Background: The vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) predicts mortality and morbidity after paediatric cardiac surgery. Here we examined whether VIS also predicted outcome in adults after cardiac surgery, and compared predictive capability between VIS and three widely used scoring systems. Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included 3213 cardiac surgery patients. Maximal VIS (VIS max ) was calculated using the highest doses of vasoactive and inotropic medications administered during the first 24 h postsurgery. We established five VIS max categories: 0e5, >5e15, >15e30, >30e45, and >45 points. The predictive accuracy of VIS max was evaluated for a composite outcome, which included 30-day mortality, mediastinitis, stroke, acute kidney injury, and myocardial infarction. Results: VIS max showed good prediction accuracy for the composite outcome [area under the curve (AUC), 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69e0.75]. The incidence of the composite outcome was 9.6% overall and 43% in the highest VIS max group (>45). VIS max predicted 30-day mortality (AUC, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.69e0.83) and 1-yr mortality (AUC, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.65e0.74). Prediction accuracy for unfavourable outcome was significantly better with VIS max than with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (P¼0.01) and Simplified Acute Physiological Score II (P¼0.048), but not with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (P¼0.32). Conclusions: In adults after cardiac surgery, VIS max predicted a composite of unfavourable outcomes and predicted mortality up to 1 yr after surgery.

Weekend ICU admissions are associated with increased mortality, and patients in the ICU are at increased risk of dying in evenings and during nighttime. Our findings may have important implications for organization of ICU services.

IntroductionKnowledge of the association of hemodynamics with progression of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) is limited. However, some recent data suggest that mean arterial pressure (MAP) exceeding current guidelines (60–65 mmHg) may be needed to prevent AKI. We hypothesized that higher MAP during the first 24 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU), would be associated with a lower risk of progression of AKI in patients with severe sepsis.MethodsWe identified 423 patients with severe sepsis and electronically recorded continuous hemodynamic data in the prospective observational FINNAKI study. The primary endpoint was progression of AKI within the first 5 days of ICU admission defined as new onset or worsening of AKI by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. We evaluated the association of hemodynamic variables with this endpoint. We included 53724 10-minute medians of MAP in the analysis. We analysed the ability of time-adjusted MAP to predict progression of AKI by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.ResultsOf 423 patients, 153 (36.2%) had progression of AKI. Patients with progression of AKI had significantly lower time-adjusted MAP, 74.4 mmHg [68.3-80.8], than those without progression, 78.6 mmHg [72.9-85.4], P < 0.001. A cut-off value of 73 mmHg for time-adjusted MAP best predicted the progression of AKI. Chronic kidney disease, higher lactate, higher dose of furosemide, use of dobutamine and time-adjusted MAP below 73 mmHg were independent predictors of progression of AKI.ConclusionsThe findings of this large prospective multicenter observational study suggest that hypotensive episodes (MAP under 73 mmHg) are associated with progression of AKI in critically ill patients with severe sepsis.

The outcome of ARDS is unpredictable at the time of onset and also at the time of the worst oxygenation. Keeping the inspiratory pressures low (30-35 cm H2O [2.94 to 3.43 kPa]) reduces the frequency of pneumothorax, and might lower the mortality. Most patients are young, and therefore the costs per saved year of life are low.

Although vasopressin induces vasoconstriction in visceral region, its effects on splanchnic circulation and metabolism during septic-endotoxin shock are still poorly characterized. We evaluated the metabolic and hemodynamic effects of vasopressin and norepinephrine within the splanchnic area in porcine endotoxin shock.