Effect of noninvasive ventilation on mortality and clinical outcomes among patients with severe hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia after high-flow nasal oxygen failure: a multicenter retrospective French cohort with propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the effect of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on mortality and length of stay after high flow nasal oxygenation (HFNO) failure among patients with severe hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: In this multicenter, retrospective study, we enrolled COVID-19 patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) for severe COVID-19 pneumonia with a HFNO failure from December 2020 to January 2022. The primary outcome was to compare the 90-day mortality between patients who required a straight intubation after HFNO failure and patients who received NIV after HFNO failure. Secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital length of stay. A propensity score analysis was performed to control for confounding factors between groups. Exploratory outcomes included a subgroup analysis for 90-day mortality. RESULTS: We included 461 patients with HFNO failure in the analysis, 233 patients in the straight intubation group and 228 in the NIV group. The 90-day mortality did not significantly differ between groups, 58/228 (25.4%) int the NIV group compared with 59/233 (25.3%) in the straight intubation group, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) after propensity score weighting of 0.82 [95%CI, 0.50-1.35] (p = 0.434). ICU length of stay was significantly shorter in the NIV group compared to the straight intubation group, 10.0 days [IQR, 7.0-19.8] versus 18.0 days [IQR,11.0-31.0] with a propensity score weighted HR of 1.77 [95%CI, 1.29-2.43] (p < 0.001). A subgroup analysis showed a significant increase in mortality rate for intubated patients in the NIV group with 56/122 (45.9%), compared to 59/233 (25.3%) for patients in the straight intubation group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In severely hypoxemic COVID-19 patients, no significant differences were observed on 90-day mortality between patients receiving straight intubation and those receiving NIV after HFNO failure. NIV strategy was associated with a significant reduction in ICU length of stay, despite an increase in mortality in the subgroup of patients finally intubated.

Use of BRASS in sedated critically-ill patients as a predictable mortality factor: BRASS-ICU.

Objectives: To demonstrate that a BRASS score≥ 3 at admission of intubated, ventilated and sedated patients is predictive of mortalityMethods: we have realized an Observational prospective multicenter study.All Major patients without neurological history, admitted to ICU for a non-neurological cause, sedated and admitted under mechanical ventilation were included.Results: One hundred and ten patients were included, the BRASS score as well as the FOUR and RASS scores were collected.At day 28, patients with a BRASS score ≥ 3 had an excess mortality (OR 3.29 - CI 95% [1.42-7.63], p = 0.005) as well as day 90 (OR 2.65 - CI 95% [1.19-5.88], p = 0.02), without impact on the delirium measured by CAM-ICU (OR 1.8 - CI 95% [0.68-4.77], p = 0.023). After adjustment with SAPS II, FOUR and RASS, difference in mortality was not any more different.It is also noted that patients with BRASS ≥ 3 are more sedated (RASS: -5 [-5 - -5] vs -4 [-5 - -3], p < 0.0001) and more comatose (FOUR: 2 [1-4] vs 6 [4-9], p < 0.0001), and have higher doses of midazolam (10 mg/h [5-15] vs 7.5 mg/h [5-10], p = 0.02) and sufentanil (20 µg/h [15-22.5] vs 10 [10-12.5], p = 0.01).Conclusions: The early alteration of brainstem reflexes measured by the BRASS score was not independently predictable in terms of mortality in the non-neurological ICU patients, admitted under sedation and mechanical ventilation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03835091,Registered 8 February 2019 - prospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03835091.

Quantifying risk of disease due to extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae in patients who are colonized at ICU admission.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) has globally increased and spread to the community. No clinical score is available to select carriers in whom these organisms can be empirically targeted at ICU admission. METHODS: We prospectively assessed between 2009 and 2017 the prevalence of ESBL-PE infection in carriers at ICU admission. A logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors associated with ESBL-PE infection, and to build a clinical risk score. RESULTS: Of the 8,061 admissions over the study 7-year period, 745 (9%) patients were ESBL-PE carriers at admission, of whom 395 had infections at ICU admission including 59 (15%) who had culture-proven ESBL-PE related infection. By multivariable analysis, age >60 years, cirrhosis, being on broad-spectrum antibiotics within the past three months, urinary or intra-abdominal source of infection, and the absence of chronic pulmonary disease, were the five independent factors associated with ESBL-PE infection in carriers. A clinical risk score ranging from 0 to 7 was built based on these variables, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.78-0.86); p <0.001. The prevalence of ESBL-PE infection for clinical risk scores of 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, or 6-7 was 0%, 4%, 26%, and 49%, respectively. The negative predictive value when Mondor ESBL risk score is <4 was 97%. CONCLUSION: ESBL-PE related infection was not common in carriers at ICU admission. A clinical risk score may spare ESBL-PE carriers with lower risk of ESBL-PE infection at ICU admission unnecessary empiric carbapenem therapy.

A comparison between intravascular and traditional cooling for inducing and maintaining temperature control in patients following cardiac arrest.

Therapeutic temperature control has been widely used during the last decade to improve clinical outcomes. We conducted this retrospective observational study to compare traditional cooling with endovascular cooling in post-cardiac arrest comatose survivors and to compare results with current guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients admitted to our ICU for cardiac arrest and for whom temperature control was performed were included. Traditional cooling included cold infusions, ice packs and cooling blankets. Endovascular cooling consisted in the insertion of a catheter in which cold fluid circulates in a closed circuit provided by a heat exchanger. Temperature control was started at a target temperature of 32°C to 34°C. Rewarming was performed passively in the traditional group and via computer-assistance in endovascular group. We evaluated the delay prior to and speed of cooling, thermic stability during the maintenance phase and the speed of rewarming. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included. The speed of cooling was faster with the endovascular (-0.66±0.35°C/h) compared to the traditional (-0.35±0.38°C/h, P=0.006) technique, with target temperatures reached in 4.0 and 6.0h, respectively (P=0.14). Temperatures were more stable with the endovascular technique (0.03±0.05°C2) than with the traditional technique (0.26±0.16°C2, P<10-4). There were more deviations from the guideline target range in the traditional group (64.7% versus 17.6%, P=0.008). Rewarming was faster in the traditional group (+0.64±0.33°C/h, versus +0.36±0.12°C/h, P=0.01). No significant difference was found concerning mortality or length of stay in the ICU. CONCLUSION: Temperature control with a cooling catheter was associated with faster cooling, improved thermic stability in the target range, less overcooling or overheating and slower rewarming in comparison with traditional techniques.

Aspergillus-positive lower respiratory tract samples in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome: a 10-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The detection of Aspergillus spp. in endotracheal aspirate cultures of mechanically ventilated patients may reflect either colonization or infection. However, little is known about the prevalence and the impact on outcome of respiratory tract sample positive for Aspergillus during the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: We conducted a monocentric, retrospective study over a 10-year period (January 2006-December 2015) in the ICU of a university hospital. All consecutive adult patients with ARDS were included, and the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was assessed using a previously validated algorithm. RESULTS: In total, 423 ARDS patients were included with 35 patients [8.3 %, 95 % CI (5.4-10.6)] having at least one respiratory tract sample positive for Aspergillus (Aspergillus(+) patients) after a median delay of 3 days (1-11) following ICU admission. Comorbidities did not differ between Aspergillus(+) and Aspergillus(-) patients except for more frequent immunosuppression in Aspergillus(+) patients (40 vs. 22 %; p = 0.02). There was no difference between Aspergillus(-) and Aspergillus(+) patients regarding in-ICU mortality, ventilator-free days at day 28, and incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, but need for renal replacement therapy was higher in Aspergillus(+) patients than in others (49 vs. 27 %; p = 0.01). Seventeen [4.0 %, 95 % CI (2.1-5.9)] patients had putative/proven aspergillosis. After adjusting on covariates associated with ICU mortality, putative/proven aspergillosis was associated with in-ICU mortality [aOR = 9.58 (1.97-46.52); p = 0.005], while Aspergillus colonization was not [aOR = 0.64 (0.21-1.99); p = 0.44]. CONCLUSIONS: Eight percent of ARDS patients had Aspergillus spp.-positive respiratory tract cultures. These had a higher risk of mortality only when categorized as having putative or proven invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.