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RATIONALE: Intensive care unit (ICU) beds are a scarce resource, and patients denied intensive care only because the unit is full may be at increased risk of death. OBJECTIVE: To compare mortality after first ICU referral in admitted patients and in patients denied admission because the unit was full. METHODS: Prospective observational multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients referred for ICU admission during two 45-day periods, conducted in 10 ICUs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,762 patients, 430 were excluded from the study, 116 with previously denied admission to another ICU and 270 because they were deemed too sick or too well to benefit from ICU admission. Of the remaining 1,332 patients, 1,139 were admitted, and 193 were denied admission because the unit was full (65 were never admitted, 39 were admitted after bumping of another patient, and 89 were admitted on subsequent referral). Crude Day 28 and Day 60 mortality rates in the nonadmitted and admitted groups were 30.1 versus 24.3% (P = 0.07) and 33.3 versus 27.2% (P = 0.06), respectively. Day 28 mortality adjusted on age, previous disease, Glasgow scale score less than or equal to 8, shock, creatinine level greater than or equal to 250 [mu]mol/L, and prothrombin time greater than or equal to 30 seconds was nonsignificantly higher in patients refused ICU admission only because of a full unit compared with patients admitted immediately. Patients admitted after subsequent referral had higher mortality rates on Day 28 (P = 0.05) and Day 60 (P = 0.04) compared with directly admitted patients. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed ICU admission due to a full unit at first referral is associated with increased mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to describe longitudinal functional outcome among survivors after an infectious encephalitis (IE) and to analyze risk factors for poor functional outcome., Methods: Patients included in the prospective ENCEIF cohort (France, 2016-2019) were followed-up at 6 months and one year after hospital discharge for assessment of i) functional outcome using modified Rankin scale (mRS); ii) cognitive function and abilities to perform activities of daily living. Risk factors for poor outcome on the full distribution of mRS were estimated using multivariable mixed ordinal regression analysis with time between hospital discharge and follow-up as a covariate., Results: Our follow-up study included 322 patients with 896 mRS evaluations. Median age was 66 [50-74] years, 197/322 were male (61%) and 35/322 were immunocompromised (11%). Causative agents were herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) in 95/322 cases (30%), varicella zoster virus (VZV) in 46/322 cases (14%), others documented IE in 90/322 cases (28%) and unknown in 91/322 cases (28%). Intensive care unit (ICU) admission was necessary for 117/322 patients (36%). Brain imaging was abnormal in 180/311 (58%) of patients. At 6 months, 95/287 (33%) had fully recovered and 181/287 (63%) had persisting symptoms. At 12 months, 124/253 (49%) had fully recovered and 108/253 (43%) had persisting symptoms. The proportion of patients who improved was 41% (117/287) during the first 6 months, and 24% (52/218) between 6 and 12 months. Factors significantly associated with poor functional outcome were age, immunosuppression, ICU admission, abnormal brain imaging and causative agents, notably HSV-1. Follow-up visit during the first 120 days did not detect significant change in functional outcome, but was strongly associated with better outcome at the subsequent evaluation., Conclusions: After IE, improvement may take several months. Functional outcome is associated with baseline health status (age, immunosuppression), abnormal brain imaging, ICU admission, and causative agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2024 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The development of controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) is both important and challenging. The tension between end-of-life care and organ donation raises significant ethical issues for healthcare professionals in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this prospective, multicenter, observational study is to better understand ICU physicians' and nurses' experiences with cDCD., Methods: In 32 ICUs in France, ICU physicians and nurses were invited to complete a questionnaire after the death of end-of-life ICU patients identified as potential cDCD donors who had either experienced the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies alone or with planned organ donation (OD(-) and OD( +) groups). The primary objective was to assess their anxiety (State Anxiety Inventory STAI Y-A) following the death of a potential cDCD donor. Secondary objectives were to explore potential tensions experienced between end-of-life care and organ donation., Results: Two hundred six ICU healthcare professionals (79 physicians and 127 nurses) were included in the course of 79 potential cDCD donor situations. STAI Y-A did not differ between the OD(-) and OD( +) groups for either physicians or nurses (STAI Y-A were 34 (27-38) in OD(-) vs. 32 (27-40) in OD( +), p = 0.911, for physicians and 32 (25-37) in OD(-) vs. 39 (26-37) in OD( +), p = 0.875, for nurses). The possibility of organ donation was a factor influencing the WLST decision for nurses only, and a factor influencing the WLST implementation for both nurses and physicians. cDCD experience is perceived positively by ICU healthcare professionals overall., Conclusions: cDCD does not increase anxiety in ICU healthcare professionals compared to other situations of WLST. WLST and cDCD procedures could further be improved by supporting professionals in making their intentions clear between end-of-life support and the success of organ donation, and when needed, by enhancing communication between ICU physician and nurses., Trial Registration: This research was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05041023, September 10, 2021)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: To investigate the performance of the 2021 ERC/ESICM-recommended algorithm for predicting poor outcome after cardiac arrest (CA) and potential tools for predicting neurological recovery in patients with indeterminate outcome., Methods: Prospective, multicenter study on out-of-hospital CA survivors from 28 ICUs of the AfterROSC network. In patients comatose with a Glasgow Coma Scale motor score ≤3 at ≥72 h after resuscitation, we measured: (1) the accuracy of neurological examination, biomarkers (neuron-specific enolase, NSE), electrophysiology (EEG and SSEP) and neuroimaging (brain CT and MRI) for predicting poor outcome (modified Rankin scale score ≥4 at 90 days), and (2) the ability of low or decreasing NSE levels and benign EEG to predict good outcome in patients whose prognosis remained indeterminate., Results: Among 337 included patients, the ERC-ESICM algorithm predicted poor neurological outcome in 175 patients, and the positive predictive value for an unfavourable outcome was 100% [98-100]%. The specificity of individual predictors ranged from 90% for EEG to 100% for clinical examination and SSEP. Among the remaining 162 patients with indeterminate outcome, a combination of 2 favourable signs predicted good outcome with 99[96-100]% specificity and 23[11-38]% sensitivity., Conclusion: All comatose resuscitated patients who fulfilled the ERC-ESICM criteria for poor outcome after CA had poor outcome at three months, even if a self-fulfilling prophecy cannot be completely excluded. In patients with indeterminate outcome (half of the population), favourable signs predicted neurological recovery, reducing prognostic uncertainty., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: “Jean Baptiste Lascarrou reports financial support was provided by BD. Jean Baptiste Lascarrou reports financial support was provided by Masimo Corporation. Guillaume Geri reports financial support was provided by BD. Guillaume Geri reports financial support was provided by Bard. Claudio Sandroni and Alain Cariou are Associate Editor of Resuscitation If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper”., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

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: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with cellular immune deficiencies is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, data on CMV end-organ disease (CMV-EOD) in critically ill, immunocompromised patients are scarce. Our objective here was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of CMV-EOD in this population., Methods: We conducted a multicenter, international, retrospective, observational study in adults who had CMV-EOD and were admitted to any of 18 intensive care units (ICUs) in France, Israel, and Spain in January 2010-December 2021. Patients with AIDS were excluded. We collected the clinical characteristics and outcomes of each patient. Survivors and non-survivors were compared, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for hospital mortality., Results: We studied 185 patients, including 80 (43.2%) with hematologic malignancies, 55 (29.7%) with solid organ transplantation, 31 (16.8%) on immunosuppressants, 16 (8.6%) with solid malignancies, and 3 (1.6%) with primary immunodeficiencies. The most common CMV-EOD was pneumonia (n = 115, [62.2%] including 55 [47.8%] with a respiratory co-pathogen), followed by CMV gastrointestinal disease (n = 64 [34.6%]). More than one organ was involved in 16 (8.8%) patients. Histopathological evidence was obtained for 10/115 (8.7%) patients with pneumonia and 43/64 (67.2%) with GI disease. Other opportunistic infections were diagnosed in 69 (37.3%) patients. Hospital mortality was 61.4% overall and was significantly higher in the group with hematologic malignancies (75% vs. 51%, P = 0.001). Factors independently associated with higher hospital mortality were hematologic malignancy with active graft-versus-host disease (OR 5.02; 95% CI 1.15-27.30), CMV pneumonia (OR 2.57; 95% CI 1.13-6.03), lymphocytes < 0.30 × 10 9 /L at diagnosis of CMV-EOD (OR 2.40; 95% CI 1.05-5.69), worse SOFA score at ICU admission (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.04-1.35), and older age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.07)., Conclusions: Mortality was high in critically ill, immunocompromised patients with CMV-EOD and varied considerably with the cause of immunodeficiency and organ involved by CMV. Three of the four independent risk factors identified here are also known to be associated with higher mortality in the absence of CMV-EOD. CMV pneumonia was rarely proven by histopathology and was the most severe CMV-EOD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: While several scoring systems have been developed to predict short-term outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, there is currently no dedicated prognostic tool for drowning-associated cardiac arrest (DACA) patients., Methods: Patients experiencing DACA from two retrospective multicenter cohorts of drowning patients were included in the present study. Among the patients from the development cohort, risk-factors for day-28 mortality were assessed by logistic regression. A prediction score was conceived and assessed in patients from the validation cohort., Results: Among the 103 included patients from the development cohort, the day-28 mortality rate reached 51% (53/103). Identified independent early risk-factors for day-28 mortality included cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration longer than 20 min (OR 6.40 [95% CI 1.88-23.32]; p = 0.003), temperature at Intensive Care Unit admission <34 °C (OR 8.84 [95% CI 2.66-32.92]; p < 0.001), need for invasive mechanical ventilation (OR 6.83 [95% CI 1.47-40.87]; p = 0.02) and lactate concentration > 7 mmol/L (OR 3.56 [95% CI 1.01-13.07]; p = 0.04). The Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of the developed score based on those variables reached 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.97). The optimal cut-off for predicting poor outcomes was 4 points with a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI, 82-98%), a specificity of 82% (95% CI, 67-91%), a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84% (95% CI, 72-95%) and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 91% (95% CI, 79-96%). The assessment of this score on the validation cohort of 81 patients exhibited an AUC of 0.82. Using the same 4 points threshold, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values of the validation cohort were: 81%, 67%, 72% and 77%, respectively., Conclusion: In patients suffering from drowning induced initial cardiac arrest admitted to ICU with a DACA score ≥ 4, the likelihood of survival at day-28 is significantly lower. Prospective validation of the DACA score and assessment of its usefulness are warranted in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no conflict of interest related to this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) in post-anoxic brain injury is a valuable source of organs that is still underused in some countries. We assessed the number of potential cDCD donors after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Paris and its suburbs and extrapolated the results to the French population., Methods: Using the large regional registry of the Great Paris area, we prospectively included all consecutive adults with OHCA with a stable return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) who ultimately died in the intensive care unit (ICU) after withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments (WLST) due to post anoxic brain injury. The primary endpoint was potential for organ donation by cDCD in this population. The number of potential cDCD donors was calculated and extrapolated to the entire French population., Results: Between 2011 and 2018, 4638 patients with stable ROSC were admitted to ICUs after OHCA, and 3170 died in ICU, of which 1034 died after WLST due to post-anoxic brain injury. When considering French criteria, 421/1034 patients (41%) would have been potential cDCD donors (55 patients per year in a 4.67 million population). After standardization for age and sex, the potential for cDCD was 515 (95% CI 471-560) patients per year in France corresponding to an annual incidence of 1.18 per 100 000 inhabitants per year., Conclusions: Organ donation by cDCD after cardiac arrest could provide a large pool of donors in France., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Due to aging population and increasing part of immunocompromised patients, a raise in life-threatening organ damage related to VZV can be expected. Two retrospective studies were already conducted on VZV in ICU but focused on specific organ injury. Patients with high-risk of VZV disease still must be identified. The objective of this study was to report the clinical features and outcome of all life-threatening VZV manifestations requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 26 French ICUs and included all adult patients with any life-threatening VZV-related event requiring ICU admission or occurring in ICU between 2010 and 2019., Results: One-hundred nineteen patients were included with a median SOFA score of 6. One hundred eight patients (90.8%) were admitted in ICU for VZV disease, leaving 11 (9.2%) with VZV disease occurring in ICU. Sixty-one patients (51.3%) were immunocompromised. Encephalitis was the most prominent organ involvement (55.5%), followed by pneumonia (44.5%) and hepatitis (9.2%). Fifty-four patients (45.4%) received norepinephrine, 72 (60.5% of the total cohort) needed invasive mechanical ventilation, and 31 (26.3%) received renal-replacement therapy. In-hospital mortality was 36.1% and was significantly associated with three independent risk factors by multivariable logistic regression: immunosuppression, VZV disease occurring in ICU and alcohol abuse. Hierarchical clustering on principal components revealed five phenotypically distinct clusters of patients: VZV-related pneumonia, mild encephalitis, severe encephalitis in solid organ transplant recipients, encephalitis in other immunocompromised hosts and VZV disease occurring in ICU. In-hospital mortality was highly different across phenotypes, ranging from zero to 75% (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Overall, severe VZV manifestations are associated with high mortality in the ICU, which appears to be driven by immunosuppression status rather than any specific organ involvement. Deciphering the clinical phenotypes may help clinicians identify high-risk patients and assess prognosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: There is a growing interest in the quality of work life (QWL) of healthcare professionals and staff well-being. We decided to measure the perceived QWL of ICU physicians and the factors that could influence their perception. Methods: We performed a survey coordinated and executed by the French Trade Union of Intensive Care Physicians (SMR). QWL was assessed using the French version of the Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale, perceived stress using the French version of 10 item-Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and group functioning using the French version of the Reflexivity Scale, the Social Support at Work Questionnaire (QSSP-P). Results: 308 French-speaking ICU physicians participated. 40% perceived low WRQoL, mainly due to low general well-being, low satisfaction with working conditions and low possibility of managing the articulation between their private and professional lives. Decreased QWL was associated with being a woman (p = .002), having children (p = .022) and enduring many monthly shifts (p = .022). Conclusions: This work highlights the fact that ICU physicians feel a significant imbalance between the demands of their profession and the resources at their disposal. Communication and exchanges within a team and quality of social support appear to be positive elements to maintain and/or develop within our structures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: N. Terzi reports personal fees from Pfizer outside the submitted work. None of the other authors have any competing interests to disclose.

Background: Group A Streptococcus is responsible for severe and potentially lethal invasive conditions requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission, such as streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome (STSS). A rebound of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infection after COVID-19-associated barrier measures has been observed in children. Several intensivists of French adult ICUs have reported similar bedside impressions without objective data. We aimed to compare the incidence of iGAS infection before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, describe iGAS patients' characteristics, and determine ICU mortality associated factors., Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter cohort study in 37 French ICUs, including all patients admitted for iGAS infections for two periods: two years before period (October 2018 to March 2019 and October 2019 to March 2020) and a one-year after period (October 2022 to March 2023) COVID-19 pandemic. iGAS infection was defined by Group A Streptococcus isolation from a normally sterile site. iGAS infections were identified using the International Classification of Diseases and confirmed with each center's microbiology laboratory databases. The incidence of iGAS infections was expressed in case rate., Results: Two hundred and twenty-two patients were admitted to ICU for iGAS infections: 73 before and 149 after COVID-19 pandemic. Their case rate during the period before and after COVID-19 pandemic was 205 and 949/100,000 ICU admissions, respectively (p < 0.001), with more frequent STSS after the COVID-19 pandemic (61% vs. 45%, p = 0.015). iGAS patients (n = 222) had a median SOFA score of 8 (5-13), invasive mechanical ventilation and norepinephrine in 61% and 74% of patients. ICU mortality in iGAS patients was 19% (14% before and 22% after COVID-19 pandemic; p = 0.135). In multivariate analysis, invasive mechanical ventilation (OR = 6.08 (1.71-21.60), p = 0.005), STSS (OR = 5.75 (1.71-19.22), p = 0.005), acute kidney injury (OR = 4.85 (1.05-22.42), p = 0.043), immunosuppression (OR = 4.02 (1.03-15.59), p = 0.044), and diabetes (OR = 3.92 (1.42-10.79), p = 0.008) were significantly associated with ICU mortality., Conclusion: The incidence of iGAS infections requiring ICU admission increased by 4 to 5 after the COVID-19 pandemic. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of STSS was higher, with no significant increase in ICU mortality rate., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a heterogeneous entity with multiple origins and prognoses. An early, reliable assessment of the prognosis is useful to adapt therapeutic strategy, tailor intensity of care, and inform relatives. We aimed primarily to undertake a prospective multicentric study to evaluate predictive performance of the Cardiac Arrest Prognosis (CAHP) Score as compare to historical dataset systematically collected after OHCA (Utstein style criteria). Our secondary aim was to evaluate other dedicated scores for predicting outcome after OHCA and to compare them to Utstein style criteria., Methods: We prospectively collected data from 24 French and Belgium Intensive Care Units (ICUs) between August 2020 and June 2022. All cases of non-traumatic OHCA (cardiac and non-cardiac causes) patients with stable return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and comatose at ICU admission (defined by Glasgow coma score ≤ 8) on ICU admission were included. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at day 90 after cardiac arrest, assessed by phone interviews. A wide range of developed scores (CAHP, OHCA, CREST, C-Graph, TTM, CAST, NULL-PLEASE, and MIRACLE2) were included, and their accuracies in predicting poor outcome at 90 days after OHCA (defined as mRS ≥ 4) were determined using the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the calibration belt., Results: During the study period, 907 patients were screened, and 658 were included in the study. Patients were predominantly male (72%), with a mean age of 61 ± 15, most having collapsed from a supposed cardiac cause (64%). The mortality rate at day 90 was 63% and unfavorable neurological outcomes were observed in 66%. The performance (AUROC) of Utstein criteria for poor outcome prediction was moderate at 0.79 [0.76-0.83], whereas AUROCs from other scores varied from 0.79 [0.75-0.83] to 0.88 [0.86-0.91]. For each score, the proportion of patients for whom individual values could not be calculated varied from 1.4% to 17.4%., Conclusions: In patients admitted to ICUs after a successfully resuscitated OHCA, most of the scores available for the evaluation of the subsequent prognosis are more efficient than the usual Utstein criteria but calibration is unacceptable for some of them. Our results show that some scores (CAHP, sCAHP, mCAHP, OHCA, rCAST) have superior performance, and that their ease and speed of determination should encourage their use. Trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04167891., (© 2023. La Société de Réanimation de Langue Francaise = The French Society of Intensive Care (SRLF).)

Background: Cardiac arrest is the most life-threatening complication of attempted suicide by hanging. However, data are scarce on its characteristics and outcome predictors., Methods: This retrospective observational multicentre study in 31 hospitals included consecutive adults admitted after cardiac arrest induced by suicidal hanging. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality were identified by multivariate logistic regression with multiple imputations for missing data and adjusted to the temporal trends over the study period., Results: Of 450 patients (350 men, median age, 43 [34-52] years), 305 (68%) had a psychiatric history, and 31 (6.9%) attempted hanging while hospitalized. The median time from unhanging to cardiopulmonary resuscitation was 0 [0-5] min, and the median time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was 20 [10-30] min. Seventy-nine (18%) patients survived to hospital discharge. Three variables were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality: time from collapse or unhanging to ROSC>20 min (odds ratio [OR], 4.71; 95% confidence intervals [95%CIs], 2.02-10.96; p = 0.0004); glycaemia >1.4 g/L at admission (OR, 6.38; 95%CI, 2.60-15.66; p < 0.0001); and lactate >3.5 mmol/L at admission (OR, 6.08; 95%CI, 1.71-21.06; p = 0.005). A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of >5 at admission was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (OR, 0.009; 95%CI, 0.02-0.37; p = 0.0009)., Conclusion: In patients with hanging-induced cardiac arrest, time from collapse or unhanging to return of spontaneous circulation, glycaemia, arterial lactate, and coma depth at admission were independently associated with survival to hospital discharge. Knowledge of these risk factors may help guide treatment decisions in these patients at high risk of hospital mortality., Competing Interests: The 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 © 2023 Salvetti, Schnell, Pichon, Schenck, Cronier, Perbet, Lascarrou, Guitton, Lesieur, Argaud, Colin, Cholley, Quenot, Merdji, Geeraerts, Piagnerelli, Jacq, Paul, Chelly, de Charentenay, Deye, Danguy des Déserts, Thiery, Simon, Das, Jacobs, Cerf, Mayaux, Beuret, Ouchenir, Lafarge, Sauneuf, Daubin, Cariou, Silva and Legriel.)

Purpose: Data are scarce regarding the experience of critically ill patients at high risk of death. Identifying their concerns could allow clinicians to better meet their needs and align their end-of-life trajectory with their preferences and values. We aimed to identify concerns expressed by conscious patients at high risk of dying in the intensive care unit (ICU)., Methods: Multiple source multicentre study. Concerns expressed by patients were collected from five different sources (literature review, panel of 50 ICU experts, prospective study in 11 ICUs, in-depth interviews with 17 families and 15 patients). All qualitative data collected were analyzed using thematic content analysis., Results: The five sources produced 1307 concerns that were divided into 7 domains and 41 sub-domains. After removing redundant items and duplicates, and combining and reformulating similar items, 28 concerns were extracted from the analysis of the data. To increase accuracy, they were merged and consolidated, and resulted in a final list of 15 concerns pertaining to seven domains: concerns about loved-ones; symptom management and care (including team competence, goals of care discussions); spiritual, religious, and existential preoccupations (including regrets, meaning, hope and trust); being oneself (including fear of isolation and of being a burden, absence of hope, and personhood); the need for comforting experiences and pleasure; dying and death (covering emotional and practical concerns); and after death preoccupations., Conclusion: This list of 15 concerns may prove valuable for clinicians as a tool for improving communication and support to better meet the needs of patients at high risk of dying., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Objectives: To report the prevalence of acute encephalopathy and outcomes in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to identify determinants of 90-day outcomes., Methods: Data from adults with severe COVID-19 and acute encephalopathy were prospectively collected for patients requiring intensive care unit management in 31 university or university-affiliated intensive care units in 6 countries (France, United States, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil) between March and September of 2020. Acute encephalopathy was defined, as recently recommended, as subsyndromal delirium or delirium or as a comatose state in case of severely decreased level of consciousness. Logistic multivariable regression was performed to identify factors associated with 90-day outcomes. A Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) score of 1-4 was considered a poor outcome (indicating death, vegetative state, or severe disability)., Results: Of 4,060 patients admitted with COVID-19, 374 (9.2%) experienced acute encephalopathy at or before the intensive care unit (ICU) admission. A total of 199/345 (57.7%) patients had a poor outcome at 90-day follow-up as evaluated by the GOS-E (29 patients were lost to follow-up). On multivariable analysis, age older than 70 years (odds ratio [OR] 4.01, 95% CI 2.25-7.15), presumed fatal comorbidity (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.68-9.44), Glasgow coma scale score <9 before/at ICU admission (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.22-3.98), vasopressor/inotrope support during ICU stay (OR 3.91, 95% CI 1.97-7.76), renal replacement therapy during ICU stay (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.21-4.50), and CNS ischemic or hemorrhagic complications as acute encephalopathy etiology (OR 3.22, 95% CI 1.41-7.82) were independently associated with higher odds of poor 90-day outcome. Status epilepticus, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome were associated with lower odds of poor 90-day outcome (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.83)., Discussion: In this observational study, we found a low prevalence of acute encephalopathy at ICU admission in patients with COVID-19. More than half of patients with COVID-19 presenting with acute encephalopathy had poor outcomes as evaluated by GOS-E. Determinants of poor 90-day outcome were dominated by older age, comorbidities, degree of impairment of consciousness before/at ICU admission, association with other organ failures, and acute encephalopathy etiology., Trial Registration Information: The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04320472., (© 2023 American Academy of Neurology.)

Objectives: To describe early electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities after status epilepticus (SE) and evaluate their association with 90-day neurological outcomes., Design: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter, national prospective registry between February 2018 and June 2020., Setting: Sixteen ICUs in France, IctalGroup Research Network., Patients: Adults with available ECG performed less than or equal to 24 hours after the onset of SE and less than or equal to 12 hours after its resolution., Intervention: Double-blinded review of all ECGs was performed by two independent cardiologists. ECGs were categorized as normal/abnormal and then with minor/major early ECG abnormalities according to the Novacode ECG Classification system., Measurements and Main Results: Among 155 critically ill patients with SE, early ECG abnormalities were encountered in 145 (93.5%), categorized as major in 91 of 145 (62.8%). In addition to sinus tachycardia, the main abnormalities were in the ST segment (elevation [16.6%] or depression [17.9%]) or negative T waves (42.1%). Major early ECG abnormalities were significantly associated with respiratory distress and sinus tachycardia at the scene and hyperlactatemia at ICU admission. By multivariable analysis, three variables were significantly associated with 90-day poor outcome: age, preexisting ultimately fatal comorbidity, and cerebral insult as the cause of SE. Early major ECG abnormalities were not independently associated with 90-day functional outcome., Conclusions: In our study, early ECG abnormalities in the acute phase of SE were frequent, often unrecognized and were associated with clinical and biological stigma of hypoxemia. Although they were not independently associated with 90-day functional outcome, ECG changes at the early stage of SE should be systematically evaluated., Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03457831 ., Competing Interests: Dr. Fontaine disclosed work for hire. Dr. Arrayago disclosed government work. Dr. Mongardon received consulting fees from Amomed and grants from Air liquide. Dr. Bailly received financial support from Sedana Medical. Dr. Lascarrou received honoraria from BD and Zoll. Dr. Convers received honoraria from Astra Zeneca and from Eduprat. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Objective: Pneumonia is the most frequent infectious complication in patients who have experienced drowning that requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We aimed to describe clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic data as well as predictors and impacts of such pneumonia on patients' outcomes., Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre study (2013-2020) of 270 consecutive patients admitted for drowning to 14 ICUs in Western France. Their baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared according to the occurrence of drowning-associated pneumonia (DAP), defined as pneumonia diagnosed within 48 hours of ICU admission. A Cox regression model was used to compare survival on day 28, and logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for DAP. Microbiological characteristics and empirical antibacterial treatment were also analysed., Results: Among the 270 patients admitted to the ICU for drowning, 101 (37.4%) and 33 (12.2%) experienced pneumonia and microbiologically proven DAP, respectively. The occurrence of pneumonia was associated with higher severity scores at ICU admission (median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, 34 [interquartile range {IQR}, 25-55] vs. 45 [IQR, 28-67]; p 0.006) and longer ICU length of stay (2 days [IQR, 1-3] vs. 4 days [IQR, 2-7]; p < 0.001). The 28-day mortality rate was higher among these patients (29/101 [28.7%] vs. 26/169 [15.4%]; p 0.013). Microbiologically proven DAP remained associated with higher 28-day mortality after adjustments for cardiac arrest and water salinity (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.06-3.28]; p 0.03). A microbiological analysis of respiratory samples showed a high proportion of gram-negative bacilli (23/56; 41.1%), with a high prevalence of amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance (12/33; 36.4%)., Conclusions: Pneumonia is a common complication in patients admitted in the ICU for drowning and is associated with increased mortality., (Copyright © 2022 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prolonging life in the ICU increasingly is possible, so decisions to limit life-sustaining therapies frequently are made and communicated to patients and families or surrogates. Little is known about worldwide communication practices and influencing factors., Research Question: Are there regional differences in end-of-life communication practices in ICUs worldwide?, Study Design and Methods: This analysis of data from a prospective, international study specifically addressed end-of-life communications in consecutive patients who died or had limitation of life-sustaining therapy over 6 months in 199 ICUs in 36 countries, grouped regionally. End-of-life decisions were recorded for each patient and ethical practice was assessed retrospectively for each ICU using a 12-point questionnaire developed previously., Results: Of 87,951 patients admitted, 12,850 died or experienced a limitation of therapy (14.6%). Of these, 1,199 patients (9.3%) were known to have an advance directive, and wishes were elicited from 6,456 patients (50.2%). Limitations of life-sustaining therapy were implemented for 10,401 patients (80.9%), 1,970 (19.1%) of whom had mental capacity at the time, and were discussed with 1,507 patients (14.5%) and 8,461 families (81.3%). Where no discussions with patients occurred (n = 8,710), this primarily was because of a lack of mental capacity in 8,114 patients (93.2%), and where none occurred with families (n = 1,622), this primarily was because of unavailability (n = 720 [44.4%]). Regional variation was noted for all end points. In generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses, the odds for discussions with the patient or family increased by 30% (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.18-1.44; P < .001) for every one-point increase in the Ethical Practice Score and by 92% (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.28-2.89; P = .002) in the presence of an advance directive., Interpretation: End-of-life communication with patients and families or surrogates varies markedly in different global regions. GEE analysis supports the hypothesis that communication may increase with ethical practice and an advance directive. Greater effort is needed to align treatment with patients' wishes., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Chest Physicians. All rights reserved.)

Background: In patients with septic shock, the impact of the mean arterial pressure (MAP) target on the course of mottling remains uncertain. In this post hoc analysis of the SEPSISPAM trial, we investigated whether a low-MAP (65 to 70 mmHg) or a high-MAP target (80 to 85 mmHg) would affect the course of mottling and arterial lactate in patients with septic shock., Methods: The presence of mottling was assessed every 2 h from 2 h after inclusion to catecholamine weaning. We compared mottling and lactate time course between the two MAP target groups. We evaluated the patient's outcome according to the presence or absence of mottling., Results: We included 747 patients, 374 were assigned to the low-MAP group and 373 to the high-MAP group. There was no difference in mottling and lactate evolution during the first 24 h between the two MAP groups. After adjustment for MAP and confounding factors, the presence of mottling ≥ 6 h during the first 24 h was associated with a significantly higher risk of death at day 28 and 90. Patients without mottling or with mottling < 6 h and lactate ≥ 2 mmol/L have a higher probability of survival than those with mottling ≥ 6 h and lactate < 2 mmol/L., Conclusion: Compared with low MAP target, higher MAP target did not alter mottling and lactate course. Mottling lasting for more than 6 h was associated with higher mortality. Compared to arterial lactate, mottling duration appears to be a better marker of mortality., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Expanded-criteria donors (ECDs) are used to reduce the shortage of kidneys for transplantation. However, kidneys from ECDs are associated with an increased risk of delayed graft function (DGF), a risk factor for allograft loss and mortality. HYPOREME will be a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing targeted hypothermia to normothermia in ECDs, in a country where the use of machine perfusion for organ storage is the standard of care. We hypothesise that hypothermia will decrease the incidence of DGF., Methods and Analysis: HYPOREME is a multicentre RCT comparing the effect on kidney function in recipients of targeted hypothermia (34°C-35°C) and normothermia (36.5°C-37.5°C) in the ECDs. The temperature intervention starts from randomisation and is maintained until aortic clamping in the operating room. We aim to enrol 289 ECDs in order to analyse the kidney function of 516 recipients in the 53 participating centres. The primary outcome is the occurrence of DGF in kidney recipients, defined as a requirement for renal replacement therapy within 7 days after transplantation (not counting a single session for hyperkalemia during the first 24 hours). Secondary outcomes include the proportion of patients with individual organs transplanted in each group; the number of organs transplanted from each ECD and the vital status and kidney function of the recipients 7 days, 28 days, 3 months and 1 year after transplantation. An interim analysis is planned after the enrolment of 258 kidney recipients., Ethics and Dissemination: The trial was approved by the ethics committee of the French Intensive Care Society (CE-SRLF-16-07) on 26 April 2016 and by the competent French authorities on 20 April 2016 (Comité de Protection des Personnes-TOURS-Région Centre-Ouest 1, registration #2016-S3). Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented during national and international scientific meetings., Trial Registration Number: NCT03098706., Competing Interests: Competing interests: EC received fees for lectures and conference talks and had travel and accommodation expenses related to attending scientific meetings covered by Gilead, Baxter and Sanofi-Genzyme., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Persistent physical and mental disorders are frequent in survivors of COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, data on these disorders among family members are scarce., Objective: To determine the association between patient hospitalization for COVID-19 ARDS vs ARDS from other causes and the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms in family members., Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study in 23 intensive care units (ICUs) in France (January 2020 to June 2020 with final follow-up ending in October 2020). ARDS survivors and family members (1 family member per patient) were enrolled., Exposures: Family members of patients hospitalized for ARDS due to COVID-19 vs ARDS due to other causes., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was family member symptoms of PTSD at 90 days after ICU discharge, measured by the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (score range, 0 [best] to 88 [worst]; presence of PTSD symptoms defined by score >22). Secondary outcomes were family member symptoms of anxiety and depression at 90 days assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (score range, 0 [best] to 42 [worst]; presence of anxiety or depression symptoms defined by subscale scores ≥7). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between COVID-19 status and outcomes., Results: Among 602 family members and 307 patients prospectively enrolled, 517 (86%) family members (median [IQR] age, 51 [40-63] years; 72% women; 48% spouses; 26% bereaved because of the study patient's death; 303 [50%] family members of COVID-19 patients) and 273 (89%) patients (median [IQR] age, 61 [50-69] years; 34% women; 181 [59%] with COVID-19) completed the day-90 assessment. Compared with non-COVID-19 ARDS, family members of patients with COVID-19 ARDS had a significantly higher prevalence of symptoms of PTSD (35% [103/293] vs 19% [40/211]; difference, 16% [95% CI, 8%-24%]; P < .001), symptoms of anxiety (41% [121/294] vs 34% [70/207]; difference, 8% [95% CI, 0%-16%]; P= .05), and symptoms of depression (31% [91/291] vs 18% [37/209]; difference, 13% [95% CI, 6%-21%]; P< .001). In multivariable models adjusting for age, sex, and level of social support, COVID-19 ARDS was significantly associated with increased risk of PTSD-related symptoms in family members (odds ratio, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.30 to 3.23])., Conclusions and Relevance: Among family members of patients hospitalized in the ICU with ARDS, COVID-19 disease, as compared with other causes of ARDS, was significantly associated with increased risk of symptoms of PTSD at 90 days after ICU discharge., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04341519.

Introduction: Status epilepticus (SE) is a common life-threatening neurological emergency that can cause long-term impairments. Overall outcomes remain poor. Major efforts are required to clarify the epidemiology of SE and the determinants of outcomes, thereby identifying targets for improved management., Methods and Analysis: ICTAL Registry is a multicentre open cohort of critically ill patients with convulsive, non-convulsive or psychogenic non-epileptic SE. Observational methods are applied to collect uniform data. The goal of the ICTAL Registry is to collect high-quality information on a large number of patients, thereby allowing elucidation of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in mortality and morbidity. The registry structure is modular, with a large core data set and the opportunity for research teams to create satellite data sets for observational or interventional studies (eg, cohort multiple randomised controlled trials, cross-sectional studies and short-term and long-term longitudinal outcome studies). The availability of core data will hasten patient recruitment to studies, while also decreasing costs. Importantly, the vast amount of data from a large number of patients will allow valid subgroup analyses, which are expected to identify patient populations requiring specific treatment strategies. The results of the studies will have a broad spectrum of application, particularly given the multidisciplinary approach used by the IctalGroup research network., Ethics and Dissemination: The ICTAL Registry protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the French Intensive Care Society (#CE&#95;SRLF 19-68 and 19-68a). Patients or their relatives/proxies received written information to the use of the retrospectively collected and pseudonymised data, in compliance with French law. Prospectively included patients receive written consent form as soon as they recover decision-making competency; if they refuse consent, they are excluded from the registry. Data from the registry will be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications., Trial Registration Number: NCT03457831., Competing Interests: Competing interests: NM received consulting fees from Amomed and grants from Air liquide. PB received financial support from Sedana Medical. J-BL received honoraria from BD and Zoll. None of the other authors has any conflicts of interest to declare., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: In relatives of patients dying in intensive care units (ICUs), inadequate team support can increase the prevalence of prolonged grief and other psychological harm. We aimed to evaluate whether a proactive communication and support intervention would improve relatives' outcomes., Methods: We undertook a prospective, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial in 34 ICUs in France, to compare standard care with a physician-driven, nurse-aided, three-step support strategy for families throughout the dying process, following a decision to withdraw or withhold life support. Inclusion criteria were relatives of patients older than 18 years with an ICU length of stay 2 days or longer. Participating ICUs were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) into an intervention cluster and a control cluster. The randomisation scheme was generated centrally by a statistician not otherwise involved in the study, using permutation blocks of non-released size. In the intervention group, three meetings were held with relatives: a family conference to prepare the relatives for the imminent death, an ICU-room visit to provide active support, and a meeting after the patient's death to offer condolences and closure. ICUs randomly assigned to the control group applied their best standard of care in terms of support and communication with relatives of dying patients. The primary endpoint was the proportion of relatives with prolonged grief (measured with PG-13, score ≥30) 6 months after the death. Analysis was by intention to treat, with the bereaved relatives as the unit of observation. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02955992., Findings: Between Feb 23, 2017, and Oct 8, 2019, we enrolled 484 relatives of ICU patients to the intervention group and 391 to the control group. 379 (78%) relatives in the intervention group and 309 (79%) in the control group completed the 6-month interview to measure the primary endpoint. The intervention significantly reduced the number of relatives with prolonged grief symptoms (66 [21%] vs 57 [15%]; p=0·035) and the median PG-13 score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (19 [IQR 14-26] vs 21 [15-29], mean difference 2·5, 95% CI 1·04-3·95)., Interpretation: Among relatives of patients dying in the ICU, a physician-driven, nurse-aided, three-step support strategy significantly reduced prolonged grief symptoms., Funding: French Ministry of Health., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests EA reports receiving fees for lectures from Gilead, Pfizer, Baxter, and Alexion. His research group has been supported by Ablynx, Fisher & Payckle, Jazz Pharma, and MSD, outside the submitted work. AC reports receiving fees for lectures from Bard, outside the submitted work. AD reports grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Philips; personal fees from Baxter; personal fees and non-financial support from Fisher & Paykel; grants from French Ministry of Health; personal fees from Getinge; grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Respinor; grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Lungpacer; personal fees from Lowenstein; and personal fees from Gilead, outside the submitted work. SJ reports receiving grants from the French Ministry of Health and Société Française d'Anesthésie Réanimation; and personal fees from Draeger, Hamilton, Maquet, and Fisher Paykel Healthcare, outside the submitted work. KA reports receiving personal fees from Baxter, Fresenius, Medtronic, LFB, and Edwards, outside the submitted work. NT reports personal fees from Pfizer, outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) is a life-threatening complication of cirrhosis. We aimed to identify early indicators of secondary peritonitis (SP), which requires emergency surgery, and to describe the outcomes of SP and spontaneous bacterial/fungal peritonitis (SBFP). Adults with cirrhosis and AFI admitted to 16 university or university-affiliated ICUs in France between 2002 and 2017 were studied retrospectively. Cases were identified by searching the hospital databases for relevant ICD-10 codes and hospital charts for AFI. Logistic multivariate regression was performed to identify factors associated with SP. Secondary outcomes were short- and long-term mortality and survivors' functional outcomes. Of 178 included patients (137 men and 41 women; mean age, 58 ± 11 years), 21 (11.8%) had SP, confirmed by surgery in 16 cases and by abdominal computed tomography in 5 cases. Time to diagnosis exceeded 24 h in 7/21 patients with SP. By multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with SP were ascitic leukocyte count > 10,000/mm 3 (OR 3.70; 95%CI 1.38-9.85; P = 0.009) and absence of laboratory signs of decompensated cirrhosis (OR 4.53; 95%CI 1.30-15.68; P = 0.017). The 1-year mortality rates in patients with SBFP and SP were 81.0% and 77.5%, respectively (Log-rank test, P = 0.92). Patients with SP vs. SBFP had no differences in 1-year functional outcomes. This multicenter retrospective study identified two indicators of SP as opposed to SBFP in patients with cirrhosis. Using these indicators may help to provide early surgical treatment., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Drowning is a global threat and one of the leading causes of injury around the world. The impact of drowning conditions including water salinity on patients' prognosis remains poorly explored in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) patients., Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study on patients admitted to 14 ICUs in the west of France from January 2013 to January 2020. We first compared demographic and clinical characteristics at admission as well as clinical courses of these patients according to the salinity of drowning water. Then, we aimed to identify variables associated with 28-day survival using a Cox proportional hazard model., Results: Of the 270 consecutive included patients, drowning occurred in seawater in 199 patients (73.7%) and in freshwater in 71 patients (26.3%). Day-28 mortality was observed in 55 patients (20.4%). Freshwater was independently associated with 28-day mortality (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 1.84 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.03-3.29], p = 0.04). A higher proportion of freshwater patients presented psychiatric comorbidities (47.9 vs. 19.1%; p < 0.0001) and the etiology of drowning appeared more frequently to be a suicide attempt in this population (25.7 vs. 4.2%; p < 0.0001). The other factors independently associated with 28-day mortality were the occurrence of a drowning-related cardiac arrest (aHR 11.5 [95% CI 2.51-52.43], p = 0.0017), duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (aHR 1.05 [95% CI 1.03-1.07], p < 0.0001) and SOFA score at day 1 (aHR 1.2 [95% CI 1.11-1.3], p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: In this large multicenter cohort, freshwater drowning patients had a poorer prognosis than saltwater drowning patients. Reasons for such discrepancies include differences in underlying psychiatric comorbidity, drowning circumstances and severities. Patients with initial cardiac arrest secondary to drowning remain with a very poor prognosis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: End-of-life practices vary among intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. Differences can result in variable use of disproportionate or non-beneficial life-sustaining interventions across diverse world regions. This study investigated global disparities in end-of-life practices., Methods: In this prospective, multinational, observational study, consecutive adult ICU patients who died or had a limitation of life-sustaining treatment (withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining therapy and active shortening of the dying process) during a 6-month period between Sept 1, 2015, and Sept 30, 2016, were recruited from 199 ICUs in 36 countries. The primary outcome was the end-of-life practice as defined by the end-of-life categories: withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining therapy, active shortening of the dying process, or failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Patients with brain death were included in a separate predefined end-of-life category. Data collection included patient characteristics, diagnoses, end-of-life decisions and their timing related to admission and discharge, or death, with comparisons across different regions. Patients were studied until death or 2 months from the first limitation decision., Findings: Of 87 951 patients admitted to ICU, 12 850 (14·6%) were included in the study population. The number of patients categorised into each of the different end-of-life categories were significantly different for each region (p<0·001). Limitation of life-sustaining treatment occurred in 10 401 patients (11·8% of 87 951 ICU admissions and 80·9% of 12 850 in the study population). The most common limitation was withholding life-sustaining treatment (5661 [44·1%]), followed by withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (4680 [36·4%]). More treatment withdrawing was observed in Northern Europe (1217 [52·8%] of 2305) and Australia/New Zealand (247 [45·7%] of 541) than in Latin America (33 [5·8%] of 571) and Africa (21 [13·0%] of 162). Shortening of the dying process was uncommon across all regions (60 [0·5%]). One in five patients with treatment limitations survived hospitalisation. Death due to failed CPR occurred in 1799 (14%) of the study population, and brain death occurred in 650 (5·1%). Failure of CPR occurred less frequently in Northern Europe (85 [3·7%] of 2305), Australia/New Zealand (23 [4·3%] of 541), and North America (78 [8·5%] of 918) than in Africa (106 [65·4%] of 162), Latin America (160 [28·0%] of 571), and Southern Europe (590 [22·5%] of 2622). Factors associated with treatment limitations were region, age, and diagnoses (acute and chronic), and country end-of-life legislation., Interpretation: Limitation of life-sustaining therapies is common worldwide with regional variability. Withholding treatment is more common than withdrawing treatment. Variations in type, frequency, and timing of end-of-life decisions were observed. Recognising regional differences and the reasons behind these differences might help improve end-of-life care worldwide., Funding: None., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests AD reports grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Philips, and Respinor; personal fees from Baxter, Getinge, Lowenstein, and Gilead; personal fees and non-financial support from Fisher & Paykel and Lungpacer; and grants from the French Ministry of Health, outside of the submitted work. JCS reports grants from Orion Pharma, Abbott Nutrition International, B Braun Medical AG, CSEM AG, Edwards Lifesciences Services GmbH, Kenta Biotech, Maquet Critical Care AB, Omnicare Clinical Research AG, Nestle, and Phagenesis, outside of the submitted work. Monies went into departmental funds directly. AG and and MP report grants from the Austrian Center for Documentation and Quality Assurance in Intensive Care during the conduct of the study. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health of professionals working in the intensive care unit (ICU) according to the intensity of the epidemic in France., Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 77 French hospitals from April 22 to May 13 2020. All ICU frontline healthcare workers were eligible. The primary endpoint was the mental health, assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Sources of stress during the crisis were assessed using the Perceived Stressors in Intensive Care Units (PS-ICU) scale. Epidemic intensity was defined as high or low for each region based on publicly available data from Santé Publique France. Effects were assessed using linear mixed models, moderation and mediation analyses., Results: In total, 2643 health professionals participated; 64.36% in high-intensity zones. Professionals in areas with greater epidemic intensity were at higher risk of mental health issues (p < 0.001), and higher levels of overall perceived stress (p < 0.001), compared to low-intensity zones. Factors associated with higher overall perceived stress were female sex (B = 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08-0.17), having a relative at risk of COVID-19 (B = 0.14; 95%-CI = 0.09-0.18) and working in high-intensity zones (B = 0.11; 95%-CI = 0.02-0.20). Perceived stress mediated the impact of the crisis context on mental health (B = 0.23, 95%-CI = 0.05, 0.41) and the impact of stress on mental health was moderated by positive thinking, b = - 0.32, 95% CI = - 0.54, - 0.11., Conclusion: COVID-19 negatively impacted the mental health of ICU professionals. Professionals working in zones where the epidemic was of high intensity were significantly more affected, with higher levels of perceived stress. This study is supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Health (PHRC-COVID 2020).

Intensive care unit professionals have experience in critical care and its proportionality, collegial decision-making, withholding or withdrawal of treatment deemed futile, and communication with patients' relatives. These elements rely on ethical values from which we must not deviate in a pandemic situation. The recommendations made by the Ethics Commission of the French Intensive Care Society reflect an approach of responsibility and solidarity towards our citizens regarding the potential impact of a pandemic on critical care resources in France, with the fundamental requirement of respect for human dignity and equal access to health care for all.

Objectives: Individualizing a target mean arterial pressure is challenging during the initial resuscitation of patients with septic shock. The Sepsis and Mean Arterial Pressure (SEPSISPAM) trial suggested that targeting high mean arterial pressure might reduce the occurrence of acute kidney injury among those included patients with a past history of chronic hypertension. We investigated whether the class of antihypertensive medications used before the ICU stay in chronic hypertensive patients was associated with the severity of acute kidney injury occurring after inclusion, according to mean arterial pressure target., Design: Post hoc analysis of the SEPSISPAM trial., Setting: The primary outcome was the occurrence of severe acute kidney injury during the ICU stay defined as kidney disease improving global outcome stage 2 or higher. Secondary outcomes were mortality at day 28 and mortality at day 90., Patients: All patients with chronic hypertension included in SEPSISPAM with available antihypertensive medications data in the hospitalization report were included., Measurements and Main Results: We analyzed 297 patients. Severe acute kidney injury occurred in 184 patients, without difference according to pre-ICU exposure to antihypertensive medications. Patients with pre-ICU exposure to angiotensin II receptor blockers had significantly less severe acute kidney injury in the high mean arterial pressure target group (adjusted odd ratio 0.24 with 95% CI [0.09-0.66]; p = 0.006). No statistically significant association was found after adjustment for pre-ICU exposure to antihypertensive medications and survival., Conclusions: Our results suggest that patients with septic shock and chronic hypertension treated with angiotensin II receptor blocker may benefit from a high mean arterial pressure target to reduce the risk of acute kidney injury occurrence., Competing Interests: Dr. Dequin’s institution received funding from Angers University Hospital, the French Ministry of Health, Abionic, Atox Bio, Sphingotec GMBH, Adrenomed, Medspace, Aridis, Merck, Combioxin, GSK, Med-Immune, Genentech INH, Rev-Immune, Faron, Kenta, and Tigenix, and he received support for article research from the French Ministry of Health. Dr. Gonzalez disclosed work for hire. Dr. Teboul received funding from Getinge/Pulsion. Dr. Radermacher’s institution received funding from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the German Ministry of Defense. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Competing Interests: Authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Introduction: A palliative approach to intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute respiratory failure and a do-not-intubate order corresponds to a poorly evaluated target for non-invasive oxygenation treatments. Survival alone should not be the only target; it also matters to avoid discomfort and to restore the patient's quality of life. We aim to conduct a prospective multicentre observational study to analyse clinical practices and their impact on outcomes of palliative high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFOT) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in ICU patients with do-not-intubate orders., Methods and Analysis: This is an investigator-initiated, multicentre prospective observational cohort study comparing the three following strategies of oxygenation: HFOT alone, NIV alternating with HFOT and NIV alternating with standard oxygen in patients admitted in the ICU for acute respiratory failure with a do-not-intubate order. The primary outcome is the hospital survival within 14 days after ICU admission in patients weaned from NIV and HFOT. The sample size was estimated at a minimum of 330 patients divided into three groups according to the oxygenation strategy applied. The analysis takes into account confounding factors by modelling a propensity score., Ethics and Dissemination: The study has been approved by the ethics committee and patients will be included after informed consent. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals., Trial Registration Number: NCT03673631., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AWT reports financial support (payment for lectures and travel expenses coverage to attend scientific meetings) by Fisher & Paykel, Covidien, Maquet – Getinge, GE Healthcare. J-PF reports consulting fees from Fisher & Paykel and SOS Oxygène., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Near-hanging experiences are life-threatening events about which few data are available., Research Question: What are the outcomes and early predictors of hospital mortality in critically ill patients who have undergone a near-hanging experience?, Study Design and Methods: Adult patients who were resuscitated successfully after suicidal near-hanging injury admitted to 31 university or university-affiliated ICUs in France and Belgium between 1992 and 2014 were studied retrospectively. Patients were identified by searching the hospital databases for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th and 10th revisions, codes and hospital charts for hanging. Logistic multivariate regression was performed to identify factors associated vital and functional outcomes at hospital discharge as the primary end points. Secondary outcomes were evaluation of temporal trends and identification of predictors of hospital mortality., Results: Of the 886 patients (181 women and 705 men; median age, 43 years; interquartile range, 34-52 years), 266 (30.0%) had attempted suicide previously, 600 (67.7%) had a diagnosed mental illness, and 55 (6.2%) attempted hanging while hospitalized. Median time from hanging awareness to unhanging was 0 min (interquartile range [IQR], 0-0; range, 0-82 min). Median Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3 (IQR, 3-5) at ICU admission. Hanging induced cardiac arrest in 450 of 886 patients (50.8%). Overall, 497 of 886 patients (56.1%) were alive at hospital discharge, including 479 of 497 patients (96.4%) with a favorable neurocognitive outcome (defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4 or 5). By multivariate analysis, factors associated with hospital mortality were hanging-induced cardiac arrest (OR, 19.50; 95% CI, 7.21-60.90; P < .00001) and findings at ICU admission of glycemia level > 1.4 g/L (OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.82-10.81; P = .0007) and of lactate level > 3.5 mmol/L (OR, 9.98; 95% CI, 4.17-25.36; P < .00001)., Interpretation: The findings from this large multicenter retrospective cohort emphasize the very high mortality after hanging injury chiefly because of hanging-induced cardiac arrest. However, patients who survive near-hanging experiences achieve excellent neurocognitive recovery. Studies of early neuroprotective strategies for patients who have undergone near-hanging experiences are warranted., Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT04096976; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Little is known on the incidence of discomfort during the end-of-life of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the impact of sedation on such discomfort. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of discomfort events according to levels of sedation., Methods: Post-hoc analysis of an observational prospective multicenter study comparing immediate extubation vs. terminal weaning for end-of-life in ICU patients. Discomforts including gasps, significant bronchial obstruction or high behavioural pain scale score, were prospectively assessed by nurses from mechanical ventilation withdrawal until death. Level of sedation was assessed using the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) and deep sedation was considered for a RASS - 5. Psychological disorders in family members were assessed up until 12 months after the death., Results: Among the 450 patients included in the original study, 226 (50%) experienced discomfort after mechanical ventilation withdrawal. Patients with discomfort received lower doses of midazolam and equivalent morphine, and were less likely to have deep sedation than patients without discomfort (59% vs. 79%, p < 0.001). After multivariate logistic regression, extubation (as compared terminal weaning) was the only factor associated with discomfort, whereas deep sedation and administration of vasoactive drugs were two factors independently associated with no discomfort. Long-term evaluation of psychological disorders in family members of dead patients did not differ between those with discomfort and the others., Conclusion: Discomfort was frequent during end-of-life of ICU patients and was mainly associated with extubation and less profound sedation.

Purpose: Cardiac arrest may occur unexpectedly in intensive care units (ICU). We hypothesize that certain patient characteristics and treatments are associated with survival and long-term functional outcome following in-ICU cardiac arrest., Methods: Over a 12-month period, cardiac arrests with resuscitation attempts were prospectively investigated in 45 French ICUs. Survivors were followed for 6 months., Results: In total, 677 (2.16%) of 31,399 admitted patients had at least one in-ICU cardiac arrest with resuscitation attempt, 42% of which occurred on the day of admission. In 79% cases, one or more condition(s) likely to promote the occurrence of cardiac arrest was/were identified, including hypoxia (179 patients), metabolic disorders (122), hypovolemia (94), and adverse events linked to the life-sustaining devices in place (98). Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 478 patients, of whom 163 were discharged alive from ICU and 146 from hospital. Six-month survival with no or moderate functional sequel (118 of 125 patients alive) correlated with a number of organ failures ≤ 2 when cardiac arrest occurred (OR 4.17 [1.92-9.09]), resuscitation time ≤ 5 min (3.32 [2.01-5.47]), shockable rhythm cardiac arrests (2.13 [1.26-3.45]) or related to the life-sustaining devices in place (2.11 [1.22-3.65]), absence of preexisting disability (1.98 [1.09-3.60]) or disease deemed fatal within 5 years (1.70 [1.05-2.77]), and sedation (1.71 [1.06-2.75])., Conclusion: Only one in six patients with in-ICU cardiac arrest and resuscitation attempt was alive at 6 months with good functional status. Certain characteristics specific to cardiac arrests, resuscitation maneuvers, and the pathological context in which they happen may help clarify prognosis and inform relatives.

Purpose: To report the incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation, and outcome predictors of severe leptospirosis requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission in a temperate zone., Methods: LEPTOREA was a retrospective multicentre study conducted in 79 ICUs in metropolitan France. Consecutive adults admitted to the ICU for proven severe leptospirosis from January 2012 to September 2016 were included. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical classification on principal components (HCPC) were performed to distinguish different clinical phenotypes., Results: The 160 included patients (0.04% of all ICU admissions) had median values of 54 years [38-65] for age, 40 [28-58] for the SAPSII, and 11 [8-14] for the SOFA score. Hospital mortality was 9% and was associated with older age; worse SOFA score and early need for endotracheal ventilation and/or renal replacement therapy; chronic alcohol abuse and worse hepatic dysfunction; confusion; and higher leucocyte count. Four phenotypes were identified: moderately severe leptospirosis (n = 34, 21%) with less organ failure and better outcomes; hepato-renal leptospirosis (n = 101, 63%) with prominent liver and kidney dysfunction; neurological leptospirosis (n = 8, 5%) with the most severe organ failures and highest mortality; and respiratory leptospirosis (n = 17, 11%) with pulmonary haemorrhage. The main risk factors for leptospirosis contamination were contact with animals, contact with river or lake water, and specific occupations., Conclusions: Severe leptospirosis was an uncommon reason for ICU admission in metropolitan France and carried a lower mortality rate than expected based on the high severity and organ-failure scores. The identification in our population of several clinical presentations may help clinicians establish an appropriate index of suspicion for severe leptospirosis.

Importance: End-of-life decisions occur daily in intensive care units (ICUs) around the world, and these practices could change over time., Objective: To determine the changes in end-of-life practices in European ICUs after 16 years., Design, Setting, and Participants: Ethicus-2 was a prospective observational study of 22 European ICUs previously included in the Ethicus-1 study (1999-2000). During a self-selected continuous 6-month period at each ICU, consecutive patients who died or had any limitation of life-sustaining therapy from September 2015 until October 2016 were included. Patients were followed up until death or until 2 months after the first treatment limitation decision., Exposures: Comparison between the 1999-2000 cohort vs 2015-2016 cohort., Main Outcomes and Measures: End-of-life outcomes were classified into 5 mutually exclusive categories (withholding of life-prolonging therapy, withdrawing of life-prolonging therapy, active shortening of the dying process, failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR], brain death). The primary outcome was whether patients received any treatment limitations (withholding or withdrawing of life-prolonging therapy or shortening of the dying process). Outcomes were determined by senior intensivists., Results: Of 13 625 patients admitted to participating ICUs during the 2015-2016 study period, 1785 (13.1%) died or had limitations of life-prolonging therapies and were included in the study. Compared with the patients included in the 1999-2000 cohort (n = 2807), the patients in 2015-2016 cohort were significantly older (median age, 70 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 59-79] vs 67 years [IQR, 54-75]; P < .001) and the proportion of female patients was similar (39.6% vs 38.7%; P = .58). Significantly more treatment limitations occurred in the 2015-2016 cohort compared with the 1999-2000 cohort (1601 [89.7%] vs 1918 [68.3%]; difference, 21.4% [95% CI, 19.2% to 23.6%]; P < .001), with more withholding of life-prolonging therapy (892 [50.0%] vs 1143 [40.7%]; difference, 9.3% [95% CI, 6.4% to 12.3%]; P < .001), more withdrawing of life-prolonging therapy (692 [38.8%] vs 695 [24.8%]; difference, 14.0% [95% CI, 11.2% to 16.8%]; P < .001), less failed CPR (110 [6.2%] vs 628 [22.4%]; difference, -16.2% [95% CI, -18.1% to -14.3%]; P < .001), less brain death (74 [4.1%] vs 261 [9.3%]; difference, -5.2% [95% CI, -6.6% to -3.8%]; P < .001) and less active shortening of the dying process (17 [1.0%] vs 80 [2.9%]; difference, -1.9% [95% CI, -2.7% to -1.1%]; P < .001)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients who had treatment limitations or died in 22 European ICUs in 2015-2016, compared with data reported from the same ICUs in 1999-2000, limitations in life-prolonging therapies occurred significantly more frequently and death without limitations in life-prolonging therapies occurred significantly less frequently. These findings suggest a shift in end-of-life practices in European ICUs, but the study is limited in that it excluded patients who survived ICU hospitalization without treatment limitations.

Purpose: Bereavement research has helped to improve end-of-life practices in the ICU. However, few studies have explored bereaved relatives experience of research participation in this context. We aimed to explore the experience of bereaved relatives' participation in the ARREVE study which included three telephone follow-up calls to complete several quantitative tools., Methods: Volunteer relatives who participated in the 12-month follow-up call completed a questionnaire about research participation that included ten open-ended questions so that respondents could use their own words and thoughts. These open-ended questions were analyzed using qualitative analysis that examines themes within the data., Results: 175/311 relatives completed the questionnaire. Three themes were derived from the thematic analysis: (1) struggling: reactivation of emotional distress associated with the ICU experience and the loss is frequent, specifically during the 1st follow-up call. (2) Resilience: as time goes by, research participation becomes increasingly positive. The calls are a help both in giving meaning to the relatives' experience and in accepting the loss. (3) Recognition: research calls can compensate for the absence of support during bereavement., Conclusion: Although some emotional difficulties must be acknowledged, bereavement research is overall associated with benefits, by facilitating emotional adjustments, meaning-making and resilience. Lack of support and social isolation during bereavement are frequent experiences, revealing that support strategies for bereaved relatives should be developed after the loss of a loved one in the ICU.

Importance: Keeping a diary for patients while they are in the intensive care unit (ICU) might reduce their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms., Objectives: To assess the effect of an ICU diary on the psychological consequences of an ICU hospitalization., Design, Setting, and Participants: Assessor-blinded, multicenter, randomized clinical trial in 35 French ICUs from October 2015 to January 2017, with follow-up until July 2017. Among 2631 approached patients, 709 adult patients (with 1 family member each) who received mechanical ventilation within 48 hours after ICU admission for at least 2 days were eligible, 657 were randomized, and 339 were assessed 3 months after ICU discharge., Interventions: Patients in the intervention group (n = 355) had an ICU diary filled in by clinicians and family members. Patients in the control group (n = 354) had usual ICU care without an ICU diary., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was significant PTSD symptoms, defined as an Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) score greater than 22 (range, 0-88; a higher score indicates more severe symptoms), measured in patients 3 months after ICU discharge. Secondary outcomes, also measured at 3 months and compared between groups, included significant PTSD symptoms in family members; significant anxiety and depression symptoms in patients and family members, based on a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score greater than 8 for each subscale (range, 0-42; higher scores indicate more severe symptoms; minimal clinically important difference, 2.5); and patient memories of the ICU stay, reported with the ICU memory tool., Results: Among 657 patients who were randomized (median [interquartile range] age, 62 [51-70] years; 126 women [37.2%]), 339 (51.6%) completed the trial. At 3 months, significant PTSD symptoms were reported by 49 of 164 patients (29.9%) in the intervention group vs 60 of 175 (34.3%) in the control group (risk difference, -4% [95% CI, -15% to 6%]; P = .39). The median (interquartile range) IES-R score was 12 (5-25) in the intervention group vs 13 (6-27) in the control group (difference, -1.47 [95% CI, -1.93 to 4.87]; P = .38). There were no significant differences in any of the 6 prespecified comparative secondary outcomes., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients who received mechanical ventilation in the ICU, the use of an ICU diary filled in by clinicians and family members did not significantly reduce the number of patients who reported significant PTSD symptoms at 3 months. These findings do not support the use of ICU diaries for preventing PTSD symptoms., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02519725.