Jan Claassen on coma (#SCCM2023)

Above true coma there is
Vegetative: no evidence of awareness of self/environment although may open eyes (distinct from coma)
Minimally conscious state: reproducible but inconsistent awareness
Can have a higher level of MCS + command following
Locked in syndrome: paralysis of limbs and lower cranial nerves, usually still has vertical eye movements (ask them to move their eyes up and down) and eyelid opening.
Unclear when prognostic scores predict recovery, as most allowed withdrawal of care in the studies, creating self-fulfilling prophecies.

Estimated that 64% of cardiac arrests with withdrawal of care could have have subsequent functional recovery.
Active perturbation can help uncover covert consciousness: Owen 2006 put a seemingly vegetative patient in fMRI and asked them to imagine certain behaviors; successful activation of many areas.
This is "Cognitive motor dissociation," cannot follow commands externally but there is brain response. Associated with improved chance of later functional recovery.

Case: Coma patient, EEG showed covert consciousness 1 week after. 12 months later, full recovery, back to work.
Egbebike 2022: Covert consciousness/CMD independent predictor of time to recovery

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More from @critconcepts

Jan 22
Allan Walkey on atrial fibrillation in ICU (#SCCM2023)

Arrigo 2015: cardioversion for secondary A-fib in ICU rarely works (43% remains sinus at 1hr, 23% at 24hr). Diltiazem was more effective at rate control than amio or digoxin.
Walkey 2016: Afib in sepsis? Association on outcome of BB vs CCB, BB vs digoxin, BB vs amiodarone compared. BB had slightly lower mortality than CCB.

Bosch 2021: BB achieved more HR reduction than amiodarone, CCB, and dioxin at 1hr (CCB was highest at 6 hours).
Davey 2005: magnesium was about as effective at rhythm control as amiodarone.

Remember untreated infection, volume status, presence of beta agonists.

Law 2022: phenylephrine vs norepinephrine for shock? HR difference was only about 2-6 only, even in the subgroup with RVR.
Read 8 tweets
Jan 22
Kevin Betthauser on empiric anaerobic antibiotics in the ICU (#SCCM2023)

gut dysbiosis common in ICU patients. Gut integrity degrades. Reduction in firmicutes and bacteriodetes, increase in proteobacteria. Less commensals, more opportunistic infections.
In animal models, depletion of anaerobes increases susceptibility to bacterial PNA, lung injury, mortality. Preserving anaerobes by SDD associated with less VAP, less mortality. (Szychowiak 2022, Hammond 2022)
ATS/IDSA 2019 CAP guidelines: suggest not routinely covering aspiration pneumonia for anaerobes. Modern syndromes typically CAP organisms, not anaerobic. Kioka 2017, Marrin-Corral 2021, Brummitt 2022 - show anaerobic coverage is downtrending over past five years.
Read 7 tweets
Jan 22
Richard Branson on bronchodilators (#SCCM2023)

clear standard of care for bronchoconstriction, but mostly used for hypoxemic disease because it "can't hurt". Ehrmann 2013 European survey found 95% used them routinely in mechanically ventilated
BALTI trial: IV B-agonists for ALI improved resolution of alveolar edema and survival
Perkins 2014: salmeterol didn't improve ALI
BALTI-2: salbutamol, stopped for harm
Routine nebs create significant workload and disposable equipment burden

Device types vary by efficiency, but we use so much drug it likely doesn't matter - it gets delivered.
Read 5 tweets
Jan 22
Shelby Yaceczko on nutrition in critical illness + obesity (#SCCM2023)

malnourished inpatients have 3.4x risk of in-hospital death, but only 2.7% of patients with coded malnutrition actually receive enteral nutrition in the hospital.
malnutrition in ICU associated with length of stay, higher cost of care. ASPEN did a value analysis, shows nutrition support saves money (projected $222 million yearly Medicare savings).
ASPEN 2021 guidelines:

1. How much should you give? No difference between high and low levels of nutrition. Give 12-25 kcal/kg BW in first 7-10 days of ICU stay. (Old recs: depended on disease and malnutrition risk.)
Read 8 tweets
Jan 22
Bethany Shoulders on Pharmacotherapy in critical illness + obesity (#SCCM2023)

Absorption: may be reduced both enteral and subq
Distribution: Increased
Metabolism: may decrease
Excretion: Often increased
B-lactams (inc. cephalosporins, meropenem, pip/tazo): good data on impact of obesity. more treatment failure, longer hospitalizations, risk of cefepime neurotoxicity. Use monitoring! Target 40-100% free time >MIC.
Anticoagulation (enoxaparin, heparin): Use higher dose for prophylaxis. No dose cap for weight-based dose of enoxaparin. May not need heparin dose increase unless BMI >50. For therapeutic heparin, slight preference to adjusted BW + no cap.
Read 4 tweets
Jan 22
Sara A Hennessy on managing ICU devices in obesity (#SCCM2023)
BP cuffs taken with too-small cuffs significantly higher. Should be 80% of upper arm circumference, width should be 40% of length. Large cuffs may still be poor fit, eg too long (obese arms aren't longer), and arms are "inverted cones" not cylinders.
Try an appropriate cuff on forearm, hold forearm at level of heart; hoses should exit over radial artery. Will vary by 7-15mmHg from upper arm.
Read 8 tweets

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