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Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacterial isolates causing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Kazakhstan. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of AMR in the ICU of the National Research Center for Oncology and Transplantation (Astana, Kazakhstan) during the year 2015. Results During the study period, 546 patients were admitted to the ICU, of whom 135 (24.7%) developed at least one HAI. Most HAIs caused by Gram-positive bacteria were due to Enterococcus faecalis, which were resistant to aminoglycosides in >70% cases. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated in ca. 50% of cases, thus representing the greatest burden of HAIs. Very high resistance rates to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and cefuroxime were observed. Moreover, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii were resistant to carbapenems in Conclusion This study demonstrates the urgent need to implement more rational use of antimicrobials in Kazakhstan, which can be done only by establishing a proactive surveillance system along with an appropriate infection control programme.

Background Hospital Associated infections (HAI) are very common in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and are usually associated with use of invasive devices in the patients. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and etiological agents of HAI in a Surgical ICU in Kazakhstan, and to assess the impact of these infections on ICU stay and mortality. Objective To assess the rate of device-associated infections and causative HAI etiological agents in an ICU at the National Research Center for Oncology and Transplantation (NRCOT) in Astana, Kazakhstan. Methods This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a 12-bed ICU at the NRCOT, Astana, Kazakhstan. We enrolled all patients who were admitted to the ICU from January, 2014 through November 2015, aged 18 to 90 years of age who developed an HAI. Results The most common type of HAI was surgical site infection (SSI), followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), catheter-related blood stream infection (BSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI). The most common HAI was SSI with Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most common etiological agent. The second most common HAI was VAP also with P. aeruginosa followed by BSI which was also associated with P. aeruginosa (in 2014) and Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (in 2015) as the most common etiological agents causing these infections. Conclusion We found that HAI among our study population were predominantly caused by gram-negative pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli. To our knowledge, this is the only study that describes ICU-related HAI situation from a country within the Central Asian region. Many developing countries such as Kazakhstan lack surveillance systems which could effectively decrease incidence of HAIs and healthcare costs for their treatment. The epidemiological data on HAI in Kazakhstan currently is underrepresented and poorly reported in the literature. Based on this and previous studies, we propose that the most important interventions to prevent HAI at the NRCOT and similar Healthcare Institutions in Kazakhstan are active surveillance, regular infection control audits, rational and effective antibacterial therapy, and general hygiene measures.

Background Cancellation of scheduled cases on the day of surgery leads to waste of resources, financial burden, patient dissatisfaction, extended hospital stay, and unnecessary repetition of preoperative preparations. The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the causes of case cancellation in our institution so as to improve hospital quality control as well as perioperative risk management. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of all cancellations of scheduled elective surgical procedures. We analyzed all cases that were canceled after the patient had been delivered to the operating room (OR). The data about case cancellations was obtained from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the National Research Oncology and Transplantation Center. Results The most common single reason for cancellation was preoperative hypertensive crisis (n=67; 80.7%), followed by heart rhythm disorders (n=6; 7.2%), incomplete preoperative patient evaluation (n=5; 6.1%), myocardial ischemia (n=4; 4.8%), and pneumonia (n=1; 1.2%). Most of the cancellations (76 out of 83; 92%) were considered to be potentially avoidable. Conclusions In conclusion, that the most common reasons for case cancellation were patient-related cardiovascular conditions (preoperative hypertensive crisis, dysrhythmia, myocardial ischemia). Improvement in preoperative assessment and management of the cardiovascular condition is needed to reduce scheduled case cancellation rate.

BACKGROUND Hemofiltration reduces blood levels of cytokines, glutamate, and other substances that increase the risk of stroke-associated neurodegeneration. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of hemofiltration in acute ischemic stroke patients. METHODS A total of 37 patients (mean age 56 ± 16 years) who had an ischemic stroke within the previous 12 hours were randomized to receive hemofiltration for 36 hours (n = 19) or standard treatment (n = 18). The primary outcome of interest was the occurrence of adverse events during the 28-day period following the stroke symptom onset. The secondary outcome was to assess the efficacy of hemofiltration in acute ischemic stroke. RESULTS Eighteen patients who received hemofiltration and 17 patients who received standard care completed the study. There were no cases of sepsis or infection at the hemofiltration cannula site, nor other hemofiltration-related complications. There was one case of fatal hemorrhagic transformation in each of the two groups. We failed to find any favorable effects on NIHSS scores at 7 days. However, we observed 17 patients (94%) with systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the control group and only 13 (68%) in the hemofiltration group. CONCLUSION Hemofiltration appears to be safe in acute ischemic stroke patients, but we were unable to demonstrate its efficacy. However, for a definite conclusion on efficacy, a larger study with longer follow-up is required.

Glutamate toxicity plays a well-established role in secondary brain damage following acute and chronic brain insults. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in reducing blood glutamate levels. However, these methods are not viable options for hemodynamically unstable patients. Given more favorable hemodynamics, longer treatment, and less needed anticoagulation, we investigated whether hemofiltration could be effective in lowering blood glutamate levels. Blood samples were taken from 10 critically ill patients immediately before initiation of hemofiltration and after 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 h, for a total of 6 blood samples. Samples were sent for determination of glutamate, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), hemoglobin, hematocrit, urea, creatinine, glucose, sodium, potassium, platelet, and white blood cell (WBC) levels. There was a statistically significant reduction in blood glutamate levels at all time points compared to baseline levels. There was no difference in levels of GOT or GPT. Hemofiltration can be a promising method of reducing blood glutamate levels, especially in critically ill patients where hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis may be contraindicated.

Pathologically elevated glutamate concentrations in the brain's extracellular fluid are associated with several acute and chronic brain insults. Studies have demonstrated that by decreasing the concentration of glutamate in the blood, thereby increasing the concentration gradient between the brain and the blood, the rate of brain-to-blood glutamate efflux can be increased. Blood glutamate scavengers, pyruvate and oxaloacetate have shown great promise in providing neuroprotection in many animal models of acute brain insults. However, glutamate scavengers' potential systemic toxicity, side effects and pharmacokinetic properties may limit their use in clinical practice. In contrast, extracorporeal methods of blood glutamate reduction, in which glutamate is filtered from the blood and eliminated, may be an advantageous adjunct in treating acute brain insults. Here, we review the current evidence for the glutamate-lowering effects of hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and hemofiltration. The evidence reviewed here highlights the need for clinical trials.

Super-refractory status epilepticus is status epilepticus that continues beyond 24 hours and includes those cases in which epilepsy is recurrent upon reduction or withdrawal of treatment. We describe the presentation and successful management of a male patient with super-refractory status epilepticus using the inhaled anesthetic, isoflurane, and mild hypothermia (HT). The potential utility of combined HT and volatile anesthesia is discussed.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease, characterized by episodes of unexplained fever, anhidrosis, pain insensitivity despite intact tactile perception, self-mutilating behavior, mental retardation, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) abnormalities. We present a case series of three patients with CIPA who underwent semielective orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia complicated by intraoperative regurgitation, and subsequent aspiration in two of the three cases. All three patients were nil per os (NPO) for at least 8 h prior to surgery. Two patients had their airways maintained with a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), and one patient had an endotracheal tube (ETT). The patients with an LMA suffered aspiration of gastric contents and subsequently developed hypoxic cardiac arrest. Although the patient with an ETT in situ regurgitated intraoperatively, the presence of the ETT prevented aspiration and any further potential complications. We review the perioperative complications typically observed in patients with CIPA and discuss the risks of using an LMA in these patients. We recommend that patients with CIPA always should be considered as having a “full stomach”, regardless of the duration of their NPO status, due to their coexisting ANS abnormalities. Therefore, rapid-sequence induction with an ETT should be utilized for the anesthetic management in every patient with CIPA.