Platelet transfusions in adult ICU patients with thrombocytopenia: A sub-study of the PLOT-ICU inception cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusions are frequently used in the intensive care unit (ICU), but current practices including used product types, volumes, doses and effects are unknown. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Sub-study of the inception cohort study 'Thrombocytopenia and Platelet Transfusions in the ICU (PLOT-ICU)', including acutely admitted, adult ICU patients with thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150 × 109/L). The primary outcome was the number of patients receiving platelet transfusion in ICU by product type. Secondary outcomes included platelet transfusion details, platelet increments, bleeding, other transfusions and mortality. RESULTS: Amongst 504 patients with thrombocytopenia from 43 hospitals in 10 countries in Europe and the United States, 20.8% received 565 platelet transfusions; 61.0% received pooled products, 21.9% received apheresis products and 17.1% received both with a median of 2 (interquartile range 1-4) days from admission to first transfusion. The median volume per transfusion was 253 mL (180-308 mL) and pooled products accounted for 59.1% of transfusions, however, this varied across countries. Most centres (73.8%) used fixed dosing (medians ranging from 2.0 to 3.5 × 1011 platelets/transfusion) whilst some (mainly in France) used weight-based dosing (ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 × 1011 platelets per 10 kg body weight). The median platelet count increment for a single prophylactic platelet transfusion was 2 (-1 to 8) × 109/L. Outcomes of patients with thrombocytopenia who did and did not receive platelet transfusions varied. CONCLUSIONS: Among acutely admitted, adult ICU patients with thrombocytopenia, 20.8% received platelet transfusions in ICU of whom most received pooled products, but considerable variation was observed in product type, volumes and doses across countries. Prophylactic platelet transfusions were associated with limited increases in platelet counts.

Respiratory viruses in mechanically ventilated patients: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory virome is an integral part of the human microbiome and its characterization may contribute to a better understanding of the changes that arise in the disease and, consequently, influence the approach and treatment of patients with acute lower respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of respiratory viruses in the lower airways of individuals undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation, with and without acute lower respiratory infection (respectively WRI and WORI groups). METHODS: We studied 44 mini-bronchoalveolar lavage samples (collected with a double catheter, Combicath® kit) from patients with mean age in the seventh decade, 20 from WORI group and 24 from WRI group, who were hospitalized for acute respiratory failure in Intensive Care Units of two hospitals in the Lisbon area. Real-time PCR was applied to verify analyse the presence of 15 common respiratory viruses (adenovirus, human bocavirus, influenza virus A and B, repiratory syncytial virus, human parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, 3 and 4, human enterovirus, human rhinovirus, human metapneumovirus, human coronavirus group 1 (229E, NL63) and 2 (OC43, HKU1). RESULTS: Respiratory viruses were detected in six of the 20 patients in the WORI group: influenza AH3 (n = 2), parainfluenza virus 1/3 (n = 2), human rhinovirus (n = 2), respiratory syncytial virus (n = 1) and human metapneumovirus (n = 1). In the WRI group, respiratory viruses were detected in 12 of the 24 patients: influenza AH3 (n = 3), human rhinovirus (n = 3), respiratory syncytial virus (n = 3), human metapneumovirus (n = 3), human bocavirus (n = 2) and human enterovirus (n = 1). Simultaneous detection of two viruses was recorded in two samples in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest the presence of common respiratory viruses in the lower respiratory tract without causing symptomatic infection, even in carefully collected lower samples. This may have important implications on the interpretation of the results on the diagnostic setting.