HIV status and lay bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation initiation for witnessed cardiac arrest.

INTRODUCTION: Early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by bystanders of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) significantly improves survival and neurological outcomes. However, misconceptions about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission risk during CPR can deter lay bystanders from performing resuscitation. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of CPR initiation by lay bystanders who witnessed OHCA in subjects with and without HIV infection. METHODS: We analysed data from the two French cardiac arrest registries (SDEC and RéAC) from 2012 to 2020. We identified HIV-positive individuals from the French National Health Insurance database for the SDEC registry, and directly from the RéAC registry data. We used logistic regression models to assess the association between CPR initiation by lay bystanders and the victim's HIV status. RESULTS: Of 58,177 witnessed OHCA cases, 192 (0.3%) occurred in HIV-positive subjects. These individuals were younger, more often male, and presented more shockable initial rhythms compared with subjects without HIV. Overall, there was no difference in the CPR initiation rate according to the HIV status (57.3% vs 47.6%, adjusted odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 0.83-1.48). The CPR initiation rate also did not differ by location between victims with or without HIV (home: 57.7% vs 45.4%; public places: 56.0% vs 53.6%; p for interaction = 0.46). Survival and neurological outcomes at hospital discharge did not differ based on the HIV status. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the rate of CPR initiation by lay bystanders did not differ between HIV and non-HIV subjects during OHCA.

Impact of an enhanced focused cardiac ultrasound on treatment changes in a population of internal medicine patients.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients with acute shortness of breath (SOB) could benefit from an enhanced focused cardiac ultrasound (eFoCUS) with Doppler measurements to reassess treatment and diagnosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study performed in a medical ward. Included patients were those hospitalized for acute SOB. The objectives were to assess therapeutic and diagnosis changes associated with eFoCUS. The primary endpoint of the analysis was a composite of introduction or discontinuation of diuretics, antibiotics or anticoagulation following eFoCUS. RESULTS: Between January 2018 and July 2021, 119 patients were included, 67 women and 52 men, mean age 84 ± 11 years old. The eFoCUS was performed within a median time of 55 h (1st-3rd IQ: 21-107) following hospital admission. Overall, eFoCUS was associated with a change in diagnostic in 40 patients (34% [CI 95%: 25%-43%], p < 10-4 ) and a change in treatment in 53 patients (45% [CI 95%: 35%-54%], p < 10-4 ). Diuretics were prescribed in 94 patients before eFoCUS and in 56 after (p = 10-4 ), antibiotics in 34 before and 27 after and anticoagulation in 30 before and 40 after. CONCLUSION: eFoCUS was associated with both therapeutic and diagnostic changes in patients with SOB. Such results should be confirmed in multicentric prospective studies.

Impact of Different Training Methods on Daily Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Survey on 515 Physicians.

ABSTRACT: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum varies among countries. However, the length of training required for physicians is still under debate. We investigated the impact of different training methods: short hands-on courses (STS), long academic training sessions (LTS), or both (mixed training [MTS]), for POCUS daily use and self-reported confidence overall and specific to specific clinical situations. This was a descriptive study conducted over a 3-month period through a Web-based survey designed to assess the influence of different methods of POCUS training among physicians and residents on their daily practice. The survey was sent to 1212 emergency physicians with prior POCUS training; 515 answers (42%) could be analyzed. Participants in the STS group performed POCUS less frequently than physicians in the LTS or MTS group. Daily use in the STS group was 51% versus 82% in the LTS group and 83% in the MTS group ( P < 0.01). The overall self-reported confidence in POCUS was lower in the STS group ( P < 0.01) in all studied clinical situations. There was no significant difference between LTS and MTS groups ( P > 0.05). Method of POCUS training significantly influenced POCUS daily use. Physicians who underwent long training sessions used POCUS more frequently in their routine practice and were significantly more confident in their ability to perform and interpret a POCUS examination.

Cumulative dose of epinephrine and mode of death after non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a registry-based study.

BACKGROUND: Epinephrine increases the chances of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), especially when the initial rhythm is non-shockable. However, this drug could also worsen the post-resuscitation syndrome (PRS). We assessed the association between epinephrine use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and subsequent intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in patients with ROSC after non-shockable OHCA. METHODS: We used data prospectively collected in the Sudden Death Expertise Center (SDEC) registry (capturing OHCA data located in the Greater Paris area, France) between May 2011 and December 2021. All adults with ROSC after medical, cardiac and non-cardiac causes, non-shockable OHCA admitted to an ICU were included. The mode of death in the ICU was categorized as cardiocirculatory, neurological, or other. RESULTS: Of the 2,792 patients analyzed, there were 242 (8.7%) survivors at hospital discharge, 1,004 (35.9%) deaths from cardiocirculatory causes, 1,233 (44.2%) deaths from neurological causes, and 313 (11.2%) deaths from other etiologies. The cardiocirculatory death group received more epinephrine (4.6 ± 3.8 mg versus 1.7 ± 2.8 mg, 3.2 ± 2.6 mg, and 3.5 ± 3.6 mg for survivors, neurological deaths, and other deaths, respectively; p < 0.001). The proportion of cardiocirculatory death increased linearly (R2 = 0.92, p < 0.001) with cumulative epinephrine doses during CPR (17.7% in subjects who did not receive epinephrine and 62.5% in those who received > 10 mg). In multivariable analysis, a cumulative dose of epinephrine was strongly associated with cardiocirculatory death (adjusted odds ratio of 3.45, 95% CI [2.01-5.92] for 1 mg of epinephrine; 12.28, 95% CI [7.52-20.06] for 2-5 mg; and 23.71, 95% CI [11.02-50.97] for > 5 mg; reference 0 mg; population reference: alive at hospital discharge), even after adjustment on duration of resuscitation. The other modes of death (neurological and other causes) were also associated with epinephrine use, but to a lesser extent. CONCLUSIONS: In non-shockable OHCA with ROSC, the dose of epinephrine used during CPR is strongly associated with early cardiocirculatory death. Further clinical studies aimed at limiting the dose of epinephrine during CPR seem warranted. Moreover, strategies for the prevention and management of PRS should take this dose of epinephrine into consideration for future trials.

Pantoprazole promotes sustained intestinal carriage of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in amoxicillin-treated mice.

AIMS: The main objective of this study was to compare extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) Escherichia coli fecal titers during 12 days between two groups: mice who received proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and those that did not. METHODS AND RESULTS: We tested three different in vivo models: model 1, high inoculum (106 CFU ml-1); model 2, low inoculum (102 CFU ml-1); and model 3, low inoculum and 2-day amoxicillin wash-out. There was no significant difference between the two groups in fecal ESBL E. coli titers in models 1 and 2. The fecal titers of ESBL E. coli were probably too high to show differences in colonization related to PPI treatment. By introducing a 2-day wash-out period after stopping amoxicillin (model 3), the fecal ESBL E. coli titers were higher in the PPI-treated mice during 12 days (3 log versus 11 log day CFU g-1; P < 0.05). This result highlighted that PPIs promote stable ESBL E. coli digestive carriage in mice. Fecal quantitative PCR showed that mice with low ESBL E. coli fecal titers had a much higher concentration of equol-producing bacteria, Muribaculum sp., and Adlercreutzia caecimuris. CONCLUSIONS: Pantoprazole treatment promotes sustained digestive carriage of ESBL E. coli in amoxicillin-treated mice.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring at school in France: A nation-wide retrospective cohort study from the RéAC registry.

AIM: We sought to describe the characteristics of at-school out-of-hospital cardiac arrests cases, subsequent basic life support, as well as ultimate patient outcomes. METHODS: This was a nation-wide, multicentre, retrospective cohort study from the French national population-based RéAC out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry (July 2011 - March 2023). We compared the characteristics and outcomes of cases occurring at schools vs. in other public places. RESULTS: Of the 149,088 national out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 25,071 were public: 86 (0.3%) and 24,985 (99.7%) in schools and other public places, respectively. At-school out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, in comparison to other public places, were: significantly younger (median: 42.5 vs. 58 years, p < 0.001); more commonly of a medical cause (90.7% vs. 63.8%, p < 0.001), more commonly bystander-witnessed (93.0% vs. 73.4%, p < 0.001) and recipients of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (78.8% vs. 60.6%, p = 0.001) with shorter median no-flow durations (2 min. vs. 7 min.); with greater bystander automated external defibrillator application (38.9% vs. 18.4%) and defibrillation (23.6%, vs. 7.9%; all p < 0.001). At-school patients had greater rates of return of spontaneous circulation than out-of-school ones (47.7%, vs. 31.8%; p = 0.002), higher rates of survival at arrival at hospital (60.5% vs. 30.7%; p < 0.001) and at 30-days (34.9% vs. 11.6%; p < 0.001), and survival with favourable neurological outcomes at 30 days (25.9% vs. 9.2%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: At-school out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were rare in France, however demonstrated favourable prognostic features and outcomes. The use of automated external defibrillators in at-school cases, while more common than cases occurring elsewhere, should be improved.

Accuracy of pulse CO-oximetry to evaluate blood carboxyhemoglobin level: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the most common causes of poisoning death and its diagnosis requires an elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level. Noninvasive CO saturation by pulse oximetry (SpCO) has been available since 2005 and has the advantage of being portable and easy to use, but its accuracy in determining blood COHb level is controversial. To evaluate the accuracy of SpCO (index test) to estimate COHb (reference test). Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies. Four electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and OpenGrey) on 2 August 2022. All studies of all designs published since the 2000s evaluating the accuracy and reliability of SpCO measurement compared to blood COHb levels in human volunteers or ill patients, including children, were included. The primary outcome was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of SpCO for estimating COHb by blood sampling by modeling receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calculating sensitivity and specificity (primary measures). The secondary measures were to calculate the limits of agreement (LOA) and the mean bias. This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis-DTA 2018 guidelines and has been registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42020177940). The risk of bias was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Twenty-one studies were eligible for the systematic review; 11 could be included for the quantitative analysis of the primary measures and 18 for the secondary measures. No publication bias was found. The area under the summary ROC curve was equal to 86%. The mean sensitivity and specificity were 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI, 0.66-0.85) and 0.83, 95% CI (0.74-0.89), respectively (2089 subjects and 3381 observations). The mean bias was 0.75% and the LOA was -7.08% to 8.57%, 95% CI (-8.89 to 10.38) (2794 subjects and 4646 observations). Noninvasive measurement of COHb (SpCO) using current pulse CO oximeters do not seem to be highly accurate to estimate blood COHb (moderate sensitivity and specificity, large LOA). They should probably not be used to confirm (rule-in) or exclude (rule-out) CO poisoning with certainty.

Bystander basic life support and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A propensity score matching analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, early recognition, calling for emergency medical assistance, and early cardiopulmonary resuscitation are acknowledged to be the three most important components in the chain of survival. However, bystander basic life support (BLS) initiation rates remain low. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between bystander BLS and survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with OHCA with a medical etiology treated by a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) in France from July 2011 to September 2021, as recorded in the French National OHCA Registry (RéAC). Cases in which the bystander was an on-duty fire fighter, paramedic, or emergency physician were excluded. We assessed the characteristics of patients who received bystander BLS vs. those who did not. The two classes of patient were then matched 1:1, using a propensity score. Conditional logistic regression was then used to probe the putative association between bystander BLS and survival. RESULTS: During the study, 52,303 patients were included; BLS was provided by a bystander in 29,412 of these cases (56.2%). The 30-day survival rates were 7.6% in the BLS group and 2.5% in the no-BLS group (p < 0.001). After matching, bystander BLS was associated with a greater 30-day survival rate (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1.77 [1.58-1.98]). Bystander BLS was also associated with greater short-term survival (alive on hospital admission; OR [95%CI] = 1.29 [1.23-1.36]). CONCLUSIONS: The provision of bystander BLS was associated with a 77% greater likelihood of 30-day survival after OHCA. Given than only one in two OHCA bystanders provides BLS, a greater focus on life saving training for laypeople is essential.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in pregnant women: A 55-patient French cohort study.

AIM: To describe a cohort of pregnant women having suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and to compare them with nonpregnant women of childbearing age having suffered OHCA. METHODS: Study data were extracted from the French National OHCA Registry between 2011 and 2021. We compared patients in terms of characteristics, care and survival. RESULTS: We included 3,645 women of childbearing age (15-44) who had suffered an OHCA; 55 of the women were pregnant. Pregnant women were younger than nonpregnant victims (30 vs. 35 years, p = 0.006) and were more likely to have a medical history (76.4% vs. 50.5%, p < 0.001) and a medical cause of the OHCA (85.5% vs. 57.2%, p < 0.001). Advanced Life Support was more frequently administered to pregnant women (98.2%, vs. 72.0%; p < 0.001). In pregnant women, the median time of MICU arrival was 20 minutes for the Medical Intensive Care Unit with no difference with nonpregnant women. Survival rate on admission to hospital was higher among pregnant women (43.6% vs. 27.3%; p = 0.009). There was no difference in 30-day survival between pregnant and nonpregnant groups (14.5% vs. 7.3%; p = 0.061). Fetal survival was only observed for OHCAs that occurred during the pregnancy second or third trimester (survival rates: 10.0% and 23.5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that resuscitation performance does not meet European Resuscitation Council's specific guidelines on OHCA in pregnant women. Although OHCA in pregnancy is rare, the associated prognosis is poor for both woman and fetus. Preventive measures should be reinforced, especially when pregnant women have medical history.

Effect of sodium bicarbonate on functional outcome in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a post-hoc analysis of a French and North-American dataset.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: No large randomised controlled trial has assessed the potential benefits on neurologic outcomes of prehospital sodium bicarbonate administration in patients with nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). OBJECTIVE: To obtain information of assistance in designing a randomised controlled trial of bicarbonate therapy after OHCA in specific patient subgroups. DESIGN: We conducted two, separate, simultaneous, retrospective studies of two distinct, unlinked datasets. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: One dataset was a French nationwide population-based registry (RéAC Registry, French dataset) and the other was a randomised controlled trial comparing continuous to interrupted chest compressions in North America (ROC-CCC trial, North-American dataset). INTERVENTION: We investigated whether prehospital bicarbonate administration was associated with better neurologic outcomes. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSES: The main outcome measure was the functional outcome at hospital discharge. To adjust for potential confounders, we conducted a nested propensity-score-matched analysis with inverse probability-of-treatment weighting. MAIN RESULTS: In the French dataset, of the 54 807 patients, 1234 (2.2%) received sodium bicarbonate and 450 were matched. After propensity-score matching, sodium bicarbonate was not associated with a higher likelihood of favourable functional outcomes on day 30 [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.912; 95% confidence interval (95%CI), 0.501-1.655]. In the North-American dataset, of the 23 711 included patients, 4902 (20.6%) received sodium bicarbonate and 1238 were matched. After propensity-score matching, sodium bicarbonate was associated with a lower likelihood of favourable functional outcomes at hospital discharge (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.34-0.58). CONCLUSION: In patients with OHCA, prehospital sodium bicarbonate administration was not associated with neurologic outcomes in a French dataset and was associated with worse neurologic outcomes in a North-American dataset. Given the considerable variability in sodium bicarbonate use by different prehospital care systems and the potential resuscitation-time bias in the present study, a large randomised clinical trial targeting specific patient subgroups may be needed to determine whether sodium bicarbonate has a role in the prehospital management of prolonged OHCA.

In vitro and in vivo activity of new strains of Bacillus subtilis against ESBL-producing Escherichia coli: an experimental study.

AIMS: The gastro-intestinal tract is a major reservoir of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli. Bacillus spores may be used as probiotics to decrease digestive colonization by ESBL-E. coli. Our aim was to assess the in vitro and in vivo activity of new Bacillus strains against ESBL-E. coli. METHODS AND RESULTS: We screened the in vitro activity of 50 Bacillus strains against clinical isolates of ESBL-E. coli and selected B. subtilis strains CH311 and S3B. Both strains decreased ESBL-E. coli titers by 4 log10 CFU L-1 in an in vitro model of gut content, whereas the B. subtilis CU1 strain did not. In a murine model of intestinal colonization by ESBL-E. coli, CH311 and S3B did not decrease fecal titers of ESBL-E. coli. Ten sequences of putative antimicrobial peptides were identified in the genomes of CH311 and S3B, but not in CU1. CONCLUSIONS: Two new B. subtilis strains showed strong in vitro activity against ESBL-E. coli. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: Despite strong in vitro activities of new B. subtilis strains against ESBL-E. coli, intestinal colonisation was not altered by curative Bacillus treatment even if their spores proved to germinate in the gut. Thus, this work underlines the importance of in vivo experiments to identify efficient probiotics. The use of potential antimicrobial compounds identified by genome sequencing remains an attractive alternative to explore.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: No Survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and compare survival among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as a function of their status for coronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: We performed an observational study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients between March 2020 and December 2020. Coronavirus disease 2019 status (confirmed, suspected, or negative) was defined according to the World Health Organization's criteria. SETTING: Information on the patients and their care was extracted from the French national out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry. The French prehospital emergency medical system has two tiers: the fire department intervenes rapidly to provide basic life support, and mobile ICUs provide advanced life support. The study data (including each patient's coronavirus disease 2019 status) were collected by 95 mobile ICUs throughout France. PATIENTS: We included 6,624 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: 127 cases with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019, 473 with suspected coronavirus disease 2019, and 6,024 negative for coronavirus disease 2019. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The "confirmed" and "suspected" groups of coronavirus disease 2019 patients had similar characteristics and were more likely to have suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with a respiratory cause (confirmed: 53.7%, suspected coronavirus disease 2019: 56.5%; p = 0.472) than noncoronavirus disease 2019 patients (14.0%; p < 0.001 vs confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 patients). Advanced life support was initiated for 57.5% of the confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 patients, compared with 64.5% of the suspected coronavirus disease 2019 patients (p = 0.149) and 70.6% of the noncoronavirus disease 2019 ones (p = 0.002). The survival rate at 30-day postout-of-hospital cardiac arrest was 0% in the confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 group, 0.9% in the suspected coronavirus disease 2019 group (p = 0.583 vs confirmed), and 3.5% (p = 0.023) in the noncoronavirus disease 2019 group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted a zero survival rate in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019. This finding raises important questions with regard to the futility of resuscitation for coronavirus disease 2019 patients and the management of the associated risks.

Effect of adrenaline dose on neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adrenaline is recommended during cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The optimal dose remains debated, and the effect of lower than recommended dose is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of patients treated with the recommended, lower or higher cumulative doses of adrenaline. DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS: Patients were included from the French National Cardiac Arrest Registry and were grouped based on the received dose of adrenaline: recommended, higher and lower dose. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: The primary endpoint was good neurologic outcome at 30 days post-OHCA, defined by a cerebral performance category (CPC) of less than 3. Secondary endpoints included return of spontaneous circulation and survival to hospital discharge. A multiple propensity score adjustment approach was performed. MAIN RESULTS: 27 309 patients included from July 1st 2011 to January 1st 2019 were analysed, mean age was 68 (57-78) years and 11.2% had ventricular fibrillation. 588 (2.2%) patients survived with a good CPC score. After adjustment, patients in the high dose group had a significant lower rate of good neurologic outcome (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.7). There was no significant difference for the primary endpoint in the lower dose group (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-1.1). There was a lower rate of survival to hospital discharge in the high-dose group vs. standard group (OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.5-0.6). CONCLUSION: The use of lower doses of adrenaline was not associated with a significant difference on survival good neurologic outcomes at D30. But a higher dose of adrenaline was associated with a lower rate of survival with good neurological outcomes and poorer survival at D30.

Impact of Phage Therapy on Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Intestinal Carriage in a Murine Model.

INTRODUCTION: The growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a major global public health concern. An important reservoir of this resistance is the gut microbiota. However, limited data are available on the ability of phage therapy to reduce the digestive carriage of multidrug-resistant bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four novel lytic phages were isolated in vitro for efficacy against an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing (ESBL) Escherichia coli strain also resistant to carbapenems through a carbapenemase OXA-48. The first step was to develop models of ESBL E. coli digestive carriage in mice. The second step was to test the efficacy of an oral and rectal phage therapy (a cocktail of four phages or microencapsulated phage) to reduce this carriage. RESULTS: The two most intense models of digestive carriage were obtained by administering amoxicillin (0.5 g·L-1) continuously in the drinking water (Model 1) or pantoprazole (0.1 g·L-1) continuously in the drinking water, combined with amoxicillin (0.5 g·L-1), for the first 8 days (Model 2). Oral administration of the phage cocktail to Model 1 resulted in a transient reduction in the concentration of ESBL E. coli in the faeces 9 days after the bacterial challenge (median = 5.33 × 108 versus 2.76 × 109 CFU·g-1, p = 0.02). In contrast, in Model 2, oral or oral + rectal administration of this cocktail did not alter the bacterial titre compared to the control (area under the curve, AUC, 3.49 × 109; 3.41 × 109 and 3.82 × 109 for the control, oral and oral + rectal groups, respectively; p-value > 0.8 for each two-by-two group comparison), as well as the administration of an oral microencapsulated phage in Model 1 (AUC = 8.93 × 109 versus 9.04 × 109, p = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Oral treatment with amoxicillin promoted digestive carriage in mice, which was also the case for the addition of pantoprazole. However, our study confirms the difficulty of achieving efficacy with phage therapy to reduce multidrug-resistant bacterial digestive carriage in vivo.

Electrocardiographic abnormalities in COVID-19 patients visiting the emergency department: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be associated with myocardial injury. Identification of at-risk patients and mechanisms underlying cardiac involvement in COVID-19 remains unclear. During hospitalization for COVID-19, high troponin level has been found to be an independent variable associated with in-hospital mortality and a greater risk of complications. Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities could be a useful tool to identify patients at risk of poor prognostic. The aim of our study was to assess if specific ECGs patterns could be related with in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients presenting to the ED in a European country. METHODS: From February 1st to May 31st, 2020, we conducted a multicenter study in three hospitals in France. We included adult patients (≥ 18 years old) who visited the ED during the study period, with ECG performed at ED admission and diagnosed with COVID-19. Demographic, comorbidities, drug exposures, signs and symptoms presented, and outcome data were extracted from electronic medical records using a standardized data collection form. The relationship between ECG abnormalities and in-hospital mortality was assessed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: An ECG was performed on 275 patients who presented to the ED. Most of the ECGs were in normal sinus rhythm (87%), and 26 (10%) patients had atrial fibrillation/flutter on ECG at ED admission. Repolarization abnormalities represented the most common findings reported in the population (40%), with negative T waves representing 21% of all abnormalities. We found that abnormal axis (adjusted odds ratio: 3.9 [95% CI, 1.1-11.5], p = 0.02), and left bundle branch block (adjusted odds ratio: 7.1 [95% CI, 1.9-25.1], p = 0.002) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: ECG performed at ED admission may be useful to predict death in COVID-19 patients. Our data suggest that the presence of abnormal axis and left bundle branch block on ECG indicated a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients who presented to the ED. We also confirmed that ST segment elevation was rare in COVID-19 patients.

Intestinal Bacteriophage Therapy: Looking for Optimal Efficacy.

Several human intestinal microbiota studies suggest that bacteriophages, viruses infecting bacteria, play a role in gut homeostasis. Currently, bacteriophages are considered a tool to precisely engineer the intestinal microbiota, but they have also attracted considerable attention as a possible solution to fight against bacterial pathogens resistant to antibiotics. These two applications necessitate bacteriophages to reach and kill their bacterial target within the gut environment. Unfortunately, exploitable clinical data in this field are scarce. Here, we review the administration of bacteriophages to target intestinal bacteria in mammalian experimental models. While bacteriophage amplification in the gut was often confirmed, we found that in most studies, it had no significant impact on the load of the targeted bacteria. In particular, we observed that the outcome of bacteriophage treatments is linked to the behavior of the target bacteria toward each animal model. Treatment efficacy ranges from poor in asymptomatic intestinal carriage to high in intestinal disease. This broad range of efficacy underlines the difficulties to reach a consensus on the impact of bacteriophages in the gut and calls for deeper investigations of key parameters that influence the success of such interventions before launching clinical trials.

Contribution of lung ultrasound in diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in the emergency department: a prospective multicentre study.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) can help clinicians make a timely diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). OBJECTIVES: To assess if LUS can improve diagnosis and antibiotic initiation in emergency department (ED) patients with suspected CAP. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTINGS: Four EDs. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 150 patients older than 18 years with a clinical suspicion of CAP, of which 2 were subsequently excluded (incorrect identification), leaving 148 patients (70 women and 78 men, average age 72±18 years). Exclusion criteria included a life-threatening condition with do-not-resuscitate-order or patient requiring immediate intensive care. INTERVENTIONS: After routine diagnostic procedure (clinical, radiological and laboratory tests), the attending emergency physician established a clinical CAP probability according to a four-level Likert scale (definite, probable, possible and excluded). An LUS was then performed, and another CAP probability was established based on the ultrasound result. An adjudication committee composed of three independent experts established the final CAP probability at hospital discharge. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary objective was to assess concordance rate of CAP diagnostic probabilities between routine diagnosis procedure or LUS and the final probability of the adjudication committee. Secondary objectives were to assess changes in CAP probability induced by LUS, and changes in antibiotic treatment initiation. RESULTS: Overall, 27% (95% CI 20 to 35) of the routine procedure CAP classifications and 77% (95% CI 71 to 84) of the LUS CAP classifications were concordant with the adjudication committee classifications. Cohen's kappa coefficients between routine diagnosis procedure and LUS, according to adjudication committee, were 0.07 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.11) and 0.61 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.66), respectively. The modified probabilities for the diagnosis of CAP after LUS resulted in changes in antibiotic prescriptions in 32% (95% CI 25 to 40) of the cases. CONCLUSION: In our study, LUS was a powerful tool to improve CAP diagnosis in the ED, reducing diagnostic uncertainty from 73% to 14%. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03411824.