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Resume Le concept d’Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) decrit un syndrome associant un contexte aigu sur une maladie hepatique chronique, une inflammation et la presence d’au moins une defaillance d’organe. Ce syndrome est associe a une forte mortalite a court terme (mortalite a 28 jours apres l’admission a l’hopital) de l’ordre de 20–25 % chez les patients ayant une defaillance d’organe a plus de 75 % chez les patients presentant trois defaillances ou plus. Les criteres de defaillance d’organe utilises pour definir l’ACLF sont ceux du CLIF SOFA pour chaque organe etudie (hemodynamique, respiratoire, hepatique, coagulation, renale et neurologique). Les patients cirrhotiques avec ACLF sont classes en grade 1 si presence d’une defaillance d’organe, grade 2 (si 2 defaillances), grade 3 (si 3 defaillances ou plus). L’ACLF est present chez 26 % des patients cirrhotiques hospitalises et 8 % le developpent au cours de leur hospitalisation. Il n’existe pas de traitement specifique efficace pour les patients atteints d’ACLF. Le principal objectif du traitement des patients cirrhotiques avec ACLF est de suppleer a la defaillance d’organe, le temps que le traitement de la cause, du facteur declenchant, soit efficace. Dans les formes les plus severes, ce traitement permet de preparer le patient a la transplantation hepatique (notion de « bridge a la transplantation »). La transplantation hepatique est le traitement ultime car seul traitement curatif de la cirrhose. Sa place a emerge ces dernieres annees dans les formes severes chez les patients presentant au moins une defaillance d’organe. Un des objectifs actuels est de prevenir le developpement de l’ACLF chez les patients les plus a risque et/ou de limiter son evolution vers un tableau de defaillance multiviscerale.

Although diabetic gastroparesis could be responsible for delayed gastric emptying, there is conflicting evidence about the volume of gastric content in diabetic patients after preoperative fasting. We hypothesized that diabetic patients had an increased gastric content before anesthesia induction despite the following of fasting recommendations. We used ultrasound assessment of gastric content to evaluate this risk.This multicenter prospective single-blinded case-control study was conducted in three teaching University hospital in France. Our primary outcome was the comparison of increased gastric content between the two groups and was defined either by a Perlas grade 2 antrum or an antral cross-sectional area (CSA)340 mmEighteen (42.9%) diabetic patients reached the primary outcome versus 28 (22.2%) in the control group (P=0.009). Diabetic patients presented less frequently with an empty stomach. Indeed, ten (23.8%) diabetic patients had a grade 0 antrum versus 71 (56.3%) in the control group (P0.001). Twenty-four (70.6%) diabetic patients had an antral CSA340 mmOur study documents that gastric content is increased among diabetic patients compared to control patients despite following appropriate fasting guidelines.

Purpose To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown on management and outcomes of children with acute appendicitis. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including children treated for acute appendicitis (January 20th–May 11th, 2020). The data regarding the severity of appendicitis and outcome were collected and compared for two time periods, before and after the nationwide lockdown (March 17th, 2020). Results The number of cases of acute appendicitis increased by 77% during the lockdown (n = 39 vs. n = 69, p = 0.03). During the lockdown, children treated for appendicitis were older (11.1 vs. 8.9 years, p = 0.003), and were more likely to live more than 5 km away from our institution (77% vs. 52%, p = 0.017). Less children had previously consulted a general practitioner (15% vs. 33%, p = 0.028), whereas more children were transferred from other hospitals (52% vs. 31%, p = 0.043). There was no difference in terms of length of hospital stay, rate of postoperative intra-abdominal abscess, ER visits, and readmissions between both periods. Three children (4%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 and appendicitis. Conclusions Despite an increase in the number of children with appendicitis managed at our hospital during the COVID-19-related lockdown, management, and outcome remained similar. Although our pediatric center was strongly affected by this pandemic, maintaining our prior practice strategies for acute appendicitis avoided the occurrence of collateral damage for those children.

Purpose Corynebacterium spp. (C. spp.) is commonly considered as a contaminant in respiratory specimens. No study has ever focused on its clinical relevance in the lower respiratory tract of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and requiring mechanical ventilation. The aims were to describe the characteristics of ICU patients with a C. spp. positive deep respiratory specimen, to investigate the impact of C. spp. on the occurrence of pneumonia, and to evaluate the outcomes of these pneumonia. Methods We retrospectively included all adult patients admitted to ICU in a 1000-bed University Hospital (2007–2017) who had a C. spp. positive lower respiratory tract specimen at a significant quantitative level. We used clinical, radiological, and microbiological criteria to classify the likelihood of such pneumonia. Results Among the 31 patients included, acute respiratory failure and postoperative care after major surgery were the main reasons of admission. SAPS II was 47 [34–60]. C. spp. pneumonia was considered as probable, possible and unlikely in 10, 14, and 7 patients, respectively. Fifty-two and 94% of C. spp. strains were sensitive to amoxicillin, and vancomycin/linezolid, respectively. Seventeen patients had a complete course of antibiotic against C. spp. The overall ICU mortality was 58%. Conclusion Corynebacterium spp seems to be responsible for authentic pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. It should be considered as clinically relevant when predominantly present in respiratory specimen from patients suspected with pneumonia in ICU, and empirically treated.

Erratum inCorrection to Lancet Respir Med 2021; published online April 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00096-5.; International audience; Background: In the Île-de-France region (henceforth termed Greater Paris), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was considered early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We report ECMO network organisation and outcomes during the first wave of the pandemic.Methods: In this multicentre cohort study, we present an analysis of all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe ARDS requiring ECMO who were admitted to 17 Greater Paris intensive care units between March 8 and June 3, 2020. Central regulation for ECMO indications and pooling of resources were organised for the Greater Paris intensive care units, with six mobile ECMO teams available for the region. Details of complications (including ECMO-related complications, renal replacement therapy, and pulmonary embolism), clinical outcomes, survival status at 90 days after ECMO initiation, and causes of death are reported. Multivariable analysis was used to identify pre-ECMO variables independently associated with 90-day survival after ECMO.Findings: The 302 patients included who underwent ECMO had a median age of 52 years (IQR 45-58) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score-II of 40 (31-56), and 235 (78%) of whom were men. 165 (55%) were transferred after cannulation by a mobile ECMO team. Before ECMO, 285 (94%) patients were prone positioned, median driving pressure was 18 cm H2O (14-21), and median ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen was 61 mm Hg (IQR 54-70). During ECMO, 115 (43%) of 270 patients had a major bleeding event, 27 of whom had intracranial haemorrhage; 130 (43%) of 301 patients received renal replacement therapy; and 53 (18%) of 294 had a pulmonary embolism. 138 (46%) patients were alive 90 days after ECMO. The most common causes of death were multiorgan failure (53 [18%] patients) and septic shock (47 [16%] patients). Shorter time between intubation and ECMO (odds ratio 0·91 [95% CI 0·84-0·99] per day decrease), younger age (2·89 [1·41-5·93] for ≤48 years and 2·01 [1·01-3·99] for 49-56 years vs ≥57 years), lower pre-ECMO renal component of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0·67, 0·55-0·83 per point increase), and treatment in centres managing at least 30 venovenous ECMO cases annually (2·98 [1·46-6·04]) were independently associated with improved 90-day survival. There was no significant difference in survival between patients who had mobile and on-site ECMO initiation.Interpretation: Beyond associations with similar factors to those reported on ECMO for non-COVID-19 ARDS, 90-day survival among ECMO-assisted patients with COVID-19 was strongly associated with a centre's experience in venovenous ECMO during the previous year. Early ECMO management in centres with a high venovenous ECMO case volume should be advocated, by applying centralisation and regulation of ECMO indications, which should also help to prevent a shortage of resources.

No abstract available Keywords: COVID-19; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; SARS-CoV-2; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); pneumonia.

Background Obstetric anaesthesia has been associated with concern for the inhalation of gastric contents for many years, justifying fasting during labour. However, many anaesthesiologists and obstetricians now allow fluid intake during labour. Objective(s) We hypothesised that allowing oral fluid intake during labour is not associated with increased gastric contents. We used ultrasound assessment of gastric contents to evaluate this hypothesis. Design A randomised, single-blind and intention-to-treat noninferiority trial comparing antral area measured by ultrasound in fasting parturients and in those who were allowed to drink fluid for 90 min after randomisation. Setting Tenon University Hospital, Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France. Patients Pregnant women, aged from 18 to 40 years and from week 36 of an uncomplicated singleton gestation, were randomised into a fasting group and a fluid intake group after admission to the delivery room. Of the 184 patients screened, data from 125 were analysed: fasting group (62), fluid intake group (63). Intervention Women in the fluid intake group were allowed to drink up to 400 ml of apple juice for 90 min after randomisation. Main outcome measure We compared the percentage of women with an 'empty stomach' between the two groups: empty stomach was defined as an antral cross-sectional area (CSA) less than 300 mm assessed in a semirecumbent position with a 45-degree head-up tilt. Results At full cervical dilatation an antral CSA less than 300 mm was measured in 76 and 79% of the parturients in the fasting group and the fluid intake groups respectively (P = 0.633). Conclusion The current study reveals that the percentage of pregnant women with an 'empty stomach', defined by an antral CSA less than 300 mm in a semirecumbent position with a 45-degree head-up tilt, was comparable at full cervical dilation among those who remained nil by mouth and those allowed to drink up to 400 ml for 90 min after their randomisation. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02362815.