More self-efficacy is associated with longitudinally higher health-related quality of life in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ICU survivors: The prospective MaastrICCht cohort.

Background: More self-efficacy leads to greater confidence in one's ability to perform actions to achieve treatment goals. Therefore, self-efficacy may affect patient recovery and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after ICU discharge.

Aim: In a cohort of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 survivors, we examined the associations between self-efficacy at 3 months and HRQoL at 3, 12 and 24 months after discharge.

Long-term mortality of Dutch COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care medicine: a retrospective analysis from a national quality registry.

Objective: To describe the 12-month mortality of Dutch COVID-19 intensive care unit patients, the total COVID-19 population and various subgroups on the basis of the number of comorbidities, age, sex, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive medication use.

Methods: We included all patients admitted with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and March 29, 2022, from the Dutch National Intensive Care (NICE) database. The crude 12-month mortality rate is presented via Kaplan-Meier survival curves for each patient subgroup.

Left atrial strain predicts long-term heart failure outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Left atrial (LA) strain reflects not only LA function but also systolic and diastolic left ventricular function. We therefore hypothesize that LA strain may be a comprehensive predictor of heart failure related endpoints after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aim to assess the impact of LA reservoir strain on the long-term prognosis following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

The definition of predictor and outcome variables in mortality prediction models: a scoping review and quality of reporting study.

Background And Objectives: Mortality prediction models are promising tools for guiding clinical decision-making and resource allocation in intensive care units (ICUs). Clearly specified predictor and outcome variables are necessary to enable external validation and safe clinical application of prediction models. The objective of this study was to identify the predictor and outcome variables used in different mortality prediction models in the ICU and investigate their reporting.

Boosting the accuracy of existing models by updating and extending: using a multicenter COVID-19 ICU cohort as a proxy.

Most published prediction models for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were poorly reported, at high risk of bias, and heterogeneous in model performance. To tackle methodological challenges faced in previous prediction studies, we investigated whether model updating and extending improves mortality prediction, using the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a proxy. All COVID-19 patients admitted to seven ICUs in the Euregio-Meuse Rhine during the first pandemic wave were included.

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in preterm children with selective mutism.

Very preterm birth and treatment in neonatal intensive care cause stress early in life of the infant and may subsequently lead to psychological and behavioural traumas. Previous studies show positive outcomes of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy on trauma in children in general. This case report describes two girls that were born at very premature age (with birth weights of approximately 1000 g).

Monitoring of myocardial injury by serial measurements of QRS area and T area: The MaastrICCht cohort.

Background: Manually derived electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters were not associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients in earlier studies, while increased high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were. To provide evidence for vectorcardiography (VCG) measures as potential cardiac monitoring tool, we investigated VCG trajectories during critical illness.

Methods: All mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients were included in the Maastricht Intensive Care Covid Cohort between March 2020 and October 2021.

Reducing administrative burden by implementing a core set of quality indicators in the ICU: a multicentre longitudinal intervention study.

Background: The number of quality indicators for which clinicians need to record data is increasing. For many indicators, there are concerns about their efficacy. This study aimed to determine whether working with only a consensus-based core set of quality indicators in the intensive care unit (ICU) reduces the time spent on documenting performance data and administrative burden of ICU professionals, and if this is associated with more joy in work without impacting the quality of ICU care.

Association of fibrotic markers with diastolic function after STEMI.

Galectin-3 and Suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (ST2) are known markers of cardiac fibrosis. We investigated the prognostic value of fibrotic markers for the development of diastolic dysfunction and long-term outcome in patients suffering an ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). We analyzed 236 patients from the GIPS-III cohort with available echocardiographic studies and plasma measurements at hospitalization and after 4 months follow-up.

The prognostic impact of unplanned invasive coronary angiography following coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: Myocardial ischaemia following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a potentially devastating complication. Nevertheless, the incidence, aetiology and prognostic relevance of unplanned coronary angiography (uCAG) remain understudied. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and outcome of patients undergoing urgent, uCAG in the postoperative period following CABG.

Favorable resuscitation characteristics in patients undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A secondary analysis of the INCEPTION-trial.

Introduction: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is increasingly used as a supportive treatment for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Still, there is a paucity of data evaluating favorable and unfavorable prognostic characteristics in patients considered for ECPR.

Methods: We performed a previously unplanned post-hoc analysis of the multicenter randomized controlled INCEPTION-trial.

The incidence of neurological complications in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ICU patients: An observational single-center cohort study in three COVID-19 periods.

Background: Neurological complications in COVID-19 patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) have been previously reported. As the pandemic progressed, therapeutic strategies were tailored to new insights. This study describes the incidence, outcome, and types of reported neurological complications in invasively mechanically ventilated (IMV) COVID-19 patients in relation to three periods during the pandemic.

Cost-effectiveness of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation vs. conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a pre-planned, trial-based economic evaluation.

Aims: When out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) becomes refractory, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a potential option to restore circulation and improve the patient's outcome. However, ECPR requires specific materials and highly skilled personnel, and it is unclear whether increased survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) justify these costs.

Methods And Results: This cost-effectiveness study was part of the INCEPTION study, a multi-centre, pragmatic randomized trial comparing hospital-based ECPR to conventional CPR (CCPR) in patients with refractory OHCA in 10 cardiosurgical centres in the Netherlands.