Papers by Pratheema Ramachandran
Journal of Critical Care, Mar 31, 2024
Neurocritical Care, Oct 10, 2023
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Mar 13, 2021
The primary manifestation of Corona Virus Disease -2019 (COVID-19) is acute hypoxic respiratory f... more The primary manifestation of Corona Virus Disease -2019 (COVID-19) is acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Prone position has been shown to improve outcomes in ventilated patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. The feasibility and safety of awake prone positioning and its impact on outcomes if any, in non-intubated patients with mild to moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 is unknown. Results of the observational studies published thus far in this pandemic have been conflicting. In this context, we conducted a multi-centre, parallel group, randomised controlled feasibility study on awake prone positioning in non-intubated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen. Methods: 60 patients diagnosed with acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to COVID -19 pneumonia requiring 4 or more litres of oxygen to maintain a saturation of ≥ 92% were recruited in this study. Thirty patients each were randomised to either standard care or awake prone group. Patients randomised to the standard care were allowed to change their position as per comfort and patients randomized to the prone group were encouraged to self-prone for at least 6 hours a day. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients adhering to the protocol in each group. Secondary outcomes include failure of therapy leading to escalation of respiratory support, number of hours prone, maximum hours of continuous prone positioning in a day, length of stay in ICU, ICU mortality, total number of patients needing intubation and adverse events. Results: In the prone group, 43% (13 out of 30) of patients were able to self-prone for 6 or more hours a day. The median maximum prone duration per session was 2 hours. In the supine group, 47% (14 out of 30) were completely supine and 53% spent some hours in the prone position, but none exceeded 6 hours. There was no significant difference in any of the secondary outcomes between the two groups and there were no adverse events. Awake proning in non-intubated patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure is feasible and safe under clinical trial conditions. The results of our feasibility study will potentially help in the design of larger definitive trials to address this key knowledge gap.
Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, Aug 25, 2015
Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third common cause of kidney injury in hospi... more Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third common cause of kidney injury in hospitalized patients. It describes a wide spectrum of kidney injury from mild and reversible to permanent and irreversible. The mechanism of contrast-induced AKI and strategies to prevent it are not clearly understood. This review discusses the various contrast agents, pathophysiology of CI-AKI and different preventive strategies.
International Journal of Epidemiology
Background We describe demographic features, treatments and clinical outcomes in the Internationa... more Background We describe demographic features, treatments and clinical outcomes in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 cohort, one of the world's largest international, standardized data sets concerning hospitalized patients. Methods The data set analysed includes COVID-19 patients hospitalized between January 2020 and January 2022 in 52 countries. We investigated how symptoms on admission, co-morbidities, risk factors and treatments varied by age, sex and other characteristics. We used Cox regression models to investigate associations between demographics, symptoms, co-morbidities and other factors with risk of death, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Results Data were available for 689 572 patients with laboratory-confirmed (91.1%) or clinically diagnosed (8.9%) SARS-CoV-2 infection from 52 countries. Age [adjusted hazard ratio per 10 years 1.49 (95% CI 1.48, 1.49)] and ...
JAMA
ImportanceThe longer-term effects of therapies for the treatment of critically ill patients with ... more ImportanceThe longer-term effects of therapies for the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 are unknown.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of multiple interventions for critically ill adults with COVID-19 on longer-term outcomes.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsPrespecified secondary analysis of an ongoing adaptive platform trial (REMAP-CAP) testing interventions within multiple therapeutic domains in which 4869 critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 were enrolled between March 9, 2020, and June 22, 2021, from 197 sites in 14 countries. The final 180-day follow-up was completed on March 2, 2022.InterventionsPatients were randomized to receive 1 or more interventions within 6 treatment domains: immune modulators (n = 2274), convalescent plasma (n = 2011), antiplatelet therapy (n = 1557), anticoagulation (n = 1033), antivirals (n = 726), and corticosteroids (n = 401).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome was survival through day 180, analyzed using a bayesian pie...
Critical Care
BackgroundUp to 30% of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 require advanced respiratory support, ... more BackgroundUp to 30% of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 require advanced respiratory support, including high-flow nasal cannulas (HFNC), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV), or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, outcomes and risk factors for failing non-invasive respiratory support in patients treated with severe COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic in high-income countries (HICs) and low middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsThis is a multinational, multicentre, prospective cohort study embedded in the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 Clinical Characterisation Protocol. Patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who required hospital admission were recruited prospectively. Patients treated with HFNC, NIV, or IMV within the first 24 h of hospital admission were included in this study. Descriptive statistics, random forest, and logistic regression analyses were used to describe clinical characteristics an...
Brain
Different neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults and childr... more Different neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults and children and their impact have not been well characterized. We aimed to determine the prevalence of neurological manifestations and in-hospital complications among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and ascertain differences between adults and children. We conducted a prospective multicentre observational study using the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) cohort across 1507 sites worldwide from 30 January 2020 to 25 May 2021. Analyses of neurological manifestations and neurological complications considered unadjusted prevalence estimates for predefined patient subgroups, and adjusted estimates as a function of patient age and time of hospitalization using generalized linear models. Overall, 161 239 patients (158 267 adults; 2972 children) hospitalized with COVID-19 and assessed for neurological manifestations and complications were included. In adults...
Scientific Data
The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 da... more The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 dataset is one of the largest international databases of prospectively collected clinical data on people hospitalized with COVID-19. This dataset was compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic by a network of hospitals that collect data using the ISARIC-World Health Organization Clinical Characterization Protocol and data tools. The database includes data from more than 705,000 patients, collected in more than 60 countries and 1,500 centres worldwide. Patient data are available from acute hospital admissions with COVID-19 and outpatient follow-ups. The data include signs and symptoms, pre-existing comorbidities, vital signs, chronic and acute treatments, complications, dates of hospitalization and discharge, mortality, viral strains, vaccination status, and other data. Here, we present the dataset characteristics, explain its architecture and how to gain access, and provide tools to facilitate ...
Introduction: Case definitions are used to guide clinical practice, surveillance, and research pr... more Introduction: Case definitions are used to guide clinical practice, surveillance, and research protocols. However, how they identify COVID-19-hospitalised patients is not fully understood. We analysed the proportion of hospitalised patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, in the ISARIC prospective cohort study database, meeting widely used case definitions. Methods: Patients were assessed using the CDC, ECDC, WHO, and UKHSA case definitions by age, region, and time. Case fatality ratios (CFR) and symptoms of those who did and who did not meet the case definitions were evaluated. Patients with incomplete data and non-laboratory-confirmed test-result were excluded. Results: 263,218 of the patients (42%) in the ISARIC database were included. Most patients (90.4%) were from Europe and Central Asia. The proportions of patients meeting the case definitions were 56.8% (WHO), 74.4% (UKHSA), 81.6% (ECDC), and 82.3% (CDC). For each case definition, patients at the extremes of age distribu...
Chest, 2022
BACKGROUND Sepsis is a global health problem. Limited data exist on the prevalence of sepsis usin... more BACKGROUND Sepsis is a global health problem. Limited data exist on the prevalence of sepsis using current definitions in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in India. RESEARCH QUESTION In adult patients admitted to Indian ICUs, what is the prevalence of sepsis using the previous (Sepsis-2) and current (Sepsis-3) definitions? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Prospective, observational, multicentre, one-day, cross-sectional study. The primary outcome was the sepsis prevalence using both the Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions and their concordance (using Cohen's kappa coefficient (Ƙ)). Additional outcomes included reporting on current microbiological characteristics, anti-microbial use, multi-drug resistant infections, and 30-day discharge and mortality status in sepsis patients. RESULTS A total of 35 ICUs (85.7% private, 14.3% public) participated enrolling 680 patients (median age 60 (IQR 24) years, 62.1% males). The most common primary diagnosis was renal disease and common comorbidities were diabetes (44.0%) and chronic renal failure (11.6%). The sepsis prevalence on the study day was 382/677 (56.4%). Prevalence by Sepsis-3 and Sepsis-2 definitions were 33.2% and 46.2% respectively with minimal concordance (K = 0.32). In sepsis patients, the most common microorganisms were bacterial (77.9%) followed by fungal infections (14.1%). Approximately 45% of infections were caused by multi-drug resistant organisms. Mortality at 30-days after the study day (27.6% vs 5.3%; P <0.01) and rates of discharge against medical advice (12.8% vs 4.9%; P <0.01) were significantly higher in the sepsis as compared to the non-sepsis cohorts respectively. INTERPRETATION This multi-centre point prevalence study in Indian ICUs showed a high burden of sepsis using both Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 criteria with associated high rates of antimicrobial resistance and mortality. These findings have implications for public health and future research.
Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, 2021
Rationale: The feasibility and safety of awake prone positioning and its impact on outcomes in no... more Rationale: The feasibility and safety of awake prone positioning and its impact on outcomes in non-intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 is unknown. Results of the observational studies published during this pandemic have been conflicting. In this context, we conducted a multi-center, parallel group, randomized controlled feasibility study on awake prone positioning in non-intubated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen. Methods: 60 patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia requiring 4 or more liters of oxygen to maintain a saturation of ≥92% were recruited in this study. Thirty patients each were randomized to either standard care or awake prone group. Patients randomized to the prone group were encouraged to self-prone for at least 6 hours a day. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients adhering to the protocol in each group. Results: In the prone group, 43% (13 out...
BackgroundThe primary manifestation of Corona Virus Disease −2019 (COVID-19) is acute hypoxic res... more BackgroundThe primary manifestation of Corona Virus Disease −2019 (COVID-19) is acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Prone position has been shown to improve outcomes in ventilated patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. The feasibility and safety of awake prone positioning and its impact on outcomes if any, in non-intubated patients with mild to moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 is unknown. Results of the observational studies published thus far in this pandemic have been conflicting. In this context, we conducted a multi-centre, parallel group, randomised controlled feasibility study on awake prone positioning in non-intubated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen.Methods60 patients diagnosed with acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to COVID −19 pneumonia requiring 4 or more litres of oxygen to maintain a saturation of ≥ 92...
Wellcome Open Research, 2020
Background: The epidemiology of critical illness in India is distinct from high-income countries.... more Background: The epidemiology of critical illness in India is distinct from high-income countries. However, limited data exist on resource availability, staffing patterns, case-mix and outcomes from critical illness. Critical care registries, by enabling a continual evaluation of service provision, epidemiology, resource availability and quality, can bridge these gaps in information. In January 2019, we established the Indian Registry of IntenSive care to map capacity and describe case-mix and outcomes. In this report, we describe the implementation process, preliminary results, opportunities for improvement, challenges and future directions. Methods: All adult and paediatric ICUs in India were eligible to join if they committed to entering data for ICU admissions. Data are collected by a designated representative through the electronic data collection platform of the registry. IRIS hosts data on a secure cloud-based server and access to the data is restricted to designated personnel...
Wellcome Open Research, 2021
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been responsible for over 3.4 million deaths ... more Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been responsible for over 3.4 million deaths globally and over 25 million cases in India. As part of the response, India imposed a nation-wide lockdown and prioritized COVID-19 care in hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs). Leveraging data from the Indian Registry of IntenSive care, we sought to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on critical care service utilization, case-mix, and clinical outcomes in non-COVID ICUs. Methods: We included all consecutive patients admitted between 1st October 2019 and 27th September 2020. Data were extracted from the registry database and included patients admitted to the non-COVID or general ICUs at each of the sites. Outcomes included measures of resource-availability, utilisation, case-mix, acuity, and demand for ICU beds. We used a Mann-Whitney test to compare the pre-pandemic period (October 2019 - February 2020) to the pandemic period (March-September 2020). In addition, we als...
Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 2019
Objective: To observe the indications, practices and outcome of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE)... more Objective: To observe the indications, practices and outcome of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in a tertiary care ICU. The study involves retrospective analysis of 56 patients who underwent TPE between May 2011 and August 2013. Data relating to demographics, diagnosis, category of indication, number of sessions, volume and type of replacement solutions were collected. Results: Category I indications were 50%, with a mean of 3.32 sessions per patient. Per session volume exchanged was 9775.1 ± 11812.9 mL and replacement volume was 7414 ± 6993.03 mL. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP), crystalloids, cryopoorplasma and PRBC constituted 62.9%, 22%, 9.9% and 5.3% of volume replacement, respectively. TPE was terminated in three patients for Transfusion Associated Acute Lung Injury (TRALI), hypotension and cardiac arrest respectively. Clinical improvement was noted in 82% of patients and overall mortality rate was 12.5%. Conclusion: TPE is feasible and well tolerated in ICU with favorable disease resolution and outcome. Common indications included sickle cell and myasthenia crisis and blood products were the most commonly used for volume replacement.
Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underreprese... more Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underrepresented. Female Intensivists remain a minority, facing challenges in academic and leadership positions at the workplace and within academic societies. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) recognized the need for addressing issues related to gender parity and constituted its first Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2023. Through a Delphi process involving 38 Panelists including 53% women, consensus and stability were achieved for 18 statements (95%). From these 18 consensus statements, 15 position statements were drafted to address gender balance issues in CCM. These statements advocate for equal opportunities in recruitment, workplace inclusivity, prevention of harassment, and improved female representation in leadership roles, nominated positions, and conferences. While the consensus reflects a significant step toward gender equity, further efforts are required to implement, advocate, and evaluate the impact of these measures. The ISCCM position statements offer valuable guidance for promoting gender balance within society and the CCM community.
Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underreprese... more Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underrepresented. Female Intensivists remain a minority, facing challenges in academic and leadership positions at the workplace and within academic societies. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) recognized the need for addressing issues related to gender parity and constituted its first Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2023. Through a Delphi process involving 38 Panelists including 53% women, consensus and stability were achieved for 18 statements (95%). From these 18 consensus statements, 15 position statements were drafted to address gender balance issues in CCM. These statements advocate for equal opportunities in recruitment, workplace inclusivity, prevention of harassment, and improved female representation in leadership roles, nominated positions, and conferences. While the consensus reflects a significant step toward gender equity, further efforts are required to implement, advocate, and evaluate the impact of these measures. The ISCCM position statements offer valuable guidance for promoting gender balance within society and the CCM community.
Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third common cause of kidney injury in hospi... more Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third common cause of kidney injury in hospitalized patients. It describes a wide spectrum of kidney injury from mild and reversible to permanent and irreversible. The mechanism of contrast-induced AKI and strategies to prevent it are not clearly understood. This review discusses the various contrast agents, pathophysiology of CI-AKI and different preventive strategies.
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Papers by Pratheema Ramachandran