Articles

Reply to the comment by Osuka et al.

Patient transfer between hospitals can be one of the biases when evaluating the hospital performance in severe burn care. Optimal handling of such a population is challenging in the analysis of an inpatient da...

Authors: Akira Endo, Atsushi Shiraishi, Kiyohide Fushimi and Yasuhiro Otomo

Comment on “volume-outcome relationship on survival and cost benefits in severe burn injury: a retrospective analysis of a Japanese nationwide administrative database” (Endo et al., Journal of Intensive Care 2019)

This is a critical comment on the paper by Endo et al. on the volume-outcome relationship on survival and cost benefits in severe burn injury which addresses biases related to patient transfer and burn severit...

Authors: Akinori Osuka, Daiki Miyao and Yuichi Kuroki

Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid administration in traumatic brain injury patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The exacerbation of intracranial bleeding is critical in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used to improve outcomes in TBI patient. However, the effectiveness of TXA treatme...

Authors: Shoji Yokobori, Tomoaki Yatabe, Yutaka Kondo and Kosaku Kinoshita

Development of a nomogram to predict 30-day mortality of patients with sepsis-associated encephalopathy: a retrospective cohort study

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is related to increased short-term mortality in patients with sepsis. We aim to establish a user-friendly nomogram for individual prediction of 30-day risk of mortality i...

Authors: Yang Yang, Shengru Liang, Jie Geng, Qiuhe Wang, Pan Wang, Yuan Cao, Rong Li, Guodong Gao and Lihong Li

Epidemiology of sepsis and septic shock in intensive care units between sepsis-2 and sepsis-3 populations: sepsis prognostication in intensive care unit and emergency room (SPICE-ICU)

Diagnosing sepsis remains difficult because it is not a single disease but a syndrome with various pathogen- and host factor-associated symptoms. Sepsis-3 was established to improve risk stratification among p...

Authors: Toshikazu Abe, Kazuma Yamakawa, Hiroshi Ogura, Shigeki Kushimoto, Daizoh Saitoh, Seitaro Fujishima, Yasuhiro Otomo, Joji Kotani, Yutaka Umemura, Yuichiro Sakamoto, Junichi Sasaki, Yasukazu Shiino, Naoshi Takeyama, Takehiko Tarui, Shin-ichiro Shiraishi, Ryosuke Tsuruta…

Use of glucocorticoids in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common and disabling disease with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The role of steroids in treating ARDS remains controversial. We aim to examine the evide...

Authors: Yazan Zayed, Mahmoud Barbarawi, Esraa Ismail, Varun Samji, Josiane Kerbage, Fatima Rizk, Mohammad Salih, Areeg Bala, Michele Obeid, Smit Deliwala, Sherry Demian, Ibrahim Al-Sanouri and Raju Reddy

Association between low pH and unfavorable neurological outcome among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated by extracorporeal CPR: do not dismiss confounders!

Recently, Okada et al. reported an association between low pH value before the implementation of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and 1-month unfavorable neurological outcome among out-of-ho...

Authors: Romain Jouffroy and Benoît Vivien

Early prediction of high flow nasal cannula therapy outcomes using a modified ROX index incorporating heart rate

The ROX index (ratio of pulse oximetry/FIO₂ to respiratory rate) has been validated to predict high flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNC) outcomes in patients with pneumonia. We evaluated a modified ROX index incorpo...

Authors: Ken Junyang Goh, Hui Zhong Chai, Thun How Ong, Duu Wen Sewa, Ghee Chee Phua and Qiao Li Tan

Save the ICU and save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic

Appropriate critical care delivery for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a cornerstone in saving lives. Earlier publications worldwide demonstrate higher mortality among patients receiving mechanical vent...

Authors: Nobuaki Shime

Shortening of low-flow duration over time was associated with improved outcomes of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in in-hospital cardiac arrest

Quality improvement in the administration of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) over time and its association with low-flow duration (LFD) and outcomes of cardiac arrest (CA) have been insuffi...

Authors: Akiko Higashi, Taka-aki Nakada, Taro Imaeda, Ryuzo Abe, Koichiro Shinozaki and Shigeto Oda

Correction to: Nationwide system to centralize decisions around ECMO use for severe COVID-19 pneumonia in Japan (Special Correspondence)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors:

Neuromuscular blockade management in the critically Ill patient

Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) can be an effective modality to address challenges that arise daily in the intensive care unit (ICU). These medications are often used to optimize mechanical ventilation, ...

Authors: J. Ross Renew, Robert Ratzlaff, Vivian Hernandez-Torres, Sorin J. Brull and Richard C. Prielipp

Lymphopenia in severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinical and laboratory biomarkers to predict the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are essential in this pandemic situation of which resource allocation must be urgently prepared especially in t...

Authors: Ian Huang and Raymond Pranata

The advent of medical artificial intelligence: lessons from the Japanese approach

Artificial intelligence or AI has been heralded as the most transformative technology in healthcare, including critical care medicine. Globally, healthcare specialists and health ministries are being pressured...

Authors: Euma Ishii, Daniel K. Ebner, Satoshi Kimura, Louis Agha-Mir-Salim, Ryo Uchimido and Leo A. Celi

Association between low pH and unfavorable neurological outcome among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated by extracorporeal CPR: a prospective observational cohort study in Japan

We aimed to identify the association of pH value in blood gas assessment with neurological outcome among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated by extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (...

Authors: Yohei Okada, Takeyuki Kiguchi, Taro Irisawa, Kazuhisa Yoshiya, Tomoki Yamada, Koichi Hayakawa, Kazuo Noguchi, Tetsuro Nishimura, Takuya Ishibe, Yoshiki Yagi, Masafumi Kishimoto, Hiroshi Shintani, Yasuyuki Hayashi, Taku Sogabe, Takaya Morooka, Haruko Sakamoto…

Monocyte distribution width enhances early sepsis detection in the emergency department beyond SIRS and qSOFA

The initial presentation of sepsis in the emergency department (ED) is difficult to distinguish from other acute illnesses based upon similar clinical presentations. A new blood parameter, a measurement of inc...

Authors: Elliott D. Crouser, Joseph E. Parrillo, Greg S. Martin, David T. Huang, Pierre Hausfater, Ilya Grigorov, Diana Careaga, Tiffany Osborn, Mohamad Hasan and Liliana Tejidor

Low-chloride- versus high-chloride-containing hypertonic solution for the treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage–related complications: The ACETatE (A low ChloriE hyperTonic solution for brain Edema) randomized trial

Recent reports have demonstrated that among patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) treated with hypertonic NaCl, resultant hyperchloremia has been associated with the development of acute kidney injury (A...

Authors: Ofer Sadan, Kai Singbartl, Jacqueline Kraft, Joao McONeil Plancher, Alexander C. M. Greven, Prem Kandiah, Cederic Pimentel, C. L. Hall, Alexander Papangelou, William H. Asbury, John J. Hanfelt and Owen Samuels

Leptospirosis as an important differential of pulmonary haemorrhage on the intensive care unit: a case managed with VV-ECMO

Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal zoonosis. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including diffuse alveolar haemorrhage which occurs in a minority of cases but carries a mortality of over 70%. These patie...

Authors: James Barnacle, Stefan Gurney, Stephane Ledot and Suveer Singh

Impact of host- and early treatment-related factors on mortality in ICU patients with candidemia: a bicentric retrospective observational study

Candidemia is one of the most life-threatening infections among critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. However, the number of studies on the impact of host- and early treatment-related factors on ...

Authors: Shingo Ohki, Nobuaki Shime, Tadashi Kosaka and Naohisa Fujita

Nationwide system to centralize decisions around ECMO use for severe COVID-19 pneumonia in Japan (Special Correspondence)

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading in Japan. We have collected a total of 26 patients with COVID-19 who required extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO). The available data from th...

Authors:

Antimicrobials administration time in patients with suspected sepsis: is faster better? An analysis by propensity score

Early use of antimicrobials is a critical intervention in the treatment of patients with sepsis. The exact time of initiation is controversial and its early administration may be a difficult task in crowded em...

Authors: Johana Ascuntar, Deibie Mendoza and Fabián Jaimes

Spinal cord autoregulation using near-infrared spectroscopy under normal, hypovolemic, and post-fluid resuscitation conditions in a swine model: a comparison with cerebral autoregulation

Few studies have investigated spinal cord autoregulation using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Here, we assessed spinal cord autoregulation under normal, hypovolemic, and post-fluid resuscitation conditions...

Authors: Tadayoshi Kurita, Shingo Kawashima, Koji Morita and Yoshiki Nakajima

Clinical outcomes of empirical high-dose meropenem in critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock: a randomized controlled trial

Appropriate antimicrobial dosing is challenging because of changes in pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters and an increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms in critically ill patients. This study aimed to eva...

Authors: Tospon Lertwattanachai, Preecha Montakantikul, Viratch Tangsujaritvijit, Pitsucha Sanguanwit, Jetjamnong Sueajai, Saranya Auparakkitanon and Pitchaya Dilokpattanamongkol

Serial change of neutrophil extracellular traps in tracheal aspirate of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: report of three cases

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are fibrous structures released from activated neutrophils. NET formation has been reported to be associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, ther...

Authors: Masahiro Ojima, Norihisa Yamamoto, Tomoya Hirose, Shigeto Hamaguchi, Osamu Tasaki, Takashi Kojima, Kazunori Tomono, Hiroshi Ogura and Takeshi Shimazu

Japan ECMOnet for COVID-19: telephone consultations for cases with severe respiratory failure caused by COVID-19

Recently, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started spreading in Japan. Therefore, the number of patients with severe COVID-19 requiring extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO) is expected to ...

Authors:

Management of life-threatening hemoptysis

It is estimated that 5–14% of patients presenting with hemoptysis will have life-threatening hemoptysis, with a reported mortality rate between 9 and 38%. This manuscript provides a comprehensive literature re...

Authors: Hasmeena Kathuria, Helen M. Hollingsworth, Rajendran Vilvendhan and Christine Reardon

Reply to the comment

Authors: Yohei Okada, Takeshi Unoki, Yujiro Matsuishi, Yuko Egawa, Kei Hayashida and Shigeaki Inoue

Comment on Early versus delayed mobilization for in-hospital mortality and health-related quality of life among critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Okada et al., Journal of Intensive Care 2019)

Critical comment on the review by Okada et al. on the effect of early versus delayed mobilization because of their definition of early mobilization as mobilization within a week of ICU admission in contrast to...

Authors: K. Friedrich Kuhn and Stefan J. Schaller

Thoracic fluid content: a novel parameter for predicting failed weaning from mechanical ventilation

Weaning of patients from the mechanical ventilation remains one of the critical decisions in intensive care unit. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of thoracic fluid content (TFC) as a predictor of wea...

Authors: Shymaa Fathy, Ahmed M. Hasanin, Mohamed Raafat, Maha M. A. Mostafa, Ahmed M. Fetouh, Mohamed Elsayed, Esraa M. Badr, Hanan M. Kamal and Ahmed Z. Fouad

Variables predicting weaning outcome in prolonged mechanically ventilated tracheotomized patients: a retrospective study

Several studies have assessed predictors of weaning and extubation outcome in short-term mechanically ventilated patients, but there are only few studies on predictors of weaning from prolonged mechanical vent...

Authors: Alessandro Ghiani, Joanna Paderewska, Alexandros Sainis, Alexander Crispin, Swenja Walcher and Claus Neurohr

Should we treat sepsis-induced DIC with anticoagulants?

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a common complication in sepsis because of crosstalk between the immune system and the coagulation system. Several anticoagulant agents have been tested in an at...

Authors: Yu Inata

A question is “what are the optimal targets for anticoagulant therapies?”

A high mortality rate is found among septic patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Anticoagulants have been used for treating septic DIC especially in Japanese clinical settings; however, ...

Authors: Nobuyuki Yokoyama, Shunsuke Takaki, Masashi Yokose, Kaori Kuwabara, Akiko Anzai, Takako Hamada, Shizuka Kashiwagi, Kenta Okamura, Yoh Sugawara and Takahisa Goto

Validity of an under-mattress sensor for objective sleep measurement in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study

Considering the adverse effects of sleep disturbance in critical care settings, accurate assessment could aid therapy; however, methodological inadequacies mean that no viable option is currently available. Re...

Authors: Kanae Nagatomo, Tomoyuki Masuyama, Yusuke Iizuka, Jun Makino, Junji Shiotsuka and Masamitsu Sanui

Vitamin C may reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients: a meta-regression analysis

Our recent meta-analysis indicated that vitamin C may shorten the length of ICU stay and the duration of mechanical ventilation. Here we analyze modification of the vitamin C effect on ventilation time, by the...

Authors: Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker

Hemodynamic effects of intravenous paracetamol in critically ill children with septic shock on inotropic support

Treatment with intravenous paracetamol may impair hemodynamics in critically ill adults. Few data are available in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, extent, and risk factors of ...

Authors: Elhanan Nahum, Avichai Weissbach, Eytan Kaplan and Gili Kadmon

Molecular diversity of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases, and antimicrobial resistance

Along with the recent spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, outbreaks of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing bacteria present a serious challenge to clinicians. β-lactam antibiot...

Authors: Teiji Sawa, Kunihiko Kooguchi and Kiyoshi Moriyama

Neuromuscular blockade in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) has been proposed by medical guidelines for early severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of its survival benefits. However, new studies have provided evid...

Authors: An Thi Nhat Ho, Setu Patolia and Christophe Guervilly

Correlation between urinary biomarker and organ failure in patients with sepsis and patients after esophagectomy: a prospective observational study

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a diagnostic marker for acute kidney injury (AKI). NGAL expression is highly induced not only in kidney injury but also in bacterial infection, inflammation...

Authors: Chieko Mitaka, Chika Ishibashi, Izumi Kawagoe, Takashi Hashimoto, Makoto Takahashi, Daizoh Satoh and Eiichi Inada

Impact of the stress ulcer prophylactic protocol on reducing the unnecessary administration of stress ulcer medications and gastrointestinal bleeding: a single-center, retrospective pre-post study

Clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding from stress ulcers increases patient mortality in intensive care, and histamine type 2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors as stress ulcer prophylaxes ...

Authors: Osamu Ogasawara, Taiki Kojima, Mitsunori Miyazu and Kazuya Sobue

Correction to: To develop a regional ICU mortality prediction model during the first 24 h of ICU admission utilizing MODS and NEMS with six other independent variables from the critical care information system (CCIS) Ontario, Canada

In the original publication of this article [1], there were several transcription errors in the logistic regression equation model as below

Authors: Raymond Kao, Fran Priestap and Allan Donner

The effect of antithrombin added to recombinant human-soluble thrombomodulin for severe community-acquired pneumonia-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation: a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide inpatient database

Studies showed potential benefits of recombinant human-soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM) and antithrombin for treating sepsis associated disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, benefits of their combinati...

Authors: Jun Suzuki, Yusuke Sasabuchi, Shuji Hatakeyama, Hiroki Matsui, Teppei Sasahara, Yuji Morisawa, Toshiyuki Yamada and Hideo Yasunaga

Risk modifiers of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with non-pulmonary sepsis: a retrospective analysis of the FORECAST study

Predisposing conditions and risk modifiers instead of causes and risk factors have recently been used as alternatives to identify patients at a risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, data...

Authors: Hiroki Iriyama, Toshikazu Abe, Shigeki Kushimoto, Seitaro Fujishima, Hiroshi Ogura, Atsushi Shiraishi, Daizoh Saitoh, Toshihiko Mayumi, Toshio Naito, Akira Komori, Toru Hifumi, Yasukazu Shiino, Taka-aki Nakada, Takehiko Tarui, Yasuhiro Otomo, Kohji Okamoto…

Patients suffering from psychological impairments following critical illness are in need of information

Because critical illness survivors frequently experience several long-term psychological impairments altering quality of life after ICU, there is a trend towards increasing follow-up care, mainly via ICU follo...

Authors: Johan H. Vlake, Michel E. van Genderen, Anna Schut, Martijn Verkade, Evert-Jan Wils, Diederik Gommers and Jasper van Bommel

Health economic evaluations of sepsis interventions in critically ill adult patients: a systematic review

Sepsis is a global health priority. Interventions to reduce the burden of sepsis need to be both effective and cost-effective. We performed a systematic review of the literature on health economic evaluations ...

Authors: Alisa M. Higgins, Joanne E. Brooker, Michael Mackie, D. Jamie Cooper and Anthony H. Harris

Circadian disruption of core body temperature in trauma patients: a single-center retrospective observational study

Circadian clock alterations were poorly reported in trauma patients, although they have a critical role in human physiology. Core body temperature is a clinical variable regulated by the circadian clock. Our o...

Authors: Aurélien Culver, Benjamin Coiffard, François Antonini, Gary Duclos, Emmanuelle Hammad, Coralie Vigne, Jean-Louis Mege, Karine Baumstarck, Mohamed Boucekine, Laurent Zieleskiewicz and Marc Leone

Epidemiology and outcomes of sepsis among hospitalizations with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the ICU: a population-based cohort study

Sepsis is the most common cause of premature death among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aged ≤ 50 years in the United States, and infection is the most common cause of admission to the ICU am...

Authors: Lavi Oud

Correction to: Predictors of intracranial hemorrhage in adult patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: an observational cohort study

In the original publication of this article [1], the first author’s name should be changed from Alexander Fletcher Sandersjöö to Alexander Fletcher-Sandersjöö. The family name of the author is Fletcher-Sanders...

Authors: Alexander Fletcher-Sandersjöö, Jiri Bartek Jr, Eric Peter Thelin, Anders Eriksson, Adrian Elmi-Terander, Mikael Broman and Bo-Michael Bellander

Dexmedetomidine improved renal function in patients with severe sepsis: an exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Dexmedetomidine has been reported to improve organ dysfunction in critically ill patients. In a recent randomized controlled trial (Dexmedetomidine for Sepsis in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Randomized Evolution ...

Authors: Tsuyoshi Nakashima, Kyohei Miyamoto, Nozomu Shima, Seiya Kato, Yu Kawazoe, Yoshinori Ohta, Takeshi Morimoto and Hitoshi Yamamura

Serum histone H3 levels and platelet counts are potential markers for coagulopathy with high risk of death in septic patients: a single-center observational study

Recent studies have suggested that anticoagulant therapy does not confer a survival benefit overall in sepsis, but might be beneficial in sepsis-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In part...

Authors: Takashi Ito, Takaaki Totoki, Yayoi Yokoyama, Tomotsugu Yasuda, Hiroaki Furubeppu, Shingo Yamada, Ikuro Maruyama and Yasuyuki Kakihana

Monitoring of muscle mass in critically ill patients: comparison of ultrasound and two bioelectrical impedance analysis devices

Skeletal muscle atrophy commonly occurs in critically ill patients, and decreased muscle mass is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Muscle mass can be assessed using various tools, including ultrasound a...

Authors: Nobuto Nakanishi, Rie Tsutsumi, Yoshihiro Okayama, Takuya Takashima, Yoshitoyo Ueno, Taiga Itagaki, Yasuo Tsutsumi, Hiroshi Sakaue and Jun Oto