Organisation, staffing and resources of critical care units in Kenya

Objective: To describe the organisation, staffing patterns and resources available in critical care units in Kenya. The secondary objective was to explore variations between units in the public and private sectors. Materials and methods: An online cross-sectional survey was used to collect data on organisational characteristics (model of care, type of unit, quality- related activities, use of electronic medical records and participation in the national ICU registry), staffing and available resources for monitoring, ventilation and general critical care. Results: The survey included 60 of 75 identified units (80% response rate), with 43% (n = 23) located in government facilities. A total of 598 critical care beds were reported with a median of 6 beds (interquartile range [IQR] 5–11) per unit, with 26% beds (n = 157) being non functional. The proportion of ICU beds to total hospital beds was 3.8% (IQR 1.9–10.4). Most of the units (80%, n = 48) were mixed/general units with an open model of care (60%, n = 36). Consultants-in-charge were mainly anesthesiologists (69%, n = 37). The nurse-to-bed ratio was predominantly 1:2 with half of the nurses formally trained in critical care. Most units (83%, n = 47) had a dedicated ventilator for each bed, however 63% (n = 39) lacked high flow nasal therapy. While basic multiparametric monitoring was ubiquitous, invasive blood pressure measurement capacity was low (3% of beds, IQR 0–81%), and capnography moderate (31% of beds, IQR 0–77%). Blood gas analysers were widely available (93%, n = 56), with 80% reported as functional. Differences between the public and private sector were narrow. Conclusion: This study shows an established critical care network in Kenya, in terms of staffing density, availability of basic monitoring and ventilation resources. The public and private sector are equally represented albeit with modest differences. Potential areas for improvement include training, use of invasive blood pressure and functionality of blood gas analysers

Haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings

Background: Recommendations for haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings are largely lacking. Methods: A task force of six international experts in critical care medicine, all of them members of the Global Intensive Care Working Group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and with extensive bedside experience in resource-limited intensive care units, reviewed the literature and provided recommendations regarding haemodynamic assessment and support, keeping aspects of efficacy and effectiveness, availability and feasibility and affordability and safety in mind. Results: We suggest using capillary refill time, skin mottling scores and skin temperature gradients; suggest a passive leg raise test to guide fluid resuscitation; recommend crystalloid solutions as the initial fluid of choice; recommend initial fluid resuscitation with 30 ml/kg in the first 3 h, but with extreme caution in settings where there is a lack ofmechanical ventilation; recommend against an early start of vasopressors; suggest starting a vasopressor in patients with persistent hypotension after initial fluid resuscitation with at least 30ml/kg, but earlier when there is lack of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation; recommend using norepinephrine (noradrenaline) as a first-line vasopressor; suggest starting an inotrope with persistence of plasma lactate \u3e2 mmol/L or persistence of skin mottling or prolonged capillary refill time when plasma lactate cannot be measured, and only after initial fluid resuscitation; suggest the use of dobutamine as a first-line inotrope; recommend administering vasopressors through a central venous line and suggest administering vasopressors and inotropes via a central venous line using a syringe or infusion pump when available. Conclusion: Recommendations for haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings have been developed by a task force of six international experts in critical care medicine with extensive practical experience in resource-limited settings

The history of critical care in Kenya

Critical care is a young specialty in Kenya. From its humble beginnings in the 1960s to present day Kenya, the bulk of this service has largely been provided by anaesthetists. We provide a detailed account of the growth and development of this specialty in our country, the attempts made by our people to grow this service within our borders and the vital role our international partners have played throughout this process. We also share a selection of our successes over the years, the challenges we have faced and our aspirations as we look to the future

Haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings

Background: Recommendations for haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings are largely lacking. Methods: A task force of six international experts in critical care medicine, all of them members of the Global Intensive Care Working Group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and with extensive bedside experience in resource-limited intensive care units, reviewed the literature and provided recommendations regarding haemodynamic assessment and support, keeping aspects of efficacy and effectiveness, availability and feasibility and affordability and safety in mind. Results: We suggest using capillary refill time, skin mottling scores and skin temperature gradients; suggest a passive leg raise test to guide fluid resuscitation; recommend crystalloid solutions as the initial fluid of choice; recommend initial fluid resuscitation with 30 ml/kg in the first 3 h, but with extreme caution in settings where there is a lack of mechanical ventilation; recommend against an early start of vasopressors; suggest starting a vasopressor in patients with persistent hypotension after initial fluid resuscitation with at least 30ml/kg, but earlier when there is lack of vasopressors and mechanical ventilation; recommend using norepinephrine ( noradrenaline) as a first-line vasopressor; suggest starting an inotrope with persistence of plasma lactate >2 mmol/L or persistence of skin mottling or prolonged capillary refill time when plasma lactate cannot be measured, and only after initial fluid resuscitation; suggest the use of dobutamine as a first-line inotrope; recommend administering vasopressors through a central venous line and suggest administering vasopressors and inotropes via a central venous line using a syringe or infusion pump when available. Conclusion: Recommendations for haemodynamic assessment and support in sepsis and septic shock in resource-limited settings have been developed by a task force of six international experts in critical care medicine with extensive practical experience in resource-limited setting

Paving the Path to Patient-Centered Healthcare in Africa: Insights From a Student Led Initiative

Patient-centered care (PCC) is a key domain of healthcare quality. Its importance is driven by evidence-based medicine, the predominance of chronic conditions requiring self-care, and the recognition of the priority of patient goals, values, priorities, and preferences in determining care plans. This article emphasizes the urgent need for Africa to develop PCC and a workforce committed to its implementation, as well as highlights an initiative by African medical students to champion PCC continent-wide. Embracing this transformative approach presents Africa with an unprecedented opportunity to improve care for each person. Through a comprehensive exploration of unique strategies and considerations in African health professions education, this viewpoint seeks to spark dialogue and inspire action towards a future where patient-centered care is the foundation of healthcare delivery in Africa

International Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines 2016: the perspective from low-income and middle-income countries

In the most recent international Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines, Rhodes and colleagues1excellently outline evidence-based management of patients with sepsis and septic shock. Of note, however, is that most of the world\u27s population resides in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burden of sepsis is enormous, outcomes are often poor, and socioeconomic consequences are dire.2 Of the 655 references supporting the new sepsis guidelines, only a few pertain to studies in LMICs (about 10%)

Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and Outcomes of 4546 Adult Admissions to High-Dependency and ICUs in Kenya: A multicenter registry-based observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe clinical, management, and outcome features of critically ill patients admitted to ICUs and high-dependency units (HDUs) in Kenya. DESIGN: Prospective registry-based observational study. SETTING: Three HDUs and eight ICUs in Kenya. PATIENTS: Consecutive adult patients admitted between January 2021 and June 2022. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data were entered in a cloudbased platform using a common data model. Study endpoints included casemix variables, management features, and patient-centered outcomes. Patients with COVID-19 were reported separately. Of the 3892 of 4546 patients without COVID-19, 2445 patients (62.8%) were from HDUs, and 1447 patients (37.2%) were from ICUs. Patients had a median age of 53 years (interquartile range [IQR] 38–68), with HDU patients being older but with a lower severity (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II 6 [3–9] in HDUs vs. 12 [7–17] in ICUs; p \u3c 0.001). One in four patients was postoperative with 604 (63.4%) receiving emergency surgery. Readmission rate was 4.8%. Hypertension and diabetes were prevalent comorbidities, with a 4.0% HIV/AIDS rate. Invasive mechanical ventilation was applied in 3.4% in HDUs versus 47.6% in ICUs (p \u3c 0.001), with a duration of 7 days (IQR 3–21). There was a similar use of renal replacement therapy (4.0% vs. 4.7%; p \u3c 0.001). Vasopressor use was infrequent while half of patients received antibiotics. Average length of stay was 2 days (IQR 1–5). Crude HDU mortality rate was 6.5% in HDUs versus 30.5% in the ICUs (p \u3c 0.001). Of the 654 COVID-19 admissions, most were admitted in ICUs (72.3%) with a 33.2% mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We provide the first multicenter observational cohort study from an African ICU National Registry. Distinct management features and outcomes characterize HDU from ICU patients

Pragmatic recommendations for the management of COVID-19 patients with shock in low- And middle-income countries

As some patients infected with the novel coronavirus progress to critical illness, a subset will eventually develop shock. High-quality data on management of these patients are scarce, and further investigation will provide valuable information in the context of the pandemic. A group of experts identify a set of pragmatic recommendations for the care of patients with SARS-CoV-2 and shock in resource-limited environments. We define shock as life-threatening circulatory failure that results in inadequate tissue perfusion and cellular dysoxia/hypoxia, and suggest that it can be operationalized via clinical observations. We suggest a thorough evaluation for other potential causes of shock and suggest against indiscriminate testing for coinfections. We suggest the use of the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) as a simple bedside prognostic score for COVID-19 patients and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to evaluate the etiology of shock. Regarding fluid therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with shock in low-middle–income countries, we favor balanced crystalloids and recommend using a conservative fluid strategy for resuscitation. Where available and not prohibited by cost, we recommend using norepinephrine, given its safety profile. We favor avoiding the routine use of central venous or arterial catheters, where availability and costs are strong considerations. We also recommend using low-dose corticosteroids in patients with refractory shock. In addressing targets of resuscitation, we recommend the use of simple bedside parameters such as capillary refill time and suggest that POCUS be used to assess the need for further fluid resuscitation, if available