Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Activated prothrombin complex concentrates factor eight inhibitor bypassing activity (FEIBA) has been recommended for reversing novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in the context of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), though few clinical studies report its use. METHODS: A prospective study of patients with spontaneous ICH was conducted from May 2013 to May 2015. Hospital complications including hemorrhage (gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia requiring transfusion, and surgical site bleeding) and thrombosis (pulmonary embolus, deep vein thrombosis, ischemic stroke, and myocardial infarction) were recorded. All ICH patients underwent baseline head CT and a follow-up stability scan in 6 h. NOAC taken within 48 h of presentation was reversed with FEIBA (50 u/kg) per protocol. Three-month outcomes were assessed using the modified rankin score (mRS). RESULTS: Of 127 ICH patients enrolled, 6 (5 %) had NOAC-related ICH including: oral factor XA inhibitor N = 5 (4 %; N = 4 rivaroxaban, N = 1 apixaban] and direct thrombin inhibitor N = 1 (0.8 %; dabigatran). The indication for NOAC was atrial fibrillation in all patients and the median CHADS2-VASC score was 4 (range 2-5). The median admission NIHSS was 2 (range 0-14) and the median ICH volume was 8 mL (range 1-20). Five patients (3 rivaroxaban, 1 apixaban, 1 dabigatran) presented within 48 h and received FEIBA within a median of 13 h (range 10-29 h) from their last NOAC dose and 8 h (range 4.5-20) from the time last known well. None of the patients had ICH expansion, hemorrhagic, or thrombotic complications. Three-month median mRS was 1 (range 0-6). CONCLUSION: In this small case series, reversal of NOAC with FEIBA was not associated with ICH expansion or any thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications.

OBJECTIVES: Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy may lead to premature limitations of life-saving treatments among patients with intracranial hemorrhage, representing a self-fulfilling prophecy. We aimed to determine whether our algorithm for the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy decision would accurately identify patients with a high probability of poor outcome, despite aggressive treatment. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. SETTING: Tertiary-care Neuro-ICU. PATIENTS: Intraparenchymal, subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. INTERVENTIONS: Baseline demographics, clinical status, and hospital course were assessed to determine the predictors of in-hospital mortality and 12-month death/severe disability among patients receiving maximal therapy. Multivariable logistic regression models developed on maximal therapy patients were applied to patients who underwent withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy to predict their probable outcome had they continued maximal treatment. A validation cohort of propensity score-matched patients was identified from the maximal therapy cohort, and their predicted and actual outcomes compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 383 patients enrolled, there were 128 subarachnoid hemorrhage (33.4%), 134 subdural hematoma (35.0%), and 121 intraparenchymal hemorrhage (31.6%). Twenty-six patients (6.8%) underwent withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy and died, 41 (10.7%) continued maximal therapy and died in hospital, and 316 (82.5%) continued maximal therapy and survived to discharge. The median predicted probability of in-hospital death among withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy patients was 35% had they continued maximal therapy, whereas the median predicted probability of 12-month death/severe disability was 98%. In the propensity-matched validation cohort, 16 of 20 patients had greater than or equal to 80% predicted probability of death/severe disability at 12 months, matching the observed outcomes and supporting the strength and validity of our prediction models. CONCLUSIONS: The withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy decision may contribute to premature in-hospital death in some patients who may otherwise have been expected to survive to discharge. However, based on probability models, nearly all of the patients who underwent withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy would have died or remained severely disabled at 12 months had maximal therapy been continued. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy may not represent a self-fulfilling prophecy.

PURPOSE: The shortage of organs for transplantation is an important medical and societal problem because transplantation is often the best therapeutic option for end-stage organ failure. METHODS: We review the potential deceased organ donation pathways in adult ICU practice, i.e. donation after brain death (DBD) and controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD), which follows the planned withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments (WLST) and subsequent confirmation of death using cardiorespiratory criteria. RESULTS: Strategies in the ICU to increase the number of organs available for transplantation are discussed. These include timely identification of the potential organ donor, optimization of the brain-dead donor by aggressive management of the physiological consequence of brain death, implementation of cDCD protocols, and the potential for ex vivo perfusion techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Organ donation should be offered as a routine component of the end-of-life care plan of every patient dying in the ICU where appropriate, and intensivists are the key professional in this process.

BACKGROUND: The use of antithrombotic agents, including anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, and thrombolytics has increased over the last decade and is expected to continue to rise. Although antithrombotic-associated intracranial hemorrhage can be devastating, rapid reversal of coagulopathy may help limit hematoma expansion and improve outcomes. METHODS: The Neurocritical Care Society, in conjunction with the Society of Critical Care Medicine, organized an international, multi-institutional committee with expertise in neurocritical care, neurology, neurosurgery, stroke, hematology, hemato-pathology, emergency medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and guideline development to evaluate the literature and develop an evidence-based practice guideline. Formalized literature searches were conducted, and studies meeting the criteria established by the committee were evaluated. RESULTS: Utilizing the GRADE methodology, the committee developed recommendations for reversal of vitamin K antagonists, direct factor Xa antagonists, direct thrombin inhibitors, unfractionated heparin, low-molecular weight heparin, heparinoids, pentasaccharides, thrombolytics, and antiplatelet agents in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: This guideline provides timely, evidence-based reversal strategies to assist practitioners in the care of patients with antithrombotic-associated intracranial hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: To describe unique features of neurocritical illness that are relevant to provision of high-quality palliative care; to discuss key prognostic aids and their limitations for neurocritical illnesses; to review challenges and strategies for establishing realistic goals of care for patients in the neuro-ICU; and to describe elements of best practice concerning symptom management, limitation of life support, and organ donation for the neurocritically ill. DATA SOURCES: A search of PubMed and MEDLINE was conducted from inception through January 2015 for all English-language articles using the term "palliative care," "supportive care," "end-of-life care," "withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy," "limitation of life support," "prognosis," or "goals of care" together with "neurocritical care," "neurointensive care," "neurological," "stroke," "subarachnoid hemorrhage," "intracerebral hemorrhage," or "brain injury." DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We reviewed the existing literature on delivery of palliative care in the neurointensive care unit setting, focusing on challenges and strategies for establishing realistic and appropriate goals of care, symptom management, organ donation, and other considerations related to use and limitation of life-sustaining therapies for neurocritically ill patients. Based on review of these articles and the experiences of our interdisciplinary/interprofessional expert advisory board, this report was prepared to guide critical care staff, palliative care specialists, and others who practice in this setting. CONCLUSIONS: Most neurocritically ill patients and their families face the sudden onset of devastating cognitive and functional changes that challenge clinicians to provide patient-centered palliative care within a complex and often uncertain prognostic environment. Application of palliative care principles concerning symptom relief, goal setting, and family emotional support will provide clinicians a framework to address decision making at a time of crisis that enhances patient/family autonomy and clinician professionalism.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Growth of the core infarct during the first hours of ischemia onset is not well-understood. We hypothesized that factors other than time from onset of ischemia contribute to core infarct volume as measured by MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively collected clinical and imaging data of consecutive patients with stroke presenting between March 2008 and April 2013 with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion and MR imaging performed within 6 hours from the time of onset were reviewed. The association of time from onset, clinical, and radiographic features with DWI volume was assessed by using chi(2) and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: Of 91 patients, 21 (23%) underwent MR imaging within 0-3 hours from onset, and 70 (76%), within 3-6 hours. Median MR imaging infarct volume was similar in both timeframes, (24.7 versus 29.4 mL, P = .906), and there was no difference in the proportion of patients with large infarct volumes (>/=70 mL, 23.8% versus 22.8%, P = .928). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, we detected no association between the time from onset and MR imaging infarct volume (area under the curve = 0.509). In multivariate analysis, CTA collaterals (>50% of the territory) (adjusted OR, 0.192; 95% CI, 0.04-0.9; P = .046), CTA ASPECTS (adjusted OR, 0.464; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8; P = .003), and a history of hyperlipidemia (adjusted OR, 11.0; 95% CI, 1.4-88.0; P = .023) (but not time from stroke onset to imaging) were independent predictors of MR imaging infarct volume. CONCLUSIONS: Collateral status but not time from stroke onset to imaging was a predictor of the size of core infarct in patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion presenting within 6 hours from onset.

Regional multimodality monitoring has evolved over the last several years as a tool to understand the mechanisms of brain injury and brain function at the cellular level. Multimodality monitoring offers an important augmentation to the clinical exam and is especially useful in comatose neurocritical care patients. Cerebral microdialysis, brain tissue oxygen monitoring, and cerebral blood flow monitoring all offer insight into permutations in brain chemistry and function that occur in the context of brain injury. These tools may allow for development of individual therapeutic strategies that are mechanistically driven and goal-directed. We present a summary of the discussions that took place during the Second Neurocritical Care Research Conference regarding regional brain monitoring.

Telestroke and teleneurologic intensive care units (teleneuro-ICUs) optimize the diagnosis and treatment of neurologic emergencies. Establishment of a telestroke or teleneuro-ICU program relies on investment in experienced stroke and neurocritical care personnel as well as advanced telecommunications technologies. Telemanagement of neurologic emergencies can be standardized to improve outcomes, but it is essential to have a relationship with a tertiary care facility that can use endovascular, neurosurgical, and neurocritical care advanced therapies after stabilization. The next stage in telestroke/teleneuro-ICU management involves the use of mobile stroke units to shorten the time to treatment in neurocritically ill patients.