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BACKGROUNDDelayed cerebral ischaemia (DCI) following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a major cause of complications and death. Here we set out to identify high-performance predictive biomarkers of DCI and its underlying metabolic disruptions using metabolomics and lipidomics approaches.METHODSThis single-centre retrospective observational study enrolled 61 consecutive patients with severe aSAH requiring external ventricular drainage between 2013 and 2016. Of these 61 patients, 22 experienced a DCI and were classified as DCI+ and the other 39 patients were classified as DCI-. A further 9 patients with other neurological features were included as non aSAH controls. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were sampled within the first 24 h after admission. We carried out LC-MS/MS-based plasma and CSF metabolomic profiling together with total lipid fatty acids analysis.RESULTSWe identified a panel of 20 metabolites that together showed high predictive performance for DCI (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.968, specificity: 0.88, sensitivity: 0.94). This panel of metabolites included lactate, cotinine, salicylate, 6 phosphatidylcholines, and 4 sphingomyelins. Analysis of the whole set of metabolites to highlight early biological disruptions that might explain the subsequent DCI found peripheral hypoxia driven mainly by higher blood lactate, arginine and proline metabolism likely associated to vascular NO, dysregulation of the citric acid cycle in the brain, defective peripheral energy metabolism and disrupted ceramide/sphingolipid metabolism. We also unexpectedly found a potential influence of gut microbiota on the onset of DCI.CONCLUSIONWe identified a high-performance predictive metabolomic/lipidomic signature of further DCI in aSAH patients at admission to a NeuroCritical Care Unit. This signature is associated with significant peripheral and cerebral biological dysregulations. We also found evidence, for the first time, pointing to a possible gut microbiota/brain DCI axis, and proposed the putative microorganisms involved.Clinical trial registrationClinicaltrials.govidentifier:NCT02397759

Background The benefits of decompressive craniectomy (DC) have been demonstrated in malignant ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injuries with refractory intracranial hypertension (ICH) by randomized controlled trials. Some reports advocate the potential of DC in the context of ICH due to meningoencephalitis (ME) with focal cerebral edema but its interest remains controversial especially when there is diffuse cerebral edema. The aim of this study is to assess the benefits of DC in meningoencephalitis with malignant cerebral edema whether it is focal or diffuse. Methods We report two cases successfully treated in our instution, plus we conducted a systematic literature review focused on cases of DC in ME in compliance with prisma guidelines. Results the first patient is a 36-years-old woman who suffered from fulminant pneumococcal meningoencephalitis (ME) with refractory ICH following a transphenoidal removal of pituitary adenoma. The second patient is a 20-years-old man suffering from neuromeningeal cryptococcosis with refractory ICH. In both cases DC led to major clinical improvement with a GOS-E 8 at one year. These results are consistent with the literature review which reports a favorable outcome in 85% of cases. Conclusions DC appears to be a promising therapeutic option in cases of ME with refractory ICH. Thus, reliable criteria will have to be defined to guide us in our practice in emergency cases where DC has not been part of the therapeutic arsenal yet.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a life-threatening event with major complications such as delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) or acute hydrocephalus and poor neurological outcome. DCI occurs most frequently 7 days after aSAH and can last for a prolonged period. The ability to predict these complications would allow the neuro-intensivist to identify patients at risk and select the most appropriate unit for hospitalization. To determine the most predictive radiological scales in grading subarachnoid or ventricular hemorrhage or both for functional outcome at 3 months in a large aSAH population, we conducted a single centre retrospective study in a neurocritical care unit. METHODS A 3-year single-centre retrospective cohort study of 230 patients hospitalized for aSAH was analysed. Initial computed tomography (CT) scans in patients hospitalized for aSAH were blindly assessed using eight grading systems: the Fisher grade, modified Fisher grade, Barrow Neurological Institute scale, Hijdra scale, Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) score, Graeb score, and LeRoux score. We evaluated and compared these radiological scales for the early prediction of DCI, acute hydrocephalus, and poor neurological outcome at 3 months. RESULTS Of 200 patients with aSAH who survived to day 7 and were included for DCI analysis, 39% cases were complicated with DCI. The Hijdra scale was the best predictor for DCI, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROCAUC) of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.85) compared to other scales (Fisher grade 0.52 (95% CI, 0.47–0.59) modified Fisher grade: 0.67 (95% CI, 0.60–0.73); Claassen Scale: 0.66 (95% CI, 0.59–0.72) and BNI Scale: 0.63 (95% CI, 0.56–0.70)). The IVH score was the most effective grading system for predicting acute hydrocephalus, with a ROCAUC of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79–0.89). In multivariate analysis, the Hijdra scale was the best predictor of the occurrence of DCI (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10–1.25). CONCLUSIONS Although these results have yet to be prospectively confirmed, our findings suggest that the Hijdra scale may be a good predictor of DCI and could be useful in daily clinical practice.

Background: During COVID-19, renal impairment is the most frequent after lung impairment and is associated with a poor prognosis particularly in intensive care unit (ICU). In this work we aimed to assess the existence and incidence of early renal dysfunction and its prognostic value in patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to compare them with patients with non-COVID-19-related ARDS. Methods: This prospective multicenter study was conducted in 3 ICUs. Patients aged 18 years and older with invasive mechanical ventilation for ARDS were enrolled. Precise evaluation of renal dysfunction markers including urinary proteins electrophoresis (UPE) and quantification, was performed within 24 hours after mechanical ventilation onset. Results: From March 2020 to December 2021, 135 patients in ICU for ARDS were enrolled: 100 COVID-19 ARDS and 35 non-COVID-19 ARDS. UPE found more tubular dysfunction in COVID-19 patients (68% vs. 21.4%, pvs. 11.2%, p=0.0003). COVID-19 patients significantly displayed early urinary leakage of tubular proteins like beta-2-microglobulin and free-light chains, tended to display more frequently acute kidney injury (AKI) (51.0% vs 34.3%, p=0.088), and had longer mechanical ventilation (20 vs. 9 days, pvs. 15 days, p95%CI [1.003-1.025], p=0.011). Conclusion: Patients admitted to the ICU for COVID-19-related ARDS display a proximal tubular dysfunction, prior to the onset of AKI, which predicts AKI. Proximal tubular damage seems an important mechanism of COVID-19-induced nephropathy. Analysis of urinary proteins is a reliable and non-invasive tool to assess proximal tubular dysfunction in the ICU. Trial Registration: Registered retrospectively with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05699889) 26 January 2023.

Background: Burnout syndrome (BOS) impacts health workers and has become a real public health issue. The primary objective of this observational study was to re-evaluate the incidence of BOS among anesthesiologists and intensivists (AI) in France, ten years after the SESMAT study, a French Physician Health Survey carried out among burnout salaried AI. The secondary objective was to investigate risks factors. Methods: The REPAR survey is an observational study carried in France among AI, residents, and seniors, whatever their main mode of practice, in the framework of a self-questionnaire distributed on the Internet from 11 April 2018 to 1 July 2018. BOS was assessed using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). A score above 50% on two of the dimensions (personal burnout and work-related burnout) indicated BOS, as a main criterion. In order to investigate risks factors, questions were about sociodemographic characteristics, professional and extraprofessional environments, personality and mood using the Major Depression Inventory (MDI). A significance threshold of p < 0.05 was retained. Results: Among 1519 questionnaires received, 1500 completed questionnaires were analyzed. There were 775 men (52%) and 721 women (48%), aged 23 to 74 years. Among those, 24% suffered from BOS, 9% showed depressive symptoms (MDI > 25) and 35% were considering changing jobs or stopping their studies. There was no significant difference with the SESMAT study for the general BOS score. After multivariate analysis, 12 variables were significantly associated with the main criterion. Conclusions: Ten years after the SESMAT study, the incidence of BOS in AI has not decreased in the largest cohort of AI studied to date in France.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate if an automated measurement of lung lesions, epicardial fat and pericardial volume during the days surrounding hospital admission for COVID-19 pneumonia may predict intubation or mortality. The second purpose of this study was to assess whether the association of these Computed Tomography (CT) measures with the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score, could predict intubation and mortality better than the SOFA score alone.MethodsThis observational retrospective study was conducted in Timone university hospital in Marseille in France, between March 10th and May 10th 2020. All adult patients with COVID-19, admitted with respiratory symptoms and having performed a chest CT three days before to two days after admission were eligible for inclusion. All chest CTs were analyzed using a local automated CT measurement software. The primary outcome was invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death during the 60-day follow-up. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was used for univariate analysis and logistic regression were calculated for multivariate analysis. Results176 patients were included in the study. 57 (32.4%) received IMV or died during the 60-day follow-up. After univariate analysis, all lung automated volumetric measures of ground-glass (p=0.015), consolidation (p20%” to the SOFA score improves its predictive value on IMV or mortality with a AUC of 0.82.ConclusionAutomated chest CT measures of COVID-19 patients with respiratory symptoms admitted to hospital showed a significantly higher rate of lung lesions (ground glass, consolidation, or both) for those who later died or required IMV. Furthermore, the association of these automated CT measures to the SOFA score could help select patients requiring ICU upon entering hospital.

IMPORTANCE: Papez circuit is composed of deep structures of the limbic system which supports episodic memory. Biomechanical modelling suggests that this circuit is particularly exposed to shear forces during traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent studies showed the relevance of MRIderived measures for improving diagnosis and adapt care of TBI patients. However, the relationship between MRI measures in this specific circuit and memory disorders resulting from TBI remains poorly documented.OBJECTIVE: To relate MRI measurements of the Papez circuit to episodic memory impairment (EMI) in TBI patients, and to assess the relevance of MRI to diagnose EMI consecutive to TBI. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This is a prospective observational study with severe TBI patients enrolled (2006-2012) who did receive neuropsychological assessment and multiparametric brain MRI at distance from the trauma. Patients were classified by neuropsychologist into two groups: those showing an episodic memory impairment (EMI+) and those without impairment (EMI-). We defined an anatomical delineation of the Papez circuit and its sub regions. We extracted MRI measurements in each of these regions and compared statistically between EMI+ and EMI- patients. The same methodology was applied to a control group of 50 healthy controls (HC) to compare with normative values.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Normalized fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. The volume of the Papez circuit was extracted from anatomical MRI.RESULTS: Over the study period (2009-2016), 100 patients received an MRI and a neuropsychological assessment 63±22 months after the initial TBI. Patients EMI+ had significantly lower FA and higher MD, RD and AD values than the EMI- and HC in the Papez circuit. Volume measurements showed no difference between EMI+ and EMI-. We also reported abnormalities pattern across sub regions of this circuit between EMI+ and EMI-. The potential of MRI measures in Papez circuit to help diagnosis of EMI in severe TBI patients was confirmed by a multivariate model combining clinical data at baseline and MRI features.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Our study shows a high incidence of damage to the Papez circuit following severe TBI associated with episodic memory impairments. MRI measures of the Papez circuit constitute relevant information for the diagnosis of EMI in severe TBI patients.

ispartof: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIOLOGY vol:39 issue:5 pages:413-414 ispartof: location:England status: published

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Kidney failure is the second most frequent condition after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 and is strongly associated with mortality. The aim of this multicentric study was to assess the impact of the specific treatments of COVID-19 and ARDS on the risk of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill COVID patients. METHOD Data from a prospectively collected database of consecutive patients hospitalized in six ICUs for COVID-19 was retrospectively analysed. The incidence and severity of AKI were monitored during the entire ICU stay. Patients older than 18 years hospitalized in for COVID-19-related ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation were included. RESULTS A total of 164 patients were included in the final analysis, 97 (59.1%) displayed AKI, of which 39 had severe stage 3 AKI and 21 (12.8%) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). In univariate analysis, severe AKI was associated with ACEI exposure (P = .016), high blood pressure (P = .029), APACHE-II score (P = .004) and mortality at D28 (P = .008), D60 (P CONCLUSION Dexamethasone seems to prevent the risk of severe AKI and RRT, and iNO seems associated with severe AKI and RRT in critically ill patients with COVID-19. iNO must be used with caution in COVID-19 related ARDS.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS During COVID-19, the renal impairment is the most frequent after lung impairment and is associated of poor prognosis particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this work, we aim to assess the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients, the existence of an early renal dysfunction and its prognosis, and its specificity compared with patients with non-COVID ARDS. METHOD This a prospective and multicentric study led in four ICUs. Patients of 18 years and older in ICU with invasive mechanical ventilation for ARDS were enrolled. Precise evaluation of renal dysfunction markers, including urinary protein electrophoresis, was performed within 24 h after the onset of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS From March 2020 to September 2021, 131 patients in ICU for ARDS were enrolled, 98 COVID-19 ARDS and 33 ARDS from other causes. There was more tubular profile in COVID-19 patients (68% versus 24%; P = .001) and a more mixed, tubular and glomerular profile in non-COVID-19 patients (29% versus 14%; P = .001). COVID-19 patients displayed an important tubular proteinuria, tended to display more AKI (49% versus 31%; P = .07), and had a longer duration of mechanical ventilation (18 versus 10 days; P = .002) and longer ICU length of stay (23 versus 15 days; P = .013). In COVID-19 patients, tubular proteinuria was associated with poor renal prognosis with a significant association with the onset of KDIGO ≥ 2 AKI. CONCLUSION COVID-19 ARDS patients had a specific renal impairment with tubular dysfunction, which appeared to be of poor prognosis on kidney and disease evolution.

BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) lesions are known to evolve over time, but the duration and consequences of cerebral remodeling are unclear. Degenerative mechanisms occurring in the chronic phase after TBI could constitute "tertiary" lesions related to the neurological outcome. OBJECTIVE The objective of this prospective study of severe TBI was to longitudinally evaluate the volume of white and grey matter structures and white matter integrity with 2 time-point multimodal MRI. METHODS Longitudinal MRI follow-up was obtained for 11 healthy controls (HCs) and 22 individuals with TBI (mean [SD] 60 [15] months after injury) along with neuropsychological assessments. TBI individuals were classified in the "favourable" recovery group (Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended [GOSE] 6-8) and "unfavourable" recovery group (GOSE 3-5) at 5 years. Variation in brain volumes (3D T1-weighted image) and white matter integrity (diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) were quantitatively assessed over time and used to predict neurological outcome. RESULTS TBI individuals showed a marked decrease in volumes of whole white matter (median -11.4% [interquartile range -5.8; -14.6]; p

International audience; OBJECTIVES: To describe clinical characteristics and management of intensive care units (ICU) patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and to determine 90-day mortality after ICU admission and associated risk factors. METHODS: This observational retrospective study was conducted in six intensive care units (ICUs) in three university hospitals in Marseille, France. Between 10 March and 10 May 2020, all adult patients admitted in ICU with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory failure were eligible for inclusion. The statistical analysis was focused on the mechanically ventilated patients. The primary outcome was the 90-day mortality after ICU admission. RESULTS: Included in the study were 172 patients with COVID-19 related respiratory failure, 117 of whom (67%) received invasive mechanical ventilation. 90-day mortality of the invasively ventilated patients was 27.4%. Median duration of ventilation and median length of stay in ICU for these patients were 20 (9-33) days and 29 (17-46) days. Mortality increased with the severity of ARDS at ICU admission. After multivariable analysis was carried out, risk factors associated with 90-day mortality were age, elevated Charlson comorbidity index, chronic statins intake and occurrence of an arterial thrombosis. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, age and number of comorbidities were the main predictors of mortality in invasively ventilated patients. The only modifiable factor associated with mortality in multivariate analysis was arterial thrombosis.

Background We designed an algorithm to assess COVID-19 patients severity and dynamic intubation needs and predict their length of stay using the breathing frequency (BF) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) signals. Methods We recorded the BF and SpO2 signals for confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of a teaching hospital during both the first and subsequent outbreaks of the pandemic in France. An unsupervised machine-learning algorithm (the Gaussian mixture model) was applied to the patients' data for clustering. The algorithm's robustness was ensured by comparing its results against actual intubation rates. We predicted intubation rates using the algorithm every hour, thus conducting a severity evaluation. We designed a S24 severity score that represented the patient's severity over the previous 24 h; the validity of MS24, the maximum S24 score, was checked against rates of intubation risk and prolonged ICU stay. Results Our sample included 279 patients. . The unsupervised clustering had an accuracy rate of 87.8% for intubation recognition (AUC = 0.94, True Positive Rate 86.5%, true Negative Rate 90.9%). The S24 score of intubated patients was significantly higher than that of non-intubated patients at 48 h before intubation. The MS24 score allowed for the distinguishing between three severity levels with an increased risk of intubation: green (3.4%), orange (37%), and red (77%). A MS24 score over 40 was highly predictive of an ICU stay greater than 5 days at an accuracy rate of 81.0% (AUC = 0.87). Conclusions Our algorithm uses simple signals and seems to efficiently visualize the patients' respiratory situations, meaning that it has the potential to assist staffs' in decision-making. Additionally, real-time computation is easy to implement., Graphical abstract Image 1

International audience

La cirugia de columna vertebral es cada vez mas frecuente e incluye una amplia variedad de procedimientos, desde intervenciones menores que pueden realizarse de forma ambulatoria (hernia discal) hasta cirugias mayores con riesgo de hemorragia (cirugia de metastasis, osteosintesis). En todos los casos, los riesgos relacionados con la postura estan en primer plano. Esto requiere detectar durante la consulta todas las limitaciones de amplitud de las articulaciones que puedan interferir con la postura, en particular la evaluacion de la rigidez o deformacion de la columna cervical y las condiciones de intubacion. La cirugia minimamente invasiva (CMI) esta experimentando un rapido desarrollo que permite usar estrategias de recuperacion mejorada despues de la cirugia (RMDC). Independientemente del procedimiento, el dolor postoperatorio es una constante y justifica una estrategia analgesica que depende del tipo de cirugia y de los pacientes, con una alta frecuencia de pacientes con dolor cronico dificil de tratar. Las complicaciones son comunes despues de cirugias mayores. Durante la intervencion, siempre existe el riesgo de lesion de los nervios o de la medula espinal. Para la cirugia de escoliosis, se ha demostrado el interes de monitorizar los potenciales provocados somestesicos (PPS) y motores (PPM). Para obtener un beneficio se necesita un equipo medico y quirurgico avezado que trabaje en estrecha colaboracion. En el periodo postoperatorio, la complicacion mas temida es la infeccion. La infeccion de los tejidos blandos debe detectarse y tratarse rapidamente para evitar la aparicion de la espondilodiscitis, que con frecuencia requiere una reintervencion y un tratamiento antibiotico prolongado. La multiplicidad de los procedimientos, la rapida evolucion de las tecnicas quirurgicas, el desarrollo de la cirugia guiada por tomografia computarizada (TC) y las frecuentes comorbilidades de los pacientes, a menudo ancianos, requieren una estrecha colaboracion entre los equipos de anestesia y de cirugia.

La chirurgia del rachide e sempre piu frequente e comprende una vasta gamma di procedure, da atti minori che possono essere eseguiti ambulatorialmente (ernia del disco) a importanti interventi chirurgici a rischio di emorragia (chirurgia delle metastasi, osteosintesi). In ogni caso, i rischi legati alla postura sono in primo piano. Cio richiede, al momento della visita, di individuare i limiti di escursione articolare che possono interferire con la postura, in particolare di valutare la rigidita o la deformazione del rachide cervicale e le condizioni di intubazione. La chirurgia mini-invasiva (MIS) sta subendo un rapido sviluppo che consente strategie di recupero migliorato dopo chirurgia (RMDC). Qualunque sia la procedura, il dolore postoperatorio e una costante e giustifica una strategia di analgesia che dipende dal tipo di chirurgia e dai pazienti, con un’alta frequenza di pazienti con dolore cronico difficili da trattare. Le complicanze sono frequenti dopo le chirurgie maggiori. Durante l’intervento, il rischio di lesioni nervose o midollari e sempre presente. Per la chirurgia della scoliosi e stato dimostrato l’interesse del monitoraggio dei potenziali evocati somatosensoriali (PES) e motori (PEM). Esso richiede un’abitudine e una buona collaborazione dell’equipe medicochirurgica per trarne beneficio. Nel postoperatorio, la complicanza piu temuta e l’infezione. L’infezione dei tessuti molli deve essere individuata e trattata rapidamente per evitare il passaggio alla spondilodiscite, che spesso impone una revisione chirurgica e una terapia antibiotica prolungata. La molteplicita delle procedure, la rapida evoluzione delle tecniche chirurgiche, lo sviluppo della chirurgia TC-guidata e le frequenti comorbilita di pazienti spesso anziani richiedono, in questa chirurgia, una stretta collaborazione tra le equipe di anestesia e chirurgia.

Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New Background Craniotomy for brain tumor displays significant morbidity and mortality, and no score is available to discriminate high-risk patients. Our objective was to validate a prediction score for postoperative neurosurgical complications in this setting. Methods Creation of a score in a learning cohort from a prospective specific database of 1,094 patients undergoing elective brain tumor craniotomy in one center from 2008 to 2012. The validation cohort was validated in a prospective multicenter independent cohort of 830 patients from 2013 to 2015 in six university hospitals in France. The primary outcome variable was postoperative neurologic complications requiring in–intensive care unit management (intracranial hypertension, intracranial bleeding, status epilepticus, respiratory failure, impaired consciousness, unexpected motor deficit). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used for potential risk factor selection with logistic regression. Results Severe complications occurred in 125 (11.4%) and 90 (10.8%) patients in the learning and validation cohorts, respectively. The independent risk factors for severe complications were related to the patient (Glasgow Coma Score before surgery at or below 14, history of brain tumor surgery), tumor characteristics (greatest diameter, cerebral midline shift at least 3 mm), and perioperative management (transfusion of blood products, maximum and minimal systolic arterial pressure, duration of surgery). The positive predictive value of the score at or below 3% was 12.1%, and the negative predictive value was 100% in the learning cohort. In–intensive care unit mortality was observed in eight (0.7%) and six (0.7%) patients in the learning and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions The validation of prediction scores is the first step toward on-demand intensive care unit admission. Further research is needed to improve the score’s performance before routine use.

International audience; BACKGROUND:Raised plasma levels of endogenous adenosine after cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) have been related to the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF).OBJECTIVE:We wished to assess if caffeine, an adenosine receptor antagonist could have a beneficial effect on the incidence of POAF.DESIGN:A randomised controlled study.SETTING:Single University Hospital.PATIENTS:One hundred and ten patients scheduled for heart valve surgery with CPB.INTERVENTIONS:We randomly assigned patients to receive peri-operative oral caffeine (400 mg every 8 h for 2 days) or placebo. Adenosine plasma concentrations and caffeine pharmacokinetic profile were evaluated in a subgroup of 50 patients.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The primary endpoint was the rate of atrial fibrillation during postoperative hospital stay.RESULTS:The current study was stopped for futility by the data monitoring board after an interim analysis. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was similar in the caffeine and in the placebo group during hospital stay (33 vs. 29%, P = 0.67) and the first 3 postoperative days (18 vs. 15%; P = 0.60). Basal and postoperative adenosine plasma levels were significantly associated with the primary outcome. Adenosine plasma levels were similar in the two treatment groups. Caffeine administration was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (27 vs. 7%, P = 0.005).CONCLUSION:Oral caffeine does not prevent POAF after heart valve surgery with CPB but increased the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov, no.: NCT01999829.

BackgroundThe rapid spread of coronavirus disease COVID 19 calls for early screening and monitoring of these patients to distinguish those that are likely to worsen from stable patients that may be directed to intermediate care facilities. We designed a score for COVID-19 patients severity assessment, dynamic intubation and prolonged stay prediction using the Breathing Frequency (BF) and oxygen saturation (SPO2) signals.MethodsWe recorded BF, and SPO2 signals of confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted during the first and second outbreak of the pandemic in France (March to May 2020 and September 2020 to February 2021) in an ICU of a teaching hospital. We extracted four features from the signals that represent the four last hours before intubation for intubated patients and the mean of the four hours before the median intubation time for non-intubated patients. These data were used to train AI algorithms for intubation recognition. Algorithm robustness was checked on a validation set of patients. We selected the best algorithm that was applied every hour to predict intubation, thus a severity evaluation. We performed a 24h moving average of these predictions giving a S24 severity score that represent the patient's severity during the last 24 h. MS24, the maximum of S24 was confronted with the risk of intubation and prolonged ICU stay (>5 days).ResultsWe included 177 patients. Among the tested algorithms, the Logistic regression classifier had the best performance. The model had an accuracy of 88.9 % for intubation recognition (AUC=0.92). The accuracy on the validation set was 92.6 %. The S24 score of intubated patients was significantly higher than non-intubated patients 48h before intubation and increased 24 hours before intubation. MS24 score allows distinguishing three severity situations with an increased risk of intubation: green (3%), orange (30%) and red (76%). A MS24 score superior to 20 was highly predictive of an ICU stay greater than 5 day with an accuracy of 88.8% (AUC=0.95).ConclusionsThe score we designed uses simple signals and seems to be efficient to visualize the patient's respiratory situation and may help in decision-making. Real-time computation is easy to implement.

Purpose To provide clinical practice recommendations and generate a research agenda on mechanical ventilation and respiratory support in patients with acute brain injury (ABI). Methods An international consensus panel was convened including 29 clinician-scientists in intensive care medicine with expertise in acute respiratory failure, neurointensive care, or both, and two non-voting methodologists. The panel was divided into seven subgroups, each addressing a predefined clinical practice domain relevant to patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with ABI, defined as acute traumatic brain or cerebrovascular injury. The panel conducted systematic searches and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method was used to evaluate evidence and formulate questions. A modified Delphi process was implemented with four rounds of voting in which panellists were asked to respond to questions (rounds 1–3) and then recommendation statements (final round). Strong recommendation, weak recommendation, or no recommendation were defined when > 85%, 75–85%, and

Background In the Protective Ventilation in Cardiac Surgery (PROVECS) randomized, controlled trial, an open-lung ventilation strategy did not improve postoperative respiratory outcomes after on-pump cardiac surgery. In this prespecified subanalysis, the authors aimed to assess the regional distribution of ventilation and plasma biomarkers of lung epithelial and endothelial injury produced by that strategy. Methods Perioperative open-lung ventilation consisted of recruitment maneuvers, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) = 8 cm H2O, and low-tidal volume ventilation including during cardiopulmonary bypass. Control ventilation strategy was a low-PEEP (2 cm H2O) low-tidal volume approach. Electrical impedance tomography was used serially throughout the perioperative period (n = 56) to compute the dorsal fraction of ventilation (defined as the ratio of dorsal tidal impedance variation to global tidal impedance variation). Lung injury was assessed serially using biomarkers of epithelial (soluble form of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products, sRAGE) and endothelial (angiopoietin-2) lung injury (n = 30). Results Eighty-six patients (age = 64 ± 12 yr; EuroSCORE II = 1.65 ± 1.57%) undergoing elective on-pump cardiac surgery were studied. Induction of general anesthesia was associated with ventral redistribution of tidal volumes and higher dorsal fraction of ventilation in the open-lung than the control strategy (0.38 ± 0.07 vs. 0.30 ± 0.10; P = 0.004). No effect of the open-lung strategy on the dorsal fraction of ventilation was noted at the end of surgery after median sternotomy closure (open-lung = 0.37 ± 0.09 vs. control = 0.34 ± 0.11; P = 0.743) or in extubated patients at postoperative day 2 (open-lung = 0.63 ± 0.18 vs. control = 0.59 ± 0.11; P > 0.999). Open-lung ventilation was associated with increased intraoperative plasma sRAGE (7,677 ± 3,097 pg/ml vs. 6,125 ± 1,400 pg/ml; P = 0.037) and had no effect on angiopoietin-2 (P > 0.999). Conclusions In cardiac surgery patients, open-lung ventilation provided larger dorsal lung ventilation early during surgery without a maintained benefit as compared with controls at the end of surgery and postoperative day 2 and was associated with higher intraoperative plasma concentration of sRAGE suggesting lung overdistension. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a life-threatening event with major complications such as delayed cerebral infarction (DCI) or acute hydrocephalus and poor neurological outcome. DCI occurs most frequently 7 days after aSAH and can last for a prolonged period. The ability to predict these complications would allow the neuro-intensivist to identify patients at risk and select the most appropriate unit for hospitalization. Methods: A 3-year single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted in our neuroscience critical care unit. Initial computed tomography (CT) scans in patients hospitalized for aSAH were blindly assessed using eight grading systems: the Fisher scale, modified Fisher scale, Barrow Neurological Institute scale, Hijdra scale, Intraventricular Haemorrhage (IVH) score, Graeb score, and LeRoux score. We evaluated and compared these radiological scales for the early prediction of DCI, acute hydrocephalus, and poor neurological outcome at 3 months. Results: Of 200 patients with aSAH who survived to day 7 and were included for DCI analysis, 39% cases were complicated with DCI. The Hijdra scale was the best predictor for DCI, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROCAUC) of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.85). The ideal cut-off score for all patients was 20/42, with a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI, 75%–94%) and specificity of 63% (95% CI, 54%–71%). The IVH score was the most effective grading system for predicting acute hydrocephalus, with a ROC AUC of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79–0.89). In multivariate analysis, the Hijdra scale was the only independent predictor of the occurrence of DCI (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10–1.27). Conclusions: Although these results have yet to be prospectively confirmed, our findings suggest that the Hijdra scale may be a good predictor of DCI and could be useful in daily clinical practice.

IntroductionIntracranial hypertension is considered as an independent risk factor of mortality and neurological disabilities after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, clinical studies have demonstrated that episodes of brain ischaemia/hypoxia are common despite normalisation of intracranial pressure (ICP). This study assesses the impact on neurological outcome of guiding therapeutic strategies based on the monitoring of both brain tissue oxygenation pressure (PbtO2) and ICP during the first 5 days following severe TBI.Methods and analysisMulticentre, open-labelled, randomised controlled superiority trial with two parallel groups in 300 patients with severe TBI. Intracerebral monitoring must be in place within the first 16 hours post-trauma. Patients are randomly assigned to the ICP group or to the ICP + PbtO2group. The ICP group is managed according to the international guidelines to maintain ICP≤20 mm Hg. The ICP + PbtO2group is managed to maintain PbtO2≥20 mm Hg in addition to the conventional optimisation of ICP. The primary outcome measure is the neurological status at 6 months as assessed using the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale. Secondary outcome measures include quality-of-life assessment, mortality rate, therapeutic intensity and incidence of critical events during the first 5 days. Analysis will be performed according to the intention-to-treat principle and full statistical analysis plan developed prior to database freeze.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Sud-Est V (14-CHUG-48) and from the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des produits de santé) (141 435B-31). Results will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed publications.The study was registered with ClinTrialsNCT02754063on 28 April 2016 (pre-results).

International audience; Purpose: Surgical indications for pituitary tumors during pregnancy are rare, and are derived from a balance between expected benefits, particularly for maternal benefits, and anesthetic/surgical risks.Methods: A literature review was performed to define the optimal surgical indications for pituitary adenomas (PA) and other pituitary tumors during pregnancy.Results: Main benefits are expected in case of critical visual impairment and/or life-threatening endocrine disturbances. Multidisciplinary patient management is systematically required although nonobstetric surgery presents a reasonable risk during pregnancy. The risks of congenital malformation during the first trimester and those of premature birth during the third trimester make the second trimester the optimal period for surgery. In prolactin-secreting, nonsecreting, GH- and TSH-secreting PAs, transsphenoidal surgery (TS) is recommended in cases involving severe visual impairment, characterized by severe visual field deficit, visual acuity impairment, and abnormal optical coherence tomography findings, and when no other medical alternatives are possible and/or sufficient. Uncontrolled and severe Cushing’s disease (CD) during pregnancy increases both maternal and fetal morbimortality, thus justifying TS or sometimes dopamine agonist therapy as a safer alternative. Finally, metyrapone, ketoconazole, or bilateral adrenalectomy could be recommended in certain cases after the failure of medical therapies and/or TS. Surgery is also required for suprasellar meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, and pituitary cysts in the case of severe visual deficit.Conclusion: Surgical indications for pituitary tumors are rare during pregnancy; therefore, surgery should be avoided when possible. Further, the second trimester should be considered as the optimal surgical period. Severe visual disturbance and uncontrolled CD are the main surgical indications during pregnancy.

Among patient-reported outcomes, patient satisfaction and quality of recovery are key measures of patient-centred care. The measurement of patient satisfaction should use validated, multidimensional scales. There are general scales that aim to evaluate the entire perioperative period and scales focused on specific periods (post-operative) or techniques (loco-regional anaesthesia). Recovery assessment tools (such as the PostopQRS) share some domains with satisfaction scales and also have major differences by construction. As such, recovery and satisfaction scales are complementary. Because there is no reference value of patient satisfaction, the scales are used to compare two management strategies or to follow similar populations of patients with time. Improving patient satisfaction goes beyond quality improvement. In a large database, the highest satisfaction was associated with the lowest morbidity and mortality. Thus, it is likely that the process of improving quality changes multiple components of medical management, hence improving several patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The presence of thick, diffuse subarachnoid blood may portend a worse clinical course and outcome, independently of other known prognostic factors such as age, aneurysm size, and initial clinical grade. METHODS In this post hoc analysis, patients with aSAH undergoing surgical clipping (n = 383) or endovascular coiling (n = 189) were pooled from the placebo arms of the Clazosentan to Overcome Neurological Ischemia and Infarction Occurring After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (CONSCIOUS)–2 and CONSCIOUS-3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 studies, respectively. Patients without and with thick, diffuse SAH (≥ 4 mm thick and involving ≥ 3 basal cisterns) on admission CT scans were compared. Clot size was centrally adjudicated. All-cause mortality and vasospasm-related morbidity at 6 weeks and Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOSE) scores at 12 weeks after aSAH were assessed. The effect of the thick and diffuse cisternal aSAH on vasospasm-related morbidity and mortality, and on poor clinical outcome at 12 weeks, was evaluated using logistic regression models. RESULTS Overall, 294 patients (51.4%) had thick and diffuse aSAH. Compared to patients with less hemorrhage burden, these patients were older (median age 55 vs 50 years) and more often had World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade III–V SAH at admission (24.1% vs 16.5%). At 6 weeks, all-cause mortality and vasospasm-related morbidity occurred in 36.1% (95% CI 30.6%–41.8%) of patients with thick, diffuse SAH and in 14.7% (95% CI 10.8%–19.5%) of those without thick, diffuse SAH. Individual event rates were 7.5% versus 2.5% for all-cause death, 19.4% versus 6.8% for new cerebral infarct, 28.2% versus 9.4% for delayed ischemic neurological deficit, and 24.8% versus 10.8% for rescue therapy due to cerebral vasospasm, respectively. Poor clinical outcome (GOSE score ≥ 4) was observed in 32.7% (95% CI 27.3%–38.3%) and 16.2% (95% CI 12.1%–21.1%) of patients with and without thick, diffuse SAH, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In a large, centrally adjudicated population of patients with aSAH, WFNS grade at admission and thick, diffuse SAH independently predicted vasospasm-related morbidity and poor 12-week clinical outcome. Patients with thick, diffuse cisternal SAH may be an important cohort to target in future clinical trials of treatment for vasospasm.

Resume L’incidence des accidents vasculaires cerebraux augmente avec l’âge. Leur gravite s’etablit a partir de scores cliniques et sur l’imagerie IRM ou scanner. Les premieres mesures consistent a eviter l’hypoxemie et l’hypotension. La reperfusion par thrombolyse est recommande dans les 3 heures qui suivent la survenue de l’AVC avec du rtPA a la dose de 0,9 mg/kg. La thrombectomie concerne les occlusions de l’artere cerebrale moyenne ou etendue a cette artere, elle peut etre effectuee dans les 6 heures qui suivent l’AVC. Apres une AVC, l’eventualite d’une chirurgie programmee doit etre differee si possible de 6 a 9 mois. Le principal risque inherent a l’anesthesie est l’hypotension qui doit etre prevenue.

Resume L’accident vasculaire cerebral ischemique (AVCi) est la premiere cause de handicap dans les pays developpes. Le benefice de la reanimation est evident dans certaines indications comme le traitement de l’epilepsie, la prise en charge des complications infectieuses, une aggravation de l’etat de conscience du fait de l’œdeme ischemique chez des patients ayant un bon potentiel de recuperation. A l’inverse, la reanimation est inutile dans la plupart des cas de patients âges dans un coma profond du fait de l’AVC. Depuis environ 10 ans, des traitements agressifs ont montre une efficacite pour reduire la mortalite et le handicap. La revascularisation par la thrombolyse et, depuis 2015, par la thrombectomie est devenue un traitement bien codifie, dont les indications augmentent. L’anesthesie generale dans ce contexte peut etre une cause d’aggravation, necessitant de bien connaitre les imperatifs de la prise en charge de l’AVCi a la phase aigue. Avec un protocole bien codifie, l’anesthesie n’est pas deletere et pourrait meme ameliorer le devenir des patients. Des traitements chirurgicaux efficaces (derivation du liquide cephalorachidien, craniectomie decompressive) necessitent de creer des reseaux avec les centres neurochirurgicaux pour selectionner les bonnes indications de ces traitements. L’amelioration des traitements pose des questions ethiques difficiles a l’anesthesiste-reanimateur. Il faut eviter le fatalisme responsable de propheties auto-realisatrices d’evolution defavorable, mais aussi l’acharnement therapeutique source de handicap tres severe et de souffrance des familles.

Resume Les fractures du bassin representent 5 % de l’ensemble des fractures en traumatologie, 30 % de ces fractures sont isolees. Elles sont presentes chez 10 a 20 % des patients traumatises graves et il existe une correlation etroite entre la presence d’une fracture du bassin et l’augmentation du score de gravite du traumatisme. La mortalite elevee des traumatismes pelviens de l’ordre de 8 a 15 % est a la fois liee a la gravite des lesions hemorragiques pelviennes mais egalement aux lesions extra-pelviennes associees qu’elles soient crâniennes, thoraciques ou abdominales. Quelle que soit la gravite du traumatisme pelvien, il est essentiel qu’une strategie diagnostique et therapeutique soit adoptee afin de ne pas retarder la prise en charge des patients les plus graves. A ce jour, il n’existe en France aucune recommandation issue du travail d’analyse d’une societe savante. L’objectif de cette recommandation formalisee d’experts a donc ete d’etablir des recommandations pour la prise en charge extrahospitaliere et intrahospitaliere durant les 24 premieres heures suivant le traumatisme grave du bassin. La Societe Francaise d’Anesthesie et de Reanimation (SFAR) et la Societe Francaise de Medecine d’Urgence (SFMU) se sont associees et ont collabore avec la Societe Francaise de Radiologie (SFR), le Service de Sante des Armees (SSA), l’Association Francaise d’Urologie (AFU), la Societe Francaise de Chirurgie Orthopedique et Traumatologique (SOCFCOT) et la Societe Francaise de Chirurgie Digestive (SFCD) pour etudier deux grandes problematiques de la prise en charge des traumatismes pelviens graves : la problematique de la prise en charge prehospitaliere comportant en particulier les modalites de l’immobilisation pelvienne , ainsi que la problematique de la prise en charge intrahospitaliere en termes diagnostique et therapeutique, avec un chapitre concernant les particularites de la prise en charge d’un traumatisme pelvien ouvert. Resume de vulgarisation Les traumatismes du bassin sont graves et touchent surtout l’adulte jeune au cours d’accidents de la voie publique et de chutes de grande hauteur. Ils surviennent principalement dans un contexte de traumatisme a haute energie avec dans deux cas sur trois des lesions associees (lesions thoraciques, crâniennes, digestives, squelettiques) qu’il convient de rechercher systematiquement. Malgre une prise en charge medicale precoce, la mortalite reste elevee. La prise en charge prehospitaliere et intrahospitaliere est complexe et necessite, pour etre optimale, la coordination de nombreux acteurs (urgentistes, anesthesistes-reanimateurs, radiologues, chirurgiens). C’est dans le but de mieux definir cette prise en charge que la SFAR et la SFMU se sont associees, avec la participation de la SFR, du SSA, de l’AFU, de la SOFCOT et de la SFC pour proposer des recommandations pour l’ensemble des medecins amenes a prendre en charge les patients presentant ce type de traumatisme.

Background and Purpose— Clazosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, has been shown to reduce angiographic vasospasm and vasospasm-related morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), although no effect on long-term functional outcome has been demonstrated. Thick clot on initial computed tomography is associated with an increased risk of vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia. In this post hoc analysis, we hypothesized that use of clazosentan in this subpopulation would provide stronger benefit. Methods— We analyzed SAH patients enrolled in the CONSCIOUS-2 and CONSCIOUS-3 studies (Clazosentan to Overcome Neurological Ischemia and Infarction Occurring After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage) and compared the effects of clazosentan 5 mg/h, 15 mg/h, and placebo starting the day after aneurysm repair. The analysis was performed separately based on the presence or absence of thick (≥4 mm) and diffuse (≥3 cisterns) SAH on admission computed tomography. The primary composite end point was all-cause mortality and vasospasm-related morbidity at 6 weeks, and the main secondary end point was the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale at 3 months, adjusted for admission clinical grade. Results— Of 1718 randomized patients, 919 (53%) had thick and diffuse SAH. The primary composite end point in this group occurred in 36% of placebo-treated patients (n=294), 30% patients treated with clazosentan 5 mg/h (n=514; relative risk, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67–0.99), and 19% patients treated with clazosentan 15 mg/h (n=111; relative risk, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36–0.80). Despite this, death or poor functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale ≤4) occurred in 33% of placebo-treated patients, 34% of patients treated with clazosentan 5 mg/h (relative risk 1.02; 95% CI, 0.84–1.23), and 35% of patients treated with clazosentan 15 mg/h (relative risk 1.14; 95% CI, 0.88–1.48). Conclusions— In an enriched population with thick and diffuse SAH, clazosentan at a dose of 5 and 15 mg/h was able to significantly reduce vasospasm-related morbidity in a dose-dependent manner. The absence of an effect on long-term functional status likely reflects the complexity and multiplicity of factors that contribute to poor outcome after SAH. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00558311; NCT00940095.

Background Anaphylaxis is recognized mainly through clinical criteria, which may lack specificity or relevance in the perioperative setting. The transient increase in serum tryptase has been proposed since 1989 as a diagnostic tool. Sampling for well-defined acute and baseline determinations has been recommended. We assessed the performance of four proposed algorithms with tightly controlled time frames for tryptase sampling, their robustness with inadequate sampling times, and the possible use of mature tryptase determination. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 102 adult patients from the Aix-Marseille University Hospitals who had experienced a perioperative hypersensitivity reaction clinically suggesting anaphylaxis. EAACI and ICON criteria were used to diagnose anaphylaxis. Mature and total serum tryptase levels were measured. Results Based on EAACI guidelines, clinical diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis were found in 76 patients and lacking in 26. The most effective algorithm was the international consensus recommendation of 2012 that acute total tryptase levels should be greater than ([1.2×baseline tryptase] + 2] μg/L to be considered a clinically significant rise. In our cohort, this algorithm achieved 94% positive predictive value (PPV), 53% negative predictive value (NPV), 75% sensitivity, 86% specificity, and a Youden's index value of 0.61. A detectable acute mature tryptase level showed lower sensitivity, particularly in patients with acute total tryptase levels lower than 16 μg/L. Acute tryptase levels varied as a function of the clinical severity of anaphylaxis. Conclusion Total tryptase levels in serum discriminated between nonanaphylactic and anaphylactic events in a perioperative setting when acute and baseline levels were collected and analyzed by the consensus algorithm.