Endorsed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Society of Critical Care Medicine Public health emergencies have the potential to place enormous strain on health systems. The current pandemic of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease has required hospitals in numerous countries to expand their surge capacity to meet the needs of patients with critical illness. When even surge capacity is exceeded, however, principles of critical care triage may be needed as a means to allocate scarce resources, such as mechanical ventilators or key medications. The goal of a triage system is to direct limited resources towards patients most likely to benefit from them. Implementing a triage system requires careful coordination between clinicians, health systems, local and regional governments, and the public, with a goal of transparency to maintain trust. We discuss the principles of tertiary triage and methods for implementing such a system, emphasizing that these systems should serve only as a last resort. Even under triage, we must uphold our obligation to care for all patients as best possible under difficult circumstances.
SSD is common among redeployed soldiers. Soldiers who experienced combat are at increased risk for persistent SSD and comorbidities associated with SSD. Efforts to reestablish good sleep habits and aggressive evaluation of soldiers with persistent SSD following deployment may aid in the prevention and management of associated medical conditions.
A higher risk of thrombosis has been described as a prominent feature of COVID-19. This systematic review synthesizes current data on thrombosis risk, prognostic implications, and anticoagulation effects in COVID-19. We included 37 studies from 4,070 unique citations. Meta-analysis was performed when feasible. Coagulopathy and thrombotic events were frequent among patients with COVID-19, and further increased in those with more severe forms of the disease. We also present guidance on the prevention and management of thrombosis from a multidisciplinary panel of specialists from the Mayo Clinic. The current certainty of evidence is generally very low, and continues to evolve.
Background Limited critical care subspecialty training and experience is available in many low- and middle-income countries, creating barriers to the delivery of evidence-based critical care. We hypothesized that a structured tele-education critical care program using case-based learning and ICU management principles is an efficient method for knowledge translation and quality improvement in this setting. Methods and interventions Weekly 45-min case-based tele-education rounds were conducted in the recently established medical intensive care unit (MICU) in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN) was used as a platform for structured evaluation of critically ill cases. Two practicing US intensivists fluent in the local language served as preceptors using a secure two-way video communication platform. Intensive care unit structure, processes, and outcomes were evaluated before and after the introduction of the tele-education intervention. Results Patient demographics and acuity were similar before (2015) and 2 years after (2016 and 2017) the intervention. Sixteen providers (10 physicians, 4 nurses, and 2 physical therapists) evaluated changes in the ICU structure and processes after the intervention. Structural changes prompted by the intervention included standardized admission and rounding practices, incorporation of a pharmacist and physical therapist into the interprofessional ICU team, development of ICU antibiogram and hand hygiene programs, and ready access to point of care ultrasound. Process changes included daily sedation interruption, protocolized mechanical ventilation management and liberation, documentation of daily fluid balance with restrictive fluid and transfusion strategies, daily device assessment, and increased family presence and participation in care decisions. Less effective (dopamine, thiopental, aminophylline) or expensive (low molecular weight heparin, proton pump inhibitor) medications were replaced with more effective (norepinephrine, propofol) or cheaper (unfractionated heparin, H2 blocker) alternatives. The intervention was associated with reduction in ICU (43% vs 27%) and hospital (51% vs 44%) mortality, length of stay (8.3 vs 3.6 days), cost savings ($400,000 over 2 years), and a high level of staff satisfaction and engagement with the tele-education program. Conclusions Weekly, structured case-based tele-education offers an attractive option for knowledge translation and quality improvement in the emerging ICUs in low- and middle-income countries. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13054-019-2494-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Congenital parenchymal lung malformations have an estimated incidence at 1:25,000-1:35,000 births. We present a case of this rare congenital abnormality in a 38 year-old male, review the current literature with discussion of proposed causes, malignant potential, and management strategies. A 38-year-old white male presented with a 4-day history of chronic stable hemoptysis. Social history was notable for a 50-pack-year active smoking history and remote heavy alcohol consumption. Physical examination was normal. Chest radiograph revealed an ill defined right lower lobe infiltrate. Chest computed tomography demonstrated an irregular, thin-walled, cystic lesion with adjacent nodularity and calcifications. The patient received a right lower lobectomy. Pathologic specimen demonstrated a 10-cm, mostly thin-walled cyst with features suggestive of a congenital cyst adenomatoid malformation and areas of adenocarcinoma (mixed subtype with acinar and bronchioloalveolar patterns). Congenital cyst adenomatoid malformations have recently been renamed as congenital pulmonary airway malformations and are the most common type of congenital parenchymal lung malformations. Individuals typically present with recurrent pulmonary infections, pneumothorax, or hemoptysis. The development is controversial but believed to be a result of arrested development of the fetal bronchial tree during the sixth and seventh week of fetal development. Defects in thyroid transcription factor 1 have also been proposed. With the increasing use and image resolution of ultrasound in modern obstetric practice, congenital pulmonary airway malformations rarely go undetected into adulthood. Management remains controversial; however, most authors agree with early surgical excision.
The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has severely restricted pulmonary diagnostic testing due to the concern of droplet and aerosol generation by procedures conducted in small test rooms. SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by viral shedding from the upper and lower respiratory tracts, additionally, SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in sampled air throughout a hospital, which leads to this concern (1-4). Pulmonary function laboratories are justifiably concerned because test maneuvers involve forceful breathing which may generate infectious particles. Normal speaking has also been reported to generate small droplet aerosols increasing potential exposure risk in close contact to infected individuals (5-7). Currently, there are no studies evaluating particle generation during pulmonary function tests (PFTs). In order to better understand this risk associated with PFTs, we sought to quantify and characterize the amount of detectable aerosol and droplet generation during routine pulmonary function studies at pre-specified distances. Methods This was a single center prospective study conducted at Mayo Clinic Florida. Five adult volunteer subjects without pulmonary disease consented to perform tidal breathing (VT), normal speaking, forced vital capacity (FVC) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) maneuvers. The Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board approved this study (20-005544). Particle measurement. A light scattering particle counter (FLUKE® 983; Everett, Washington) was used to simultaneously measure six channels of particle size distribution (0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10 micrometers), temperature, and humidity while each maneuver was being
ObjectiveTo determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a video-enabled remote simulation training program to teach a systematic, standardized approach to the evaluation and management of the critically ill patients as part of an international quality improvement intervention.Patients and MethodsIn this pilot “train-the-trainer” prospective cohort study, we provided a remote simulation-based educational program for practicing clinicians from intensive care units involved in an international quality improvement project (www.icertain.org). Between February 21, 2014, and August 6, 2015, participants completed a self-guided online curriculum and participated in structured simulation training using web conference software with recording capabilities. The performance was assessed using a matched pair analysis at baseline and using standardized scenarios and a validated assessment tool postintervention. Participants rated their satisfaction with the training experience and confidence in implementing these skills in clinical practice.ResultsEighteen local champions from 8 hospitals in 7 countries in Asia, Europe, and South and Central America completed the educational program. Learners exhibited significant improvements in cumulative critical task performance during simulated critical care scenarios with training (60.3%-81.8%; P=.002). Most clinicians (94%) reported that they felt well prepared to manage the common critical care scenarios after training. These local champions have subsequently delivered this educational program to more than 800 international clinicians over a 4-year period.ConclusionInsufficient training is a major barrier to the delivery of cost-effective critical care in many areas of the world. Video-enabled remote simulation training is a low-cost, feasible, and effective method to disseminate clinical skills to critical care practitioners in diverse international settings.
Respiratory symptoms were common among both asthmatics and nonasthmatics during deployment. Differences in symptoms and health care utilization in this group of asthmatics were primarily due to subjects with poor baseline control.
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