Estimated economic impact of implementing exclusive palliative care in an intensive care unit / Impacto económico estimado da implementação de cuidados paliativos exclusivos numa unidade de cuidados intensivos

Palliative care (PC) is a modality of care for patients with no possibility of cure for a disease or terminally ill. The objective of this care model is to provide integral care to the patient and their family, involving the multidisciplinary team in caring, in addition to pursuing strategies so that the interventions conducted promote comfort and well-being for those involved. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study in which the total expenses and per day of hospitalization with exams and medications of patients before and after being included in the PC protocol of the institution were evaluated. All patients who met the inclusion criteria in the PC protocol and were likely to change the therapeutic focus to exclusive PC, oncologic and non-oncologic, were included. The study proved to be extremely relevant in the quantitative comparison of costs in adult ICU before and after PC, showing a reduction regarding cost/day with exams and medications of 95% and 44% respectively, and mean hospital stay was reduced from 14 to 6 days. It is noteworthy that 16% of those patients did not die in the ICU environment, representing a possible humanization of care and improvement in the quality of visits and family interaction. The results of this study indicate a significant decrease in costs with the correct implementation of exclusive PC, supporting the need for introduction of protocols and earlier and more comprehensive insertion of patients in PC

Replacement of fentanyl infusion by enteral methadone decreases the weaning time from mechanical ventilation: a randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) are frequently administered prolonged and/or high doses of opioids which when removed can cause a withdrawal syndrome and difficulty in weaning from MV. We tested the hypothesis that the introduction of enteral methadone during weaning from sedation and analgesia in critically ill adult patients on MV would decrease the weaning time from MV. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in the adult intensive care units (ICUs) of four general hospitals in Brazil. The 75 patients, who met the criteria for weaning from MV and had been using fentanyl for more than five consecutive days, were randomized to the methadone (MG) or control group (CG). Within the first 24 hours after study enrollment, both groups received 80% of the original dose of fentanyl, the MG received enteral methadone and the CG received an enteral placebo. After the first 24 hours, the MG received an intravenous (IV) saline solution (placebo), while the CG received IV fentanyl. For both groups, the IV solution was reduced by 20% every 24 hours. The groups were compared by evaluating the MV weaning time and the duration of MV, as well as the ICU stay and the hospital stay. Results: Of the 75 patients randomized, seven were excluded and 68 were analyzed: 37 from the MG and 31 from the CG. There was a higher probability of early extubation in the MG, but the difference was not significant (hazard ratio: 1.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87 to 2.64; P = 0.11). The probability of successful weaning by the fifth day was significantly higher in the MG (hazard ratio: 2.64 (95% CI: 1.22 to 5.69; P < 0.02). Among the 54 patients who were successfully weaned (29 from the MG and 25 from the CG), the MV weaning time was significantly lower in the MG (hazard ratio: 2.06; 95% CI 1.17 to 3.63; P < 0.004). Conclusions: The introduction of enteral methadone during weaning from sedation and analgesia in mechanically ventilated patients resulted in a decrease in the weaning time from MV

Prevalência de potenciais interações medicamentosas droga-droga em unidades de terapia intensiva Potential drug interactions prevalence in intensive care units

OBJETIVOS: Interações medicamentosas ocorrem quando os efeitos e/ou a toxicidade de um fármaco são alterados pela presença de outro. São geralmente imprevistas e indesejáveis. Realizado estudo com objetivo de verificar a prevalência e o valor clínico das interações medicamentosas potenciais em unidades de terapia intensiva. MÉTODOS: Incluídos todos pacientes de três unidades de terapia intensiva em um período de 2 meses, analisados transversalmente. Foram excluídos aqueles com tempo de permanência menor que 2 dias. Os dados foram tabulados de acordo com as combinações de fármacos observadas no período de 24 horas. A presença e o valor clínico das interações medicamentosas potenciais foram conferidos ao final do seguimento. RESULTADOS: Analisados 140 pacientes, 67,1% apresentaram alguma interações medicamentosas potenciais significativa e das 1069 prescrições, 39,2% tiveram este achado. De 188 interações medicamentosas potenciais diferentes, 29 foram consideradas altamente significativas. Por análise univariada, observou-se no grupo que apresentou interação significativa maior quantidade de medicamentos, fármacos/dia, número de médicos prescritores e tempo de internação na unidade de teapia intensiva. Por modelo de regressão logística multivariada, apenas o número de fármacos/dia correlacionou-se com o aumento do risco de interação medicamentosa potencial significativa (p = 0.0011); o uso de mais que 6 medicamentos/dia aumenta em 9.8 vezes este risco. CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes em unidades de terapia intensiva estão submetidos a alto risco de interações medicamentosas potenciais e o número de fármacos/dia é condição com alto valor preditivo positivo para tal. Os intensivistas devem ser alertados para o reconhecimento do problema e criados mecanismos para o manejo adequado e prudente, diminuindo iatrogenias.<br>OBJECTIVES: Drug interactions occur when effects and/or toxicity of a drug are affected by presence of another drug. They are usually unpredictable and undesirable. A study was conducted to verify the prevalence and clinical value of potential drug interactions in intensive care units METHODS: All patients, of three intensive care units were included in a cross-sectional study, over a period of two months. Patients with less than a 2 days length of stay were excluded. Data were collected from twenty-four hour prescriptions and all possible paired combinations drug-drug were recorded. Prevalence and clinical value (significance) were checked at the end of follow-up. RESULTS: One hundred and forty patients were analyzed, 67.1% presented with some significant potential drug interactions and of the 1069 prescriptions, 39.2% disclosed the same potential. Of 188 different potential drug interactions, 29 were considered highly significant. Univariate analysis showed that in the group with significant potential drug interactions a higher number of different drugs, drugs/day had been used, there were more prescribing physicians and extended stay in intensive care units. Adjusted to the multivariate logistic regression model, only the number of drugs/day correlated with increased risk of significant potential drug interaction (p = 0.0011) and, furthermore that use of more than 6 drugs/day increased relative risk by 9.8 times. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients are submitted to high risk of potential drug interactions and the number of drugs/day has a high positive predictive value for these interactions. Therefore, it is imperative that critical care physicians be constantly alert to recognize this problem and provide appropriate mechanisms for management, thereby reducing adverse outcomes