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Introduction: Bilirubin is well-recognized marker of hepatic dysfunction in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Multiple organ failure often complicates acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) evolution and is associated with high mortality. The effect of early hepatic dysfunction on ARDS mortality has been poorly investigated. We evaluated the incidence and the prognostic significance of increased serum bilirubin levels in the initial phase of ARDS. Methods: The data of 805 patients with ARDS were retrospectively analysed. This population was extracted from two recent multicenter, prospective and randomised trials. Patients presenting with ARDS with a ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen < 150 mmHg measured with a PEEP ≥ 5 cm of water were included. The total serum bilirubin was measured at inclusion and at days 2, 4, 7 and 14. The primary objective was to analyse the bilirubin at inclusion according to the 90-day mortality rate. Results: The 90-day mortality rate was 33.8% (n = 272). The non-survivors were older, had higher Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and were more likely to have a medical diagnosis on admission than the survivors. At inclusion, the SOFA score without the liver score (10.3±2.9 vs. 9.0±3.0, p<0.0001) and the serum bilirubin levels (36.1±57.0 vs. 20.5±31.5 μmol/L, p<0.0001) were significantly higher in the non-survivors than in the survivors. Age, the hepatic SOFA score, the coagulation SOFA score, the arterial pH level, and the plateau pressure were independently associated with 90-day mortality in patients with ARDS. Conclusion: Bilirubin used as a surrogate marker of hepatic dysfunction and measured early in the course of ARDS was associated with the 90-day mortality rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It has been suggested that delayed intensive care unit (ICU) transfer is associated with increased mortality for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, ICU admission policies and patient epidemiology vary widely across the world depending on local hospital practices and organizational constraints. We hypothesized that the time from the onset of CAP symptoms to invasive mechanical ventilation could be a relevant prognostic factor. Methods: One hundred patients with a CAP and necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation were included. Prospectively collected data were retrospectively analysed. Two study groups were identified based on the time of the initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (rapid respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation within 72 h of the onset of CAP and progressive respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation 4 or more days after the onset of CAP). Results: Excepting more COPD patients in the rapid respiratory failure group and more patients with diabetes in the progressive respiratory failure group, these patients had similar characteristics. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 28% in the rapid respiratory failure group and 51% in the progressive respiratory failure group (P = 0.03). The ICU and the day 30 mortality rates were higher in the progressive respiratory failure group (47% vs. 23%, P = 0.02; and 37.7% vs. 21.3%, P = 0.03; respectively). After adjusting for the propensity score and other potential confounding factors, progressive respiratory failure remained associated with hospital mortality only after 12 days of invasive mechanical ventilation. Conclusions: This study suggested that the duration or delay in the time to intubation from the onset of CAP symptoms was associated with the outcomes in those patients who ultimately required invasive mechanical ventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]