Search

International audience; BackgroundNeuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are among the leading cause of perioperative anaphylaxis, and most of these reactions are IgE mediated. Allergic sensitisation induced by environmental exposure to other quaternary ammonium-containing compounds, such as pholcodine, has been suggested. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between pholcodine exposure and NMBA-related anaphylaxis.MethodsALPHO was a multicentre case-control study, comparing pholcodine exposure within a year before anaesthesia between patients with NMBA-related perioperative anaphylaxis (cases) and control patients with uneventful anaesthesia in France. Each case was matched to two controls by age, sex, type of NMBA, geographic area, and season. Pholcodine exposure was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire and pharmaceutical history retrieved from pharmacy records. The diagnostic values of anti-pholcodine and anti-quaternary ammonium specific IgE (sIgE) were also evaluated.ResultsOverall, 167 cases were matched with 334 controls. NMBA-related anaphylaxis was significantly associated with pholcodine consumption (odds ratio 4.2; 95% confidence interval 2.3–7.0) and occupational exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (odds ratio 6.1; 95% confidence interval 2.7–13.6), suggesting that apart from pholcodine, other environmental factors can also lead to sensitisation to NMBAs. Pholcodine and quaternary ammonium sIgEs had a high negative predictive value (99.9%) but a very low positive predictive value (

La mise en œuvre de la sédation profonde et continue maintenue jusqu’au décès en réanimation peut s’avérer complexe car il faut tenir compte de la singularité de chaque patient et de son entourage. Cet aspect de la prise en charge devrait être évoqué autant que possible avec le patient et ses proches bien avant que la question de la fin de vie ne se pose. Formation des soignants, information des patients et des proches et adaptation de l’environnement en fin de vie représentent les pistes d’amélioration de la prise en charge de la fin de vie en réanimation.

International audience; Objectives: ICU-acquired bloodstream infection (ICU-BSI) in Intensive Care unit (ICU) is still associated with a high mortality rate. The increase of antimicrobial drug resistance makes its treatment increasingly challenging. Methods: We analyzed 571 ICU-BSI occurring amongst 10,734 patients who were prospectively included in the Outcomerea Database and who stayed at least 4 days in ICU. The hazard ratio of death associated with ICU-BSI was estimated using a multivariate Cox model adjusted on case mix, patient severity and daily SOFA. Results: ICU-BSI was associated with increased mortality (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.16-1.69; p = 0.0004). The relative increase in the risk of death was 130% (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.8-3.0) when initial antimicrobial agents within a day of ICU-BSI onset were not adequate, versus only 20% (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.9-1.5) when an adequate therapy was started within a day. The adjusted hazard ratio of death was significant overall, and even higher when the ICU-BSI source was pneumonia or unknown origin. When treated with appropriate antimicrobial agents, the death risk increase was similar for ICU-BSI due to multidrug resistant pathogens or susceptible ones. Interestingly, combination therapy with a fluoroquinolone was associated with more favorable outcome than monotherapy, whereas combination with aminoglycoside was associated with similar mortality than monotherapy. Conclusions: ICU-BSI was associated with a 40% increase in the risk of 30-day mortality, particularly if the early antimicrobial therapy was not adequate. Adequacy of antimicrobial therapy, but not pathogen resistance pattern, impacted attributable mortality. (C) 2016 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience; OBJECTIVES: To investigate the respective impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia and ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia on the 30-day mortality of ICU patients. DESIGN: Longitudinal prospective studies. SETTING: French ICUs. PATIENTS: Patients at risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia and ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia. INTERVENTIONS: The first three episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia or ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia were handled as time-dependent covariates in Cox models. We adjusted using the case-mix, illness severity, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score at admission, and procedures and therapeutics used during the first 48 hours before the risk period. Baseline characteristics of patients with regard to the adequacy of antibiotic treatment were analyzed, as well as the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score variation in the 2 days before the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia or ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia. Mortality was also analyzed for Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species(ESKAPE) and P. aeruginosa pathogens. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 14,212 patients who were admitted to the ICUs and who stayed for more than 48 hours, 7,735 were at risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia and 9,747 were at risk of ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia. Ventilator-associated pneumonia and ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia occurred in 1,161 at-risk patients (15%) and 176 at-risk patients (2%), respectively. When adjusted on prognostic variables, ventilator-associated pneumonia (hazard ratio, 1.38 (1.24-1.52); p \textless 0.0001) and even more ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia (hazard ratio, 1.82 [1.35-2.45]; p \textless 0.0001) were associated with increased 30-day mortality. The early antibiotic therapy adequacy was not associated with an improved prognosis, particularly for ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia. The impact was similar for ventilator-associated pneumonia and ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia mortality due to P. aeruginosa and the ESKAPE group. CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of patients, we found that both ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia were associated with an 82% and a 38% increase in the risk of 30-day mortality, respectively. This study emphasized the importance of preventing ICU-hospital-acquired pneumonia in nonventilated patients.

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

Background Outcome of very elderly patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) was most often reported for octogenarians. ICU admission demands for nonagenarians are increasing. The primary objective was to compare outcome and intensity of treatment of octogenarians and nonagenarians. Methods We performed an observational study in 12 ICUs of the Outcomerea™ network which prospectively upload data into the Outcomerea™ database. Patients >90 years old (case patients) were matched with patients 80–90 years old (control patients). Matching criteria were severity of illness at admission, center, and year of admission. Results A total of 2419 patients aged 80 or older and admitted from September 1997 to September 2013 were included. Among them, 179 (7.9 %) were >90 years old. Matching was performed for 176 nonagenarian patients. Compared with control patients, case patients were more often hospitalized for unscheduled surgery [54 (30.7 %) vs. 42 (23.9 %), p

International audience; OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between predefined adverse events (AE) (including nosocomial infections) and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, controlling for multiple adverse events in the same patient and confounding variables. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study of the French OUTCOMEREA multicenter database. SETTING: Twelve medical or surgical ICUs. PATIENTS: Unselected patients hospitalized for > or = 48 hrs enrolled between 1997 and 2003. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 3,611 patients included, 1415 (39.2%) experienced one or more AEs and 821 (22.7%) had two or more AEs. Mean number of AEs per patient was 2.8 (range, 1-26). Six AEs were associated with death: primary or catheter-related bloodstream infection (BSI) (odds ratio [OR], 2.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-5.32), BSI from other sources (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.66-12.05), nonbacteremic pneumonia (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.17-2.44), deep and organ/space surgical site infection without BSI (OR, 3; 95% CI, 1.3-6.8), pneumothorax (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.3), and gastrointestinal bleeding (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.4-4.9). The results were not changed when the analysis was confined to patients with mechanical ventilation on day 1, intermediate severity of illness (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II between 35 and 55), no treatment-limitation decisions, or no cardiac arrest in the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: AEs were common and often occurred in combination in individual patients. Several AEs independently contributed to death. Creating a safe ICU environment is a challenging task that deserves careful attention from ICU physicians.

International audience; Purpose: Staff behaviours to optimise patient safety may be influenced by burnout, depression and strength of the safety culture. We evaluated whether burnout, symptoms of depression and safety culture affected the frequency of medical errors and adverse events (selected using Delphi techniques) in ICUs. Methods: Prospective, observational, multicentre (31 ICUs) study from August 2009 to December 2011. Results: Burnout, depression symptoms and safety culture were evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), CES-Depression scale and Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, respectively. Of 1,988 staff members, 1,534 (77.2 %) participated. Frequencies of medical errors and adverse events were 804.5/1,000 and 167.4/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Burnout prevalence was 3 or 40 % depending on the definition (severe emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low personal accomplishment; or MBI score greater than -9). Depression symptoms were identified in 62/330 (18.8 %) physicians and 188/1,204 (15.6 %) nurses/nursing assistants. Median safety culture score was 60.7/100 [56.8-64.7] in physicians and 57.5/100 [52.4-61.9] in nurses/nursing assistants. Depression symptoms were an independent risk factor for medical errors. Burnout was not associated with medical errors. The safety culture score had a limited influence on medical errors. Other independent risk factors for medical errors or adverse events were related to ICU organisation (40 % of ICU staff off work on the previous day), staff (specific safety training) and patients (workload). One-on-one training of junior physicians during duties and existence of a hospital risk-management unit were associated with lower risks. Conclusions: The frequency of selected medical errors in ICUs was high and was increased when staff members had symptoms of depression.

Overall rates of bloodstream infection (BSI) are often used as quality indicators in intensive care units (ICUs). We investigated whether ICU-acquired BSI increased mortality (byor = 10%) after adjustment for severity of infection at ICU admission and during the pre-BSI stay.We conducted a matched, risk-adjusted (1:n), exposed-unexposed study of patients with stays longer than 72 h in 12 ICUs randomly selected from the Outcomerea database.Patients with BSI after the third ICU day (exposed group) were matched on the basis of risk-exposure time and mortality predicted at admission using the Three-Day Recalibrated ICU Outcome (TRIO) score to patients without BSI (unexposed group). Severity was assessed daily using the Logistic Organ Dysfunction (LOD) score. Of 3247 patients with ICU stays of3 days, 232 experienced BSI by day 30 (incidence, 6.8 cases per 100 admissions); among them, 226 patients were matched to 1023 unexposed patients. Crude hospital mortality was 61.5% among exposed and 36.7% among unexposed patients (P.0001). Attributable mortality was 24.8%. The only variable associated with both BSI and hospital mortality was the LOD score determined 4 days before onset of BSI (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.16; P = .0025). The adjusted OR for hospital mortality among exposed patients (OR, 3.20; 95% CI, 2.30-4.43) decreased when the LOD score determined 4 days before onset of BSI was taken into account (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.17-4.22; P.0001). The estimated risk of death from BSI varied considerably according to the source and resistance of organisms, time to onset, and appropriateness of treatment.When adjusted for risk-exposure time and severity at admission and during the ICU stay, BSI was associated with a 3-fold increase in mortality, but considerable variation occurred across BSI subgroups. Focusing on BSI subgroups may be valuable for assessing quality of care in ICUs.

The respective influence on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia of currently available systems used for warming and humidifying the gases delivered to mechanically ventilated patients, that is, heated humidifiers and heat and moisture exchanger filters, remains controversial.We addressed this question in a multicenter randomized study comparing heated humidifiers (with heated circuits) and filters in an unselected population of 369 intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 48 h.The diagnosis of pneumonia was confirmed according to strict microbiologic criteria. There was no difference in pneumonia rate between the two groups (53 of 184 [28.8%] versus 47 of 185 [25.4%] for humidifiers versus filters; p = 0.48), or in the incidence density of pneumonia (27.4/1,000 ventilatory days versus 25.3/1,000 ventilatory days for humidifiers versus filters; p = 0.76). The mean duration of mechanical ventilation did not differ between the two groups (14.9 +/- 15.1 versus 13.5 +/- 16.3 days for humidifiers versus filters, p = 0.36). Endotracheal tube occlusion occurred, respectively, in five patients and one patient in the humidifier and filter groups (p = 0.12). Intensive care mortality was identical in the two groups (about 33%).These results suggest that both heated humidifiers and heat and moisture exchanger filters can be used with no significant impact on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia and that other criteria may justify their choice.

Life-threatening bleeding in four patients with an unusual excessive response to dabigatran: Implications for emergency surgery and resuscitation

International audience; Few data are available about optimal nutrition modalities in mechanically ventilated patients with shock. Our objective was to assess associations linking early nutrition (72 h and shock (arterial systolic pressure

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the opinions of intensivists regarding pleural effusions in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 1,032 intensivists, who were members of the French Society of Critical Care. Results: Four hundred thirty-one questionnaires (41.7%) were returned. Overall, the respondents' estimated the incidence of pleural effusion in ICU patients to be 22.19 ± 17%, whereas 37 ± 27% considered that exploratory thoracentesis was likely to determine the cause of the effusion, and 17.36 ± 16% considered that its results were likely to result in a change in their therapeutic attitude. Sixty-five (15%) physicians, chiefly pulmonologists, performed exploratory thoracentesis routinely (Group 1). Compared with those who did not perform routine thoracentesis (Group 2), they ascribed a higher proportion of pleural effusions to infection (31.3% vs. 13.5%) and were more likely to consider that exploratory thoracentesis had a diagnostic and therapeutic contribution (51.2% vs. 34% and 23% vs. 16%, respectively). In addition to the respiratory medicine subspecialty, the practice of routine exploratory thoracentesis was significantly related to seniority, to the frequency of the suspicion of an infectious cause in the physician's practice, and to his or her appreciation of the risks associated with exploratory thoracentesis. Physicians from Group 1 were also more likely to describe exploratory thoracentesis as a noninvasive procedure. Conclusions: The beliefs and attitudes of intensivists regarding pleural effusions and exploratory thoracentesis are divergent. This may be due to the lack of precise guidelines on the topic and prompt the design of further studies to establish precisely the epidemiology and causes of pleural effusions in ICU patients. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company

Objective: Intensivists generally view patients with hematological malignancies as poor candidates for intensive care. Nevertheless, hematologists have recently developed more aggressive treatment protocols capable of achieving prolonged complete remissions in many of these patients. This change mandates a reappraisal of indications for ICU admission in each type of hematological disease. Improved knowledge of the prognosis is of assistance in making treatment decisions. Patients and methods: The records of 75 myeloma patients consecutively admitted to our ICU between 1992 and 1998 were reviewed retrospectively and predictors of 30-day mortality were identified using stepwise logistic regression. Results: The median age was 56 years (37–84). Chronic health status (Knaus scale) was C or D in 39 cases. Fifty-five patients (73 %) had stage III disease and 17 had a complete or partial remission. Autologous bone marrow transplantation had been performed in 28 patients (37 %). ICU admission occurred between 1992 and 1995 in 41 patients (54.7 %), and between 1996 and 1998 in 34 patients (45.3 %). The median SAPS II and LOD scores were 60 (23–107) and 7 (0–21), respectively. Reasons for ICU admission were acute respiratory failure in 39 patients (52 %) and shock in 31 (41 %). Forty-six patients (61 %) required mechanical ventilation. Fifty patients (66 %) received vasopressors and 24 dialysis. Thirty-day mortality was 57 %. Only five parameters were independently associated with 30-day mortality in the multivariate model: female gender (OR = 5.12), mechanical ventilation (OR = 16.7) and use of vasopressor agents (OR = 5.67) were associated with a higher mortality rate, whereas disease remission (OR = 0.16) and ICU admission between 1996 and 1998 (OR = 0.09) were associated with a lower one. Conclusion: The prognosis for myeloma patients in the ICU is improving over time. This may reflect either recent therapeutic changes in hematological departments and ICUs or changes in patient selection for ICU admission. Hematologists and intensivists should work closely together to select hematological patients likely to benefit from ICU admission.

To test the effects of three multifaceted safety programs designed to decrease insulin administration errors, anticoagulant prescription and administration errors, and errors leading to accidental removal of endotracheal tubes and central venous catheters, respectively. Medical errors and adverse events are associated with increased mortality in intensive care patients, indicating an urgent need for prevention programs.Multicenter cluster-randomized study.One medical intensive care unit in a university hospital and two medical-surgical intensive care units in community hospitals belonging to the Outcomerea Study Group.Consecutive patients18 yrs admitted from January 2007 to January 2008 to the intensive care units.We tested three multifaceted safety programs vs. standard care in random order, each over 2.5 months, after a 1.5-month observation period.Incidence rates of medical errors/1000 patient-days in the multifaceted safety program and standard-care groups were compared using adjusted hierarchical models. In 2117 patients with 15,014 patient-days, 8520 medical errors (567.5/1000 patient-days) were reported, including 1438 adverse events (16.9%, 95.8/1000 patient-days). The insulin multifaceted safety program significantly decreased errors during implementation (risk ratio 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52-0.82; p = .0003) and after implementation (risk ratio 0.51; 95% CI 0.35-0.73; p = .0004). A significant Hawthorne effect was found. The accidental tube/catheter removal multifaceted safety program decreased errors significantly during implementation (odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% CI 0.15-0.81; p = .01]) and nonsignificantly after implementation (OR 1.65; 95% CI 0.78-3.48). The anticoagulation multifaceted safety program was not significantly effective (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.26-1.59) but produced a significant Hawthorne effect.A multifaceted program was effective in preventing insulin errors and accidental tube/catheter removal. Significant Hawthorne effects occurred, emphasizing the need for appropriately designed studies before definitively implementing strategies.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00461461.

Objective Early unplanned readmission to the intensive care unit (ICU) carries a poor prognosis, and post-ICU mortality may be related, in part, to premature ICU discharge. Our objectives were to identify independent risk factors for early post-ICU readmission or death and to construct a prediction model. Design Retrospective analysis of a prospective database was done. Setting Four ICUs of the French Outcomerea network participated. Patients Patients were consecutive adults with ICU stay longer than 24 hours who were discharged alive to same-hospital wards without treatment-limitation decisions. Main results Of 5014 admitted patients, 3462 met our inclusion criteria. Age was 60.6 ± 17.6 years, and admission Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) was 35.1 ± 15.1. The rate of death or ICU readmission within 7 days after ICU discharge was 3.0%. Independent risk factors for this outcome were age, SAPS II at ICU admission, use of a central venous catheter in the ICU, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome scores before ICU discharge, and discharge at night. The predictive model based on these variables showed good calibration. Compared with SAPS II at admission or Stability and Workload Index for Transfer at discharge, discrimination was better with our model (area under receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.79). Conclusion Among patients without treatment-limitation decisions and discharged alive from the ICU, 3.0% died or were readmitted within 7 days. Independent risk factors were indicators of patients' severity and discharge at night. Our prediction model should be evaluated in other ICU populations.

The "perioperative" period for elderly patients is prone to a significant level of morbidity and mortality. Chronological age and comorbidities are the main causes of mortality. Loco-regional anaesthesia is used in 50% of cases. When general anaesthesia is used, invasive monitoring is the rule, with titration of medication and pain treatment. Cognitive dysfunctions are related to age rather than the anaesthetic technique. The aim is for early rehabilitation perhaps through ambulatory care.

International audience; RATIONALE: Although intensive care units (ICUs) were created for patients with life-threatening illnesses, the ICU environment generates a high risk of iatrogenic events. Identifying medical errors (MEs) that serve as indicators for iatrogenic risk is crucial for purposes of reporting and prevention. OBJECTIVES: We describe the selection of indicator MEs, the incidence of such MEs, and their relationship with mortality. METHODS: We selected indicator MEs using Delphi techniques. An observational prospective multicenter cohort study of these MEs was conducted from March 27 to April 3, 2006, in 70 ICUs; 16 (23%) centers were audited. Harm from MEs was collected using specific scales. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fourteen types of MEs were selected as indicators; 1,192 MEs were reported for 1,369 patients, and 367 (26.8%) patients experienced at least 1 ME (2.1/1,000 patient-days). The most common MEs were insulin administration errors (185.9/1,000 d of insulin treatment). Of the 1,192 medical errors, 183 (15.4%) in 128 (9.3%) patients were adverse events that were followed by one or more clinical consequences (n = 163) or that required one or more procedures or treatments (n = 58). By multivariable analysis, having two or more adverse events was an independent risk factor for ICU mortality (odds ratio, 3.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-7.36; P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of medical errors on mortality indicates an urgent need to develop prevention programs. We have planned a study to assess a program based on our results.

Our first objective was to determine a blood lactate threshold predictive of survival in human immunodeficiency virus patients experiencing lactic acidosis related to nucleoside analogs, and second, to test l-carnitine for the treatment of patients exceeding that threshold.a) Retrospective study using data from personal and published observations to determine the lactate threshold between survivors and nonsurvivors in human immunodeficiency virus patients being treated with nucleoside analogs. b) Prospective multicenter open trial to test l-carnitine treatment of human immunodeficiency virus patients receiving nucleoside analogs.Medical intensive care units of four teaching hospitals and one general hospital.Retrospective analysis of data from 39 human immunodeficiency virus patients (five personal cases and 34 patients from the literature) receiving nucleoside-analog treatment from which lactate values were available. An additional six patients with high lactate values were included as a pilot study testing the use of l-carnitine therapy.An initial lactate level of 9 mmol/L, which gave good positive and negative predictive values, was determined as a threshold between survivors and nonsurvivors for the patients receiving nucleoside-analog treatment. Six patients with initial lactate levels10 mmol/L were prospectively treated with l-carnitine; three survived beyond the end of the study.The blood lactate levels in human immunodeficiency virus patients receiving nucleoside-analog therapy can predict mortality in these patients. The preliminary data from this pilot study suggest that l-carnitine may be helpful for patients who have nucleoside-analog-related lactic acidosis with blood lactate levels10 mmol/L. Further studies will be necessary to affirm the therapeutic efficacy of l-carnitine in this setting.

The measurement of quality of care is receiving increasing attention from intensivists. Quality of care can be measured in many different domains. In a hospital, quality of care depends both on the quality of the economic and organizational operation of the institution (evaluated by managers, decision-makers, and politicians) and on the quality of clinical activities. This last component is familiar ground to caregivers and patients, since it is centered on the patients and their interactions with the institution. A recent report from the Institute of Medicine identified six quality goals: care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable [1].

Disturbance in ionic gradient across sarcolemma may lead to arrhythmias. Because Na+-K+-ATPase regulates intracellular Na+and K+concentrations, and therefore intracellular Ca2+concentration homeostasis, our aim was to determine whether changes in the Na+-K+-ATPase α-isoforms in guinea pigs during transition from compensated (CLVH) to decompensated left ventricular hypertrophy (DLVH) were concomitant with arrhythmias. After 12- and 20-mo aortic stenosis, CLVH and DLVH were characterized by increased mean arterial pressure (30% and 52.7%, respectively). DLVH differed from CLVH by significantly increased end-diastolic pressure (34%), decreased sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (−75%), and increased Na+/Ca2+exchanger (25%) mRNA levels and by the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. The α-isoform (mRNA and protein levels) was significantly lower in DLVH (2.2 ± 0.2- and 1.4 ± 0.15-fold, respectively, vs. control) than in CLVH (3.5 ± 0.4- and 2.2 ± 0.13-fold, respectively) and was present in sarcolemma and T tubules. Changes in the levels of α1- and α3-isoform in CLVH and DLVH appear physiologically irrelevant. We suggest that the increased level of α2-isoform in CLVH may participate in compensation, whereas its relative decrease in DLVH may enhance decompensation and arrhythmias.

Objective:To determine the attributable risk of death due to catheter-related septicemia (CRS) in critically ill patients when taking into account severity of illness during the intensive-care unit (ICU) stay but before CRS.Design:Pairwise-matched (1:2) exposed-unexposed study.Setting:10-bed medical-surgical ICU and an 18-bed medical ICU.Patients:Patients admitted to either ICU between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1995, were eligible. Exposed patients were defined as patients with CRS; unexposed controls were selected according to matching variables.Methods:Matching variables were diagnosis at ICU admission, length of central catheterization before the infection, McCabe Score, Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS) II at admission, age, and gender. Severity scores (SAPS II, Organ System Failure Score, Organ Dysfunction and Infection Score, and Logistic Organ Dysfunction System) were calculated four times for each patient: the day of ICU admission, the day of CRS onset, and 3 and 7 days before CRS. Matching was successful for 38 exposed patients. Statistical analysis was based on nonparametric tests for epidemiological data and on Cox's models for the exposed-unexposed study, with adjustment on matching variables and prognostic factors of mortality.Results:CRS complicated 1.17 per 100 ICU admissions during the study period. Twenty (53%) of the CRS cases were associated with septic shock. CRS was associated with a 28% increase in SAPS II. Crude ICU mortality rates from exposed and unexposed patients were 50% and 21%, respectively. CRS remained associated with mortality even when adjusted on other prognostic factors at ICU admission (relative risk [RR], 2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 1.08-3.73; P=.03). However, after adjustment on severity scores calculated between ICU admission and 1 week before CRS, the increased mortality was no longer significant (RR, 1.41; CI95, 0.76-2.61; P=.27).Conclusion:CRS is associated with subsequent morbidity and mortality in the ICU, even when adjusted on severity factors at ICU admission. However, after adjustment on severity factors during the ICU stay and before the event, there was only a trend toward CRS-attributable mortality. The evolution of patient severity should be taken into account when evaluating excess mortality induced by nosocomial events in ICU patients.

Thrombocytopenia is a very frequent disorder in the intensive care unit. Many etiologies should be searched, and therapeutic approaches differ according to these different causes. However, no guideline exists regarding optimum practices for these situations in critically ill patients. We present recommendations for the management of thrombocytopenia in intensive care unit, excluding pregnancy, developed by an expert group of the French-Language Society of Intensive Care (Societe de Reanimation de Langue Francaise (SRLF), the French Language Group of Paediatric Intensive Care and Emergencies (GFRUP) and of the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Study Group (GEHT) of the French Society of Haematology (SFH). The recommendations cover six fields of application: definition, epidemiology, and prognosis; diagnostic approach; therapeutic aspects; thrombocytopenia and sepsis; iatrogenic thrombocytopenia, with a special focus on heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; and thrombotic microangiopathy.