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Seminars in Neurology Jun 2024The care of a patient with neurologic disease at end-of-life requires expertise in addressing advance care planning, hospice, symptom management, and caregiver support....
The care of a patient with neurologic disease at end-of-life requires expertise in addressing advance care planning, hospice, symptom management, and caregiver support. Neurologists caring for patients with advanced neurologic disease often identify changes in disease trajectory, functional status, or goals of care that prompt discussions of advance care planning and hospice. Patients nearing end-of-life may develop symptoms such as dyspnea, secretions, delirium, pain, and seizures. Neurologists may be the primary clinicians managing these symptoms, particularly in the hospitalized patient, though they may also lend their expertise to non-neurologists about expected disease trajectories and symptoms in advanced neurologic disease. This article aims to help neurologists guide patients and caregivers through the end-of-life process by focusing on general knowledge that can be applied across diseases as well as specific considerations in severe stroke and traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and dementia.
PubMed: 38917863
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1787809 -
Journal of Palliative Medicine Jun 2024Pain and symptom management at the end of life (EoL) can pose unique challenges, particularly when symptoms are refractory to conventional methods. Dexmedetomidine,...
Pain and symptom management at the end of life (EoL) can pose unique challenges, particularly when symptoms are refractory to conventional methods. Dexmedetomidine, originally approved for sedation in ventilated patients, has been demonstrated to be beneficial in pain management and palliative care settings by functioning as an alpha-2 agonist. A retrospective review of inpatient palliative care unit (IPU) records from January 2020 to December 2023 was conducted. Twenty-five adult patients receiving continuous dexmedetomidine for refractory pain at the EoL were identified. These patients were further evaluated for concurrent opioid, benzodiazepine, and chlorpromazine usage. Patients experienced predominantly cancer-related pain, and had a median infusion duration of 5 days. Dexmedetomidine's initial dosing differed between the intensive care unit (ICU) and IPU settings. There was a trend toward a decreased opioid requirement 24 hours after initiation. Patients transferred from the ICU showed a progressive increase in opioid use. This study contributes to understanding dexmedetomidine's role in managing refractory symptoms at the EoL in the palliative care setting.
PubMed: 38916782
DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2024.0016 -
GeroScience Jun 2024Since most of the precipitating factors of delirium are not due to neurological disorders, neurological diagnostic tests (NDTs) may be of limited value. We hypothesized...
Since most of the precipitating factors of delirium are not due to neurological disorders, neurological diagnostic tests (NDTs) may be of limited value. We hypothesized that delirium has a high burden of NDTs with a low diagnostic yield. All patients admitted to the internal medicine wards of a single secondary teaching hospital between November 2019 and January 2020 were eligible. Within the first 48 h of their admission, they had a formal evaluation by a neuropsychologist to screen for presence of delirium. NDTs (brain MRI, brain CT, electroencephalography (EEG), and lumbar puncture) performed during the hospital stay were compared between patients with and without delirium using a logistic regression model stratified by a propensity score. The proportions of diagnostic yield (acute anomalies that changed the treatment management) provided by each type of examination were compared. Of 217 patients included, 19/32 patients (61%) with delirium had one or more NDTs, compared to 48/185 (26%) without delirium (adjusted OR 2.7; 95%CI 1.1-6.7; p = 0.027). The proportions of NDT results affecting management for patients with and without delirium were 13 and 20% for brain CT scans (p = 0.71), 29 and 38% for brain MRI (p = 0.99), and 20 and 10% for EEGs (p = 0.99), respectively. The higher proportion of NDTs performed on patients with delirium was associated with a low diagnostic yield, although not statistically different from those performed among inpatients without delirium. There is a need for restrictive, evidence-based guidelines to help with the work-up for patients with delirium.
PubMed: 38916662
DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01246-5 -
European Journal of Anaesthesiology Jun 2024Preoperative anxiety (PA) is common in children and has detrimental effects on surgical outcome. Strategies based on virtual reality (VR) have recently been introduced...
BACKGROUND
Preoperative anxiety (PA) is common in children and has detrimental effects on surgical outcome. Strategies based on virtual reality (VR) have recently been introduced to address this problem.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the usefulness of a virtual reality educational program (VREP) for reducing preoperative anxiety in elective low-complexity paediatric surgery.
DESIGN
Randomised clinical trial.
SETTING
Single tertiary centre in Barcelona, Spain. Between January 2019 and June 2022.
PATIENTS
Children aged 3-13 years of age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II, scheduled for elective low-complexity surgery were enrolled in the study.
INTERVENTION
Children were randomised into a control group (received oral/written information about the anaesthetic-surgical process, and patients and their parents remained in a playroom waiting for the surgery) or VREP (viewed a VR-based educational video on the surgical process, 7-10 days prior to surgery) using the MATLAB application.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
PA using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) during separation from parents.
RESULTS
In total, 241 children aged 3-12 years of age were studied (120 patients with VREP and 121 controls). Randomisation eliminated the differences between the groups, except for a greater male presence in the VREP group (83.3% vs. 71.1%; P = 0.023). The mYPAS yielded was lower in the VREP group (29.2% vs. 83.5%; P < 0.001). Sex did not influence VREP-mediated decrease in PA (P < 0.001). In turn, VREP patients were more cooperative (Induction Compliance Checklist [ICC] score 0 points vs. 2 points; P < 0.001) during anaesthesia induction, presented less delirium (Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium [PAED] score 1 point vs. 3 points; P = 0.001) on leaving the recovery room, and experienced less pain upon arrival in the hospital ward (Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale: 0-points vs. 1 point; P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The VREP-based prevention strategy reduced preoperative anxiety in children undergoing elective low-complexity surgery.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
NCT03578393.
PubMed: 38916221
DOI: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000002032 -
Journal of Palliative Medicine Jun 2024Delirium management is crucial in palliative care. Morphine effectively relieves dyspnea due to heart failure. However, the effect of morphine, which is used to relieve...
Delirium management is crucial in palliative care. Morphine effectively relieves dyspnea due to heart failure. However, the effect of morphine, which is used to relieve dyspnea due to heart failure, on the incidence of delirium has not been examined to date. To evaluate the effect of morphine, which is used to relieve dyspnea due to heart failure, on delirium. Retrospective observational study. Subjects were identified from Osaka University Hospital records, located in Japan, from January 1, 2010, to September 30, 2021. The case group consisted of admissions for heart failure or cardiomyopathy registered in electronic medical records. Morphine was administered to relieve dyspnea due to heart failure, and no surgeries or procedures were performed. The control group consisted of admissions for heart failure or cardiomyopathy in the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database, which did not include administration of morphine, oxycodone, or fentanyl during the hospitalization period and patients did not undergo surgery or any other procedure. The incidence of delirium was assessed. The odds ratios for morphine in the multivariate logistic regression analysis with propensity score and univariate logistic regression analysis after propensity score matching were 1.406 (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.249-7.957]) and 1.034 (95% CI [0.902-1.185]), respectively. Morphine, which is used to relieve dyspnea due to heart failure, had minimal effect on the incidence of delirium. This information is likely to be beneficial for the future use of morphine in the management of dyspnea in patients with heart failure.
PubMed: 38916066
DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0704 -
Ibrain 2024This review comprehensively assesses the epidemiology, interaction, and impact on patient outcomes of perioperative sleep disorders (SD) and perioperative neurocognitive... (Review)
Review
This review comprehensively assesses the epidemiology, interaction, and impact on patient outcomes of perioperative sleep disorders (SD) and perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) in the elderly. The incidence of SD and PND during the perioperative period in older adults is alarmingly high, with SD significantly contributing to the occurrence of postoperative delirium. However, the clinical evidence linking SD to PND remains insufficient, despite substantial preclinical data. Therefore, this study focuses on the underlying mechanisms between SD and PND, underscoring that potential mechanisms driving SD-induced PND include uncontrolled central nervous inflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, circadian rhythm disturbances, glial cell dysfunction, neuronal and synaptic abnormalities, impaired central metabolic waste clearance, gut microbiome dysbiosis, hippocampal oxidative stress, and altered brain network connectivity. Additionally, the review also evaluates the effectiveness of various sleep interventions, both pharmacological and nonpharmacological, in mitigating PND. Strategies such as earplugs, eye masks, restoring circadian rhythms, physical exercise, noninvasive brain stimulation, dexmedetomidine, and melatonin receptor agonists have shown efficacy in reducing PND incidence. The impact of other sleep-improvement drugs (e.g., orexin receptor antagonists) and methods (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia) on PND is still unclear. However, certain drugs used for treating SD (e.g., antidepressants and first-generation antihistamines) may potentially aggravate PND. By providing valuable insights and references, this review aimed to enhance the understanding and management of PND in older adults based on SD.
PubMed: 38915944
DOI: 10.1002/ibra.12167 -
Drug Design, Development and Therapy 2024The novel short-acting benzodiazepine drug, remimazolam tosilate, has been employed for sedation during endoscopic procedures. The optimal loading dosage of remimazolam... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
BACKGROUND
The novel short-acting benzodiazepine drug, remimazolam tosilate, has been employed for sedation during endoscopic procedures. The optimal loading dosage of remimazolam tosilate in gastroscopy for elderly patients when co-administered with fentanyl remains unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of our research was to ascertain the median effective dose (ED50) and the 95% effective dose (ED95) of remimazolam tosilate in combination with various fentanyl dosages for elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.
METHODS
Seventy-five patients aged ≥65 years and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I-III were recruited to undergo elective painless gastroscopy. All patients were randomized assigned to group F, group F, and group F, and were injected intravenously with different doses of fentanyl (0.5 ug/kg, 1 ug/kg, and 1.5 ug/kg) 3 minutes prior to the administration of remimazolam tosilate, respectively. The initial preset dose of remimazolam tosilate was 0.3 mg/kg in group F, 0.2 mg/kg in group F, 0.15 mg/kg in group F. The dose gradient was 0.02 mg/kg per group according to the up-and-down sequential method. Probibt regression model was employed to determine the ED50 and ED95 of remimazolam tosilate.
RESULTS
The ED50 of remimazolam tosilate in group F was lower than that in group F and F (0.095 [0.088-0.108] mg/kg vs 0.162 [0.153-0.171] mg/kg; 0.258 [0.249-0.266] mg/kg, < 0.05). The ED95 of remimazolam tosilate was 0.272 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.264-0.295 mg/kg) in group F, 0.175 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.167-0.200 mg/kg) in group F and 0.109 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.101-0.135 mg/kg) in group F. The total dosage of remimazolam tosilate decreased gradually with the increasing of fentanyl ( < 0.001). The frequency of injection pain was higher in group F compared to groups F and F ( < 0.05). The patients in group F had a lower incidence of hypotension than in groups F and F ( < 0.05). There was no respiratory depression, intraoperative consciousness, dizziness or delirium in the three groups.
CONCLUSION
The concurrent use of fentanyl reduces the dosage of remimazolam tosilate required for sedative gastroscopy in elderly patients in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, 1.5 ug/kg fentanyl combined with remimazolam tosilate may reduce the incidence of hypotension and injection pain. These findings should be confirmed in a large-scale study.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Benzodiazepines; Male; Female; Fentanyl; Gastroscopy; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Aged, 80 and over
PubMed: 38915865
DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S462607 -
Lung Jun 2024Critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significant mortality after hospital discharge. Delirium is common in patients with COPD,...
BACKGROUND
Critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significant mortality after hospital discharge. Delirium is common in patients with COPD, but its impact on long-term mortality in critically ill COPD patients who survive to discharge remains uncertain.
METHODS
Critically ill patients with COPD who survived to discharge were selected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. Delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit. The primary outcome was 365- and 180-day mortality after discharge. The secondary outcomes included 90- and 30-day mortality following discharge, length of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays, and nursing care needs after hospital discharge.
RESULTS
Of the 2621 survivors of critically ill COPD patients, 982 had suffered delirium during their ICU stay and 709 died within 365 days after hospital discharge. Delirium was significantly associated with 365-day mortality after hospital discharge (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.47). The results were consistent for 180-, 90-, and 30-day post-discharge mortality (adjusted HR [95% CI]: 1.35 [1.09-1.66], 1.48 [1.16-1.89], and 1.68 [1.21-2.32], respectively). Additionally, patients with delirium had longer ICU and hospital stay (adjusted β 2.75; 95% CI 2.35-3.16 and 4.25; 95% CI 3.51-4.98, respectively) and increased nursing care needs after hospital discharge (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56; 95% CI 1.13-2.14).
CONCLUSION
ICU delirium was an independent risk factor for both long-term and short-term mortality in critically ill patients with COPD who survived to discharge.
PubMed: 38914868
DOI: 10.1007/s00408-024-00725-y -
Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) Jun 2024Prescribing of ethanol may be an alternative to benzodiazepines for managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome. We present our experience of oral ethanol prescribing within an...
Oral ethanol prescribing for alcohol withdrawal syndrome: initial findings and future directions following implementation within a United Kingdom National Health Service setting.
INTRODUCTION
Prescribing of ethanol may be an alternative to benzodiazepines for managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome. We present our experience of oral ethanol prescribing within an acute United Kingdom National Health Service setting.
METHODS
A retrospective review of patients presenting with alcohol withdrawal who were managed with oral ethanol or benzodiazepines was performed from data collected across two acute care settings. Ethanol prescribing inclusion: high risk of delirium tremens, a history of harmful alcohol consumption (typically ≥30 units/day; in which 1 unit = 8 grams of alcohol; one standard United States drink = 14 grams of alcohol) known to have a history of severe alcohol withdrawal, alcohol-related seizures or delirium tremens. Inverse propensity score weighting was used to partially account for variance between the two patient populations.
RESULTS
Fifty (82 per cent male; average age 50.9 years) and 93 (84 per cent male; average age 46.5 years) patients in receipt of benzodiazepines or ethanol, respectively, were included. The likelihood of hospital admission was significantly reduced when individuals were managed with ethanol (odds ratio 0.206 (95 per cent confidence interval; 0.066-0.641), Wald chi-square = 0.006). In those not admitted, the treatment type had no significant impact on length of stay or the number of occasions a pharmacological agent was required. In those admitted, treatment had no significant effect on length of stay.
DISCUSSION
We offer preliminary evidence to support a role of oral ethanol in the management of patients with alcohol withdrawal. We have implemented a robust and translatable guideline. Despite limitations in the data set the impact of ethanol in reducing the likelihood of admission remained significant.
CONCLUSIONS
In individuals at significant risk of severe alcohol withdrawal, prescribing ethanol as part of a comprehensive care plan, may reduce unplanned admissions. The preliminary findings presented here warrant further assessment through prospective studies.
PubMed: 38913748
DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2024.2363381 -
International Journal of Clinical... Jun 2024The benefits of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer are well established. However, the effect of the skills of the palliative care team (PCT) on patient...
BACKGROUND
The benefits of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer are well established. However, the effect of the skills of the palliative care team (PCT) on patient outcomes remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the association between hospital PCT intervention volume and patient outcomes in patients with cancer.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a nationwide inpatient database in Japan. Patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and PCT intervention from 2015 to 2020 were included. The outcomes were incidence of hyperactive delirium within 30 days of admission, mortality within 30 days of admission, and decline in activities of daily living (ADL) at discharge. The exposure of interest was hospital PCT intervention volume (annual number of new PCT interventions in a hospital), which was categorized into low-, intermediate-, and high-volume groups according to tertiles. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic-spline regression were conducted.
RESULTS
Of 29,076 patients, 1495 (5.1%), 562 (1.9%), and 3026 (10.4%) developed delirium, mortality, and decline in ADL, respectively. Compared with the low hospital PCT intervention volume group (1-103 cases/year, n = 9712), the intermediate (104-195, n = 9664) and high (196-679, n = 9700) volume groups showed significant association with lower odds ratios of 30-day delirium (odds ratio, 0.79 [95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.91] and 0.80 [0.69-0.93], respectively), 30-day mortality (0.73 [0.60-0.90] and 0.59 [0.46-0.75], respectively), and decline in ADL (0.77 [0.70-0.84] and 0.52 [0.47-0.58], respectively).
CONCLUSION
Hospital PCT intervention volume is inversely associated with the odds ratios of delirium, mortality, and decline in ADL among hospitalized patients with cancer.
PubMed: 38913218
DOI: 10.1007/s10147-024-02574-4