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Background: Weaning patients with heart failure who have required mechanical ventilation remains challenging. We evaluated echocardiographic indexes and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as markers of acute cardiac dysfunction before and after spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) in such patients to assess their ability to predict subsequent successful extubation., Methods: Forty-four patients who underwent their first SBT were prospectively included. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP and transthoracic echocardiography indices including cardiac index, E/A ratio and E/Ea ratio were recorded immediately before commencing and just before the end of SBT., Results: Ten patients (22.7%) failed their SBT. No significant difference was observed concerning baseline echocardiographic data and NT-proBNP level between the patients who succeeded the SBT or those that failed. Cardiac index increased significantly at end-SBT in patients who passed (3.3 [3.06-3.77] vs. 3 [2.68-3.3] L/min/m(2), P<0.001), whereas it remained unchanged in those that failed. E/Ea ratio (16.8 [8.5-27.3] vs. 10.7 [6.7-20.5], P=0.006) and NT-proBNP level (8199 [3106-10949] vs. 4200 [1855-7125] pg/mL, P=0.004) increased significantly in those who failed the SBT, in contrast to the weaning success group where they remained unchanged., Conclusion: Neither NT-proBNP level nor the studied echocardiographic indices before SBT were able to predict SBT outcome in patients presenting with severe heart failure. Failure to increase the cardiac index and increases in both E/Ea ratio and NT-proBNP levels were seen at end-SBT in patients who failed the SBT, and may reflect failure of myocardial reserve to cope with the stress of SBT.

Purpose: In critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF), fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (FOB-BAL) are important tools in diagnostic strategies. In nonintubated patients, the patient's agitation may lead to desaturation and compromise the realization of FOB. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of target-controlled (TCI) propofol sedation during FOB-BAL in nonintubated hypoxemic patients., Methods: The first end point in our prospective investigation within an intensive care unit (ICU) was the avoidance of endotracheal intubation within 24 h. Secondary end points were changes in the PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio, hemodynamic stability, patient comfort, occurrence of adverse effects, and quality of FOB. Patients self-evaluated their comfort after FOB., Results: Twenty-four FOBs were performed in 23 patients with ARF. PaO(2)/FiO(2) before FOB was 181 ± 50 (range 85-286). All patients tolerated FOB with BAL. None was intubated during the 2 h after FOB. Loss of consciousness was obtained with an effect site concentration of propofol of 1.49 ± 0.46 μg/mL (range 2.6-0.6). No significant adverse events occurred. TCI propofol allowed us to obtain amnesia, patient comfort, and it did not impair airway protection. Any hemodynamic changes observed were modest and transient., Conclusions: FOB-BAL, under NIV and TCI with propofol, is feasible and safe in nonintubated patients with ARF. The TCI of propofol during FOB-BAL reduces patient discomfort with no significant adverse effects.

Purpose: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in critically ill patients is associated with a high failure rate. This prospective study assessed the feasibility and safety of target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol for conscious sedation during NIV in patients with NIV failure due to low tolerance., Methods: Ten patients with NIV failure due to discomfort, agitation and/or refusal to continue with this ventilatory support were included; seven had acute respiratory failure and three had acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Patients were sedated by TCI of propofol during NIV sessions. Blood gas analysis, cardiorespiratory and ventilatory parameters, propofol concentration (Cpt) required, comfort and adverse events were recorded., Results: Patients received a total of 85 NIV sessions, totalling 180 h of NIV under TCI of propofol (mean Cpt, 0.82 ± 0.25 μg/ml). NIV under TCI of propofol significantly improved arterial blood gas analyses: mean Pa/FiO(2) ratio increased from 167 ± 68 pre-session to 195 ± 68 post-session (p < 0.05), mean PaCO(2) decreased from 57.8 ± 15.3 to 49 ± 9.8 mmHg (p < 0.05) and mean pH increased from 7.36 ± 0.04 to 7.4 ± 0.03 (p < 0.05). Three patients required endotracheal intubation, two due to evolution of underlying disease and one because of a seizure disorder. Eight patients were discharged from the intensive care unit and two died., Conclusions: This preliminary study shows that in a selected population, TCI of propofol can facilitate acceptance of NIV. Within the limits of a pilot study, TCI of propofol seems to be safe and effective for the treatment of NIV failure due to low tolerance.

Objectives: Several prognostic indices (PIs) have been proposed for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). However, patient characteristics, causal factors, and treatment outcomes have changed since these indices have been elaborated. Validation in a recent patient population and comparison of predictive accuracy between these PIs are needed., Methods: A database of 96 BCS patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2005 was analyzed. Cox survival models were fitted with time to liver transplantation or death, and time to invasive therapy or death, as end points. The prognostic values of known indices (Child-Pugh score, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), Clichy, Rotterdam BCS index, New Clichy, and BCS-TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)) at diagnosis were assessed in Cox models using the chi-square test, the Kent and O'Quigley measure of dependence, and unrestricted bootstrapping analysis. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) were built for both end points and compared., Results: All prognostic indices, except BCS-TIPS, were significant predictors of transplant-free and invasive therapy-free survival. However, only 31 and 37% of the variance in transplant-free and invasive therapy-free survival, respectively, were explained by the best performing indices. For transplant-free survival, AUROCs were < 0.70. For invasive therapy-free survival, AUROCs were < 0.80. For both end points, BCS-TIPS PI AUROCs were significantly lower than others., Conclusions: Most PIs are valid for transplant-free survival and invasive therapy-free survival in a population of current BCS patients, and thus can be used for stratification in clinical studies. However, predictive accuracy is insufficient to be used for individual patients.

Purpose: Medical meetings give the opportunity to present oral communications or posters to the attending participants. However, the peer-reviewed publication of a full article allows to reach a wide readership., Key Points: The survey that was performed on the oral communications and posters presented at the 43rd meeting of the French National Society of Internal Medicine, December 2000, showed that amongst the 303 selected podium presentations and posters, only 82 (27%) were published during the five following years. Podium presentations were more likely to be published than posters (36% versus 22%)., Conclusion: Many oral communications and posters that are presented in medical meeting are not followed by the publication of a peer-reviewed full article despite the modern means of communication. However, this issue is of paramount importance as beyond the legitimate personal satisfaction of a publication, the scientific and academic recognition are the ground of medical career achievement for many physicians.

Objective: To assess the characteristics of life-threatening adverse drug reactions in patients admitted to medical intensive care unit and to define those that could facilitate early identification., Design: A prospective 6-month observational study., Patients: Of the 436 admissions to the teaching hospital medical intensive care unit, all patients aged over 15 years and who had received documented drug treatment were included (n = 405)., Measurements: Characteristics of patients [age, gender, underlying diseases, organ failure(s), drugs taken, Severity Acute Physiologic Score II, length of stay, outcome at discharge] were prospectively collected using a standardised questionnaire. A panel of experts assessed putative serious adverse drug reaction(s) for each drug taken and each organ failure at admission by using a standardised causality assessment method. Characteristics of patients with and without serious adverse drug reactions at admission were compared using univariate and then stepwise descending multivariate logistic regression., Results: Of the 405 patients included, 111 (27.4%) presented an adverse drug reaction leading to organ failure. In 48% of cases adverse drug reactions were preventable, 23% were undiagnosed and 19% contributed to death. Age over 75 years [odds ratio (OR) 2.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-4.38; p = 0.02], having more than three drugs (OR 6.90; 95% CI 1.44-33.00; p = 0.02) and a diagnosis of haematological malignancy (OR 6.19; 95% CI 2.07-18.53; p = 0.001) were independently associated with serious adverse drug reactions., Conclusions: Preventable life-threatening adverse drug reactions were frequently involved in organ failure at admission to medical intensive care; many of them had not been identified.