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Although the pregnant population was affected by early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing transmission and severity due to new viral variants has resulted in an increased incidence of severe illness during pregnancy in many regions. Critical illness and respiratory failure are relatively uncommon occurrences during pregnancy, and there are limited high-quality data to direct management. This paper reviews the current literature on COVID-19 management as it relates to pregnancy, and provides an overview of critical care support in these patients. COVID-19 drug therapy is similar to that used in the non-pregnant patient, including anti-inflammatory therapy with steroids and IL-6 inhibitors, although safety data are limited for antiviral drugs such as remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies. As both pregnancy and COVID-19 are thrombogenic, thromboprophylaxis is essential. Endotracheal intubation is a higher risk during pregnancy, but mechanical ventilation should follow usual principles. ICU management should be directed at optimizing maternal well-being, which in turn will benefit the fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tocilizumab is a monoclonal antibody that interrupts interleukin-6 signalling, reducing downstream effects on inflammation and the innate immune response. It was shown to reduce mortality in patients with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pregnant and breastfeeding people were largely excluded from clinical trials and hence, the extent to which results can be applied to these populations is not clear. To synthesize published data on tocilizumab in pregnancy and lactation, highlight important knowledge gaps, and help inform clinical decision-making about tocilizumab's use in these populations with COVID-19. PubMed was searched for studies evaluating tocilizumab in pregnancy and lactation for COVID-19 and other indications. Literature on pharmacokinetics and reproductive/fetal safety of monoclonal antibodies in general was also sought. The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency guidance for the industry and regulatory approval documents were reviewed. Published data on tocilizumab in pregnancy include 610 cases (n = 20 with COVID-19) together with seven mother–infant breastfeeding pairs. Higher rates of spontaneous abortion and premature birth have been reported compared with the general population, but multiple confounding variables limit interpretation. There is little data on tocilizumab exposure in the second and third trimesters when transplacental transport is highest. The effects of tocilizumab on the developing immune system are unclear. Pregnant patients with COVID-19 who received tocilizumab were often critically ill and corticosteroid use was uncommon. Neonatal follow up was limited. Tocilizumab appears to be compatible with breastfeeding. Although the available data do not raise serious safety signals, they have significant limitations and are not sufficient to delineate the complete spectrum of potential adverse outcomes that may be associated with tocilizumab exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Diligent follow up and documentation of pregnancy outcomes will be important moving forward. A more effective regulatory framework to ensure equitable inclusion of pregnant people in research is clearly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory failure affects up to 1 in 500 pregnancies, more commonly in the postpartum period. The causes of respiratory failure include several pregnancy-specific conditions such as preeclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism, and peripartum cardiomyopathy. Pregnancy may also increase the risk or severity of other conditions, such as asthma, thromboembolism, viral pneumonitis, and gastric acid aspiration. Changes to maternal respiratory physiology and the presence of a fetus may affect the assessment and management of these patients. In addition to identifying pregnancy-specific causes, some differences exist in the management of the pregnant woman with acute respiratory failure. Endotracheal intubation in pregnancy carries a significant risk, due to upper airway edema and rapid oxygen desaturation following apnea. Few studies have addressed prolonged mechanical ventilation management in pregnancy. Optimizing oxygenation is important, but whether permissive hypercapnia is tolerated during pregnancy remains unclear. Delivery of the fetus is often considered but does not always improve maternal respiratory function and should be reserved only for cases where benefit to the fetus is anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory failure affects up to 0.2% of pregnancies, more commonly in the postpartum period. Altered maternal respiratory physiology affects the assessment and management of these patients. Respiratory failure may result from pregnancy-specific conditions such as preeclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism or peripartum cardiomyopathy. Pregnancy may increase the risk or severity of other conditions, including thromboembolism, asthma, viral pneumonitis, and gastric acid aspiration. Management during pregnancy is similar to the nonpregnant patient. Endotracheal intubation in pregnancy carries an increased risk, due to airway edema and rapid oxygen desaturation following apnea. Few data are available to direct prolonged mechanical ventilation in pregnancy. Chest wall compliance is reduced, perhaps permitting slightly higher airway pressures. Optimizing oxygenation is important, but data on the use of permissive hypercapnia are limited. Delivery of the fetus does not always improve maternal respiratory function, but should be considered if benefit to the fetus is anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Restrictive Lung Disease in Pregnancy" by Stephen E. Lapinsky and colleagues is presented.

Aims. To characterise the nursing practices of vital signs collection and documentation in a general internal medicine environment to inform strategies for improving workflow design. Background. Clinical workflow analysis is critical to identify barriers and opportunities in current processes. Analysis can guide the design and development of novel technological solutions to produce greater efficiencies and effectiveness in healthcare delivery. Research surrounding vital signs documentation workflow in general internal medicine environments has received very little attention making it difficult to compare the effectiveness of new technologies. Design. Qualitative ethnographic analyses and quantitative time-motion study were conducted. Methods. Workflows of 24 nurses at three hospitals in five general internal medicine environments were captured, and timeliness of vital signs assessment and documentation was measured. Results. Clinical assessment of vital signs was consistent, but the documentation process was highly variable within groups and between hospitals. Two themes characterised workflow barriers surrounding point-of-care documentation. First, a lack of standardised documentation methods for vital signs resulted in higher rates of transcription, increasing not only the likelihood of errors but delays in recording and accessibility of information. Second, despite advancements in electronic documentation systems, the observed system was not conducive to point-of-care documentation. Average electronic documentation was significantly longer than paper documentation. Nurses developed ad hoc workarounds that were inefficient and undermined the intent of electronic documentation. Conclusion. We have identified barriers and opportunities to improve the efficiency of nursing vital signs documentation. Changes in technology, workflows and environmental design allow for significant improvements and deserve further exploration. Relevance to clinical practice. Attention to clinical practice and environments can improve the workflow of prompt vital signs documentation and increase clinical productivity and timeliness of information for clinical decisions, as well as minimising transcription errors leading to safer patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which described the baseline characteristics, treatment and outcomes of consecutive critically ill patients in Mexican hospitals that treated the majority of such patients with confirmed, probable, or suspected 2009 influenza A(H1N1) infections. The study used 58 critically ill patients with A(H1N1) infections between March 24 and June 1, 2009 at six hospitals. A piloted case report form was used in collecting demographic data, symptoms, comorbid conditions, illness progressions, treatments and clinical outcomes. The study observed the occurrence of critical illness in 58 of 899 patients admitted to the hospital with the virus.

Background: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a data-rich environment where information technology (IT) may enhance patient care. We surveyed ICUs in the province of Ontario, Canada, to determine the availability, implementation and variability of information systems. Methods: A self-administered internet-based survey was completed by ICU directors between May and October 2006. We measured the spectrum of ICU clinical data accessible electronically, the availability of decision support tools, the availability of electronic imaging systems for radiology, the use of electronic order entry and medication administration systems, and the availability of hardware and wireless or mobile systems. We used Fisher's Exact tests to compare IT availability and Classification and Regression Trees (CART) to estimate the optimal cut-point for the number of computers per ICU bed. Results: We obtained responses from 50 hospitals (68.5% of institutions with level 3 ICUs), of which 21 (42%) were university-affiliated. The majority electronically accessed laboratory data and imaging reports (92%) and used picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) (76%). Other computing functions were less prevalent (medication administration records 46%, physician or nursing notes 26%; medication order entry 22%). No association was noted between IT availability and ICU size or university affiliation. Sites used clinical information systems from15 different vendors and 8 different PACS systems were in use. Half of the respondents described the number of computers available as insufficient. Wireless networks and mobile computing systems were used in 23 ICUs (46%). Conclusion: Ontario ICUs demontrate a high prevalence of the use of basic information technology systems. However, implementation of the more complex and potentially more beneficial applications is low. The wide variation in vendors utilized may impair information exchange, interoperability and uniform data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: critical care; high-risk pregnancy; intensive care; maternal morbidity; maternal mvortality; risk prediction; severity of illness EN critical care high-risk pregnancy intensive care maternal morbidity maternal mvortality risk prediction severity of illness 765 766 2 04/21/20 20200501 NES 200501 Maternal mortality represents a catastrophic end to pregnancy, with marked heterogeneity in frequency occurring across the world. In this issue of I Critical Care Medicine i , the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) have used their large Case Mix Program database (CMPDB) from United Kingdom, Wales, and Northern Ireland to develop a risk prediction model for the pregnant patient by Simpson et al ([5]). Mortality of pregnant ICU patients in the CMPDB was 1.7%, lower than the systematic review which reported a mortality in pregnant ICU patients of 3.4% in developed countries and 14% in developing countries ([2]). [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: To provide an up-to-date review of the literature on the assessment and management of pulmonary and cardiac conditions that may affect women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.Design: A review of the current literature was performed.Results: Pregnancy may be complicated by a variety of pregnancy-specific and other cardiopulmonary complications. Management requires knowledge of the cardiopulmonary physiologic changes occurring in pregnancy, the pregnancy-specific conditions that may occur, and the effect of a fetus on maternal care.Conclusions: Admission of the pregnant or postpartum woman to the intensive care unit is uncommon but may require specialized knowledge for successful management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly recognized infectious disease capable of causing severe respiratory failure. Objective: To determine the epidemiological features, course, and outcomes of patients with SARS-related critical illness. Design, Setting, and Patients: Retrospective case series of 38 adult patients with SARS-related critical illness admitted to 13 intensive care units (ICUs) in the Toronto area between the onset of the outbreak and April 15, 2003. Data were collected daily during the first 7 days in the ICUs, and patients were followed up for 28 days. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was mortality at 28 days after ICU admission. Secondary outcomes included rate of SARS-related critical illness, number of tertiary care ICUs and staff placed under quarantine, and number of health care workers (HCWs) contracting SARS secondary to ICU-acquired transmission. Results: Of 196 patients with SARS, 38 (19%) became critically ill, 7 (18%) of whom were HCWs. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of the 38 patients was 57.4 (39.0-69.6) years. The median (IQR) duration between initial symptoms and admission to the ICU was 8 (5-10) days. Twenty-nine (76%) required mechanical ventilation and 10 of these (34%) experienced barotrauma. Mortality at 28 days was 13 (34%) of 38 patients and for those requiring mechanical ventilation, mortality was 13 (45%) of 29. Six patients (16%) remained mechanically ventilated at 28 days. Two of these patients had died by 8 weeks' follow-up. Patients who died were more often older, had preexisting diabetes mellitus, and on admission to hospital were more likely to have bilateral radiographic infiltrates. Transmission of SARS in 6 study ICUs led to closure of 73 medical-surgical ICU beds. In 2 university ICUs, 164 HCWs were quarantined and 16 (10%) developed SARS. Conclusions: Critical illness was common among patients with SARS. Affected patients had primarily single-organ respiratory failure... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a contagious viral illness first recognized in late 2002. It has now been documented in 26 countries worldwide, with significant outbreaks in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto. Research into identifying the etiological agent, evaluating modes of disease transmission, and treatment options is currently ongoing.Discussion: The disease can produce a severe bilateral pneumonia, with progressive hypoxemia. Up to 20% of patients require mechanical ventilatory support, with a fatal outcome occurring in about 5% of cases.Conclusions: We review the current knowledge about this disease, with particular emphasis on ICU management and infection control precautions to prevent disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the feasibility of incorporating hand-held computing technology in a surgical residency program in Toronto, Ontario. Presentation of procedural data via Internet; Utilization of procedure logging system; Benefits of the device.

Mounting evidence suggests that pregnant people have an elevated risk of severe COVID-19-related complications compared with their non-pregnant counterparts, underscoring the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies. However, despite progress in innovative and flexible trial designs during the COVID-19 pandemic, regressive policies excluding pregnant and breastfeeding people from biomedical research persist. Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral, was the first drug licensed for the treatment of COVID-19, based on data showing it reduced the time to recovery in hospitalized patients. Pregnant and breastfeeding people were specifically excluded from all clinical trials of remdesivir in COVID-19, but data are accumulating from post-marketing registries, compassionate use programmes and case series/reports. In this review we synthesize these data and highlight key knowledge gaps to help inform clinical decision-making about its use in pregnancy and lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on the results of the study by J. Rojas-Suarez and colleagues on severity-of-illness scores in critically ill pregnant patients. He discusses how the study was conducted which involved 726 patients in Cartagena, Colombia. He offers information on the application of severity-of-illness scores in critical care medicine. The results reportedly revealed that severity-of-illness scores can accurately identify patients who are at risk of mortality.

The author reflects on the study which investigates the risk of lung injury during pregnancy in a rabbit model. He describes the two-hit mechanism as demonstrated in the study which involves the induction of hemorrhagic shock followed by resuscitation. He stresses that acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurred 10 times more frequently in pregnat women compared to the general population.

The author comments on a study which analysed a cohort of pregnant women who developed critical illness as a result of pandemic H1N1 infection in 2009. He discusses the changes that occur to a woman's immune system to facilitate tolerance of paternally derived fetal antigens during pregnancy. He presents an overview of studies reported by public health agencies in the U.S. on pregnant patients with 2009 H1N1 infection from early on in the pandemic. The author also cites the benefits of being vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 strain.

The article focuses on pregnancy-related admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) with emphasis on the quality of care given to fetuses of critically ill mothers. It cites an overview of the study conducted by several researchers and their utilization of analysis tools and associated materials in identifying risk factors, behavior mechanisms and other conditions related to efficient health care delivery. It also discusses the investigations conducted to construe interventions in these cases.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Fluid management in pre-eclampsia" by J. Anthony and L. K. Schoeman in the volume six of the 2014 issue.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Management of acute asthma in adults in the emergency department: assisted ventilation," by R. Hodder and colleagues.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "A comparison of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation and conventional mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure," by M. Antonelli, et al., in the August 13, 1998 issue.

A research letter to the editor is presented on the effects of positive-pressure ventilation on patients who have had a cardiac arrest.

Objective: Fluids and vasoactive agents are both used to treat septic shock, but little is known about how they interact or the optimal way to administer them. We sought to determine how hospital mortality was influenced by combined use of these two treatments. Design: Retrospective evaluation using multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between hospital mortality and categorical variables representing initiation of vasoactive agents and volumes of IV fluids given 0 -1 ,1 -6 , and 6 -2 4 hours after onset, including interactions and adjusting for potential confounders. Setting: ICUs of 24 hospitals in 3 countries. Patients: Two thousand eight hundred forty-nine patients who survived more than 24 hours after after onset of septic shock, admitted between 1989 and 2007. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Fluids and vasoactive agents had strong, interacting associations with mortality (p < 0.0001). Mortality was lowest when vasoactive agents were begun 1 -6 hours after onset, with more than 1 L of fluids in the initial hour after shock onset, more than 2.4 L from hours 1 -6 , and 1.6-3.5 L from 6 to 24 hours. The lowest mortality rates were associated with starting vasoactive agents 1-6 hours after onset. Conclusions: The focus during the first hour of resuscitation for septic shock should be aggressive fluid administration, only thereafter starting vasoactive agents, while continuing aggressive fluid administration. Starting vasoactive agents in the initial hour may be detrimental, and not all of that association is due to less fluids being given with such early initiation of vasoactive agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Fluids and vasoactive agents are both used to treat septic shock, but little is known about how they interact or the optimal way to administer them. We sought to determine how hospital mortality was influenced by combined use of these two treatments. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation using multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between hospital mortality and categorical variables representing initiation of vasoactive agents and volumes of IV fluids given 0-1, 1-6, and 6-24 hours after onset, including interactions and adjusting for potential confounders. SETTING: ICUs of 24 hospitals in 3 countries. PATIENTS: Two thousand eight hundred forty-nine patients who survived more than 24 hours after after onset of septic shock, admitted between 1989 and 2007. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fluids and vasoactive agents had strong, interacting associations with mortality (p < 0.0001). Mortality was lowest when vasoactive agents were begun 1-6 hours after onset, with more than 1 L of fluids in the initial hour after shock onset, more than 2.4 L from hours 1-6, and 1.6-3.5 L from 6 to 24 hours. The lowest mortality rates were associated with starting vasoactive agents 1-6 hours after onset. CONCLUSIONS: The focus during the first hour of resuscitation for septic shock should be aggressive fluid administration, only thereafter starting vasoactive agents, while continuing aggressive fluid administration. Starting vasoactive agents in the initial hour may be detrimental, and not all of that association is due to less fluids being given with such early initiation of vasoactive agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research benefits from the incorporation of patient-important outcomes. We interviewed individuals after a critical illness during pregnancy to identify outcomes for the development of a core outcome set (COS).Participants were identified through intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in Toronto, Canada, and Barranquilla, Colombia. Interviewers used a semi-structured guide, and discussions were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts underwent inductive thematic analysis to delineate themes and patient-important outcomes.Twelve individuals were interviewed. Twenty-six patient-important outcomes were elicited, which represented the core outcome areas of mortality (n = 1), physiological/clinical outcomes (n = 7), functioning and life impact (n = 13), resource use (n = 4) and adverse events (n = 1). These related to five identified themes of mental well-being, quality of care delivered, clinicians’ communication, regaining functional independence and mother–newborn separation.This qualitative study identified patient-important outcomes from persons with lived experience of critical illness in pregnancy which will inform the development of a COS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe complications of infectious diseases can occur during pregnancy. Evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies are critical to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Despite this medical need, pregnant and breastfeeding people have been systematically excluded from biomedical research. The objective of this study was to characterize representation of pregnant and breastfeeding people in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating a broad range of interventions for infectious diseases. Pregnancy and breastfeeding inclusion criteria were examined in infectious diseases RCTs published between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2019, in the top five highest impact general medicine and the top three highest impact infectious diseases and HIV journals. Of 376 RCTs, 5.3% and 1.9% included pregnant and breastfeeding people, respectively. Justification for exclusion was documented in 36/271 (13.3%) studies that explicitly excluded pregnant people. Most studies excluding pregnant people (177/271, 65.3%) required at least one form of contraception, abstinence and/or negative pregnancy test(s) as part of participation. Only 11/271 (4.1%) studies excluding pregnant people allowed participants to continue the intervention if unintended pregnancy occurred during the study. When both pregnant and non-pregnant people were eligible, pregnant people made up <3% of participants. Only 2/48 (4.2%) vaccine studies included pregnant people; 13/234 (5.5%) drug studies included pregnant people. All studies of procedures, devices, behaviour/education and supplements/vitamins explicitly excluded or did not address pregnancy eligibility criteria. Only 2/20 (10.0%) RCTs including pregnant people collected pharmacokinetic data. This study demonstrates widespread exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding people from infectious disease RCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines whether knowledge of troponin values has an effect on interpretation agreement of intra and inter-rater electrocardiogram data derived from patients with myocardial ischemia and suffering from septic shock. According to the authors, among patients with septic shock, inter-rater agreement of electrocardiogram interpretation for myocardial ischemia was found to be relatively fair. They add that troponin value knowledge also helped in achieving interpretation agreement.

Excluding pregnant people from Covid‐19 clinical trials may lead to unintended harmful consequences. For this study, an online questionnaire was sent to physicians belonging to Canadian professional medical associations in order to evaluate their perspectives on the participation of pregnant women in Covid‐19 clinical trials. The majority of respondents expressed support for including pregnant women in Covid‐19 trials (119/165; 72%), especially those investigating therapies with a prior safety record in pregnancy (139/164; 85%). The main perceived barriers to inclusion identified were unwillingness of pregnant patients to participate and of treating teams to offer participation, the burden of regulatory approval, and a general "culture of exclusion" of pregnant women from trials. We describe why some physicians may be reluctant to include pregnant individuals in trials, and we identify barriers to the appropriate participation of pregnant people in clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Antimicrobial stewardship is advocated to reduce antimicrobial resistance in ICUs by reducing unnecessary antimicrobial consumption. Evidence has been limited to short, single-center studies. We evaluated whether antimicrobial stewardship in ICUs could reduce antimicrobial consumption and costs.Design: We conducted a phased, multisite cohort study of a quality improvement initiative.Setting: Antimicrobial stewardship was implemented in four academic ICUs in Toronto, Canada beginning in February 2009 and ending in July 2012.Patients: All patients admitted to each ICU from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2015, were included.Interventions: Antimicrobial stewardship was delivered using in-person coaching by pharmacists and physicians three to five times weekly, and supplemented with unit-based performance reports. Total monthly antimicrobial consumption (measured by defined daily doses/100 patient-days) and costs (Canadian dollars/100 patient-days) before and after antimicrobial stewardship implementation were measured.Measurements and Main Results: A total of 239,123 patient-days (57,195 patients) were analyzed, with 148,832 patient-days following introduction of antimicrobial stewardship. Antibacterial use decreased from 120.90 to 110.50 defined daily dose/100 patient-days following introduction of antimicrobial stewardship (adjusted intervention effect -12.12 defined daily dose/100 patient-days; 95% CI, -16.75 to -7.49; p < 0.001) and total antifungal use decreased from 30.53 to 27.37 defined daily doses/100 patient-days (adjusted intervention effect -3.16 defined daily dose/100 patient-days; 95% CI, -8.33 to 0.04; p = 0.05). Monthly antimicrobial costs decreased from $3195.56 to $1998.59 (adjusted intervention effect -$642.35; 95% CI, -$905.85 to -$378.84; p < 0.001) and total antifungal costs were unchanged from $1771.86 to $2027.54 (adjusted intervention effect -$355.27; 95% CI, -$837.88 to $127.33; p = 0.15). Mortality remained unchanged, with no consistent effects on antimicrobial resistance and candidemia.Conclusions: Antimicrobial stewardship in ICUs with coaching plus audit and feedback is associated with sustained improvements in antimicrobial consumption and cost. ICUs with high antimicrobial consumption or expenditure should consider implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pregnancy-related critical illness leads to death for 3–14% of affected women. Although identifying patients at risk could facilitate preventive strategies, guide therapy, and help in clinical research, no prior systematic review of this literature exploring the validity of risk prediction models for maternal mortality exists. Therefore, we have systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed risk prediction models for maternal mortality. Methods: Search strategy: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus, from inception to May 2017. Selection criteria: Trials or observational studies evaluating risk prediction models for maternal mortality. Data collection and analysis: Two reviewers independently assessed studies for eligibility and methodological quality, and extracted data on prediction performance. Results: Thirty-eight studies that evaluated 12 different mortality prediction models were included. Mortality varied across the studies, with an average rate 10.4%, ranging from 0 to 41.7%. The Collaborative Integrated Pregnancy High-dependency Estimate of Risk (CIPHER) model and the Maternal Severity Index had the best performance, were developed and validated from studies of obstetric population with a low risk of bias. The CIPHER applies to critically ill obstetric patients (discrimination: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.823 (0.811–0.835), calibration: graphic plot [intercept—0.09, slope 0.92]). The Maternal Severity Index applies to hospitalized obstetric patients (discrimination: AUC 0.826 [0.802–0.851], calibration: standardized mortality ratio 1.02 [0.86–1.20]). Conclusions: Despite the high heterogeneity of the study populations and the limited number of studies validating the finally eligible prediction models, the CIPHER and the Maternal Severity Index are recommended for use among critically ill and hospitalized pregnant and postpartum women for risk adjustment in clinical research and quality improvement studies. Neither index has sufficient discrimination to be applicable for clinical decision making at the individual patient level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a triage-based screening algorithm and treatment order-sets aimed at improving the quality of care of all patients with sepsis presenting to our emergency department (ED).Design: Retrospective cohort study conducted during a pre-intervention period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 and a post-intervention period from 1 September 2014 to 30 April 2015.Setting: A large teaching hospital located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with a 35-bed ED.Participants: All patients meeting pre-specified sepsis criteria during the ED encounter.Main Outcome Measures: Process of care measures included time to assessment by emergency physician, lactate measurement, blood culture collection, fluid and antibiotic administration. Intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes including admissions, length of stay (LOS) and deaths were reviewed.Results: There were 346 patients pre-intervention, and 270 patients post-intervention. We significantly improved all process measures including mean time to antibiotics by 60 min (P = 0.003) and proportion of patients receiving fluid resuscitation (64.7% vs. 94.4%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the number of patients admitted to ICU (P = 0.14). The median ICU LOS was shorter in the post-intervention group [2.0 days (interquartile range (IQR) 1.0-4.5 days) vs. 5.0 days (IQR 1.5-10.8 days), P = 0.04], and there was no difference in in-hospital mortality between groups (P = 0.27).Conclusions: We have demonstrated that a triage-based sepsis screening tool results in expedited and consistent delivery of care, with a significant improvement in initial resuscitation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To characterize current practice in fluid administration and deresuscitation (removal of fluid using diuretics or renal replacement therapy), the relationship between fluid balance, deresuscitative measures, and outcomes and to identify risk factors for positive fluid balance in critical illness.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Setting: Ten ICUs in the United Kingdom and Canada.Patients: Adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation for a minimum of 24 hours.Interventions: None.Measurements and Main Results: Four-hundred patients were included. Positive cumulative fluid balance (fluid input greater than output) occurred in 87.3%: the largest contributions to fluid input were from medications and maintenance fluids rather than resuscitative IV fluids. In a multivariate logistic regression model, fluid balance on day 3 was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (odds ratio 1.26/L [95% CI, 1.07-1.46]), whereas negative fluid balance achieved in the context of deresuscitative measures was associated with lower mortality. Independent predictors of greater fluid balance included treatment in a Canadian site.Conclusions: Fluid balance is a practice-dependent and potentially modifiable risk factor for adverse outcomes in critical illness. Negative fluid balance achieved with deresuscitation on day 3 of ICU stay is associated with improved patient outcomes. Minimization of day 3 fluid balance by limiting maintenance fluid intake and drug diluents, and using deresuscitative measures, represents a potentially beneficial therapeutic strategy which merits investigation in randomized trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Current data on critical illness during pregnancy are insufficient for evidence-based decision making. Core outcome sets are promoted to improve reporting of outcomes important to decision makers. We aim to develop a Core Outcome Set for research on critically ill obstetric patients (COSCO study). Methods We will perform a systematic review of studies on critical illness in pregnancy and focus groups or interviews with women who were critically ill while being pregnant. These data will inform an international Delphi survey where stakeholders will rank proposed outcomes. Selected outcomes will be brought forward to a consensus meeting where core outcomes will be defined. We will then complete a second consensus process to define measures for each core outcome. Conclusion The Core Outcome Set on Critically ill Obstetric patients study aims to develop a set of core outcomes to be part of all studies on critically ill obstetric patients. Implementation of this core outcome set will help improve future research efforts. Trial registration: This study is registered on the COMET-initiative website (COS #916). This systematic review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD #42017071944). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal critical illness occurs in 1.2 to 4.7 of every 1000 live births in the United States and approximately 1 in 100 women who become critically ill will die. Patient characteristics and comorbid conditions are commonly summarized as an index or score for the purpose of predicting the likelihood of dying; however, most such indices have arisen from non-pregnant patient populations. We sought to systematically review comorbidity indices used in health administrative datasets of pregnant women, in order to critically appraise their measurement properties and recommend optimal tools for clinicians and maternal health researchers.Methods: We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies published from 1946 and 1947, respectively, to May 2017 that describe predictive validity of comorbidity indices using health administrative datasets in the field of maternal health research. We applied a methodological PubMed search filter to identify all studies of measurement properties for each index.Results: Our initial search retrieved 8944 citations. The full text of 61 articles were identified and assessed for final eligibility. Finally, two eligible articles, describing three comorbidity indices appropriate for health administrative data remained: The Maternal comorbidity index, the Charlson comorbidity index and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. These studies of identified indices had a low risk of bias. The lack of an established consensus-building methodology in generating each index resulted in marginal sensibility for all indices. Only the Maternal Comorbidity Index was derived and validated specifically from a cohort of pregnant and postpartum women, using an administrative dataset, and had an associated c-statistic of 0.675 (95% Confidence Interval 0.647-0.666) in predicting mortality.Conclusions: Only the Maternal Comorbidity Index directly evaluated measurement properties relevant to pregnant women in health administrative datasets; however, it has only modest predictive ability for mortality among development and validation studies. Further research to investigate the feasibility of applying this index in clinical research, and its reliability across a variety of health administrative datasets would be incrementally helpful. Evolution of this and other tools for risk prediction and risk adjustment in pregnant and post-partum patients is an important area for ongoing study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first scientific statement from the American Heart Association on maternal resuscitation. This document will provide readers with up-to-date and comprehensive information, guidelines, and recommendations for all aspects of maternal resuscitation. Maternal resuscitation is an acute event that involves many subspecialties and allied health providers; this document will be relevant to all healthcare providers who are involved in resuscitation and specifically maternal resuscitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In March 2009, novel 2009 influenza A(H1N1) was first reported in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The population and health care system in Mexico City experienced the first and greatest early burden of critical illness.Objective: To describe baseline characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of consecutive critically ill patients in Mexico hospitals that treated the majority of such patients with confirmed, probable, or suspected 2009 influenza A(H1N1).Design, Setting, and Patients: Observational study of 58 critically ill patients with 2009 influenza A(H1N1) at 6 hospitals between March 24 and June 1, 2009. Demographic data, symptoms, comorbid conditions, illness progression, treatments, and clinical outcomes were collected using a piloted case report form.Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was mortality. Secondary outcomes included rate of 2009 influenza (A)H1N1-related critical illness and mechanical ventilation as well as intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay.Results: Critical illness occurred in 58 of 899 patients (6.5%) admitted to the hospital with confirmed, probable, or suspected 2009 influenza (A)H1N1. Patients were young (median, 44.0 [range, 10-83] years); all presented with fever and all but 1 with respiratory symptoms. Few patients had comorbid respiratory disorders, but 21 (36%) were obese. Time from hospital to ICU admission was short (median, 1 day [interquartile range {IQR}, 0-3 days]), and all patients but 2 received mechanical ventilation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and refractory hypoxemia (median day 1 ratio of Pao(2) to fraction of inspired oxygen, 83 [IQR, 59-145] mm Hg). By 60 days, 24 patients had died (41.4%; 95% confidence interval, 28.9%-55.0%). Patients who died had greater initial severity of illness, worse hypoxemia, higher creatine kinase levels, higher creatinine levels, and ongoing organ dysfunction. After adjusting for a reduced opportunity of patients dying early to receive neuraminidase inhibitors, neuraminidase inhibitor treatment (vs no treatment) was associated with improved survival (odds ratio, 8.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-62.8).Conclusion: Critical illness from 2009 influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico occurred in young individuals, was associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock, and had a high case-fatality rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a threat to healthcare workers. After a brief, unexpected exposure to a patient with SARS, 69 intensive-care staff at risk for SARS were interviewed to evaluate risk factors. SARS developed in seven healthcare workers a median of 5 days (range 3-8) after last exposure. SARS developed in 6 of 31 persons who entered the patient's room, including 3 who were present in the room >4 hours. SARS occurred in three of five persons present during the endotracheal intubation, including one who wore gloves, gown, and N-95 mask. The syndrome also occurred in one person with no apparent direct exposure to the index patient. In most, but not all cases, developing SARS was associated with factors typical of droplet transmission. Providing appropriate quarantine and preventing illness in healthcare providers substantially affects delivery of health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the article "Critically Ill Patients With 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) Infection in Canada," by A. Kumar and colleagues in the 2009 issue, including the mechanical ventilation of patients with influenza-like illness, a revelation on the side effects of fulfilled oxygenation and a response by the authors.

The article presents a study on occlusion alarm device used in teaching hospitals in Toronto, Ontario within its adult critical care units which includes intravenous infusion pumps and syringe pumps. It notes that the time-to-alarm begins from the flow disruption to alarm activation. Results showed that time to occlusion alarm in peristaltic infusion devices is affected by the infusion flow rate.