Sepsis is a common cause of critical illness in patients with cancer and remains associated with high mortality. Variables related to underlying malignancy, sepsis severity, and characteristics of infection are associated with a grim prognosis.

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Objective To evaluate differences in outcomes for an optimized calorie and high protein nutrition therapy versus standard nutrition care in critically ill adult patients. Methods We randomized patients expected to stay in the intensive care unit for at least 3 days. In the optimized calorie and high protein nutrition group, caloric intake was determined by indirect calorimetry, and protein intake was established at 2.0 to 2.2g/kg/day. The control group received 25kcal/kg/day of calories and 1.4 to 1.5g/kg/day protein. The primary outcome was the physical component summary score obtained at 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included handgrip strength at intensive care unit discharge, duration of mechanical ventilation and hospital mortality. Results In total, 120 patients were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference between the two groups in calories received. However, the amount of protein received by the optimized calorie and high protein nutrition group was significantly higher compared with the control group. The physical component summary score at 3 and 6 months did not differ between the two groups nor did secondary outcomes. However, after adjusting for covariates, a negative delta protein (protein received minus predetermined protein requirement) was associated with a lower physical component summary score at 3 and 6 months postrandomization. Conclusion In this study optimized calorie and high protein strategy did not appear to improve physical quality of life compared with standard nutrition care. However, after adjusting for covariates, a negative delta protein was associated with a lower physical component summary score at 3 and 6 months postrandomization. This association exists independently of the method of calculation of protein target.

-Objective: To compare intensive insulin therapy to conventional glycemic control in patients with acute neurological injury evaluating neurological outcome and morbimortality. Method: Patients with two glycemias above 150 mg/dL 12 hours after admission were randomized to receive intensive insulin therapy (G1) or conventional treatment (G2). We evaluated a subgroup of patients with acute brain injury from July, 2004 to June, 2006. Results: G1 patients (n=31) received 70.5 (45.1-87.5) units of insulin/ day while G2 patients (n=19) received 2 (0.6-14.1) units/day (p<0.0001). The median glycemia was comparable in both groups (p=0.16). Hypoglycemia occurred in 2 patients (6.4%) in G1 and in 1 patient (5.8%) in G2 (p=1.0). Mortality in G1 was of 25.8% and of 35.2% in G2 (relative reduction of 27%). Neurological outcome was similar in both groups. Conclusion: A less strict intensive insulin therapy can reduce hypoglycemia and still maintain its benefits.

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BackgroundCognitive dysfunction is an important long-term complication of critical illness associated with reduced quality of life, increase in healthcare costs, and institutionalization. Delirium, an acute form of brain dysfunction that is common during critical illness has been shown to be associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of cognitive dysfunction in an unselected population of medical and surgical ICU patients.MethodsThis prospective observational cohort study included all adult patients admitted to the surgical (13 beds) and medical (32 beds) ICUs of a tertiary hospital over a 12-month period. Patients with impaired cognition were excluded. At least 3 months after hospital discharge, patients were assessed for cognition using a validated battery of tests and were classified as having no cognitive impairment, mild to moderate cognitive impairment, or severe cognitive impairment.ResultsFour hundred thirteen patients were tested an average of 11 (3–18) months after discharge. Fifty-five (13.3%) patients included in the follow-up cohort had delirium. Cognitive impairment was identified in 206 (49.9%) patients, 120 (29.1%) patients had mild or moderate cognitive impairment, and 86 (20%) patients had severe cognitive dysfunction.ConclusionsThis investigation in an unselected and lower severity population of critically ill patients demonstrates that cognitive dysfunction is a frequent and severe long-term complication.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a tendência da concentração plasmática e do clearance de procalcitonina (PCT-c) como biomarcadores de prognóstico de pacientes com sepse grave e choque séptico, comparado a um outro marcador precoce de prognóstico representado pelo número de critérios de SIRS no momento do diagnóstico da sepse. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectivo observacional onde foram incluídos pacientes com sepse grave e choque séptico. A concentração sérica de procalcitonina foi determinada no momento do diagnóstico da sepse e após 24 e 48 horas. Foram coletados dados demográficos, escore APACHE IV, escore SOFA na chegada, número de critérios de SIRS no momento do diagnóstico, sitio da infecção e resultados microbiológicos. RESULTADOS: Vinte e oito pacientes foram incluídos, 19 clínicos e nove cirúrgicos. Em 13 (46,4%) a fonte da sepse foi pulmonar, em sete abdominal (25,0%), em cinco urinária (17,9%) e de partes moles em três casos (10,7%). Quinze pacientes tinham sepse grave e 13 choque séptico. A mortalidade global foi cinco pacientes (17,9%), três deles com choque séptico. Vinte e oito determinações de PCT foram realizadas no momento do diagnóstico da sepse, 27 após 24 horas e 26 após 48 horas. A concentração inicial não se mostrou expressivamente diferente entre os grupos sobreviventes e não sobreviventes, mas as diferenças entre os dois grupos após 24 e 48 horas alcançaram significância estatística expressiva. Não se observou diferença em relação ao número de critérios de SIRS. O clearance de procalcitonina de 24 horas mostrou-se expressivamente mais elevado no grupo de sobreviventes (-3,0 versus -300,0, p=0,028). Embora o clearance de procalcitonina de 48 horas tenha mostrado resultado mais elevado no grupo de sobreviventes comparado aos não sobreviventes, a diferença não alcançou significância estatística. CONCLUSÃO: Concentrações persistentemente elevadas de procalcitonina no plasma, assim como, redução do PCT-c 24 horas, associaram-se à elevação expressiva da mortalidade de pacientes com sepse grave e choque séptico.