Evaluation of eight biomarkers to predict short-term mortality in patients with acute severe dyspnea.

BACKGROUND: Being able to better predict risk and optimal care for patients presenting with acute dyspnea is critical. Prognostic biomarkers are well known: amino-terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide, troponin, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin. Some were more recently developed: mid-regional pro-A-type natriuretic peptide (Mid Pro-ANP), mid-regional-pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), pro-endothelin, copeptin. The aim of the paper was to evaluate prognostic value of clinical findings and 8 biomarkers in patients with severe acute dyspnea. METHODS: We designed a prospective cohort study targeting patients admitted in the Emergency Department and in Intensive Care Unit of a University Hospital. Inclusion criteria were acute dyspnea with SpO2 less than 92% and/or respiratory rate (RR) greater than or equal to 25 bpm. Clinical and biological data, including biomarker levels, were recorded. The contribution of the biomarkers in the prognosis was assessed using AUC-ROC curves and by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighty four patients (median age 74 years, 28-day mortality 17%) were enrolled. All biomarkers were available for 317 patients. Main diagnoses were sepsis in 141 cases (36.7%), and acute heart failure in 84 (21.9%) cases. All biomarkers were correlated with prognosis. Pro-ADM (AUC-ROC=0.731; 95% CI: 0.658-0.804) showed the best accuracy. The parameters independently associated with prognosis led to a clinical/biological model with an AUC=0.809 and a good calibration (P (HLchi2)=0.9). Three biomarkers added prognostic information to the model: MR-proADM (P=0.005), copeptin (P=0.006) and troponin (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Biomarkers can contribute to determine the day-28 outcome of patients with acute severe dyspnea.

Complications of intravascular catheters in ICU: definitions, incidence and severity. A randomized controlled trial comparing usual transparent dressings versus new-generation dressings (the ADVANCED study).

PURPOSE: To describe all post-insertion complications involving most used intravascular access, and to determine whether the use of a new-generation transparent dressing (3M™ IV Advanced) might reduce their number and impact on ICU patient outcomes. METHODS: Patients older than 18, with an expected length of stay ≥48 h and requiring at least one central venous catheter (CVC), arterial catheter (AC), haemodialysis catheter (HDC), pulmonary arterial catheters (PAC) or peripheral venous catheter (PVC) were randomized into two groups: a new-generation transparent dressing, or the hospital's classical transparent dressing, and were followed daily for any infectious and non-infectious complications. Complications were graduated for severity by an independent international multicentre multidisciplinary panel of practitioners using a Delphi process. RESULTS: We included 628 patients, 2214 catheters (873 PVCs, 630 CVCs, 512 ACs and 199 HDCs and PACs) and 4836 dressings. Overall incidence rate was of 60.9/1000 catheter-days. The most common complication was dysfunction (34.6/1000 catheter-days), mainly for PVCs (16/1000 catheter-days) and ACs (12.9/1000 catheter-days). Infectious complications incidence rate in CVCs and ACs was of 14.5/1000, mostly due to colonization (14.2/1000 catheter-days). Thrombosis incidence was of 3.8/1000 catheter-days with severe and very severe complications in 16 cases (1.8/1000 catheter-days) and one thrombosis-related death. 3M™ IV Advanced dressing did not decrease the rate of catheters with at least a minor complication [57.37/1000 vs. 57.52/1000 catheter-days, HR 1.03, CI (0.84-1.27), p = 0.81]. Incidence rates for each single complication remained equivalent: infectious [HR 0.93 (0.62-1.40), p = 0.72], deep thrombosis [HR 0.90 (0.39-2.06), p = 0.80], extravasation and phlebitis [HR 1.40 (0.69-2.82), p = 0.35], accidental removal [1.07 (0.56-2.04), p = 0.84] and dysfunction [HR 1.04 (0.80-1.35), p = 0.79]. CONCLUSION: The ADVANCED study showed the overall risk of complications to intravascular catheters in ICU patients being dysfunction, infection and thrombosis. The 3M™ IV Advanced dressing did not decrease complication rates as compared to standard dressings.

Decreased Risk of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Sepsis Due to Intra-Abdominal Infection.

RATIONALE: Experimental studies suggest that intra-abdominal infection (IAI) induces biological alterations that may affect the risk of lung infection. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential effect of IAI at ICU admission on the subsequent occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). METHODS: We used data entered into the French prospective multicenter Outcomerea database in 1997-2011. Consecutive patients who had severe sepsis and/or septic shock at ICU admission and required mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days were included. Patients with acute pancreatitis were not included. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 2623 database patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 290 (11.1%) had IAI and 2333 (88.9%) had other infections. The IAI group had fewer patients with VAP (56 [19.3%] vs. 806 [34.5%], P<0.01) and longer time to VAP (5.0 vs.10.5 days; P<0.01). After adjustment on independent risk factors for VAP and previous antimicrobial use, IAI was associated with a decreased risk of VAP (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.83; P<0.0017). The pathogens responsible for VAP were not different between the groups with and without IAI (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 345 [42.8%] and 24 [42.8%]; Enterobacteriaceae, 264 [32.8%] and 19 [34.0%]; and Staphylococcus aureus, 215 [26.7%] and 17 [30.4%], respectively). Crude ICU mortality was not different between the groups with and without IAI (81 [27.9%] and 747 [32.0%], P = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: In our observational study of mechanically ventilated ICU patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock, VAP occurred less often and later in the group with IAIs compared to the group with infections at other sites.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pandemic influenza A(H1N1)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome: a cohort study and propensity-matched analysis.

RATIONALE: Many patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by influenza A(H1N1) infection receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a rescue therapy. OBJECTIVES: To analyze factors associated with death in ECMO-treated patients and the influence of ECMO on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. METHODS: Data from patients admitted for H1N1-associated ARDS to French ICUs were prospectively collected from 2009 to 2011 through the national REVA registry. We analyzed factors associated with in-ICU death in ECMO recipients, and the potential benefit of ECMO using a propensity score-matched (1:1) cohort analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 123 patients received ECMO. By multivariate analysis, increasing values of age, lactate, and plateau pressure under ECMO were associated with death. Of 103 patients receiving ECMO during the first week of mechanical ventilation, 52 could be matched to non-ECMO patients of comparable severity, using a one-to-one matching and using control subjects only once. Mortality did not differ between the two matched cohorts (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-3.23; P = 0.32). Interestingly, the 51 ECMO patients who could not be matched were younger, had lower Pa(o(2))/Fi(o(2)) ratio, had higher plateau pressure, but also had a lower ICU mortality rate than the 52 matched ECMO patients (22% vs. 50%; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Under ECMO, an ultraprotective ventilation strategy minimizing plateau pressure may be required to improve outcome. When patients with severe influenza A(H1N1)-related ARDS treated with ECMO were compared with conventionally treated patients, no difference in mortality rates existed. The unmatched, severely hypoxemic, and younger ECMO-treated patients had, however, a lower mortality.

Pulmonary embolism in mechanically ventilated patients requiring computed tomography: Prevalence, risk factors, and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate of pulmonary embolism among mechanically ventilated patients and its association with deep venous thrombosis. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. INCLUSION CRITERIA: mechanically ventilated patients requiring a thoracic contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan for any medical reason. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism before intensive care unit admission, an allergy to contrast agents, and age younger than 18 yrs. INTERVENTIONS: All the mechanically ventilated patients requiring a thoracic computed tomography underwent the standard imaging protocol for pulmonary embolism detection. Therapeutic anticoagulation was given immediately after pulmonary embolism diagnosis. All the included patients underwent a compression ultrasound of the four limbs within 48 hrs after the computed tomography scan to detect deep venous thrombosis. RESULTS: Of 176 included patients, 33 (18.7%) had pulmonary embolism diagnosed by computed tomography, including 20 (61%) with no clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism. By multiple logistic regression, independent risk factors for pulmonary embolism were male gender, high body mass index, history of cancer, past medical history of deep venous thrombosis, coma, and high platelet count. Previous prophylactic anticoagulant use was not a risk factor for pulmonary embolism. Of the 176 patients, 35 (19.9%) had deep venous thrombosis by compression ultrasonography, including 20 (57.1%) in the lower limbs and 24 (68.6%) related to central venous catheters. Of the 33 pulmonary embolisms, 11 (33.3%) were associated with deep venous thrombosis. The pulmonary embolism risk was increased by lower-limb deep venous thrombosis (odds ratio 4.0; 95% confidence interval 1.6-10) but not upper-limb deep venous thrombosis (odds ratio 0.6; 95% confidence interval 0.1-2.9). Crude comparison of patients with and without pulmonary embolism shows no difference in length of stay or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In mechanically ventilated patients who needed a computed tomography, pulmonary embolism was more common than expected. Patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism were all treated with therapeutic anticoagulation, and their intensive care unit or hospital mortality was not impacted by the pulmonary embolism occurrence. These results invite further research into early screening and therapeutic anticoagulation of pulmonary embolism in critically ill patients.

New materials and devices for preventing catheter-related infections.

Catheters are the leading source of bloodstream infections for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Comprehensive unit-based programs have proven to be effective in decreasing catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs). ICU rates of CR-BSI higher than 2 per 1,000 catheter-days are no longer acceptable. The locally adapted list of preventive measures should include skin antisepsis with an alcoholic preparation, maximal barrier precautions, a strict catheter maintenance policy, and removal of unnecessary catheters. The development of new technologies capable of further decreasing the now low CR-BSI rate is a major challenge. Recently, new materials that decrease the risk of skin-to-vein bacterial migration, such as new antiseptic dressings, were extensively tested. Antimicrobial-coated catheters can prevent CR-BSI but have a theoretical risk of selecting resistant bacteria. An antimicrobial or antiseptic lock may prevent bacterial migration from the hub to the bloodstream. This review discusses the available knowledge about these new technologies.

New challenges in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of central venous catheter-related infections.

Catheters are the leading source of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients. Because the clinical signs of infection are nonspecific, such infections are overly suspected, which results in unnecessary removal of catheters. A conservative approach might be attempted in mild infections, whereas catheters should always be removed in cases of severe sepsis or septic shock. Nowadays, comprehensive unit-based improvement programs are effective to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs). Rates of CR-BSI higher than 2 per 1000 catheter-days are no longer acceptable. A locally adapted checklist of preventive measures should include cutaneous antisepsis with alcoholic preparation, maximal barrier precaution, strict policy of catheter maintenance, and ablation of useless catheters. Antiseptic dressings and, to a lesser extent, antimicrobial-coated catheters, might be added to the prevention strategies if the level of infections remains high despite implementation of a prevention program. In the case of CR-BSI in intensive care units (ICUs), the catheter should be removed. In the case of persistence of fever or positive blood cultures after 3 days, inadequate antibiotic therapy, endocarditis, or thrombophlebitis should be ruled out.