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- Flexible Bronchoscopy in the Intensive Care Unit: the FLEXICARE Survey.Publication . Fisser, Christoph; Sicker, Nina; Crimi, Claudia; Karagiannidis, Christian; Winck, Joao Carlos; Duiverman, Marieke; Azevedo, Ariana; Cysneiros, Ana; Martin-Loeches, IgnacioBackground: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is a key diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, significant heterogeneity exists regarding indications, peri-procedural management, training and safety practices across ICUs. Data on real-world practices remain limited. Methods: An international, online cross-sectional survey was conducted by the European Respiratory Society's Acute Critical Care Group between May and December 2023. The questionnaire, designed according to Checklist for Reporting Of Survey Studies (CROSS) and Academy of Critical Care: Development, Evaluation and Methodology (ACCADEMY) standards, targeted healthcare professionals performing FB in ICUs. It addressed procedural protocols, sedation, ventilation strategies, complications, microbiologic sampling, tracheostomy practices and training. Only fully completed responses were included in the analysis. Results: Data from 266 respondents across 73 countries were analysed. Training in FB varied widely: 41% reported no formal training, and only 61% had access to a 24/7 bronchoscopy service. Sedation practices were heterogeneous. Ventilator settings were adjusted differently based on ICU certification, with ICU-certified physicians more likely to reduce positive end-expiratory pressure during FB (55% versus 42%; p=0.031). Bronchoalveolar lavage was the most common sampling method, with a median saline volume of 60-120 mL and a recovery rate of 48±18%. Microbiological findings led to therapeutic changes in 48±21% of cases. FB guidance during percutaneous tracheostomy was applied in only 56% of cases. Conclusion: Substantial variability exists in FB practices across ICUs, particularly in training, sedation, ventilation adjustments and microbiologic sampling. Despite frequent therapeutic consequences, standardised approaches are lacking. These findings underscore the need for international consensus guidelines and structured training programmes to harmonise FB practices in critical care settings.
- Home Mechanical Ventilation in Adults: Clinical Practice Recommendations from the Portuguese Respiratory Society Home Mechanical Ventilation Assembly.Publication . Ribeiro, Carla; Gomes, Rita; Carreiro, Alexandra; Vieira, Ana Luísa; Seabra, Bárbara; Conde, Bebiana; Nogueira, Carla; Jácome, Cristina; Lages, Joana; Aguiar, Margarida; Grafino, Mónica; Pamplona, Paula; Cysneiros, Ana; Durães, Célia; Rodrigues, Cidália; Pimenta, Cláudia; Cristóvão, Cristina; Rodrigues, Daniela; Ferreira, Diva; Gonçalves, Filipe; Ramos, Helena; Cravo, João; Silva, João Paulo; Cunha, Karl; Méndez, Lucía; Van Zeller, Mafalda; Araújo, Márcia; Barata, Margarida; Raposo, Margarida; Redondo, Margarida; Jacob, Maria; Araújo, Maria João; Gonçalves, Miguel R; Guia, Miguel; Faria, Nuno; Viegas, Pedro; Conde, Sara; Drummond, Marta; Pinto, PaulaThe use of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) has been increasing worldwide, driven by widening of clinical applications and improved patient survival rates. In Portugal, recent data indicate an even faster growth, although national HMV recommendations have remained unchanged for 25 years. We aimed to provide an update in clinical practice guidelines for HMV in adults, applicable to the Portuguese context, grounded on the latest available evidence and experts' opinion. A multidisciplinary panel with experience in HMV in the adult population was assembled. A comprehensive literature search was conducted during March 2023 regarding specific topics: equipment, ventilatory modes and interfaces, HMV initiation, follow-up and monitoring, disease specificities (neuromuscular diseases, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, restrictive chest wall diseases; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other diseases), home mechanical invasive ventilation, and palliative and end of life care. A 2-round Delphi process was conducted to establish consensus among panel members. A minimum agreement threshold of 80% was required. Out of 88 recommendations initially included in the Delphi process, 61 were selected by consensus. Final recommendations grounded in the current level of evidence are outlined, and the key limitations and proposals for future research are discussed.
- Practices of High-Flow Nasal Therapy in Acute and Chronic Respiratory Failure: the Hi-Flow SurveyPublication . Crimi, Claudia; Noto, Alberto; Cortegiani, Andrea; Carlucci, Annalisa; Gregoretti, Cesare; Inal-Ince, Deniz; Franssen, Frits M E M E; Karagiannidis, Christian; Winck, Joao Carlos; Fisser, Christoph; Ergan, Begum; Martin-Loeches, Ignacio; Cysneiros, Ana; Patout, Maxime; Duiverman, Marieke; Nava, StefanoBackground: High-flow nasal therapy (HFNT) is a widely used non-invasive respiratory support technique, but data on its clinical application remain limited. This study aimed to assess clinicians' self-reported practices, perceptions and barriers regarding HFNT use in acute and chronic respiratory failure. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was disseminated among members of the European Respiratory Society's respiratory intensive care, rehabilitation and chronic care, and allied respiratory professionals assemblies from September to November 2023. Descriptive analysis was performed, with results presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: A total of 1176 clinicians from 104 countries participated, primarily pulmonologists (78.3%) and respiratory therapists (9.7%). HFNT was most commonly used for de novo acute respiratory failure (56.2%) and interstitial lung disease exacerbations (56.3%), with lower utilisation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with hypercapnia (47.4%) and trauma/atelectasis (41.5%). Despite guideline recommendations, 67% of respondents initiated HFNT only after conventional oxygen therapy failure. HFNT was also frequently used for symptom relief in palliative care, despite limited supporting evidence. Respiratory distress was the primary clinical trigger for HFNT initiation, while the ROX (Respiratory Rate-Oxygenation) index was rarely used to guide escalation of care (32%). Barriers to HFNT adoption included equipment costs (23%), lack of funding (22%) and limited clinician knowledge (18%). HFNT use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (84%), but long-term application for chronic respiratory failure remained rare (16%). Conclusions: This survey highlights significant variability in HFNT practices and a disconnect between guidelines and real-world implementation. Addressing financial and educational barriers may improve adherence to evidence-based recommendations.
- Arrhythmogenic Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: A Successful Case of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.Publication . Gama, Mafalda; Cardoso, Isabel; Palma Anselmo, Mónica; Aguiar Rosa, Sílvia; Gaspar da Costa, Pedro; Fortuna, PhilipA 24-year-old man suffered a witnessed cardiac arrest after a padel game. Basic life support was immediately provided. The pre-hospital emergency services team continued the resuscitation efforts, and the patient was accepted for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 45 minutes. The initial assessment revealed a ST-segment elevation in leads V4-V6 and a dilated left ventricle with severe systolic dysfunction. Coronary angiography was normal. An improvement in left ventricular systolic function was observed and extracorporeal cardiac support was discontinued after 48 hours. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated hypokinesia and subepicardial fatty infiltration of the left ventricle lateral wall. Genetic testing detected a variant of uncertain significance in the ANK2 gene. The diagnosis of arrhythmogenic left ventricular myocardiopathy did not fulfill all the current diagnostic criteria, but it is a very likely diagnosis. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was placed. The patient was discharged without physical or cognitive impairment.
- Quality of Life and Performance Status after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Study in Cova da Beira University Hospital Center's Intensive Care Unit.Publication . Rodrigues Pratas, Cláudia Raquel; Veiga do Coxo, Cristina Maria; Gonçalves Branco, Vítor Alexandre; Castelo-Branco, MiguelIntroduction and objectives: Cardiac arrest (CA) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Many studies focus on survival, but few explore the outcomes. The aim of this study is to analyze the survival curve, independence, quality of life, and performance status after CA. Methods: This retrospective study included adults admitted to the intensive care unit of Cova da Beira University Hospital Center after CA between 2015 and 2019. We analyzed patient records and applied a questionnaire including EuroQoL's EQ-5D-3L and ECOG performance status. Results: Ninety-seven patients were included (mean age 75.74 years). Thirty-one patients (32.0%) survived to hospital discharge. There was a significant loss of independence for activities of daily living, with 50.0% of those previously independent becoming dependent and 47.5% of those previously at home being institutionalized. Diabetes, female gender, and length of hospital stay were especially impactful on these findings. One year after CA, only 20.6% were alive and only 13.4% (65% of the one-year survivors) were independent. Nine patients answered our questionnaire. Mean EQ-5D quality of life index (0.528±0.297) and the most affected domains ('Pain/discomfort' and 'Anxiety/depression') were similar to the Portuguese population aged >30 years. However, 66.6% reported a decline in their quality of life. Lastly, seven respondents had a good performance status (ECOG 0-1). Conclusions: There was a significant loss of independence after CA. Moreover, despite the acceptable performance status and the quality of life results being similar to the general population, there was a perceived deterioration post-CA. Ultimately, we emphasize the need to improve care for these patients.
- Organ Crosstalk and Dysfunction in Sepsis.Publication . Borges, André; Bento, LuísSepsis is a dysregulated immune response to an infection that leads to organ dysfunction. Sepsis-associated organ dysfunction involves multiple inflammatory mechanisms and complex metabolic reprogramming of cellular function. These mechanisms cooperate through multiple organs and systems according to a complex set of long-distance communications mediated by cellular pathways, solutes, and neurohormonal actions. In sepsis, the concept of organ crosstalk involves the dysregulation of one system, which triggers compensatory mechanisms in other systems that can induce further damage. Despite the abundance of studies published on organ crosstalk in the last decade, there is a need to formulate a more comprehensive framework involving all organs to create a more detailed picture of sepsis. In this paper, we review the literature published on organ crosstalk in the last 10 years and explore how these relationships affect the progression of organ failure in patients with septic shock. We explored these relationships in terms of the heart-kidney-lung, gut-microbiome-liver-brain, and adipose tissue-muscle-bone crosstalk in sepsis patients. A deep connection exists among these organs based on crosstalk. We also review how multiple therapeutic interventions administered in intensive care units, such as mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, anesthesia, nutrition, and proton pump inhibitors, affect these systems and must be carefully considered when managing septic patients. The progression to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in sepsis patients is still one of the most frequent causes of death in critically ill patients. A better understanding and monitoring of the mechanics of organ crosstalk will enable the anticipation of organ damage and the development of individualized therapeutic strategies.
- Comparative Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19 Delivered in Experienced European Centres During Successive SARS-CoV-2 Variant Outbreaks (ECMO-SURGES): an International, Multicentre, Retrospective Cohort Study.Publication . Schmidt, Matthieu; Hajage, David; Landoll, Micha; Pequignot, Benjamin; Langouet, Elise; Amalric, Matthieu; Mekontso-Dessap, Armand; Chiscano-Camon, Luis; Surman, Katy; Finnerty, Dylan; Santa-Teresa, Patricia; Arcadipane, Antonio; Millán, Pablo; Roncon-Albuquerque, Roberto; Blandino-Ortiz, Aaron; Blanco-Schweizer, Pablo; Ricart, Pilar; Gimeno-Costa, Ricardo; Albacete, Carlos Luis; Fortuna, Philip; Schellongowski, Peter; Dauwe, Dieter; Winiszewski, Hadrien; Kimmoun, Antoine; Levy, Bruno; Hermans, Greet; Grasselli, Giacomo; Lebreton, Guillaume; Guervilly, Christophe; Martucci, Genarro; Karagiannidis, Christian; Riera, Jordi; Combes, AlainBackground: To inform future research and practice, we aimed to investigate the outcomes of patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to different variants of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who received ECMO for ARDS in 21 experienced ECMO centres in eight European countries (Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) between Jan 1, 2020, and Sept 30, 2021. We collected data on patient characteristics, clinical status, and management before and after the initiation of ECMO. Participants were grouped according to SARS-CoV-2 variant (wild type, alpha, delta, or other) and period of the pandemic (first [Jan 1-June 30] and second [July 1-Dec 31] semesters of 2020, and first [Jan 1-June 30] and second [July 1-Sept 30] semesters of 2021). Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyse evolving characteristics, management, and patient outcomes over the first 2 years of the pandemic, and independent risk factors of mortality were determined using multivariable Cox regression models. The primary outcome was mortality 90 days after the initiation of ECMO, with follow-up to Dec 30, 2021. Findings: ECMO was initiated in 1345 patients. Patient characteristics and management were similar for the groups of patients infected with different variants, except that those with the delta variant had a younger median age and less hypertension and diabetes. 90-day mortality was 42% (569 of 1345 patients died) overall, and 43% (297/686) in patients infected with wild-type SARS-CoV-2, 39% (152/391) in those with the alpha variant, 40% (78/195) in those with the delta variant, and 58% (42/73) in patients infected with other variants (mainly beta and gamma). Mortality was 10% higher (50%) in the second semester of 2020, when the wild-type variant was still prevailing, than in other semesters (40%). Independent predictors of mortality were age, immunocompromised status, a longer time from intensive care unit admission to intubation, need for renal replacement therapy, and higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment haemodynamic component score, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, and lactate concentration before ECMO. After adjusting for these variables, mortality was significantly higher with the delta variant than with the other variants, the wild-type strain being the reference. Interpretation: Although crude mortality did not differ between variants, adjusted risk of death was highest for patients treated with ECMO infected with the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The higher virulence and poorer outcomes associated with the delta strain might relate to higher viral load and increased inflammatory response syndrome in infected patients, reinforcing the need for a higher rate of vaccination in the population and updated selection criteria for ECMO, should a new and highly virulent strain of SARS-CoV-2 emerge in the future. Mortality was noticeably lower than in other large, multicentre series of patients who received ECMO for COVID-19, highlighting the need to concentrate resources at experienced centres.
- The Accuracy of PiCCO® in Measuring Cardiac Output in Patients Under Therapeutic Hypothermia: Comparison With Transthoracic EchocardiographyPublication . Souto Moura, T; Aguiar Rosa, S; Germano, N; Cavaco, R; Sequeira, T; Alves, M; Papoila, AL; Bento, LBackground: Invasive cardiac monitoring using thermodilution methods such as PiCCO® is widely used in critically ill patients and provides a wide range of hemodynamic variables, including cardiac output (CO). However, in post-cardiac arrest patients subjected to therapeutic hypothermia, the low body temperature possibly could interfere with the technique. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (ECHO) has long proved its accuracy in estimating CO, and is not influenced by temperature changes. Objective: To assess the accuracy of PiCCO® in measuring CO in patients under therapeutic hypothermia, compared with ECHO. Design and patients: Thirty paired COECHO/COPiCCO measurements were analyzed in 15 patients subjected to hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Eighteen paired measurements were obtained at under 36°C and 12 at ≥36°C. A value of 0.5l/min was considered the maximum accepted difference between the COECHO and COPiCCO values. Results: Under conditions of normothermia (≥36°C), the mean difference between COECHO and COPiCCO was 0.030 l/min, with limits of agreement (-0.22, 0.28) - all of the measurements differing by less than 0.5 l/min. In situations of hypothermia (<36°C), the mean difference in CO measurements was -0.426 l/min, with limits of agreement (-1.60, 0.75), and only 44% (8/18) of the paired measurements fell within the interval (-0.5, 0.5). The calculated temperature cut-off point maximizing specificity was 35.95°C: above this temperature, specificity was 100%, with a false-positive rate of 0%. Conclusions: The results clearly show clinically relevant discordance between COECHO and COPiCCO at temperatures of <36°C, demonstrating the inaccuracy of PiCCO® for cardiac output measurements in hypothermic patients.
- Pancreatic Stone Protein As a Biomarker of SepsisPublication . Lopes, D; Chumbinho, B; Bandovas, JP; Faria, P; Espírito Santo, C; Ferreira, B; Val-Flores, L; Pereira, R; Germano, N; Bento, L
- Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients With COVID-19 Needing Extracorporeal Respiratory SupportPublication . Riera, J; Alcántara, S; Bonilla, C; Fortuna, P; Blandino Ortiz, A; Vaz, A; Albacete, C; Millán, P; Ricart, P; Boado, MV; Ruiz de Gopegui, P; Santa Teresa, P; Sandoval, E; Pérez-Chomón, H; González-Pérez, A; Duerto, J; Gimeno, R; Colomina, J; Gómez, V; Renedo, G; Naranjo, J; García, MA; Rodríguez-Ruiz, E; Silva, PE; Pérez, D; Veganzones, J; Voces, R; Martínez, S; Blanco-Schweizer, P; García, M; Villanueva-Fernández, H; Fuset, MP; Luna, S; Martínez-Martínez, M; Argudo, E; Chiscano, L; Roncon-Albuquerque, RWhen indicating ECMO in patients with COVID-19, centre case volume, age, driving pressure and the duration of symptoms (not the length of MV) should be taken into account. Large drainage cannula and high PEEP levels during the first days are recommended.