Remifentanil for analgesia-based sedation in the intensive care unit

Providing effective analgesia and adequate sedation is a generally accepted goal of intensive care medicine. Due to its rapid, organ independent and predictable metabolism the short acting opioid remifentanil might be particularly useful for analgesia-based sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU). This hypothesis was tested by two studies in this issue of Critical Care. The study by Breen et al. shows that remifentanil does not exert prolonged clinical effects when continuously infused in renal failure patients, although the weak acting metabolite remifentanil acid accumulates. The study by Muellejans et al. reports a multicenter trial comparing a remifentanil versus a fentanyl based regimen in ICU patients. With both substances a target analgesia and sedation level was reached, and no major differences were found when frequent assessments of the sedation level and according readjustments of doses were performed. These results are in accordance with other studies suggesting that the adherence to a clear analgesia-based sedation protocol might be more important then the choice of medications itself

Spontaneous breathing with airway pressure release ventilation favors ventilation in dependent lung regions and counters cyclic alveolar collapse in oleic-acid-induced lung injury: a randomized controlled computed tomography trial

INTRODUCTION: Experimental and clinical studies have shown a reduction in intrapulmonary shunt with spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in acute lung injury. This reduction was related to reduced atelectasis and increased aeration. We hypothesized that spontaneous breathing will result in better ventilation and aeration of dependent lung areas and in less cyclic collapse during the tidal breath. METHODS: In this randomized controlled experimental trial, 22 pigs with oleic-acid-induced lung injury were randomly assigned to receive APRV with or without spontaneous breathing at comparable airway pressures. Four hours after randomization, dynamic computed tomography scans of the lung were obtained in an apical slice and in a juxtadiaphragmatic transverse slice. Analyses of regional attenuation were performed separately in nondependent and dependent halves of the lungs on end-expiratory scans and end-inspiratory scans. Tidal changes were assessed as differences between inspiration and expiration of the mechanical breaths. RESULTS: Whereas no differences were observed in the apical slices, spontaneous breathing resulted in improved tidal ventilation of dependent lung regions (P < 0.05) and less cyclic collapse (P < 0.05) in the juxtadiaphragmatic slices. In addition, with spontaneous breathing, the end-expiratory aeration increased and nonaerated tissue decreased in dependent lung regions close to the diaphragm (P < 0.05 for the interaction ventilator mode and lung region). CONCLUSION: Spontaneous breathing during APRV redistributes ventilation and aeration to dependent, usually well-perfused, lung regions close to the diaphragm, and may thereby contribute to improved arterial oxygenation. Spontaneous breathing also counters cyclic collapse, which is a risk factor for ventilation-associated lung injury

Outcomes of patients with acute respiratory failure on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation requiring additional circulatory support by veno-venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

ObjectiveVeno-venous (V-V) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used to support patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In case of additional cardio-circulatory failure, some experienced centers upgrade the V-V ECMO with an additional arterial return cannula (termed V-VA ECMO). Here we analyzed short- and long-term outcome together with potential predictors of mortality.DesignMulticenter, retrospective analysis between January 2008 and September 2021.SettingThree tertiary care ECMO centers in Germany (Hannover, Bonn) and Switzerland (Zurich).PatientsSeventy-three V-V ECMO patients with ARDS and additional acute cardio-circulatory deterioration required an upgrade to V-VA ECMO were included in this study.Measurements and main resultsFifty-three patients required an upgrade from V-V to V-VA and 20 patients were directly triple cannulated. Median (Interquartile Range) age was 49 (28–57) years and SOFA score was 14 (12–17) at V-VA ECMO upgrade. Vasoactive-inotropic score decreased from 53 (12–123) at V-VA ECMO upgrade to 9 (3–37) after 24 h of V-VA ECMO support. Weaning from V-VA and V-V ECMO was successful in 47 (64%) and 40 (55%) patients, respectively. Duration of ECMO support was 12 (6–22) days and ICU length of stay was 32 (16–46) days. Overall ICU mortality was 48% and hospital mortality 51%. Two additional patients died after hospital discharge while the remaining patients survived up to two years (with six patients being lost to follow-up). The vast majority of patients was free from higher degree persistent organ dysfunction at follow-up. A SOFA score &gt; 14 and higher lactate concentrations at the day of V-VA upgrade were independent predictors of mortality in the multivariate regression analysis.ConclusionIn this analysis, the use of V-VA ECMO in patients with ARDS and concomitant cardiocirculatory failure was associated with a hospital survival of about 50%, and most of these patients survived up to 2 years. A SOFA score &gt; 14 and elevated lactate levels at the day of V-VA upgrade predict unfavorable outcome

Reduced anticoagulation strategy is associated with a lower incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Background Optimal anticoagulation strategies for COVID-19 patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) remain uncertain. A higher incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during VV ECMO support compared to non-COVID-19 viral ARDS patients has been reported, with increased bleeding rates in COVID-19 attributed to both intensified anticoagulation and a disease-specific endotheliopathy. We hypothesized that lower intensity of anticoagulation during VV ECMO would be associated with a lower risk of ICH. In a retrospective, multicenter study from three academic tertiary intensive care units, we included patients with confirmed COVID-19 ARDS requiring VV ECMO support from March 2020 to January 2022. Patients were grouped by anticoagulation exposure into higher intensity, targeting anti-factor Xa activity (anti-Xa) of 0.3–0.4 U/mL, versus lower intensity, targeting anti-Xa 0.15–0.3 U/mL, cohorts. Mean daily doses of unfractionated heparin (UFH) per kg bodyweight and effectively measured daily anti-factor Xa activities were compared between the groups over the first 7 days on ECMO support. The primary outcome was the rate of ICH during VV ECMO support. Results 141 critically ill COVID-19 patients were included in the study. Patients with lower anticoagulation targets had consistently lower anti-Xa activity values over the first 7 ECMO days (p < 0.001). ICH incidence was lower in patients in the lower anti-Xa group: 4 (8%) vs 32 (34%) events. Accounting for death as a competing event, the adjusted subhazard ratio for the occurrence of ICH was 0.295 (97.5% CI 0.1–0.9, p = 0.044) for the lower anti-Xa compared to the higher anti-Xa group. 90-day ICU survival was higher in patients in the lower anti-Xa group, and ICH was the strongest risk factor associated with mortality (odds ratio [OR] 6.8 [CI 2.1–22.1], p = 0.001). Conclusions For COVID-19 patients on VV ECMO support anticoagulated with heparin, a lower anticoagulation target was associated with a significant reduction in ICH incidence and increased survival

Management of invasive candidiasis and candidemia in adult non-neutropenic intensive care unit patients: Part I. Epidemiology and diagnosis

Background Invasive candidiasis and candidemia are frequently encountered in the nosocomial setting, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU)