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The objective of this single-center retrospective cohort study was to investigate the relationship between blood transfusion and persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism syndrome (PIICS). The study was conducted at the Critical Care Center at Toho University Omori Medical Center, Japan. We included 391 patients in the PIICS group (hospitalization for > 15 days, C-reactive protein > 3.0 mg/dL or albumin < 3.0 mg/dL or lymph < 800/μL on day 14) and 762 patients in the non-PIICS group (hospitalization for > 15 days and not meeting the PIICS criteria). We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses using PIICS as the objective variable and red blood cell (RBC) or fresh frozen plasma or platelet (PLT) transfusion and other confounding factors as explanatory variables. In addition, we conducted a sensitivity analysis using propensity score matching analysis. The multivariate and propensity score analyses showed that RBC and PLT transfusions were significantly associated with PIICS. This is the first study to report an association between RBC and PLT transfusions and PIICS. Our findings have contributed to better understanding the risk factors of PIICS and suggest that physicians should consider the risk of PIICS occurrence when administering blood transfusions in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) is considered to be fundamental for the care of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is routinely used to direct medical and surgical therapy. Accordingly, some guidelines for the management of severe TBI recommend that treatment be initiated for ICP values >20 mmHg. However, it remained to be accounted whether there is a scientific basis to this instruction. The purpose of the present study was to clarify whether the basis of ICP values >20 mmHg is appropriate.Subject and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 25 patients with severe TBI who underwent neuroimaging during ICP monitoring within the first 7 days. We measured cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), cerebral blood volume (CBV), and ICP 71 times within the first 7 days.Results: Although the CBF, MTT, and CBV values were not correlated with the ICP value at ICP values ≤20 mmHg, the CBF value was significantly negatively correlated with the ICP value (r = -0.381, P < 0.05) at ICP values >20 mmHg. The MTT value was also significantly positively correlated with the ICP value (r = 0.638, P < 0.05) at ICP values >20 mmHg.Conclusion: The cerebral circulation disturbance increased with the ICP value. We demonstrated the cerebral circulation disturbance at ICP values >20 mmHg. This study suggests that an ICP >20 mmHg is the threshold to initiate treatments. An active treatment intervention would be required for severe TBI when the ICP was >20 mmHg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study's aim is to measure liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) levels in urine using a rapid semiquantitative assay kit in the emergency department and to investigate whether the onset of acute kidney injury (AKI) after hospitalization can be predicted. Methods: This was a prospective observation study. Patients transferred to the emergency and critical care center were divided into two groups: urinary L-FABP negative and positive groups. The status and severity of AKI were evaluated for the respective patients based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO) classification. We compared the proportion of AKI patients in the two groups. Results: In the urine L-FABP-positive group, many patients had a significant onset of AKI (p < 0.001). After excluding patients who were diagnosed as AKI for creatinine level at admission, urinary L-FABP could predict the onset of AKI after admission (p < 0.001). Conclusion: By measuring urinary L-FABP concentration using a rapid semiquantitative assay kit, there is the possibility that the onset of AKI after admission can be predicted from immediately after a patient is transported by ambulance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]