The Effect of Conservative Oxygen Therapy in Reducing Mortality in Critical Care Patients: A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Background: Conservative oxygen therapy can prevent both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia, but the effect on the prognosis of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) remains controversial.Methods: All controlled studies comparing conservative oxygen therapy and conventional oxygen therapy in adult patients admitted to the ICU were searched. The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcomes were length of ICU stay (ICU LOS), length of hospital stay (hospital LOS), length of mechanical ventilation (MV) hours, new organ failure during ICU stay, and new infections during ICU stay.Results: Nine trials with a total of 5,759 patients were pooled in our final studies. Compared with conventional oxygen therapy, conservative oxygen therapy did not reduce overall mortality (Z = 0.31, p = 0.75) or ICU LOS (Z = 0.17, p = 0.86), with firm evidence from trial sequential analysis, or hospital LOS (Z = 1.98, p = 0.05) or new infections during the ICU stay (Z = 1.45, p = 0.15). However, conservative oxygen therapy was associated with a shorter MV time (Z = 5.05, p < 0.00001), reduction of new organ failure during the ICU stay (Z = 2.15, p = 0.03) and lower risk of renal replacement therapy (RRT) (Z = 2.18, p = 0.03).Conclusion: Conservative oxygen therapy did not reduce mortality but did decrease MV time, new organ failure and risk of RRT in critically ill patients.Systematic Review Registration: identifier [CRD42020171055].

Day case surgery

This chapter studies day case surgery. The definition of day case surgery is the planned day admission of a patient to hospital for a surgical procedure, after which there is subsequent successful and safe discharge back home on the same day. The main rationale behind day surgery is to get patients discharged home following their operations in a safe and timely manner instead of spending prolonged periods within the hospital as an inpatient. This has significant implications, including reducing hospital stay, hospital-acquired infection, and healthcare-related costs while also improving patient experience and service efficiency. Surgical, anaesthetic, and patient factors should be considered for successful day case surgery. The chapter then traces the history of day case surgery, before detailing the common day surgery procedures.

388. Epidemiologic and Microbiologic Characteristics of Hospital-acquired Infections in Patients with COVID-19 at Intensive Care Unit, Mexico City

Background Patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection are at high risk of complications due to the intensive care unit stay. Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are one of the most common complication and cause of death in this group of patients, it is important to know the epidemiology and microbiology of this hospital-acquired infections in order to begin to the patients a proper empirical treatment. We describe the epidemiologic and microbiologic characteristics of HAI in patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary level private hospital in Mexico City. Methods From April to December 2020, data from all HAIs in patients with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection with mechanical ventilation at ICU were obtained. The type of infection, microorganisms and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined. Results A total of 61 episodes of HAIs were obtained, the most common was ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in 52.4% (n=32) followed by urinary tract infection (UTI) 34.4%(n=21) and bloodstream infection (BSI) 9.84% (n=6). Only two episodes corresponded to C. difficile associated diarrhea. We identified 82 different microorganisms, the most frequent cause of VAP was P. aeruginosa 22% (10/45) followed by K. pneumoniae 20% (9/45); for UTI, E. coli 28.5% (6/21), and S. marcescens 19% (4/21); for BSI the most frequent microorganism was S. aureus 28.5 (2/7). Regarding the antimicrobial susceptibility patters the most common were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) Gram-negative rods followed by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion In patients with severe COVID-19 hospitalized in the ICU the most frequent HAIs were VAP and UTI caused by P. aeruginosa and E. coli respectively. ESBL enterobacteriaceae was the most common resistant pattern identifed in the bacterial isolations in our series. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Effect of Different Corticosteroid Regimens on the Outcome of Severe COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Failure. A Retrospective Analysis

Background: Systemic corticosteroids are associated with reduced mortality in COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure; however, the type and dose has not yet been established. Objectives: To compare the outcomes of dexamethasone vs. methylprednisolone, along with the effects of rescue, short-term, high-dose boluses of corticosteroids. Methods: Before/after and case/control retrospective analysis of consecutive critically ill COVID-19 subjects. Subjects were initially given dexamethasone; however, after review of the local protocol, methylprednisolone was suggested. A three-day course of 1000 mg/day of methylprednisolone was administered in the case of refractory hypoxemia within the first 10 days of treatment. Propensity score-adjusted comparisons were performed. Results: A total of 81 consecutive subjects were included (85% males, 60 ± 10 years, SAPS II 27 ± 7, SOFA 4 [IQR 3, 6] points) and 51 of these subjects (62.9%) received dexamethasone and 29 (35.8%) had methylprednisolone. The groups were well matched for age, comorbidities, and severity at admission. No differences were found in the duration of ICU stay, hospital mortality, or infectious complications between the groups. A total of 22 subjects (27.2%) received a rescue bolus; these subjects had a significantly lower oxygenation, a higher driving pressure, and an increased ventilatory ratio during the first ten days. Short-term/high-dose boluses were associated with higher hospital mortality, longer mechanical ventilation and ICU and hospital stay, and more infectious complications. A subgroup of subjects who received the boluses had significantly improved oxygenation and lower hospital mortality. Conclusions: We were unable to find any difference between dexamethasone or methylprednisolone on the explored outcomes; high-dose boluses of corticosteroids were associated with a worse outcome. However, a subgroup of subjects was identified in whom the high-dose boluses seemed beneficial.

Alpha-blockade during congenital heart surgery admissions: analysis from national database

Introduction: The effects of alpha-blockade on haemodynamics during and following congenital heart surgery are well documented, but data on patient outcomes, mortality, and hospital charges are limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the use of alpha-blockade during congenital heart surgery admissions and to determine its association with common clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System database. De-identified data for patients under 18 years of age with a cardiac diagnosis who underwent congenital heart surgery were obtained from 2004 to 2015. Patients were subdivided on the basis of receiving alpha-blockade with either phenoxybenzamine or phentolamine during admission or not. Continuous and categorical variables were analysed using Mann−Whitney U-tests and Fisher exact tests, respectively. Characteristics between subgroups were compared using univariate analysis. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the impact of alpha-blockade on ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, billed charges, and mortality. Results: Of the 81,313 admissions, 4309 (5.3%) utilised alpha-blockade. Phentolamine was utilised in 4290 admissions. In univariate analysis, ICU length of stay, total length of stay, inpatient mortality, and billed charges were all significantly higher in the alpha-blockade admissions. However, regression analyses demonstrated that other factors were behind these increased. Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a 1.5 days reduction in ICU length of stay (p < 0.01) and a 3.5 days reduction in total length of stay (p < 0.01). Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a reduction in mortality (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.7−0.9). Alpha-blockade was not independently associated with any significant change in billed charges. Conclusions: Alpha-blockade is used in a subset of paediatric cardiac surgeries and is independently associated with significant reductions in ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, and mortality without significantly altering billed charges.

Admission screening and cohort care decrease carbapenem resistant enterobacteriaceae in Vietnamese pediatric ICU’s

Objectives To assess if admission screening for Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and cohort care can reduce CRE acquisition (CRE colonization during hospital stay), Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI), hospital-stay, mortality, and costs in three Intensive Care Units (ICU’s) at the Vietnamese National Children’s Hospital. Method CRE screening using rectal swabs and ChromIDCarbas elective culture at admission and if CRE negative, once weekly. Patients were treated in cohorts based on CRE colonization status. Results CRE colonization at baseline point-prevalence screening was 76.9% (103/134). Of 941 CRE screened at admission, 337 (35.8%) were CREpos. 694 patients met inclusion criteria. The 244 patients CRE negative at admission and screened > 2 times were stratified in 8 similar size groups (periods), based on time of admission. CRE acquisition decreased significant (OR − 3.2, p < 0.005) from 90% in period 2 (highest) to 48% in period 8 (last period). Patients with CRE acquisition compared to no CRE acquisition had a significantly higher rate of culture confirmed HAI, n = 20 (14%) vs. n = 2 (2%), longer hospital stays, 3.26 vs. 2.37 weeks, and higher total treatment costs, 2852 vs. 2295 USD. Conclusion Admission CRE screening and cohort care in pediatric ICU’s significantly decreased CRE acquisition, cases of HAI and duration of hospital-stay.