Rationale The prevalence of burnout among critical care professionals during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic varies in different countries. Objectives To investigate the prevalence of burnout and turnover intention in Japanese critical care professionals in March 2021. Methods This cross-sectional study used a web-based survey of Japanese critical care professionals working in 15 intensive care units in 15 prefectures. Burnout was measured using the Mini Z 2.0 Survey. Intention to leave (turnover intention) was assessed by survey. Resilience was measured using the Brief Resilience Scale (Japanese version). Demographics and personal and workplace characteristics were also collected. Results Of 1,205 critical care professionals approached, 936 (77.6%) completed the survey. Among these, 24.3%, 20.6%, and 14.2% reported symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety, respectively. A total of 157 respondents (16.8%) reported turnover intention. On multivariate analysis, higher resilience scores (odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84–0.95; and OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.96) and perceived support from the hospital (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44–0.93; and OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.40–0.73) were associated with a lower odds of burnout and turnover intention, respectively. Conclusions Approximately 24% and 17% of the Japanese critical care professionals surveyed had symptoms of burnout and turnover intention from critical care, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such professionals require organizational support to cultivate both individual and organizational resilience to reduce burnout and turnover intention.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of cough strength is clinically important, especially for patients with neuromuscular disorders and before extubation of mechanically ventilated patients. The pressure gradient between the airway and thoracoabdominal cavities during the cough expiratory phase generates cough flow and passive cephalic movement of the diaphragm. We hypothesized that passive diaphragmatic cephalic excursion, peak velocity, or both during cough expiration might predict cough peak flow (CPF). This physiologic study investigated associations of CPF with simultaneously measured ultrasonographic indices in healthy adults during the cough expiratory phase. METHODS: 56 healthy adults participated in this study. Right hemidiaphragm excursion and peak velocity were measured with ultrasonography during voluntary cough expiration with maximum effort. CPF was simultaneously measured for all coughs along with the ultrasonographic measurements. A linear regression model was used to determine whether ultrasonographic indices predicted CPF. RESULTS: Simple regression analysis showed significant associations between excursion and CPF in men and women (P < .001, beta coefficient 37.8, 95% CI 10.9-64.7, adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.195 for men; P < .001, beta coefficient 46.1, 95% CI 22.3-69.9, adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.386 for women). A multiple regression model adjusted for age, height, and sex showed a significant association between CPF and excursion (P < .001, adjusted beta coefficient 38.32, 95% CI 21.20-55.44, adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.643). Simple regression analysis showed a significant association between diaphragmatic peak velocity and CPF only in women (P ‫؍‬ .004, beta coefficient 5.07, 95% CI 1.81-8.33, adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.280 for women). CONCLUSIONS: Passive cephalic excursion of the diaphragm during the cough expiratory phase significantly predicted CPF with maximum cough effort in healthy adults. Future studies should investigate the relationship between CPF and excursion in persons with respiratory and neuromuscular disorders.

Background: Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis is a critical clinical presentation that can occur during treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. However, little is known regarding how a low-carbohydrate diet in combination with this treatment can increase the risk for this condition. Here, we report a case of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in a patient treated with sodiumglucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors after initiation of a low-carbohydrate diet. Case Presentation: A 54-year-old woman who was taking canagliflozin was transferred to our hospital with severe dyspnea. She had been started on a strict low-carbohydrate diet for 6 days before admission. Laboratory evaluation revealed severe ketoacidosis and a blood glucose level of 196 mg/dL. After her symptoms improved, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Although low-carbohydrate diets are recommended for patients with diabetes mellitus, physicians should exercise great caution in recommending low-carbohydrate diets to patients undergoing treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: A cough peak flow (CPF) of < 60 L/min was associated with increased risk of extubation failure after a successful spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). Passive cephalic excursion of the diaphragm (PCED), measured by ultrasonography during cough expiration, was reported to predict CPF in healthy adults. We hypothesized that PCED, diaphragm peak velocity, or both during cough, as measured by ultrasonography, might predict CPF and extubation outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients. This study attempted to identify associations of diaphragm movement during cough, as assessed by ultrasonography with simultaneously measured CPF, and to determine predictive values of ultrasonographic indices for extubation outcomes after a successful SBT. METHODS: In the study, 252 mechanically ventilated subjects with a successful SBT were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Right hemidiaphragm passive cephalic excursion and peak velocity were measured by ultrasonography during voluntary cough expiration with maximum effort. CPF was measured simultaneously by ultrasonography. RESULTS: A multiple regression model adjusted for age and sex showed a significant association between PCED and CPF (P < .001, adjusted b coefficient 11.4, 95% CI 8.88-14.0, adjusted R 2 5 0.287) and between diaphragm peak velocity and CPF (P < .001, adjusted b coefficient 1.71, 95% CI 1.91-2.24, adjusted R 2 5 0.235). The areas under the curves of PCED, diaphragm peak velocity, and CPF for extubation failure were 0.791 (95% Cl 0.668-0.914), 0.587 (95% Cl 0.426-0.748), and 0.765 (95% Cl 0.609-0.922), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PCED on ultrasonography was significantly associated with CPF and extubation failure after a successful SBT. Future studies should investigate if this method is applicable for determination of tracheostomy decannulation in stable patients in general wards.

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