Anemia and coagulopathy are frequently presented in critically ill patients on the intensive care unit. Scientific use of blood products assist the treatment of critically ill patients. However, life-threatening adverse effects are also a risk. In 2020, the European Society of Critical Care Medicine (ESICM) published a clinical practice guideline on transfusion strategies for non-bleeding critically ill adults in an attempt to resolve the transfusion strategy problems of relevant critically ill patients. This paper interprets the key contents in order to assist Chinese clinicians for better understanding and using of the guideline.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility of hyperinsulinemic normoglycemia strategy in critically ill patients. Methods Between January 2020 and October 2021, the critically ill patients with stress hyperglycemia in the Emergency Intensive Care Unit of the Fourth People’s Hospital of Langfang were randomly assigned into a trial group or a control group. The trial group adopted hyperinsulinemic normoglycemia therapy, while the control group adopted conventional glucose control therapy. The mean and variability (standard deviation) of blood glucose, incidences of severe hypoglycemia and abnormal hyperglycemia, as well as the percentage of blood glucose values within the target range were compared between the two groups, to evaluate the feasibility of hyperinsulinemic normoglycemia strategy in critically ill patients from the perspective of safety and effectiveness. The non-normally distributed measurement data were presented as median (lower quartile, upper quartile). Results A total of eighty patients were included, with forty cases in each group. The mean blood glucose level [6.00 (5.74, 6.70) vs. 9.51 (8.74, 10.01) mmol/L, P<0.001], the standard deviation of glucose level [1.58 (1.11, 2.15) vs. 2.20 (1.21, 2.76) mmol/L, P=0.028], and the glycemic lability index [175.52 (100.51, 346.69) vs. 408.51 (205.56, 651.91) mmol2/(L2·h·d), P<0.001] were all smaller in the trial group than those in the control group. The percentage of blood glucose values within the target range was 77.34% in the trial group and 5.33% in the control group, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). No patients experienced severe hypoglycemia. There was a significant difference in the incidence of abnormal hyperglycemia between the two groups (5.08% vs. 36.16%, P<0.001). Conclusions Hyperinsulinemic normoglycemia strategy can effectively and safely provide normoglycemia, reduce glycemic variability, and achieve good glycemic control in critically ill patients. Hyperinsulinemic normoglycemia strategy may be a new approach to glycemic control in critically ill patients.
Objective To explore the effects of different intensity of inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary function, hospitalisation time and quality of life of critically ill patients. Methods A total of 42 patients were included in the intensive care ward, high dependency ward, and cardiac surgery ward of the Southern Theatre General Hospital from January 2023 to June 2023, and were randomly divided into 14 cases in the control group, 14 cases in the low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group, and 14 cases in the moderate-intensity inspiratory muscle training group; conventional treatment was used for the control group, and 20% of the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) was added as the starting threshold load for inspiratory muscle training for the patients of the low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group on the basis of conventional treatment. In the control group, conventional treatment was used; in the low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group, 20% of the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) was added to the conventional treatment as the starting threshold load for inspiratory muscle training; in the medium-intensity inspiratory muscle training group, 40% of the MIP was added to the conventional treatment as the starting threshold load for inspiratory muscle training; and the maximal inspiratory pressure, exertional lung capacity, diaphragm thickness and mobility, hospital stay and quality of life were evaluated after 6 weeks of training. Results A total of 40 patients completed the training, and the three groups showed statistically significant differences in MIP (P<0.05) and statistically significant differences in exertional lung capacity (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in diaphragm thickness (P=0.566), and diaphragm mobility was lower in the control group than in the low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group (P=0.021), and there was also a difference between the low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group and the moderate-intensity inspiratory muscle training group (P=0.036); there was a difference in the length of stay in the care unit among the three groups (P=0.034), and there was no statistically different (P=0.149), and the duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the moderate intensity inspiratory muscle training group compared to the control group (P=0.016). Medium-intensity inspiratory muscle training can significantly improve patients' quality of life compared with the control group and low-intensity inspiratory muscle training group (P<0.05). Conclusions Both low-intensity inspiratory muscle training and moderate-intensity inspiratory muscle training can enhance the lung function of critically ill patients, improve their diaphragm mobility, and promote their pulmonary rehabilitation. Medium-intensity inspiratory muscle training was significantly better than low-intensity inspiratory muscle training in improving the lung function of patients. Moreover, moderate-intensity inspiratory muscle training may have positive significance in improving patients' quality of life and shortening their hospitalisation time.
Objective To determine the incidence of vitamin B1 deficiency in critically ill patients, to compare vitamin B1 levels between septic and non-septic patients, and to explore the relationship between vitamin B1 levels and lactate levels. Methods Using a retrospective study method, critically ill patients admitted to the Department of Intensive Care of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from February 2022 to November 2022 were included in the study, and the patients were divided into sepsis and non-sepsis groups according to the admission diagnosis, and the differences in the vitamin B1 levels of the patients between the two groups were analyzed, as well as the correlation between the vitamin B1 levels and the lactic acid levels. Results There was a significant difference in serum vitamin B1 levels between the sepsis patients and the non-sepsis patients [(1.6±0.3)ng/mL vs. (2.1±0.2)ng/mL, P=0. 009]. For all patients, there was no correlation between vitamin B1 levels and lactate levels. But when the patient was in a hyperlactate state (lactate level ≥2 mmol/L), vitamin B1 levels were significantly negatively correlated with lactate levels (r=–0. 229, P=0. 004). Conclusions Vitamin B1 deficiency is prevalent in critically ill patients and is strongly correlated with whether or not the patient is septic. Vitamin B1 levels are significantly and negatively correlated with lactate levels when the patient's lactate level is ≥2 mmol/L.
Objectives To explore the characteristics of thrombosis in critically ill patients with Omicron infection and the therapeutic value of prophylactic low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) treatment. MethodsA single center, retrospective cohort study included critically ill adult patients with Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from December 7, 2022, to February 8, 2023. The patients were categorized into two groups based prophylactic LMWH. Propensity score (PS) matching was used to match patients (1: 1 ratio) based on the predefined criteria. General clinical information and laboratory parameters were compared. This study was retrospectively registered at Chinese Clinical Trail Registry (ChiCTR2300067434). ResultsFour hundred and fifty-two patients and 360 patients were included before and after PS matching. There were no statistical differences in mortality, the incidence of pulmonary embolism, arterial thrombosis or bleeding between the anticoagulation group and non-coagulation group before and after PS matching. There were 91 thrombotic events in 82 patients (18.14%), of which 54 cases (59.34%) were lower limb intermuscular vein thrombosis, 3 cases (3.30%) were pulmonary embolism, 14 cases (15.38%) were acute myocardial infarction and 3 cases (3.30%) were acute cerebral infarction. The thrombotic event resulted in the death of 5 patients. D-dimer increased in 385 cases (85.56%). On the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th day, the concentration of D-dimer in the anticoagulant group was higher than that in the non-anticoagulant group (P=0.006, 0.001, 0.024 and 0.006, respectively). ConclusionsAlthough thrombosis and coagulation disorders are still common complications of COVID-19, it is not the direct cause of most death in COVID-19 patients caused by Omicron. The role of prophylactic anticoagulation treatment for Omicron-infected patients needs further study.