Antimicrobial strategy for severe community-acquired legionnaires' disease: a multicentre retrospective observational study.

Background: Legionnaires' disease (LD) is an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia with high mortality rates in the most severe cases. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of antimicrobial strategy on ICU mortality. Methods: Retrospective, observational study including patients admitted to 10 ICUs for severe community-acquired LD over a 10 year period (2005-15) and receiving an active therapy within 48 h of admission . Patients were stratified according to the antibiotic strategy administered: (i) fluoroquinolone-based versus non-fluoroquinolone-based therapy; and (ii) monotherapy versus combination therapy. The primary endpoint was in-ICU mortality. A multivariable Cox model and propensity score analyses were used. Results: Two hundred and eleven patients with severe LD were included. A fluoroquinolone-based and a combination therapy were administered to 159 (75%) and 123 (58%) patients, respectively. One hundred and forty-six patients (69%) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and 54 (26%) died in the ICU. In-ICU mortality was lower in the fluoroquinolone-based than in the non-fluoroquinolone-based group (21% versus 39%, P = 0.01), and in the combination therapy than in the monotherapy group (20% versus 34%, P = 0.02). In multivariable analysis, a fluoroquinolone-based therapy, but not a combination therapy, was associated with a reduced risk of mortality [HR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.89; P = 0.02]. Conclusions: Patients with severe LD receiving a fluoroquinolone-based antimicrobial regimen in the early course of management had a lower in-ICU mortality, which persisted after adjusting for significant covariates.

Pleural effusion during weaning from mechanical ventilation: a prospective observational multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion is common during invasive mechanical ventilation, but its role during weaning is unclear. We aimed at assessing the prevalence and risk factors for pleural effusion at initiation of weaning. We also assessed its impact on weaning outcomes and its evolution in patients with difficult weaning. METHODS: We performed a prospective multicenter study in five intensive care units in France. Two hundred and forty-nine patients were explored using ultrasonography. Presence of moderate-to-large pleural effusion (defined as a maximal interpleural distance ≥ 15 mm) was assessed at weaning start and during difficult weaning. RESULTS: Seventy-three (29%) patients failed weaning, including 46 (18%) who failed the first spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and 39 (16%) who failed extubation. Moderate-to-large pleural effusion was detected in 81 (33%) patients at weaning start. Moderate-to-large pleural effusion was associated with more failures of the first SBT [27 (33%) vs. 19 (11%), p < 0.001], more weaning failures [37 (47%) vs. 36 (22%), p < 0.001], less ventilator-free days at day 28 [21 (5-24) vs. 23 (16-26), p = 0.01], and a higher mortality at day 28 [14 (17%) vs. 14 (8%), p = 0.04]. The association of pleural effusion with weaning failure persisted in multivariable analysis and sensitivity analyses. Short-term (48 h) fluid balance change was not associated with the evolution of interpleural distance in patients with difficult weaning. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter observational study, pleural effusion was frequent during the weaning process and was associated with worse weaning outcomes.