Characteristics and outcomes of medical emergency team calls in a Swiss tertiary centre - a retrospective observational study.

AIMS OF THE STUDY To describe reasons for medical emergency team (MET) activation over time, to analyse outcomes, and to describe the circadian distribution of MET calls and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions following MET activation. METHODS Monocentric retrospective observational study of prospectively collected data on all MET calls between 1st of January 2012 until 31st of May 2019. We analysed data on baselines, referring wards, and disposition of all MET patients. In addition, we allocated all MET calls to the hourly intervals over the 24-hour cycle of the day in order to identify peak times of team activation. RESULTS A total of 4068 calls in 3277 patients (37% female, n = 1210) were analysed. The mean age was 65.9 years (± 15.7). The MET dose (defined as MET calls/1000 hospital admissions) remained relatively stable over the years with a median of 8.0 calls/1000 hospitalisations (interquartile range [IQR] 7.0-10.0). A total of 2526 calls (62%) occurred out of hours (17:00 to 8:00). The hourly rate of MET activations was greatest during the evening shift (33.8% of calls in seven hours), followed by the day shift (35.8% calls in nine hours) and night shift (30.4% in eight hours). Over the years, staff concern was the main reason for a MET call (n = 1192, 34%), followed by low peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) not responding to oxygen therapy (n = 776, 22%). Abnormal respiratory rate was a trigger to call the MET in 44 cases (1.3%), and was not documented prior to 2017. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 22%. CONCLUSION While most common reasons for MET calls over the years were staff concern and low SpO2, abnormal respiratory rate was the least frequent, but increased after the introduction of the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) in 2016. Most MET calls occurred out of hours with peak hours during the evening shift, highlighting the importance of resource allocation during this shift when planning to introduce a MET system in a hospital. In-hospital mortality after a MET call was 22%

The Role of Dexmedetomidine for the Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury in Critical Care

Abstract Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in up to 50% of patients admitted to the intensive care unit and is associated with increased mortality. Currently, there is no effective pharmacotherapy for prevention or treatment of AKI. In animal models of sepsis and ischaemia-reperfusion, α2-agonists like dexmedetomidine (DEX) exhibit anti-inflammatory properties and experimental data indicate a potential protective effect of DEX on renal function. However, clinical trials have yielded inconsistent results in critically ill patients. This review discusses the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in AKI, the renal effects of DEX in various intensive care unit-related conditions, and summarises the available literature addressing the use of DEX for the prevention of AKI

Physiological changes after fluid bolus therapy in cardiac surgery patients: A propensity score matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE Fluid bolus therapy (FBT) is ubiquitous in intensive care units (ICUs) after cardiac surgery. However, its physiological effects remain unclear. DESIGN : We performed an electronic health record-based quasi-experimental ICU study after cardiac surgery. We applied propensity score matching and compared the physiological changes after FBT episodes to matched control episodes where despite equivalent physiology no fluid bolus was given. SETTING The study was conducted in a multidisciplinary ICU of a tertiary-level academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS The study included 2,736 patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and/or heart valve surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Changes in cardiac output (CO) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) during the 60 minutes following FBT. RESULTS We analysed 3572 matched fluid bolus (FB) episodes. After FBT, but not in control episodes, CO increased within 10 min, with a maximum increase of 0.2 l/min (95%CI 0.1 to 0.2) or 4% above baseline at 40 min (p 10% from baseline in 60.6% of FBT and 49.1% of control episodes (p 10% in 51.7% of FB episodes compared to 53.4% of controls. Finally, FBT was not associated with changes in acid-base status or oxygen delivery. CONCLUSION In this quasi-experimental comparative ICU study in cardiac surgery patients, FBT was associated with statistically significant but numerically small increases in CO. Nearly half of FBT failed to induce a positive CO or MAP response

An Unexpected Case of Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) Bite in Switzerland

Mambas (genus Dendroaspis) are among the most feared venomous African snakes. Without medical treatment, mamba bites are frequently fatal. First-aid treatment includes lymphatic retardation with the pressure immobilization technique. Medical management comprises continuous monitoring, securing patency of the airway, ensuring adequate ventilation, symptomatic measures, and administration of specific antivenin. We report an unusual case of a snake breeder bitten by a black mamba in Switzerland, report the clinical course, and review the lifesaving emergency management of mamba bites. This case highlights the importance of early antivenin administration and suggests that emergency and critical care physicians as well as first responders all around the world should be familiar with clinical toxinology of exotic snake bites as well as with the logistics to most rapidly make the specific antivenin available

Should Vasopressors Be Started Early in Septic Shock?

Sepsis can influence blood volume, its distribution, vascular tone, and cardiac function. Persistent hypotension or the need for vasopressors after volume resuscitation is part of the definition of septic shock. Since increased positive fluid balance has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in sepsis, timing of vasopressors in the treatment of septic shock seems crucial. However, conclusive evidence on timing and sequence of interventions with the goal to restore tissue perfusion is lacking. The aim of this narrative review is to depict the pathophysiology of hypotension in sepsis, evaluate how common interventions to treat hypotension interfere with physiology, and to give a resume of the results from clinical studies focusing on targets and timing of vasopressor in sepsis. The majority of studies comparing early versus late administration of vasopressors in septic shock are rather small, single-center, and retrospective. The range of "early" is between 1 and 12 hours. The available studies suggest a mean arterial pressure of 60 to 65 mm Hg as a threshold for increased risk of morbidity and mortality, whereas higher blood pressure targets do not seem to add further benefits. The data, albeit mostly from observational studies, speak for combining vasopressors with fluids rather "early" in the treatment of septic shock (within a 0-3-hour window). Nevertheless, the optimal resuscitation strategy should take into account the source of infection, the pathophysiology, the time and clinical course preceding the diagnosis of sepsis, and also comorbidities and sepsis-induced organ dysfunction

One too many diabetes: the combination of hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state and central diabetes insipidus

The combination of hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state and central diabetes insipidus is unusual and poses unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for clinicians. In a patient with diabetes mellitus presenting with polyuria and polydipsia, poor glycaemic control is usually the first aetiology that is considered, and achieving glycaemic control remains the first course of action. However, severe hypernatraemia, hyperglycaemia and discordance between urine-specific gravity and urine osmolality suggest concurrent symptomatic diabetes insipidus. We report a rare case of concurrent manifestation of hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state and central diabetes insipidus in a patient with a history of craniopharyngioma

The normal cardiac index in older healthy individuals: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE Despite the growing number of older patients having major surgery, the normal resting values for the cardiac index of older patients remain unclear. We aim to derive a normative value for such patients. DESIGN Scoping review. DATA SOURCES We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL for studies reporting measured values of cardiac output or cardiac index in healthy, older humans at rest. RESULTS We retrieved 5340 citations and assessed 412 fulltext articles for eligibility. Twenty-nine studies, published between 1964 and 2017, met our inclusion criteria. Overall, the mean cardiac index in healthy volunteers over 60 years of age was reported between 2.1 and 3.2 L/min/m and the mean cardiac output was between 3.1 and 6.4 L/min. A yearly decline in cardiac index (between 3.5 and 8 mL/min/m per year) was reported in some but not all studies. Only one study measured the cardiac index in nine people over 80 years of age. CONCLUSIONS The normal range of the cardiac index in older patients may be lower than previously reported. Its rate of decline with age is uncertain, but likely between 3.5 and 8 mL/min/m per year. Data on the normal cardiac index in people older than 80 years are scant

Further Concerns About Glutamine: A Case Report on Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy.

OBJECTIVE We report a case of a woman with hyperammonemic encephalopathy following glutamine supplementation. DESIGN Case report. INTERVENTIONS Plasma amino acid analysis suggestive of a urea cycle defect and initiation of a treatment with lactulose and the two ammonia scavenger drugs sodium benzoate and phenylacetate. Together with a restricted protein intake ammonia and glutamine plasma levels decreased with subsequent improvement of the neurological status. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Massive catabolism and exogenous glutamine administration may have contributed to hyperammonemia and hyperglutaminemia in this patient. CONCLUSION This case adds further concerns regarding glutamine administration to critically ill patients and implies the importance of monitoring ammonia and glutamine serum levels in such patients

From the Operating Room to the Cave: Ultrasound-Guided Locoregional Anesthesia in the Setting of Cave Rescue-A Description of 2 Cases.

Caving accidents are rare, but when they occur, they represent a unique logistical and medical challenge. Retrieving the patient to the surface often means navigating stretchers through narrow corridors with limited options for monitoring and interventions. Because the patient is usually not fasting, opioids and sedatives should be used with extreme caution. Therefore, alternative analgesic techniques such as locoregional nerve blocks are a promising strategy to improve patient comfort and safety during cave rescues. In this article, we describe 2 cases in which portable point-of-care ultrasound equipment was used to supplement clinical assessment and provide locoregional anesthesia to facilitate patient evacuation and transport. In this context, we discuss the role of portable ultrasound-guided locoregional anesthesia in cave rescue and in the global preclinical context. In summary, our cases demonstrated that the administration of ultrasound-guided prehospital locoregional anesthesia is a safe, rapid, and effective procedure even in extreme situations such as cave rescues. The advent of portable, high-quality ultrasound equipment may open the door for more widespread application of this technique in the global preclinical setting