方山 真朱

BACKGROUND: Hypomagnesemia reportedly has significant associations with poor clinical outcomes such as increased mortality and septic shock in patients with sepsis. Although the mechanism underlying these outcomes mostly remains unclear, some experimental data suggest that magnesium deficiency could potentiate coagulation activation in sepsis. However, in sepsis, the association between serum magnesium levels and coagulopathy, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum magnesium levels and coagulation status and the association between hypomagnesemia and DIC in patients with sepsis. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital from June 2011 to December 2017. Patients older than 19 years who met the Sepsis-3 definition were included. We categorized patients into three groups according to their serum magnesium levels: hypomagnesemia (< 1.6 mg/dL), normal serum magnesium level (1.6-2.4 mg/dL), and hypermagnesemia (> 2.4 mg/dL). We investigated the association between serum magnesium levels and overt DIC at the time of ICU admission according to the criteria of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. RESULTS: Among 753 patients included in this study, 181 had DIC, 105 had hypomagnesemia, 552 had normal serum magnesium levels, and 96 had hypermagnesemia. Patients with hypomagnesemia had a more activated coagulation status indicated by lower platelet counts, lower fibrinogen levels, higher prothrombin time-international normalized ratios, higher thrombin-antithrombin complex, and more frequent DIC than those with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia (DIC: 41.9% vs. 20.6% vs. 24.0%, P < 0.001). The coagulation status in patients with hypomagnesemia was more augmented toward suppressed fibrinolysis than that in patients with normal serum magnesium levels and hypermagnesemia. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC (odds ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.84; P = 0.048) after adjusting for several confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hypomagnesemia had a significantly activated coagulation status and suppressed fibrinolysis. Hypomagnesemia was independently associated with DIC in patients with sepsis. Therefore, the treatment of hypomagnesemia may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of coagulopathy in sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Since the response to lung recruitment varies greatly among patients receiving mechanical ventilation, lung recruitability should be assessed before recruitment maneuvers. The pressure-volume curve (PV curve) and recruitment-to-inflation ratio (R/I ratio) can be used bedside for evaluating lung recruitability and individualing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Lung tissue recruitment on computed tomography has been correlated with normalized maximal distance (NMD) of the quasi-static PV curve. NMD is the maximal distance between the inspiratory and expiratory limb of the PV curve normalized to the maximal volume. However, the relationship between the different parameters of hysteresis of the quasi-static PV curve and R/I ratio for recruitability is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 33 patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who received invasive mechanical ventilation. Respiratory waveform data were collected from the ventilator using proprietary acquisition software. We examined the relationship of the R/I ratio, quasi-static PV curve items such as NMD, and respiratory system compliance (Crs). RESULTS: The median R/I ratio was 0.90 [interquartile range (IQR), 0.70-1.15] and median NMD was 41.0 [IQR, 37.1-44.1]. The NMD correlated significantly with the R/I ratio (rho = 0.74, P < 0.001). Sub-analysis showed that the NMD and R/I ratio did not correlate with Crs at lower PEEP (- 0.057, P = 0.75; and rho = 0.15, P = 0.41, respectively). On the contrary, the ratio of Crs at higher PEEP to Crs at lower PEEP (Crs ratio (higher/lower)) moderately correlated with NMD and R/I ratio (rho = 0.64, P < 0.001; and rho = 0.67, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: NMD of the quasi-static PV curve and R/I ratio for recruitability assessment are highly correlated. In addition, NMD and R/I ratio correlated with the Crs ratio (higher/lower). Therefore, NMD and R/I ratio could be potential indicators of recruitability that can be performed at the bedside.

BACKGROUND: Large multicenter studies reporting on the association between the duration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial administration and the detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in the intensive care unit (ICU) are scarce. We evaluated the impact of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy for more than 72 h on the detection of MDR bacteria using the data from Japanese patients enrolled in the DIANA study. METHODS: We analyzed the data of ICU patients in the DIANA study (a multicenter international observational cohort study from Japan). Patients who received empirical antimicrobials were divided into a broad-spectrum antimicrobial group and a narrow-spectrum antimicrobial group, based on whether they received broad-spectrum antimicrobials for more or less than 72 h, respectively. Differences in patient characteristics, background of infectious diseases and empirical antimicrobial administration, and outcomes between the two groups were compared using the chi-square tests (Monte Carlo method) for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables. We also conducted a logistic regression analysis to investigate the factors associated with the detection of new MDR bacteria. RESULTS: A total of 254 patients from 31 Japanese ICUs were included in the analysis, of whom 159 (62.6%) were included in the broad-spectrum antimicrobial group and 95 (37.4%) were included in the narrow-spectrum antimicrobial group. The detection of new MDR bacteria was significantly higher in the broad-spectrum antimicrobial group (11.9% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.042). Logistic regression showed that broad-spectrum antimicrobial continuation for more than 72 h (OR [odds ratio] 3.09, p = 0.047) and cerebrovascular comorbidity on ICU admission (OR 2.91, p = 0.041) were associated with the detection of new MDR bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Among Japanese ICU patients treated with empirical antimicrobials, broad-spectrum antimicrobial usage for more than 72 h was associated with the increased detection of new MDR bacteria. Antimicrobial stewardship programs in ICUs should discourage the prolonged use of empirical broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02920463, Registered 30 September 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02920463.

Objectives: This retrospective observational study investigated whether the degree of muscular echogenicity in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) could help with the early detection of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and predict physical function at hospital discharge. Methods: Twenty-five patients who were mechanically ventilated for more than 48 h in the ICU were enrolled. We also enrolled 23 outpatients with nonmuscular diseases as the control group. The target sites for measuring muscular echogenicity were the upper arm and lower leg. First, the muscular echogenicity was compared between surviving nonsurgical patients admitted to the ICU and stable outpatients with nonmuscular diseases. Second, we investigated the relationship between muscular echogenicity and clinical features, e.g., the manual muscle test (MMT), Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Results: Muscular echogenicity in the upper arm in the ICU group was significantly higher than that in the control group. In the ICU group, the degree of muscular echogenicity of the upper arm was inversely correlated with the MMT of elbow flexion (P=0.006; r=-0.532) and the MRC sum score (P=0.002; r=-0.591). However, muscular echogenicity of the upper arm did not correlate with functional FIM (P=0.100; r=-0.344) at hospital discharge. Conclusions: Critically ill patients can experience pathological muscle weakness associated with increased muscular echogenicity in the upper arm. Additionally, the degree of muscular echogenicity in the upper arm correlated with the MRC sum score and can facilitate early detection of ICU-AW. The relationship between echogenicity and functional outcome at discharge requires elucidation.

<title>Abstract</title><sec> <title>Background</title> Electrical cardioversion (ECV) is widely used to restore sinus rhythm in critically ill adult patients with atrial fibrillation, although its prognostic value is uncertain. This study aims to elucidate the clinical meaning of successful ECV. </sec><sec> <title>Methods</title> This is a sub-analysis of the AFTER-ICU study, a multicenter prospective study with a cohort of 423 adult non-cardiac patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients that underwent ECV within 7 days after initial onset of AF were included in the sub-analysis. We compared intensive care unit (ICU) and overall hospital mortality, survival time within 30 days, cardiac rhythm at ICU discharge, and the length of ICU and overall hospital stay between patients whose sinus rhythm was restored immediately after the first ECV session (primary success group) and those in whom it was not restored (unsuccessful group). To find the factors related to the primary success of ECV, we also compared patient characteristics, the delivered energy, and pretreatment. </sec><sec> <title>Results</title> Sixty-five patients received ECV and were included in this study. Although 35 patients (54%) had primary success, recurrence of AF occurred in 24 of these patients (69%). At ICU discharge, three patients still had AF in the unsuccessful group, but no patients in the primary success group still had AF. ICU mortality was 34% in the primary success group and 17% in the unsuccessful group (<italic>P</italic> = 0.10). Survival time within 30 days did not differ between the groups. Delivered energy and pretreatment were not associated with primary success of ECV. </sec><sec> <title>Conclusions</title> The primary success rate of ECV for new-onset AF in adult non-cardiac ICU population was low, and even if it succeeded, the subsequent recurrence rate was high. Primary success of ECV did not affect the rate of mortality. Pretreatment and delivered energy were not associated with the primary success of ECV. </sec><sec> <title>Trial registration</title> UMIN clinical trial registry, the Japanese clinical trial registry (registration number: <ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000030333">UMIN000026401</ext-link>, March 31, 2017). </sec>

Recently, maintaining a certain oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) range in mechanically ventilated patients was recommended; attaching the INTELLiVENT-ASV to ventilators might be beneficial. We evaluated the SpO2 measurement accuracy of a Nihon Kohden and a Masimo monitor compared to actual arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). SpO2 was simultaneously measured by a Nihon Kohden and Masimo monitor in patients consecutively admitted to a general intensive care unit and mechanically ventilated. Bland-Altman plots were used to compare measured SpO2 with actual SaO2. One hundred mechanically ventilated patients and 1497 arterial blood gas results were reviewed. Mean SaO2 values, Nihon Kohden SpO2 measurements, and Masimo SpO2 measurements were 95.7%, 96.4%, and 96.9%, respectively. The Nihon Kohden SpO2 measurements were less biased than Masimo measurements; their precision was not significantly different. Nihon Kohden and Masimo SpO2 measurements were not significantly different in the "SaO2 < 94%" group (P = 0.083). In the "94% ≤ SaO2 < 98%" and "SaO2 ≥ 98%" groups, there were significant differences between the Nihon Kohden and Masimo SpO2 measurements (P < 0.0001; P = 0.006; respectively). Therefore, when using automatically controlling oxygenation with INTELLiVENT-ASV in mechanically ventilated patients, the Nihon Kohden SpO2 sensor is preferable.Trial registration UMIN000027671. Registered 7 June 2017.

OBJECTIVES: Moral distress occurs when professionals cannot carry out what they believe to be ethically appropriate actions because of constraints or barriers. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Japanese translation of the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP). METHODS: We translated the questionnaire into Japanese according to the instructions of EORTC Quality of Life group translation manual. All physicians and nurses who were directly involved in patient care at nine departments of four tertiary hospitals in Japan were invited to a survey to assess the construct validity, reliability and factor structure. Construct validity was assessed with the relation to the intention to leave the clinical position, and internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. RESULTS: 308 responses were eligible for the analysis. The mean total score of MMD-HP (range, 0-432) was 98.2 (SD, 59.9). The score was higher in those who have or had the intention to leave their clinical role due to moral distress than in those who do not or did not have the intention of leaving (mean 113.7 [SD, 61.3] vs. 86.1 [56.6], t-test p < 0.001). The confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha confirmed the validity (chi-square, 661.9; CMIN/df, 2.14; GFI, 0.86; CFI, 0.88; CFI/TLI, 1.02; RMSEA, 0.061 [90%CI, 0.055-0.067]) and reliability (0.91 [95%CI, 0.89-0.92]) of the instrument. CONCLUSIONS: The translated Japanese version of the MMD-HP is a reliable and valid instrument to assess moral distress among physicians and nurses.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic acidosis is a major complication of critical illness. However, its current epidemiology and its treatment with sodium bicarbonate given to correct metabolic acidosis in the ICU are poorly understood. METHOD: This was an international retrospective observational study in 18 ICUs in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan. Adult patients were consecutively screened, and those with early metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.3 and a Base Excess < -4 mEq/L, within 24-h of ICU admission) were included. Screening continued until 10 patients who received and 10 patients who did not receive sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h (early bicarbonate therapy) were included at each site. The primary outcome was ICU mortality, and the association between sodium bicarbonate and the clinical outcomes were assessed using regression analysis with generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS: We screened 9437 patients. Of these, 1292 had early metabolic acidosis (14.0%). Early sodium bicarbonate was given to 18.0% (233/1292) of these patients. Dosing, physiological, and clinical outcome data were assessed in 360 patients. The median dose of sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h was 110 mmol, which was not correlated with bodyweight or the severity of metabolic acidosis. Patients who received early sodium bicarbonate had higher APACHE III scores, lower pH, lower base excess, lower PaCO2, and a higher lactate and received higher doses of vasopressors. After adjusting for confounders, the early administration of sodium bicarbonate was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.62) for ICU mortality. In patients with vasopressor dependency, early sodium bicarbonate was associated with higher mean arterial pressure at 6 h and an aOR of 0.52 (95% CI, 0.22 to 1.19) for ICU mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early metabolic acidosis is common in critically ill patients. Early sodium bicarbonate is administered by clinicians to more severely ill patients but without correction for weight or acidosis severity. Bicarbonate therapy in acidotic vasopressor-dependent patients may be beneficial and warrants further investigation.

BACKGROUND: INTELLiVENT-ASV® (I-ASV) is a closed-loop ventilation mode that automatically controls the ventilation settings. Although a number of studies have reported the usefulness of I-ASV, the clinical situations in which it may be useful have not yet been clarified. We aimed to report our initial 3 years of experience using I-ASV, particularly the clinical conditions and the technical and organizational factors associated with its use. Furthermore, we evaluated the usefulness of I-ASV and determined the predictive factors for successful management with I-ASV. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective observational study included patients who were ventilated using the Hamilton G5® ventilator (Hamilton Medical AG, Rhäzüns, Switzerland) from January 2016 to December 2018. The patients were categorized into the "I-ASV success" group and "I-ASV failure" group (those receiving mechanical ventilation with I-ASV along with any other mode). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with successful I-ASV management. RESULTS: Of the 189 patients, 135 (71.4%) were categorized into the I-ASV success group. In the I-ASV success group, the reasons for ICU admission included post-elective surgery (94.1%), post-emergent surgery (81.5%), and other medical reasons (55.6%). I-ASV failure was associated with a low P/F ratio (278 vs. 167, P = 0.0003) and high Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (21 vs. 26, P < 0.0001). The main reasons for not using I-ASV included strong inspiratory effort and asynchrony. The APACHE II score was an independent predictive factor for successful management with I-ASV, with an odds ratio of 0.92 (95% confidential interval 0.87-0.96, P = 0.0006). The area under the receiver operating curve for the APACHE II score was 0.722 (cut-off: 24). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that 71.4% of the fully mechanically ventilated patients could be managed successfully with I-ASV. The APACHE II score was an independent factor that could help predict the successful management of I-ASV. To improve I-ASV management, it is necessary to focus on patient-ventilator interactions.

BACKGROUND: Altered coagulation and alveolar injury are the hallmarks of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, whether the biomarkers that reflect pathophysiology differ depending on the etiology of ARDS has not been examined. This study aimed to investigate the biomarker profiles of coagulopathy and alveolar epithelial injury in two subtypes of ARDS: patients with direct common risk factors (dARDS) and those with idiopathic or immune-related diseases (iARDS), which are classified as "ARDS without common risk factors" based on the Berlin definition. METHODS: This retrospective, observational study included adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital with a diagnosis of ARDS with no indirect risk factors. Plasma biomarkers (thrombin-antithrombin complex [TAT], plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI]-1, protein C [PC] activity, procalcitonin [PCT], surfactant protein [SP]-D, and KL-6) were routinely measured during the first 5 days of the patient's ICU stay. RESULTS: Among 138 eligible patients with ARDS, 51 were excluded based on the exclusion criteria (n = 41) or other causes of ARDS (n = 10). Of the remaining 87 patients, 56 were identified as having dARDS and 31 as having iARDS. Among the iARDS patients, TAT (marker of thrombin generation) and PAI-1 (marker of inhibited fibrinolysis) were increased, and PC activity was above normal. In contrast, PC activity was significantly decreased, and TAT or PAI-1 was present at much higher levels in dARDS compared with iARDS patients. Significant differences were also observed in PCT, SP-D, and KL-6 between patients with dARDS and iARDS. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that areas under the ROC curve for PC activity, PAI-1, PCT, SP-D, and KL-6 were similarly high for distinguishing between dARDS and iARDS (PC 0.86, P = 0.33; PAI-1 0.89, P = 0.95; PCT 0.89, P = 0.66; and SP-D 0.88, P = 0.16 vs. KL-6 0.90, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Coagulopathy and alveolar epithelial injury were observed in both patients with dARDS and with iARDS. However, their biomarker profiles were significantly different between the two groups. The different patterns of PAI-1, PC activity, SP-D, and KL-6 may help in differentiating between these ARDS subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested a low potential risk for contrast medium-induced kidney injury in patients with relatively normal renal function. However, whether contrast media cause additional deterioration of renal function in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), including those with sepsis-associated AKI, remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of contrast media on renal function and mortality in patients with sepsis who already had AKI. METHODS: We performed a propensity score-matched historical cohort study in the medico-surgical intensive care unit of Jichi Medical University Hospital. Adult patients who were diagnosed with sepsis and AKI were enrolled. Records from our sepsis database from 2011 to 2017 were examined. Septic patients with AKI who received contrast media within 24 h of admission (C group) were matched 1:1 with septic patients who did not receive contrast media (NC group). The primary outcome was deterioration of kidney function (DRF), which was defined as an elevation of serum creatinine levels (> 0.3 mg/dL or 1.5-fold from baseline) or induction of renal replacement therapy. RESULTS: A total of 339 septic patients with AKI were included. After propensity score adjustment, the DRF rate was similar between the C and NC groups (34.0% versus 35.0%; P = 1.00). The 7-day mortality (3.0% versus 6.0%; P = 0.50), 28-day mortality (9.2% versus 15.0%; P = 0.25), and 90-day mortality (25.8% versus 32.1%; P = 0.45) rates were comparable between the two groups. In propensity-adjusted subsets of a high-risk subset (AKI stages 2 and 3 on admission), the rate of DRF was also similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A single administration of contrast media was not associated with exacerbation of AKI or increased short/long-term mortality in patients with sepsis.

Since endothelial function is closely related to organ dysfunction in sepsis and the relationship among endothelial injury, organ dysfunction, and other biomarkers remains unclear, we aimed to evaluate the correlation among endothelial injury, organ dysfunction, and several biomarkers in patients with sepsis. Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Setting: The study was conducted in a university hospital with 14 mixed ICU beds. Patients: ICU patients with sepsis from June 2011 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. Interventions: Endothelial biomarkers (soluble thrombomodulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and protein C) and markers of inflammation and coagulation were evaluated during the ICU stay. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were assessed for 7 days after ICU admission to determine organ dysfunction. Variables were compared among five stratified groups according to the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-24). Regression analysis and 95% CIs were used to evaluate trends in biomarkers. Measurements and Main Results: The patients were divided into five stratified groups (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 0-2, n = 159 [20.5%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 3-5, n = 296 [38.2%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 6-8, n = 182 [23.5%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 9-12, n = 75 [9.7%]; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 13-24, n = 31 [4.0%]). Protein C activity was significantly correlated with the severity of organ dysfunction. It was lower on day 1, increased upon successful treatment, and was significantly higher in groups with lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores. Conclusions: Trends and activity of protein C were superior in predicting organ dysfunction compared with other endothelial biomarkers. Monitoring the level of protein C activity is an ideal tool to monitor organ dysfunctions in patients with sepsis.

Background: Intravenous glycerol treatment, usually administered in the form of a 5% fructose solution, can be used to reduce intracranial pressure. The administered fructose theoretically influences blood lactate levels, although little is known regarding whether intravenous glycerol treatment causes transient hyperlactatemia. This study aimed to evaluate blood lactate levels in patients who received intravenous glycerol or mannitol. Methods: This single-center prospective observational study was performed at a 14-bed general intensive care unit between August 2016 and January 2018. Patients were excluded if they were < 20 years old or had pre-existing hyperlactatemia (blood lactate > 2.0 mmol/L). The included patients received intravenous glycerol or mannitol to reduce intracranial pressure and provided blood samples for lactate testing before and after the drug infusion (before the infusion and after 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, 90 min, 120 min, and 150 min). Results: Among the 33 included patients, 13 patients received 200 mL of glycerol over 30 min, 13 patients received 200 mL of glycerol over 60 min, and 7 patients received 300 mL of mannitol over 60 min. Both groups of patients who received glycerol had significantly higher lactate levels than the mannitol group (2.8 mmol/L vs. 2.2 mmol/L vs. 1.6 mmol/L, P < 0.0001), with the magnitude of the increase in lactate levels corresponding to the glycerol infusion time. There were no significant inter-group differences in cardiac index, stroke volume, or stroke volume variation. In the group that received the 30-min glycerol infusion, blood lactate levels did not return to the normal range until after 120 min. Conclusions: Intravenous administration of glycerol leads to higher blood lactate levels that persist for up to 120 min. Although hyperlactatemia is an essential indicator of sepsis and/or impaired tissue perfusion, physicians should be aware of this phenomenon when assessing the blood lactate levels.

症例は66歳男性で、5日前から全身倦怠感ならびに感冒症状を認めた。1日前から呼吸困難感が出現し、SpO2が90%、胸部X線では両側肺野に浸潤陰影、胸部CTでは両側中下肺野にすりガラス陰影を認めた。間質性肺疾患の疑いで入院し、酸素療法と第3世代セフェム投与を開始した。しかし、呼吸困難感は徐々に進行した。翌日、気管挿管・人工呼吸を開始したが、左気胸が出現したため胸腔ドレーン留置後に救急搬送となった。徒手換気下で胸部CTを行ったところ、広範な荷重側無気肺を形成しており気管支牽引像を認めなかった。間質性肺疾患よりも細菌性肺炎による敗血症性ARDSを疑った。画像所見から肺胞リクルートメントが有効と判断し、腹臥位療法とAPRVを併用したopen lung strategyを施行した。レボフロキサシンを開始し、メチルプレドニゾロンを3日間投与した。第8病日に抜管し、第21病日には酸素投与なしで退院した。

当ICUにおけるHAMILTON-G5 INTELLiVENT-ASV(Int/ASV)の使用経験について報告した。2013年7月〜2014年1月迄にInt/ASVは頭頸部ならびに腹部予定手術後患者15例で使用され、平均年齢は55歳、男性が50%、APACHE IIは平均4.4であった。人工呼吸期間は平均3日間で、従来の方法と差はみられなかった。人工呼吸器に関連する有害事象は認めなかったが、2例でパルスオキシメーターやカプノグラフからのデータ取得の問題から導入できなかった。今回の結果から術後症例での使用は可能と判断した。Quick Wean機能やSBTは使用したものの効果判定には至らなかったが、問題なく使用できた。一方、一回換気量が小さく呼吸回数が低下しない拘束性肺障害患者や重症呼吸不全患者では、適応や安全性について今後さらなる評価が必要と考えられた。

ジスチグミン臭化物10 mg/dayを1年間にわたり内服し，3ヶ月以上続く難治性の下痢や嘔吐など消化器症状のため入院したが，ジスチグミン臭化物中毒によるコリン作動性クリーゼを発症し，救命し得なかった一症例を経験した。背景に肝硬変があり，慢性的にコリンエステラーゼ値が低値であったため，ジスチグミン臭化物中毒の診断に時間がかかった。コリンエステラーゼ残存率は約7ヶ月前から異常低値であり，難治性の消化器症状が出現した時期と合わせて慢性中毒と考えた。難治性の消化器症状およびコリンエステラーゼ値が異常低値を示す高齢者では，ジスチグミン臭化物の中毒を疑い，早期から集中治療の対象とするのが望ましい。