The ROX index as a predictor of standard oxygen therapy outcomes in thoracic trauma.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic trauma is commonplace and accounts for 50-70% of the injuries found in severe trauma. Little information is available in the literature as to timing of endotracheal intubation. The main objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of the ROX index in predicting successful standard oxygen (SO) therapy outcomes, and in pre-empting intubation. METHODS: Patient selection included all thoracic trauma patients treated with standard oxygen who were admitted to a Level I trauma center between January 1, 2013 and April 30, 2020. Successful standard SO outcomes were defined as non-requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation within the 7 first days after thoracic trauma. RESULTS: One hundred seventy one patients were studied, 49 of whom required endotracheal intubation for acute respiratory distress (28.6%). A ROX index score ≤ 12.85 yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.88 with a 95% CI [0.80-0.94], 81.63sensitivity, 95%CI [0.69-0.91] and 88.52 specificity, 95%CI [0.82-0.94] involving a Youden index of 0.70. Patients with a median ROX index greater than 12.85 within the initial 24 h were less likely to require mechanical ventilation within the initial 7 days of thoracic trauma. CONCLUSION: We have shown that a ROX index greater than 12.85 at 24 h was linked to successful standard oxygen therapy outcomes in critical thoracic trauma patients. It is our belief that an early low ROX index in the initial phase of trauma should heighten vigilance on the part of the attending intensivist, who has a duty to optimize management.

Optic Nerve and Perioptic Sheath Diameter (ONSD), Eyeball Transverse Diameter (ETD) and ONSD/ETD Ratio on MRI in Large Middle Cerebral Artery Infarcts: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent progress in the multidisciplinary management of large middle cerebral artery infarcts, the neurological prognosis remains worrying in a non-negligible number of cases. The objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of optic nerve and perioptic sheath measurement on MRI to the acute phase of large middle cerebral artery infarcts. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study between January 2008 and December 2019 in a single academic medical center was performed. Cases and controls were selected by interrogation of International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 10th edition, with ischemic stroke as criterion (code I64). Decompressive hemicraniectomy was a criterion for large middle cerebral artery infarcts (cases). Cases were matched with controls (1:3) based on age (± 5 years), sex, and year of hospitalization (± 2 years) The examinations were performed on 3T MRI (Siemens IRM 3T Magnetom).Optic nerve and perioptic sheath diameter was calculated using electronic calipers, 3 mm behind retina and in a perpendicular vector with reference to the orbit in axial 3D TOF sequence. RESULTS: Of 2612 patients, 22 patients met all the criteria of large middle cerebral artery infarcts and they were paired with 44 controls. Patients were mainly women, mean age of 53.6 years. There is a significant difference in the size of the optic nerve and perioptic sheath diameter measured on MRI at patient's admission (right: 5.13 ± 0.2 mm vs. 4.80 mm ± 0.18, p <0. 0001, left: 5.16 ± 0.17 vs 4.78 ± 0.20, p<0.0001). The AUC of optic nerve and perioptic sheath diameter was 0.93 (95%IC [0.85-1.00]), for a threshold at 5.03 mm, the sensitivity was 0.82 (95%IC [0.6-0.93]), specificity 0.94 (95%IC [0.85-0.98]). The Odds Ratio of large middle cerebral artery infarcts was 46.4 for optic nerve and perioptic sheath diameter the (95%IC [6.15-350.1] p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: Optic nerve and perioptic sheath diameter in the first MRI can predict the risk of developing large middle cerebral artery infarcts requiring a decompressive hemicraniectomy.

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.

Excess Soluble fms-like Tyrosine Kinase 1 Correlates With Endothelial Dysfunction and Organ Failure in Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients.

Excess soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), a soluble inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway, has been demonstrated to promote endothelial dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that sFlt-1 plasma levels correlate with respiratory symptom severity, expression of endothelial dysfunction biomarker, and incidence of organ failure in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT04394195.