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Purpose: Severe Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) requiring intensive care has been the subject of few prospective studies. It is unclear whether delayed curative antibiotic therapy may impact survival in these severe forms of PJP. The impact of corticosteroid therapy combined with antibiotics is also unclear., Methods: This multicentre, prospective observational study involving 49 adult intensive care units (ICUs) in France was designed to evaluate the severity, the clinical spectrum, and outcomes of patients with severe PJP, and to assess the association between delayed curative antibiotic treatment and adjunctive corticosteroid therapy with mortality., Results: We included 158 patients with PJP from September 2020 to August 2022. Their main reason for admission was acute respiratory failure (n = 150, 94.9%). 12% of them received antibiotic prophylaxis for PJP before ICU admission. The ICU, hospital, and 6-month mortality were 31.6%, 35.4%, and 40.5%, respectively. Using time-to-event analysis with a propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting, the initiation of curative antibiotic treatment after 96 h of ICU admission was associated with faster occurrence of death [time ratio: 6.75; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.48-30.82; P = 0.014]. The use of corticosteroids for PJP was associated with faster occurrence of death (time ratio: 2.48; 95% CI 1.01-6.08; P = 0.048)., Conclusion: This study showed that few patients with PJP admitted to intensive care received prophylactic antibiotic therapy, that delay in curative antibiotic treatment was common and that both delay in curative antibiotic treatment and adjunctive corticosteroids for PJP were associated with accelerated mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Pain management is an essential and complex issue for non-communicative patients undergoing sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU). The Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS), although not perfect for assessing behavioral pain, is the gold standard based partly on clinical facial expression. NEVVA © , an automatic pain assessment tool based on facial expressions in critically ill patients, is a much-needed innovative medical device., Methods: In this prospective pilot study, we recorded the facial expressions of critically ill patients in the medical ICU of Caen University Hospital using the iPhone and Smart Motion Tracking System (SMTS) software with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to measure human facial expressions metrically during sedation weaning. Analyses were recorded continuously, and BPS scores were collected hourly over two 8 h periods per day for 3 consecutive days. For this first stage, calibration of the innovative NEVVA © medical device algorithm was obtained by comparison with the reference pain scale (BPS)., Results: Thirty participants were enrolled between March and July 2022. To assess the acute severity of illness, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) were recorded on ICU admission and were 9 and 47, respectively. All participants had deep sedation, assessed by a Richmond Agitation and Sedation scale (RASS) score of less than or equal to -4 at the time of inclusion. One thousand and six BPS recordings were obtained, and 130 recordings were retained for final calibration: 108 BPS recordings corresponding to the absence of pain and 22 BPS recordings corresponding to the presence of pain. Due to the small size of the dataset, a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation (LOSO-CV) strategy was performed, and the training results obtained the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.792. This model has a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 72.2%., Conclusion: This pilot study calibrated the NEVVA © medical device and showed the feasibility of continuous facial expression analysis for pain monitoring in ICU patients. The next step will be to correlate this device with the BPS scale., Competing Interests: MB and DCh participated in scientific board of SAMDOC Medical Technologies who develops NEVVA©; medical device. JL, TC, AH and TG were employed by Samdoc Medical Technologies Company. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Bellal, Lelandais, Chabin, Heudron, Gourmelon, Bauduin, Cuchet, Daubin, De Carvalho Ribeiro, Delcampe, Goursaud, Joret, Mombrun, Valette, Cerasuolo, Morello, Mordel, Chaillot, Dutheil, Vivien and Du Cheyron.)

Background: The anatomic site for central venous catheter insertion influences the risk of central venous catheter-related intravascular complications. We developed and validated a predictive score of required catheter dwell time to identify critically ill patients at higher risk of intravascular complications., Methods: We retrospectively conducted a cohort study from three multicenter randomized controlled trials enrolling consecutive patients requiring central venous catheterization. The primary outcome was the required catheter dwell time, defined as the period between the first catheter insertion and removal of the last catheter for absence of utility. Predictors were identified in the training cohort (3SITES trial; 2336 patients) through multivariable analyses based on the subdistribution hazard function accounting for death as a competing event. Internal validation was performed in the training cohort by 500 bootstraps to derive the CVC-IN score from robust risk factors. External validation of the CVC-IN score were performed in the testing cohort (CLEAN, and DRESSING2; 2371 patients)., Results: The analysis was restricted to patients requiring mechanical ventilation to comply with model assumptions. Immunosuppression (2 points), high creatinine > 100 micromol/L (2 points), use of vasopressor (1 point), obesity (1 point) and older age (40-59, 1 point; ≥ 60, 2 points) were independently associated with the required catheter dwell time. At day 28, area under the ROC curve for the CVC-IN score was 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.66-0.72] in the training cohort and 0.64, 95% CI [0.61-0.66] in the testing cohort. Patients with a CVC-IN score ≥ 4 in the overall cohort had a median required catheter dwell time of 24 days (versus 11 days for CVC-IN score < 4 points). The positive predictive value of a CVC-IN score ≥ 4 was 76.9% for > 7 days required catheter dwell time in the testing cohort., Conclusion: The CVC-IN score, which can be used for the first catheter, had a modest ability to discriminate required catheter dwell time. Nevertheless, preference of the subclavian site may contribute to limit the risk of intravascular complications, in particular among ventilated patients with high CVC-IN score. Trials Registration NCT01479153, NCT01629550, NCT01189682., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The level of evidence of expert recommendations for starting extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is low. Therefore, we reported our experience in the field to identify factors associated with hospital mortality. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all consecutive patients treated with ECPR for refractory cardiac arrest without return to spontaneous circulation, regardless of cause, at the Caen University Hospital. Factors associated with hospital mortality were analyzed. Eighty-six patients (i.e., 35 OHCA and 51 IHCA) were included. The overall hospital mortality rate was 81% (i.e., 91% and 75% in the OHCA and IHCA groups, respectively). Factors independently associated with mortality were: sex, age > 44 years, and time from collapse until extracorporeal life support (ECLS) initiation. Interestingly, no-shockable rhythm was not associated with mortality. The receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve values of pH value (0.75 [0.60-0.90]) and time from collapse until ECLS initiation over 61 minutes (0.87 [0.76-0.98]) or 74 minutes (0.90 [0.80-1.00]) for predicting hospital mortality showed good discrimination performance. No-shockable rhythm should not be considered a formal exclusion criterion for ECPR. Time from collapse until ECPR initiation is the cornerstone of success of an ECPR strategy in refractory cardiac arrest., Competing Interests: Disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © ASAIO 2021.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report..

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests.

Background: To assess the ability of procalcitonin (PCT) to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial causes of patients with severe acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) admitted to the ICU, we conducted a retrospective analysis of two prospective studies including 375 patients with severe AECOPD with suspected lower respiratory tract infections. PCT levels were sequentially assessed at the time of inclusion, 6 h after and at day 1, using a sensitive immunoassay. The patients were classified according to the presence of a documented bacterial infection (including bacterial and viral coinfection) (BAC + group), or the absence of a documented bacterial infection (i.e., a documented viral infection alone or absence of a documented pathogen) (BAC- group). The accuracy of PCT levels in predicting bacterial infection (BAC + group) vs no bacterial infection (BAC- group) at different time points was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis., Results: Regarding the entire cohort (n = 375), at any time, the PCT levels significantly differed between groups (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.001). A pairwise comparison showed that PCT levels were significantly higher in patients with bacterial infection (n = 94) than in patients without documented pathogens (n = 218) (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between patients with bacterial and viral infection (n = 63). For example, the median PCT-H 0 levels were 0.64 ng/ml [0.22-0.87] in the bacterial group vs 0.24 ng/ml [0.15-0.37] in the viral group and 0.16 ng/mL [0.11-0.22] in the group without documented pathogens. With a c-index of 0.64 (95% CI; 0.58-0.71) at H 0 , 0.64 [95% CI 0.57-0.70] at H 6 and 0.63 (95% CI; 0.56-0.69) at H 24 , PCT had a low accuracy for predicting bacterial infection (BAC + group)., Conclusion: Despite higher PCT levels in severe AECOPD caused by bacterial infection, PCT had a poor accuracy to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial infection. Procalcitonin might not be sufficient as a standalone marker for initiating antibiotic treatment in this setting.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) failure is a common complication in moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). RV failure is exacerbated by hypercapnic acidosis and overdistension induced by mechanical ventilation. Veno-venous extracorporeal CO 2 removal (ECCO 2 R) might allow ultraprotective ventilation with lower tidal volume (V T ) and plateau pressure (P plat ). This study investigated whether ECCO 2 R therapy could affect RV function., Methods: This was a quasi-experimental prospective observational pilot study performed in a French medical ICU. Patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS with PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio between 80 and 150 mmHg were enrolled. An ultraprotective ventilation strategy was used with V T at 4 mL/kg of predicted body weight during the 24 h following the start of a low-flow ECCO 2 R device. RV function was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) during the study protocol., Results: The efficacy of ECCO 2 R facilitated an ultraprotective strategy in all 18 patients included. We observed a significant improvement in RV systolic function parameters. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) increased significantly under ultraprotective ventilation compared to baseline (from 22.8 to 25.4 mm; p < 0.05). Systolic excursion velocity (S' wave) also increased after the 1-day protocol (from 13.8 m/s to 15.1 m/s; p < 0.05). A significant improvement in the aortic velocity time integral (VTIAo) under ultraprotective ventilation settings was observed (p = 0.05). There were no significant differences in the values of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) and RV preload., Conclusion: Low-flow ECCO 2 R facilitates an ultraprotective ventilation strategy thatwould improve RV function in moderate-to-severe ARDS patients. Improvement in RV contractility appears to be mainly due to a decrease in intrathoracic pressure allowed by ultraprotective ventilation, rather than a reduction of PaCO 2 .

Background: Evaluation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is not always possible through the subcostal (SC) window., Methods: Inferior vena cava diameters measured by transhepatic (TH) and SC views were compared by Bland and Altman analysis., Results: 131 patients were enrolled, including 88 (67%) under mechanical ventilation. The echogenicity was statistically poorer through the TH view in comparison with the SC view (P = .002). The correlation between the SC and TH views was good and better for respiratory variation than for end-expiratory or end-inspiratory diameter measurements (r = 0.86). Despite low bias, the limits of agreement were wide (-7.5 and 7.7 mm for end-expiratory diameter, -8.7 and 8.5 mm for end-inspiratory diameter, and -5.3 and 5.8 mm for respiratory variation). Complementary analysis showed that the concordance between the SC and the TH views was better when the IVC was distended. However, the limits of agreement remained broad., Conclusions: Although feasible in almost all patients, the TH view does not provide better echogenicity in comparison with the SC view. Despite a good correlation with the SC view and a low bias, the limits of agreement were wide, especially when the IVC has an ellipsoidal shape, suggesting caution in the interpretation of data obtained by the TH view., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

This report describes the case of a 48-year-old man whose electrocardiogram after cardiopulmonary resuscitation showed up-sloping ST-segment depression at the J point in precordial leads combined with tall symmetrical T waves. This electrocardiographic pattern corresponded to de Winter syndrome and is related to proximal left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. ( Level of Difficulty: Beginner. )., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of an antibiotic protocol guided by serum procalcitonin (PCT) with that of standard antibiotic therapy in severe acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)., Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial in France. Patients experiencing severe AECOPDs were assigned to groups whose antibiotic therapy was guided by (1) a 5-day PCT algorithm with predefined cutoff values for the initiation or stoppage of antibiotics (PCT group) or (2) standard guidelines (control group). The primary endpoint was 3-month mortality. The predefined noninferiority margin was 12%., Results: A total of 302 patients were randomized into the PCT (n = 151) and control (n = 151) groups. Thirty patients (20%) in the PCT group and 21 patients (14%) in the control group died within 3 months of admission (adjusted difference, 6.6%; 90% CI - 0.3 to 13.5%). Among patients without antibiotic therapy at baseline (n = 119), the use of PCT significantly increased 3-month mortality [19/61 (31%) vs. 7/58 (12%), p = 0.015]. The in-ICU and in-hospital antibiotic exposure durations, were similar between the PCT and control group (5.2 ± 6.5 days in the PCT group vs. 5.4 ± 4.4 days in the control group, p = 0.85 and 7.9 ± 8 days in the PCT group vs. 7.7 ± 5.7 days in the control group, p = 0.75, respectively)., Conclusion: The PCT group failed to demonstrate non-inferiority with respect to 3-month mortality and failed to reduce in-ICU and in-hospital antibiotic exposure in AECOPDs admitted to the ICU.

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) contributes to improved neurological outcome in adults who have been successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest with shockable rhythm. Endovascular cooling catheters are widely used to induce and maintain targeted temperature in the ICU. The aim of the study was to compare the risk of complications with cooling catheters and standard central venous catheters., Materials and Methods: In this prospective single-centre cohort study, we included all patients admitted to an intensive care unit for successfully resuscitated cardiac arrest that required endovascular TTM (Coolgard ® , Zoll™ Medical corporation, MA, USA), between August 2012 and November 2014, inclusive. We matched the endovascular cooling catheter cohort with a retrospective historical cohort of 512 central femoral venous catheters from the 3SITES trial to compare thrombotic and infectious complications., Results: Overall, 108 patients were included in the cooling cohort, of which 89 had ultrasound doppler. The duration of catheterization was 4.9 days in the control group versus 4.2 days in the TTM group (p = 0.08). After propensity-score matching, there were significantly more thrombotic complications in the cooling (n = 75) than in the control (n = 75) group (12 of 75 (16%) versus 0 of 75 (0%), respectively, p = 0.005), and 4 patients presented major complications. There were 8 colonized catheters in each group (11%) (p > 0.99), and none of the patients had a catheter-related bloodstream infection., Conclusions: In our propensity-score matched study, endovascular cooling catheters were associated with an increased risk of venous catheter-related thrombosis compared to standard central venous catheters., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: We aimed to test the performance of PRESERVE and RESP scores to predict death in patients with severe ARDS receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with different case mixes., Methods: All consecutive patients treated with ECMO for refractory ARDS, regardless of cause, in the Caen University Hospital in northwestern France over the last decade were included in a retrospective cohort study. The receiver operating characteristic curves of each score were plotted, and the area under the curve was computed to assess their performance in predicting mortality (c-index)., Results: Forty-one subjects were included. Pre-ECMO ventilator settings were: mean V T , 6.1 ± 0.9 mL/kg; breathing frequency, 32 ± 4 breaths/min; PEEP, 11 ± 4 cm H 2 O; peak inspiratory pressure, 48 ± 9 cm H 2 O; plateau pressure, 30.4 ± 4.4 cm H 2 O. At ECMO initiation, blood gas results were: pH 7.22 ± 0.17, P aO 2 /F IO 2 = 63 ± 22 mm Hg; P aCO 2 = 56 ± 18 mm Hg; F IO 2 = 99 ± 2%. Pre-ECMO data were available in 35 and 27 subjects for calculation of the PRESERVE score and RESP score, respectively. Pre-ECMO scoring system results were: median PRESERVE score, 4 (interquartile range 2-5), and median RESP score, 0 (interquartile range -2 to 2). Twenty-three subjects (56%) died, including 19 receiving ECMO. In univariate analysis, plateau pressure ( P = .031), driving pressure ( P = <.001), and compliance ( P = .02) recorded at the time of ECMO initiation as well as the PRESERVE score ( P = .032) were significantly associated with mortality. With a c-index of 0.69 (95% CI 0.53-0.87), the PRESERVE score had better discrimination than the RESP score (c-index of 0.60 [95% CI 0.41-0.78]) for predicting mortality., Conclusions: The use of these scores in helping physicians to determine the patients with ARDS most likely to benefit from ECMO should be limited in clinical practice because of their relatively poor performance in predicting death in subjects with severe ARDS receiving ECMO support. Before widespread use is initiated, these scoring systems should be tested in large prospective studies of subjects with severe ARDS undergoing ECMO treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Objectives: To test whether hydration with bicarbonate rather than isotonic sodium chloride reduces the risk of contrast-associated acute kidney injury in critically ill patients., Design: Prospective, double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled study., Setting: Three French ICUs., Patients: Critically ill patients with stable renal function (n = 307) who received intravascular contrast media., Interventions: Hydration with 0.9% sodium chloride or 1.4% sodium bicarbonate administered with the same infusion protocol: 3 mL/kg during 1 hour before and 1 mL/kg/hr during 6 hours after contrast medium exposure., Measurements and Main Results: The primary endpoint was the development of contrast-associated acute kidney injury, as defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, 72 hours after contrast exposure. Patients randomized to the bicarbonate group (n = 151) showed a higher urinary pH at the end of the infusion than patients randomized to the saline group (n = 156) (6.7 ± 2.1 vs 6.2 ± 1.8, respectively; p < 0.0001). The frequency of contrast-associated acute kidney injury was similar in both groups: 52 patients (33.3%) in the saline group and 53 patients (35.1%) in the bicarbonate group (absolute risk difference, -1.8%; 95% CI [-12.3% to 8.9%]; p = 0.81). The need for renal replacement therapy (five [3.2%] and six [3.9%] patients; p = 0.77), ICU length of stay (24.7 ± 22.9 and 23 ± 23.8 d; p = 0.52), and mortality (25 [16.0%] and 24 [15.9%] patients; p > 0.99) were also similar between the saline and bicarbonate groups, respectively., Conclusions: Except for urinary pH, none of the outcomes differed between the two groups. Among ICU patients with stable renal function, the benefit of using sodium bicarbonate rather than isotonic sodium chloride for preventing contrast-associated acute kidney injury is marginal, if any.

Background: Stress-induced hyperglycemia is a common feature of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Besides mean blood glucose (BG) level, glucose variability and hypoglycemia have been highlighted as independent predictors of ICU and hospital mortality. Recent ICU recommendations suggest using insulin infusion protocols that can minimize glucose variability and hypoglycemic risk. Our aim was to assess the efficacy, safety, and acceptance by nurses of a paper-based simple dynamic insulin protocol compared with those by nurses of a paper-based static protocol., Methods: This is a 1 year stepped-wedge study that compared a static sliding scale protocol (SP - static protocol) with a validated dynamic paper-based intravenous insulin infusion protocol (DP - dynamic protocol) in medical ICU patients of a single university hospital. Patients with stress-induced hyperglycemia >9.9 mmol/L and ≥48 h intravenous insulin infusion were included in this trial., Results: One hundred thirty-one patients were included and received continuous intravenous insulin infusion managed with SP (n = 65) or DP (n = 66). Glucose variability was significantly higher in the SP group than in the DP group (mean average glucose excursion index: 0.90 [0.00-1.91] mmol/L vs. 0.00 [0.00-0.90] mmol/L, respectively; P = 0.001). The percentage of time spent in the target range (7.7-9.9 mmol/L) was lower in the SP group than in the DP group (42.5% [28.8%-54.2%] vs. 47.5% [36.6%-57.1%]; P = 0.037). Low BG (<4.4 mmol/L) and hypoglycemia (<3.3 mmol/L) were more frequent in the SP group than in the DP group. According to a satisfaction survey, this protocol was well accepted by nurses., Conclusions: Our simple and feasible paper-based, dynamic insulin infusion protocol reduced glycemic variability and hypoglycemic risk in a medical ICU.

Background: Elevation of the immature/total granulocyte (I/T-G) ratio has been reported after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our purpose here was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the I/T-G ratio and to investigate whether the I/T-G ratio improves neurological outcome prediction after OHCA., Methods: This single-center prospective cohort study included consecutive immunocompetent patients admitted to our intensive care unit over a 3-year period (2012-2014) after successfully resuscitated OHCA. The I/T-G ratio was determined in blood samples collected at admission., Results: We studied 204 patients (77 % male, median age, 58 [48-67] years), of whom 64 % had a suspected cardiac cause of OHCA, 62 % died in the unit, and 31.5 % survived with good cerebral function. Independent outcome predictors by multivariate analysis were age, first shockable rhythm, bystander-initiated resuscitation, and I/T-G ratio. Compared to the model computed without the I/T-G ratio, the model with the ratio performed significantly better [areas under the ROC curves (AUCs), 0.78 vs. 0.83, respectively; P = 0.04]. These items were used to develop the MyeloScore equation: ([0.47 × I/T-G ratio] + [0.023 × age in years]) - 1.26 if initial VF/VT - 1.1 if bystander-initiated CPR. The MyeloScore predicted neurological outcomes with similar accuracy to the previously reported OHCA score (0.83 and 0.85, respectively; P = 0.6). The ROC-AUC was 0.84, providing external validation of the MyeloScore., Conclusions: The I/T-G ratio independently predicts neurological outcome after OHCA and, when added to other known risk factors, improves neurological outcome prediction. The clinical performance of the MyeloScore requires evaluation in a prospective study.

Purpose: Compare the effectiveness of different cutaneous antiseptics in reducing risk of catheter-related infection in intensive care unit (ICU) patients., Methods: We compared the risk of central venous catheter-related infection according to four-step (scrub, rinse, dry, and disinfect) alcoholic 5 % povidone-iodine (PVI-a, n = 1521), one-step (disinfect) alcoholic 2 % chlorhexidine (2 % CHX-a, n = 1116), four-step alcoholic <1 % chlorhexidine (<1 % CHX-a, n = 357), and four-step aqueous 10 % povidone-iodine (PVI, n = 368) antiseptics used for cutaneous disinfection and catheter care during the 3SITES multicenter randomized controlled trial. Within this cohort, we performed a quasi-experimental study (i.e., before-after) involving the four ICUs which switched from PVI-a to 2 % CHX-a. We used propensity score matching (PSM, n = 776) and inverse probability weighting treatment (IPWT, n = 1592). The end point was the incidence of catheter-related infection (CRI) defined as catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) or a positive catheter tip culture plus clinical sepsis on catheter removal., Results: In the cohort analysis and compared with PVI-a, the incidence of CRI was lower with 2 % CHX-a [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.51; 95 % confidence interval (CI) (0.28-0.96), p = 0.037] and similar with <1 % CHX-a [aHR, 0.73; (0.36-1.48), p = 0.37] and PVI [aHR, 1.50; 95 % CI (0.85-2.64), p = 0.16] after controlling for potential confounders. In the quasi-experimental study and compared with PVI-a, the incidence of catheter-related infection was again lower with 2 % CHX-a after PSM [HR, 0.35; 95 % CI (0.15, 0.84), p = 0.02] and in the IPWT analysis [HR, 0.31; 95 % CI (0.14, 0.70), p = 0.005]. The incidence of CRBSI or adverse event was not significantly different between antiseptics in all analyses., Conclusions: In comparison with PVI-a, the use of 2 % CHX-a for cutaneous disinfection of the central venous catheter insertion site and maintenance catheter care was associated with a reduced risk of catheter infection, while the benefit of <1 % CHX-a was uncertain., Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT01479153.

Background: Our objective was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of hemoconcentration for cardiogenic pulmonary edema (PE) as the cause of weaning failure, using left ventricular filling pressure elevation assessed by transthoracic echocardiography as the reference standard., Methods: This prospective observational study included 41 patients who failed their first spontaneous breathing trial of weaning from mechanical ventilation. They were divided into two groups, with and without PE by echocardiographic criteria. Hemoconcentration and other hemodynamic parameters were compared between the groups., Results: The group (N.=21) with PE by echocardiographic criteria had a higher frequency of failure of the second spontaneous breathing trial (P=0.03) and a longer total weaning time (P=0.02) compared to the other group. The receiver-operating characteristics curve indicated that changes in plasma protein or hemoglobin concentration from initiation to completion of the second spontaneous breathing trial did not predict PE as the cause of failure (areas under the receiver-operating characteristics curve, 0.47±0.09 and 0.51±0.09, respectively). The only factor predicting failure due to PE was a positive fluid balance from intensive care unit admission to study inclusion (P=0.01). The increase in mean arterial blood pressure seemed suggestive of weaning failure due to cardiac causes., Conclusions: Compared to echocardiographic criteria for left ventricular filling pressure elevation, hemoconcentration assessed based on plasma protein and hemoglobin levels did not help to diagnose cardiogenic PE as the cause of weaning failure.

We aimed to identify factors associated with hospital mortality among patients receiving extracorporeal life support (ECLS). All consecutive patients treated with ECLS for refractory cardiac arrest or shock in the Caen University Hospital in northwestern France during the last decade were included in a retrospective cohort study. Sixty-four patients were included: 29 with refractory cardiac arrest and 35 with refractory shock. The main reasons for ECLS were acute coronary syndrome (n = 23) and severe poisoning caused by drug intoxication (n = 19). At ECLS initiation, the left ventricular ejection fraction was 16% (±11). Initial blood test results were arterial pH = 7.19 (±0.20) and plasma lactate = 8.02 (±5.88) mmol/L. Forty (63%) patients died including 33 under ECLS. In a multivariate analysis, two factors were independently associated with survival: drug intoxication as the reason for ECLS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.07; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.01-0.28; p < 0.001) and arterial pH (an increase of 0.1 point [AOR, 0.013; 95% CI, <0.001-0.27; p < 0.01]). This study supports early ECLS as a last resort therapeutic option in a highly selected group of patients with refractory cardiac arrest or shock, in particular before profound acidosis occurs and when the cause is reversible.

Background: Three anatomical sites are commonly used to insert central venous catheters, but insertion at each site has the potential for major complications., Methods: In this multicenter trial, we randomly assigned nontunneled central venous catheterization in patients in the adult intensive care unit (ICU) to the subclavian, jugular, or femoral vein (in a 1:1:1 ratio if all three insertion sites were suitable [three-choice scheme] and in a 1:1 ratio if two sites were suitable [two-choice scheme]). The primary outcome measure was a composite of catheter-related bloodstream infection and symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis., Results: A total of 3471 catheters were inserted in 3027 patients. In the three-choice comparison, there were 8, 20, and 22 primary outcome events in the subclavian, jugular, and femoral groups, respectively (1.5, 3.6, and 4.6 per 1000 catheter-days; P=0.02). In pairwise comparisons, the risk of the primary outcome was significantly higher in the femoral group than in the subclavian group (hazard ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5 to 7.8; P=0.003) and in the jugular group than in the subclavian group (hazard ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.3; P=0.04), whereas the risk in the femoral group was similar to that in the jugular group (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.1; P=0.30). In the three-choice comparison, pneumothorax requiring chest-tube insertion occurred in association with 13 (1.5%) of the subclavian-vein insertions and 4 (0.5%) of the jugular-vein insertions., Conclusions: In this trial, subclavian-vein catheterization was associated with a lower risk of bloodstream infection and symptomatic thrombosis and a higher risk of pneumothorax than jugular-vein or femoral-vein catheterization. (Funded by the Hospital Program for Clinical Research, French Ministry of Health; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01479153.).

Critically ill patients who require renal replacement therapy (RRT) are vulnerable to catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). This study compared the risks of dialysis catheter infection according to the choice of locking solution in the intensive care unit (ICU). A prospective quasi-experimental study with marginal structural models (MSM) and 2:1 greedy propensity-score matching (PSM) was conducted at nine university-affiliated hospitals and three general hospitals. A total of 596 critically ill patients received either saline solution or heparin lock solution (the standard of care [SOC]) from 2004 to 2007 in the Cathedia cohort (n = 464 for MSM; n = 124 for PSM) or 46.7% citrate lock from 2011 to 2012 in the citrate (CLock) cohort (n = 132 for MSM; n = 62 for PSM) to perform RRT using intermittent hemodialysis. Catheter-tip colonization and CRBSI were analyzed. The mean duration (standard deviation [SD]) of catheterization was 7.1 days (6.1) in the SOC group and 7.0 days (5.9) in the CLock group (P = 0.84). The risk of dialysis catheter-tip colonization was lower in the CLock group (20.5 versus 38.7 per 1,000 catheter-days in the SOC group; hazard ratio [HR] from MSM, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.93; P < 0.02). Consistent findings were found from PSM (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.95; P < 0.04). The risk of CRBSI was nonsignificantly different in the CLock group (1.1 versus 1.8 per 1,000 catheter-days in the SOC group; HR from MSM, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.87; P = 0.29). By reducing the risk of catheter-tip colonization, citrate lock has the potential to improve hemodialysis safety in the ICU. Additional studies are warranted before the routine use of citrate locks can be recommended in the ICU., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Background: The immature/total granulocyte (I/T-G) ratio increases during severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This study evaluated the I/T-G ratio as a predictor of poor outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)., Methods: We conducted a pilot prospective cohort study of patients who were admitted in our intensive care unit (ICU) during a one-year period after post-OHCA resuscitation. I/T-G ratio measurements were obtained from blood samples collected on admission using flow cytometry and the outcomes were ICU mortality and post-cardiac arrest syndrome., Results: Among the 130 patients (76% male, median age 54 [46-67] years), the median I/T-G ratio was 0.85 [0.42-1.98]%. The I/T-G ratio was poorly correlated with the SOFA score and lactate level on day 1 (r=0.25, p=0.005 and r=0.5, p<0.001, respectively). Patients with high I/T-G ratios were more likely to develop post-resuscitation shock (37% vs. 58%, p=0.02). Patients dying from post-resuscitation shock had a higher I/T-G ratio than patients dying from neurological causes (2 [1-4]% vs. 1.2 [0.6-1.2]%, p=0.02). The area under the ROC curve based on the I/T-G ratio was 0.82 for predicting ICU mortality., Conclusion: The I/T-G ratio appears to be an accurate predictor of poor outcome. However, the added clinical value of this marker and the possible involvement of immature granulocytes in the pathophysiology of post-cardiac arrest syndrome remain to be investigated., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate breathing-swallowing interactions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring noninvasive mechanical ventilation and, if needed, to develop a technical modification of the ventilator designed to eliminate ventilator insufflations during swallowing., Design: We conducted a prospective, open-label, interventional study., Patients: Fifteen consecutive chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with exacerbations requiring ICU admission and NIV., Interventions: Swallowing performance and breathing-swallowing interactions were investigated noninvasively by chin electromyography, cervical piezoelectric sensor, and inductive respiratory plethysmography. Two water-bolus sizes (5 and 10 mL) were tested in random order. Swallowing was tested with and without noninvasive mechanical ventilation, in random order. First, a standard mechanical ventilator capable of delivering noninvasive mechanical ventilation was used. Second, a marketed device was equipped with an off-switch for use during swallowing., Measurements and Main Results: Swallowing performance and breathing-swallowing interactions were investigated noninvasively by chin electromyography, cervical piezoelectric sensor, and inductive respiratory plethysmography. Two water bolus sizes (5 and 10 mL) were tested in random order. Swallowing was tested with and without noninvasive mechanical ventilation in random order. First, a standard mechanical ventilator capable of delivering noninvasive mechanical ventilation was used. Swallowing efficiency, breathing-swallowing synchronization, and Borg Scale dyspnea scores improved significantly with noninvasive mechanical ventilation. However, swallowing induced ventilator triggering followed by autotriggering. To improve patient-ventilator synchrony, a marketed device was equipped with an off-switch for use during swallowing. This device completely eliminated swallowing-induced ventilator triggering and postswallow autotriggering., Conclusion: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the ICU for acute exacerbations had abnormal breathing-swallowing interactions and dyspnea, which improved with noninvasive mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, a ventilator device with a simple switch-off pushbutton to eliminate insufflations during swallows prevented swallowing-induced ventilator triggering and postswallow autotriggering.

Purpose: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker for acute kidney injury (AKI). We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic accuracies of plasma NGAL (pNGAL) for contrast-induced AKI (CI-AKI) in critically ill patients., Methods: In a prospective observational study in two adult intensive care units in a university hospital, 100 consecutive critically ill patients with stable serum creatinine concentrations up to 48 h before contrast medium (CM) injection were enrolled. Serial blood sampling for pNGAL analysis was performed at enrolment, 2, 6, and 24 h after CM injection. The primary outcome was CI-AKI, defined by AKIN criteria, within the first 72 h following CM injection. Secondary outcomes were the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) and mortality., Results: Of the 98 patients analyzed, 30 developed CI-AKI. The pNGAL levels did not differ in patients with or without CI-AKI, and were higher in septic patients compared to nonseptic patients, and in patients with AKI preceding CM injection. The discriminative value of pNGAL to predict CI-AKI and mortality was poor; although, it did predict the need for RRT requirement after CM injection (area under receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.85, 0.80, 0.83 and 0.86 at H0, H2, H6 and H24, respectively)., Conclusion: CI-AKI was common in critically ill patients. pNGAL levels were higher in patients with sepsis or previous AKI, but did not help to diagnose CI-AKI any earlier than serum creatinine after CM injection. However, pNGAL could be of interest to detect patients at risk of subsequent RRT requirement.

Purpose: The lack of a consensus definition for acute kidney injury (AKI) has led to a great deal of discrepancies and confusion in the literature in this field. Thus, the RIFLE (Risk of renal dysfunction, Injury to the kidney, Failure of kidney function, Loss of kidney function and End-stage renal disease) and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classifications were developed by multidisciplinary collaborative groups and were validated by experts in an international consensus conference in 2007 under an umbrella "acute kidney insufficiency" definition., Methods: Search in the MEDLINE and PUBMED databases for relevant literature from January 2000 to June 2011 was performed to assess the accuracy of the novel consensus definitions for AKI., Conclusions: Both systems are based on serum creatinine level and urine output criteria and are staged in 3 severity levels. A major difference between these 2 classifications is that smaller and more rapid changes in serum creatinine are considered in the AKIN stage 1. Each AKI classification has demonstrated its ability to stratify patients according to their AKI severity and to predict outcomes. No classification system has been shown to be superior over the others. Their application in clinical studies would benefit from standardization and the new Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes definition of AKI was recently proposed to achieve this aim. Because these classifications do not allow earlier AKI diagnosis and do not optimize the timing of RRT initiation, they remain of moderate utility from the patient's point of view., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Little is known about the clinical impact on cardiovascular stability during intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) for acute kidney injury (AKI) of online monitoring devices that control blood volume (BV) and blood temperature in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. We compared different dialysis treatment modalities with or without these new systems among critically ill patients requiring IHD., Methods: In a prospective single-centre three-arm randomized controlled trial, 600 dialysis sessions in 74 consecutive AKI critically ill patients were involved to assess intradialytic hypotension. Standard dialysis therapy with constant ultrafiltration (UF) rate, cool dialysate and high sodium conductivity (Treatment A) was compared to regimens with adjunctive interventions including BV control (Treatment B) and the combination of BV and active blood temperature control (Treatment C). Each dialysis session was randomly assigned to one of the three treatment arms and served as statistical unit., Results: Five hundred and seventy-two dialysis sessions were analysed (188, 190 and 194 in Treatments A, B and C, respectively). Hypotension occurred in 16.6% treatments, with similar rates among the arms. Haemodynamic parameters and dialysis-related complications did not differ between therapies. Based on generalized estimating equation adjusted to dialysate sodium conductivity, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment the day of dialysis session, the need for vasopressors and lower systolic blood pressure at the onset of the session were identified as independent predictors of hypotensive episodes, whereas regimens containing the new online monitors were not., Conclusions: These results suggest that both actively controlled body temperature and UF profiled by online monitoring systems have no significant impact on the incidence of intradialytic hypotension in the ICU setting. Further research is needed before the use of these new sophisticated automatic methods can be applied routinely to the ICU setting.

Background: During sepsis and septic shock, elevated plasma concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been reported but may be related to several underlying mechanisms. The aim of the present experimental study was to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), dobutamine (Dobu), epinephrine (Epi), and norepinephrine (Nor) on BNP synthesis by atrial human myocardium in vitro., Methods: After the approval of local ethics committee, right atrial appendages were obtained during cannulation for cardiac surgery and pinned in a isolated organ bath containing 15 ml of Tyrode's modified solution. Preparations were oxygenated, maintained at 36 ± 0.5°C and stimulated at a frequency of 1 Hz. A 60-min equilibration period was followed by 180-min exposure to 1 μM endothelin 1 (ET-1; n = 9), 20,000 pg/ml TNF-α (n = 10), 1000 pg/ml IL-1β (n = 10), 5000 pg/ml IL-6 (n = 10), 10,000 pg/ml LPS (n = 10), 100 μM Epi (n = 9), 100 μM Nor (n = 10), and 100 μM Dobu (n = 8). No product was added in Control group (n = 10). Two BNP dosages were performed: the first after 60 min of stabilization and the second after 180 min of stimulation. Absolute and relative changes in BNP concentration were compared between groups., Results: Exposure to ET-1 significantly increased BNP release as compared with Control group. Dobu, Epi, Nor, and LPS significantly increased BNP concentration but not TNF-α, IL-1β, or IL-6., Conclusions: In vitro, LPS, Dobu, Epi, and Nor induced BNP synthesis by human atrial myocardium., (© 2012 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica © 2012 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.)

Purpose: Data on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in intensive care unit (ICU) are scarce and controversial. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of CI-AKI in a surgical ICU., Materials and Methods: We conducted a 13-month prospective observational study. Three definitions were compared to characterize CI-AKI: Barrett and Parfrey criteria; Risk of renal dysfunction, Injury to the kidney, Failure of kidney function, Loss of kidney function and End stage renal disease (RIFLE) classification; and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. Patients hospitalized in surgical ICU who had received an injection of contrast medium, who were not on renal replacement therapy, who had stable serum creatinine before injection, and no other etiology for new acute kidney injury were included., Results: One hundred one patients were included. The frequency of CI-AKI was 17%, 19%, and 19% according to Barrett and Parfrey criteria; RIFLE classification; and AKIN criteria, respectively. Diabetes mellitus, creatinine clearance less than 60 mL/min, and concomitant aminoglycoside administration were associated with CI-AKI. Statistically significant associations were found between CI-AKI and renal replacement therapy with all 3 definitions and between CI-AKI and mortality when AKIN criteria were used., Conclusions: These results show that CI-AKI is not inconsequential in critically ill patients. In the present study, AKIN criteria appear to be most relevant to define CI-AKI. Further studies are required to explore CI-AKI prevention in ICU., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The prediction of neurological outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest has major ethical and socioeconomic implications. The purpose of this study was to assess the capability of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a biomarker of hypoxic brain damage, to predict death or vegetative state in comatose cardiac-arrest survivors., Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study in one university hospital and one general hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). All consecutive patients who suffered cardiac arrest and were subsequently admitted from June 2007 to February 2009 were considered for inclusion in the study. Patients who died or awoke within the first 48 hours of admission were excluded from the analysis. Patients were followed for 3 months or until death after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The Cerebral Performance Categories scale (CPC) was used as the outcome measure; a CPC of 4-5 was regarded as a poor outcome, and a CPC of 1-3 a good outcome. Measurement of serum NSE was performed at 24 h and at 72 h after the time of cardiac arrest using an enzyme immunoassay. Clinicians were blinded to NSE results., Results: Ninety-seven patients were included. All patients were actively supported during the first days following cardiac arrest. Sixty-five patients (67%) underwent cooling after resuscitation. At 3 months 72 (74%) patients had a poor outcome (CPC 4-5) and 25 (26%) a good outcome (CPC 1-3). The median and Interquartile Range [IQR] levels of NSE at 24 h and at 72 h were significantly higher in patients with poor outcomes: NSE at 24 h: 59.4 ng/mL [37-106] versus 28.8 ng/mL [18-41] (p < 0.0001); and NSE at 72 h: 129.5 ng/mL [40-247] versus 15.7 ng/mL [12-19] (p < 0.0001). The Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) curve for poor outcome for the highest observed NSE value for each patient determined a cut-off value for NSE of 97 ng/mL to predict a poor neurological outcome with a specificity of 100% [95% CI = 87-100] and a sensitivity of 49% [95% CI = 37-60]. However, an approach based on a combination of SSEPs, NSE and clinical-EEG tests allowed to increase the number of patients (63/72 (88%)) identified as having a poor outcome and for whom intensive treatment could be regarded as futile., Conclusion: NSE levels measured early in the course of patient care for those who remained comatose after cardiac arrest were significantly higher in patients with outcomes of death or vegetative state. In addition, we provide a cut-off value for NSE (> 97 ng/mL) with 100% positive predictive value of poor outcome. Nevertheless, for decisions concerning the continuation of treatment in this setting, we emphasize that an approach based on a combination of SSEPs, NSE and clinical EEG would be more accurate for identifying patients with a poor neurological outcome.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of 3-month mortality in critically ill older persons under medical care and to assess the clinical impact of an ICU stay on physical and cognitive dependence and subjective health status in survivors., Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including all older persons 75 years and older consecutively admitted into ICU during a one-year period, except those admitted after cardiac arrest, All patients were followed for 3 months or until death. Comorbidities were assessed using the Charlson index and physical dependence was evaluated using the Katz index of Activity of Daily Living (ADL). Cognitive dependence was determined by a score based on the individual components of the Lawton index of Daily Living and subjective health status was evaluated using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) score., Results: One hundred patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 79.3 ± 3.4 years. The median Charlson index was 6 [IQR, 4 to 7] and the mean ADL and cognitive scores were 5.4 ± 1.1 and 1.2 ± 1.4, respectively, corresponding to a population with a high level of comorbidities but low physical and cognitive dependence. Mortality was 61/100 (61%) at 3 months. In multivariate analysis only comorbidities assessed by the Charlson index [Adjusted Odds Ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2; p < 0.003] and the number of organ failures assessed by the SOFA score [Adjusted Odds Ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2; p < 0.02] were independently associated with 3-month mortality. All 22 patients needing renal support after Day 3 died. Compared with pre-admission, physical (p = 0.04), and cognitive (p = 0.62) dependence in survivors had changed very little at 3 months. In addition, the mean NHP score was 213.1 ± 132.8 at 3 months, suggesting an acceptable perception of their quality of life., Conclusions: In a selected population of non surgical patients 75 years and older, admission into the ICU is associated with a 3-month survival rate of 38% with little impact on physical and cognitive dependence and subjective health status. Nevertheless, a high comorbidity level (ie, Charlson index), multi-organ failure, and the need for extra-renal support at the early phase of intensive care could be considered as predictors of death.

We report the case of an asthmatic patient with blunt trachea and left main bronchus injuries who developed acute severe asthma after surgical repair. Despite medical treatment and ventilatory support, asthma persisted with high airway pressures and severe respiratory acidosis. We proposed venovenous extracorporeal life support for CO(2) removal which allowed arterial blood gas normalization and airway pressures decrease. Extracorporeal life support was removed on day five after medical treatment of acute severe asthma. So we report the successful use of extracorporeal life support for operated double blunt tracheobronchial injury with acute severe asthma.