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A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2022) | Viewed by 27571

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sasa Rajsic

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Guest Editor

Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: critical care; intensive care; ECMO; anaesthesia; emergency medicine; cardiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Benedikt Treml

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Guest Editor

Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: critical care; intensive care; ECMO; anaesthesia; emergency medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Early screening and recognition of severe medical and surgical illnesses, advanced and rush prehospital care of urgent conditions, organized immediate care in trauma centers and development of in-hospital rapid response teams lead to an increase of intensive care patients and survival of severe conditions in the last decades. In the intensive care setting, bedside diagnostics tools are essential for good quality of care, early recognition of complications and treatment of critically ill patients. Due to very unstable patients, complex monitoring and oft diverse robust organ support systems (extracorporeal heart, lungs kidneys, liver support, etc.) diagnostic needs to be brought to the patient's bed. Intensive care treatment of medical patients, patients after cardiothoracic or major abdominal surgery, polytraumatized and all other critically ill patients is nowadays incomprehensible without continuously sophisticated monitoring, bedside ultrasonography, diverse radiologic diagnostic techniques, point of care coagulation management, laboratory and other diagnostic modalities. In the time of COVID-19 pandemic the information on the use of different radiologic techniques, on revolutionary use of ultrasonography in lungs investigation, diverse laboratory tests primary for COVID-19 diagnosis and furthermore for early recognition of potentially fatal complications and their prevention is increasing and should be properly addressed.

Bedside diagnostic techniques are rapidly emerging as an important and irreplaceable tool in the hands of intensive care physicians, therefore the main goal of this Special Issue is to update on and summarize diverse diagnostic modalities and diagnostic approaches in the intensive care setting, specially focusing on the point of care approach.

Dr. Sasa Rajsic
Dr. Benedikt Treml
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

intensive care
critical care
critically ill
point of care
bedside
monitoring
ultrasonography
radiologic diagnostic
coagulation
COVID-19
emergency
prehospital

Published Papers (12 papers)

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11 pages, 1616 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Task Performance, Low Workload, and User-Centered Design in Medical Diagnostic Equipment Enhance Decision Confidence of Anesthesia Providers: A Meta-Analysis and a Multicenter Online Survey

by Alexandra D. Budowski, Lisa Bergauer, Clara Castellucci, Julia Braun, Christoph B. Nöthiger, Donat R. Spahn, David W. Tscholl and Tadzio R. Roche

Diagnostics 2022, 12(8), 1835; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12081835 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1247

Abstract

Decision confidence—the subjective belief to have made the right decision—is central in planning actions in a complex environment such as the medical field. It is unclear by which factors it is influenced. We analyzed a pooled data set of eight studies and performed a multicenter online survey assessing anesthesiologists’ opinions on decision confidence. By applying mixed models and using multiple imputation to determine the effect of missing values from the dataset on the results, we investigated how task performance, perceived workload, the utilization of user-centered medical diagnostic devices, job, work experience, and gender affected decision confidence. The odds of being confident increased with better task performance (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.7; p = 0.12; after multiple imputation OR: 3.19, 95% CI: 2.29 to 4.45; p < 0.001) and when user-centered medical devices were used (OR: 5.01, 95% CI: 3.67 to 6.85; p < 0.001; after multiple imputation OR: 3.58, 95% CI: 2.65 to 4.85; p < 0.001). The odds of being confident decreased with higher perceived workload (OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.95; p < 0.001; after multiple imputation, OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.95; p < 0.001). Other factors, such as gender, job, or professional experience, did not affect decision confidence. Most anesthesiologists who participated in the online survey agreed that task performance (25 of 30; 83%), perceived workload (24 of 30; 80%), work experience (28 of 30; 93%), and job (21 of 30; 70%) influence decision confidence. Improved task performance, lower perceived workload, and user-centered design in medical equipment enhanced the decision confidence of anesthesia providers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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10 pages, 1317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Patient Management in the Gynecology Emergency Department Using Point-of-Care Beta hCG

by Mehdi Brousse, Anne-Sophie Bargnoux, Caroline Courtais-Coulon, Stéphanie Badiou, Nils Kuster, Clara Compan, Florent Fuchs and Jean-Paul Cristol

Diagnostics 2022, 12(7), 1670; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12071670 - 09 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1656

Abstract

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) provides shorter turn-around times and, in many cases, potentially improves medical decision making. The AQT90 FLEX^® benchtop immunoanalyzer (Radiometer Medical ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark) allows for the determination of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) in 18 min. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of measuring βhCG using the AQT90 analyzer in the gynecology emergency department (ED) compared to the standard practice of using central laboratory blood testing on the patient length of stay (LOS). Methods: The evaluation consisted of two parts. The first one, conducted in the central laboratory, focused on the analytical performances of the AQT βhCG assay. The second one, conducted in the ED, aimed at determining the impact of POCT βhCG implementation on the timeframe in which ED patients require βhCG assessment. Results: The within-lab imprecisions at the mean values of 17 and 287 IU/L were 2.7% and 3.7%, respectively. Using Deming regression (n = 60), the following equation was obtained in the central lab: AQT90 βhCG = 1.1 Roche βhCG—12.9 (r = 0.997). The implementation of POCT βhCG in the ED significantly reduced patient LOS (145 (90–212) min vs. 205 (155–265) with and without AQT90, respectively, p < 0.001). At the 2 IU/L decision level, a 99.7% agreement with the Roche assay was reported (kappa statistics, 0.99). Conclusions: We confirm that the analytical qualities of the AQT 90 were in line with those obtained in the central lab. The implementation of the POCT βhCG is associated with a shorter LOS in the ED due to the faster availability of the results and the faster decision-making possibilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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22 pages, 11590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Explainable Machine Learning-Based Risk Prediction Model for In-Hospital Mortality after Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Initiation

by Pei-Shan Hung, Pei-Ru Lin, Hsin-Hui Hsu, Yi-Chen Huang, Shin-Hwar Wu and Chew-Teng Kor

Diagnostics 2022, 12(6), 1496; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12061496 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2093

Abstract

In this study, we established an explainable and personalized risk prediction model for in-hospital mortality after continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) initiation. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH). A total of 2932 consecutive intensive care unit patients receiving CRRT between 1 January 2010, and 30 April 2021, were identified from the CCH Clinical Research Database and were included in this study. The recursive feature elimination method with 10-fold cross-validation was used and repeated five times to select the optimal subset of features for the development of machine learning (ML) models to predict in-hospital mortality after CRRT initiation. An explainable approach based on ML and the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) and a local explanation method were used to evaluate the risk of in-hospital mortality and help clinicians understand the results of ML models. The extreme gradient boosting and gradient boosting machine models exhibited a higher discrimination ability (area under curve [AUC] = 0.806, 95% CI = 0.770–0.843 and AUC = 0.823, 95% CI = 0.788–0.858, respectively). The SHAP model revealed that the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, albumin level, and the timing of CRRT initiation were the most crucial features, followed by age, potassium and creatinine levels, SPO2, mean arterial pressure, international normalized ratio, and vasopressor support use. ML models combined with SHAP and local interpretation can provide the visual interpretation of individual risk predictions, which can help clinicians understand the effect of critical features and make informed decisions for preventing in-hospital deaths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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9 pages, 1338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Pressure Measurement after Prolonged Inspiratory Time Gives a Good Estimation of the Arterial Carbon Dioxide Pressure in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

by Arthur Salomé, Annabelle Stoclin, Cyrus Motamed, Philippe Sitbon and Jean-Louis Bourgain

Diagnostics 2021, 11(12), 2219; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11122219 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1437

Abstract

Background: End-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PetCO₂) is unreliable for monitoring PaCO₂ in several conditions because of the unpredictable value of the PaCO₂–PetCO₂ gradient. We hypothesised that increasing both the end-inspiratory pause and the expiratory time would reduce this gradient in patients ventilated for COVID-19 with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and in patients anaesthetised for surgery. Methods: On the occasion of an arterial blood gas sample, an extension in inspiratory pause was carried out either by recruitment manoeuvre or by extending the end-inspiratory pause to 10 s. The end-expired PCO₂ was measured (expiratory time: 4 s) after this manoeuvre (PACO₂) in comparison with the PetCO₂ measured by the monitor. We analysed 67 Δ(a-et)CO₂, Δ(a-A)CO₂ pairs for 7 patients in the COVID group and for 27 patients in the anaesthesia group. Results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results: Prolongation of the inspiratory pause significantly reduced PaCO₂–PetCO₂ gradients from 11 ± 5.7 and 5.7 ± 3.4 mm Hg (p < 0.001) to PaCO₂–PACO₂ gradients of −1.2 ± 3.3 (p = 0.043) and −1.9 ± 3.3 mm Hg (p < 0.003) in the COVID and anaesthesia groups, respectively. In the COVID group, PACO₂ showed the lowest dispersion (−7 to +6 mm Hg) and better correlation with PaCO₂ (R² = 0.92). The PACO₂ had a sensitivity of 0.81 and a specificity of 0.93 for identifying hypercapnic patients (PaCO₂ > 50 mm Hg). Conclusions: Measuring end-tidal PCO₂ after prolonged inspiratory time reduced the PaCO₂–PetCO₂ gradient to the point of obtaining values close to PaCO₂. This measure identified hypercapnic patients in both intensive care and during anaesthesia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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10 pages, 7443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Biomarkers and Hearing Impairments in Patients with Neonatal Hypoxic–Ischemic Encephalopathy

by Da-Yang Chen, Inn-Chi Lee, Xing-An Wang and Swee-Hee Wong

Diagnostics 2021, 11(11), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11112056 - 06 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1645

Abstract

Identifying biomarkers for hearing impairments (HIs) in patients with neonatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), to initialize early hearing habilitation, is crucial. Seventy-eight neonates with HIE were divided into the following two groups: those with HIs and those without HIs. We compared those patients with 11,837 newborns without HIE, and analyzed the risk factors of HIs among neonatal HIE. Of the 78 patients, 11 were confirmed to have an HI, which is a substantially higher percentage than in the 11,837 newborns without HIE (14.1% vs. 0.87%; p < 0.001). More patients with moderate-to-severe HIE had confirmed HIs (p = 0.020; odds ratio, 8.61) than those with mild HIE. Clinical staging, and blood lactate and glucose levels could be predictive factors for HIs among patients with HIE. The patients who exhibited HIs had significantly higher lactate (104.8 ± 51.0 vs. 71.4 ± 48.4; U = 181, p = 0.032) and serum glucose (159.5 ± 86.1 vs. 112.1 ± 62.3; U = 166, p = 0.036) levels than those without HIs. A higher prevalence of HIs was noted in the patients with stage III HIE than those with stage II HIE (43.8% vs. 10%; p = 0.008). The degree of HI correlated with brain anomalies and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 1 year of age. Clinical staging, and blood lactate and glucose levels could be predictive factors for HIs among patients with HIE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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16 pages, 814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Absence of Stress Hyperglycemia Indicates the Most Severe Form of Blunt Liver Trauma

by Janett Kreutziger, Margot Fodor, Dagmar Morell-Hofert, Florian Primavesi, Stefan Stättner, Eva-Maria Gassner, Stefan Schmid and Christopher Rugg

Diagnostics 2021, 11(9), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11091667 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1926

Abstract

Background: Stress hyperglycemia is common in trauma patients. Increasing injury severity and hemorrhage trigger hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance. Consequently, we expect glucose levels to rise with injury severity in liver, kidney and spleen injuries. In contrast, we hypothesized that in the most severe form of blunt liver injury, stress hyperglycemia may be absent despite critical injury and hemorrhage. Methods: All patients with documented liver, kidney or spleen injuries, treated at a university hospital between 2000 and 2020 were charted. Demographic, laboratory, radiological, surgical and other data were analyzed. Results: A total of 772 patients were included. In liver (n = 456), spleen (n = 375) and kidney (n = 152) trauma, an increase in injury severity past moderate to severe (according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, AAST III-IV) was associated with a concomitant rise in blood glucose levels independent of the affected organ. While stress-induced hyperglycemia was even more pronounced in the most severe forms (AAST V) of spleen (median 10.7 mmol/L, p < 0.0001) and kidney injuries (median 10.6 mmol/L, p = 0.004), it was absent in AAST V liver injuries, where median blood glucose level even fell (5.6 mmol/L, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Absence of stress hyperglycemia on hospital admission could be a sign of most severe liver injury (AAST V). Blood glucose should be considered an additional diagnostic criterion for grading liver injury. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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12 pages, 1096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ICU-Admission Hyperphosphataemia Is Related to Shock and Tissue Damage, Indicating Injury Severity and Mortality in Polytrauma Patients

by Christopher Rugg, Mirjam Bachler, Robert Kammerlander, Daniel Niederbrunner, Johannes Bösch, Stefan Schmid, Janett Kreutziger and Mathias Ströhle

Diagnostics 2021, 11(9), 1548; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11091548 - 26 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1482

Abstract

Hyperphosphataemia can originate from tissue ischaemia and damage and may be associated with injury severity in polytrauma patients. In this retrospective, single-centre study, 166 polytrauma patients (injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16) primarily requiring intensive care unit (ICU) treatment were analysed within a five-year timeframe. ICU-admission phosphate levels defined a hyperphosphataemic (>1.45 mmol/L; n = 56) opposed to a non-hyperphosphataemic group (n = 110). In the hyperphosphataemic group, injury severity was increased (ISS median and IQR: 38 (30–44) vs. 26 (22–34); p < 0.001), as were signs of shock (lactate, resuscitation requirements), tissue damage (ASAT, ALAT, creatinine) and lastly in-hospital mortality (35.7% vs. 5.5%; p < 0.001). Hyperphosphataemia at ICU admission was shown to be a risk factor for mortality (1.46–2.10 mmol/L: odds ratio (OR) 3.96 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–15.16); p = 0.045; >2.10 mmol/L: OR 12.81 (CI 3.45–47.48); p < 0.001) and admission phosphate levels alone performed as good as injury severity score (ISS) in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the ROC curve: 0.811 vs. 0.770; p = 0.389). Hyperphosphataemia at ICU admission is related to tissue damage and shock and indicates injury severity and subsequent mortality in polytrauma patients. Admission phosphate levels represent an easily feasible yet strong predictor for in-hospital mortality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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13 pages, 7534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Randomized Comparison of Delivered Energy in Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation: Biphasic Truncated Exponential Versus Pulsed Biphasic Waveforms

by Elina Trendafilova, Elena Dimitrova, Jean-Philippe Didon and Vessela Krasteva

Diagnostics 2021, 11(6), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11061107 - 17 Jun 2021

Viewed by 2197

Abstract

A few randomized trials have compared impedance-compensated biphasic defibrillators in clinical use. We aim to compare pulsed biphasic (PB) and biphasic truncated exponential (BTE) waveforms in a non-inferiority cardioversion (CVS) study. This was a prospective monocentric randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients admitted for elective CVS of atrial fibrillation (AF) between February 2019 and March 2020 were alternately randomized to treatment with either a PB defibrillator (DEFIGARD TOUCH7, Schiller Médical, Wissembourg, France) or a BTE high-energy (BTE-HE) defibrillator (LIFEPAK15, Physio-Control Inc., Redmond, WA, USA). Fixed-energy protocol (200–200–200 J) was administered. CVS success was accepted if sinus rhythm was restored at 1 min post-shock. The study design considered non-inferiority testing of the primary outcome: cumulative delivered energy (CDE). Seventy-three out of 78 randomized patients received allocated intervention: 38 BTE-HE (52%), 35 PB (48%). Baseline characteristics were well-balanced between groups (p > 0.05). Both waveforms had similar CDE (mean ± standard deviation, 95% confidence interval): BTE-HE (253.9 ± 120.2 J, 214–293 J) vs. PB (226.0 ± 109.8 J, 188–264 J), p = 0.31. Indeed, effective PB shocks delivered significantly lower energies by mean of 25.6 J (95% CI 24–27.1 J, p < 0.001). Success rates were similar (BTE-HE vs. PB): 1 min first-shock (84.2% vs. 82.9%), 1 min CVS (97.4% vs. 94.3%), 2 h CVS (94.7% vs. 94.3%), 24 h CVS (92.1% vs. 94.3%), p > 0.05. Safety analysis did not find CVS hazards, reporting insignificant changes of myocardial-specific biomarkers, transient and rare ST-segment deviations, and no case of harmful tachyarrhythmias and apnea. Cardioversion of AF with fixed-energy protocol 200–200–200 J was highly efficient and safe for both PB and BTE-HE waveforms. These similar performances were achieved despite differences in the waveforms’ technical design, associated with significantly lower delivered energy for the effective PB shocks. Clinical Trial Registration: Registration number: NCT04032678, trial register: ClinicalTrials.gov. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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13 pages, 4959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evoked Potential Score for SSEP and BAEP—A Prognostic Marker for the Long-Term Neurological Outcome in Patients after Poor-Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

by Lisa I. Wadiura, Johannes Herta, Mario Mischkulnig, Dorian Hirschmann, Martin Borkovec, Arthur Hosmann and Andrea Reinprecht

Diagnostics 2021, 11(6), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11061075 - 11 Jun 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

Objective: Evoked potentials are widely used in comatose patients to evaluate neurological function; however, prognostic relevance in patients after SAH is barely investigated. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the proposed Evoked Potential Score (EPS) for somatosensory (SSEP) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) on the neurological outcome in patients after poor-grade SAH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients after poor grade SAH (Hunt and Hess (HH) grade IV and V) that were admitted to the ICU at the Department of Neurosurgery, MUV, between 2014 and 2017. Measurements of SSEP and BAEP were evaluated separately as well as in a combined model, using the EPS at admission and before ventilator weaning and correlated with the grade of the modified ranking scale at the last available follow up. Results: In total, 48 patients after SAH HH IV/V were included in this study. The EPS for SSEP at admission (p = 0.007) and both the EPS for SSEP (p = <0.0001) and BAEP (p = 0.036) before ventilator weaning were significant prognostic markers for neurological improvement at a mean follow-up period of 14.1 months. In addition, the combined model of the EPS for SSEP/BAEP performed as a prognostic marker for neurological improvement (“at admission” p = 0.007; “before ventilator weaning” p < 0.001). Conclusions: In the first series to date we found a high prognostic significance for the EPS as a combined model, as well as a separate analysis for SSEP and BAEP in patients after SAH IV and V. In the future, these findings potentially support physicians in ethically challenging decision-making processes and in advice for patients’ families under consideration of an individual evaluation of each patient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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Review

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10 pages, 250 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Pulmonary Artery Catheter in the Perioperative Setting: Should It Still Be Used?

by Thomas Senoner, Corinna Velik-Salchner and Helmuth Tauber

Diagnostics 2022, 12(1), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12010177 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2788

Abstract

The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) was introduced into clinical practice in the 1970s and was initially used to monitor patients with acute myocardial infarctions. The indications for using the PAC quickly expanded to critically ill patients in the intensive care unit as well as in the perioperative setting in patients undergoing major cardiac and noncardiac surgery. The utilization of the PAC is surrounded by multiple controversies, with literature claiming its benefits in the perioperative setting, and other publications showing no benefit. The right interpretation of the hemodynamic parameters measured by the PAC and its clinical implications are of the utmost essence in order to guide a specific therapy. Even though clinical trials have not shown a reduction in mortality with the use of the PAC, it still remains a valuable tool in a wide variety of clinical settings. In general, the right selection of the patient population (high-risk patients with or without hemodynamic instability undergoing high-risk procedures) as well as the right clinical setting (centers with experience and expertise) are essential in order for the patient to benefit most from PAC use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

26 pages, 3614 KiB

Open AccessReview

Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care: Point-of-Care Approach

by Sasa Rajsic, Robert Breitkopf, Mirjam Bachler and Benedikt Treml

Diagnostics 2021, 11(12), 2202; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11122202 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5322

Abstract

The concept of intensive care units (ICU) has existed for almost 70 years, with outstanding development progress in the last decades. Multidisciplinary care of critically ill patients has become an integral part of every modern health care system, ensuing improved care and reduced mortality. Early recognition of severe medical and surgical illnesses, advanced prehospital care and organized immediate care in trauma centres led to a rise of ICU patients. Due to the underlying disease and its need for complex mechanical support for monitoring and treatment, it is often necessary to facilitate bed-side diagnostics. Immediate diagnostics are essential for a successful treatment of life threatening conditions, early recognition of complications and good quality of care. Management of ICU patients is incomprehensible without continuous and sophisticated monitoring, bedside ultrasonography, diverse radiologic diagnostics, blood gas analysis, coagulation and blood management, laboratory and other point-of-care (POC) diagnostic modalities. Moreover, in the time of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, particular attention is given to the POC diagnostic techniques due to additional concerns related to the risk of infection transmission, patient and healthcare workers safety and potential adverse events due to patient relocation. This review summarizes the most actual information on possible diagnostic modalities in critical care, with a special focus on the importance of point-of-care approach in the laboratory monitoring and imaging procedures. Full article

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13 pages, 3275 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Elevated Surgical Pleth Index at the End of Surgery Is Associated with Postoperative Moderate-to-Severe Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Kuo-Chuan Hung, Yen-Ta Huang, Jinn-Rung Kuo, Chih-Wei Hsu, Ming Yew, Jen-Yin Chen, Ming-Chung Lin, I-Wen Chen and Cheuk-Kwan Sun

Diagnostics 2022, 12(9), 2167; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12092167 - 06 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2235

Abstract

Despite acceptance of the surgical pleth index (SPI) for monitoring the intraoperative balance between noxious stimulation and anti-nociception under general anesthesia, its efficacy for predicting postoperative moderate-to-severe pain remains unclear. We searched electronic databases (e.g., Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) to identify articles focusing on associations of SPI at the end of surgery with immediate moderate-to-severe pain in the postanesthesia care unit from inception to 7 July 2022. A total of six observational studies involving 756 adults published between 2016 and 2020 were eligible for quantitative syntheses. Pooled results revealed higher values of SPI in patients with moderate-to-severe pain than those without (mean difference: 7.82, 95% CI: 3.69 to 11.95, p = 0.002, I² = 46%). In addition, an elevated SPI at the end of surgery was able to predict moderate-to-severe pain with a sensitivity of 0.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65–0.77; I² = 29.01%) and a specificity of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.39–0.74; I² = 79.31%). The overall accuracy based on the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve was 0.72. In conclusion, this meta-analysis highlighted the feasibility of the surgical pleth index to predict postoperative moderate-to-severe pain immediately after surgery. Our results from a limited number of studies warrant further investigations for verification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Modalities in Critical Care)

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