defined severe respiratory distress without shock (SRD) in adults as oxygen saturation of less than 90% or a respiratory rate of more than 30 breaths per minute, and a systolic blood pressure over 90 mm Hg in the setting of infection and in the absence of clinical cardiac failure (5). The natural history of SRD has not been fully described; accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of SRD in hospitalized patients in sub-Saharan Africa
Factors and Outcomes Related to the Use of Guideline-Recommended Antibiotics in Patients With Neutropenic Fever at the Uganda Cancer Institute
BACKGROUND: Neutropenic fever (NF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for patients receiving cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). However, the antibiotic management of NF in sub-Saharan Africa has not been well described. We evaluated the timing and selection of antibiotics for patients with NF at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adults with acute leukemia admitted to UCI from 1 January 2016 to 31 May 2017, who developed NF. For each NF event, we evaluated the association of clinical presentation and demographics with antibiotic selection as well as time to both initial and guideline-recommended antibiotics. We also evaluated the association between ordered antibiotics and the in-hospital case fatality ratio (CFR). RESULTS: Forty-nine NF events occurred among 39 patients. The time to initial antibiotic order was <1 day. Guideline-recommended antibiotics were ordered for 37 (75%) NF events. The median time to guideline-recommended antibiotics was 3 days. Fever at admission, a documented physical examination, and abdominal abnormalities were associated with a shorter time to initial and guideline-recommended antibiotics. The in-hospital CFR was 43%. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality when guideline-recommended antibiotics were ordered as compared to when non-guideline or no antibiotics were ordered (hazard ratio, 0.51 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .10-2.64] and 0.78 [95% CI, .20-2.96], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute leukemia and NF had delayed initiation of guideline-recommended antibiotics and a high CFR. Prospective studies are needed to determine optimal NF management in sub-Saharan Africa, including choice of antibiotics and timing of antibiotic initiation
Introducing the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program for mechanically ventilated patients in Saudi Arabian Intensive Care Units
Over the past decade, there have been major improvements to the care of mechanically ventilated patients (MVPs). Earlier initiatives used the concept of ventilator care bundles (sets of interventions), with a primary focus on reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, recent evidence has led to a more comprehensive approach: The ABCDE bundle (Awakening and Breathing trial Coordination, Delirium management and Early mobilization). The approach of the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) was developed by patient safety researchers at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to improve local safety cultures and to learn from defects by utilizing a validated structured framework. In August 2015, 17 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) (a total of 271 beds) in eight hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the CUSP for MVPs (CUSP 4 MVP) that was conducted in 235 ICUs in 169 US hospitals and led by the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. The CUSP 4 MVP project will set the stage for cooperation between multiple hospitals and thus strives to create a countrywide plan for the management of all MVPs in Saudi Arabia