Outbreak of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in an intensive care unit (Brest).

INTRODUCTION: We had for aim to describe control and investigation of an outbreak caused by a strain of Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in intensive care units of the Brest teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The case definition was a patient infected by or carrying the epidemic strain. Control measures and investigations are presented. A case-control study was conducted in the surgical intensive care unit. Each case was matched with two controls based on admission times in the unit. The study focused on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and potential contacts with healthcare workers, in this context of cross transmission. RESULTS: Between February and May 2011, nine cases were reported in the surgical ICU and two in the medical ICU. Eighteen controls were matched with the nine surgical ICU cases. Several factors were found to be statistically associated with infection or colonization by the epidemic strain: the surgical block in which patients had been operated and the ward of first hospitalization; the number of trans-esophageal and trans-thoracic echocardiographies, of central venous catheter insertions, and of surgical operations; intubation. The total number of invasive procedures was also found to be statistically higher among cases. CONCLUSION: This study identified factors associated with colonization or infection by the epidemic strain. These factors might have been involved in the transmission tree, and be vulnerable elements for the prevention of nosocomial infections and colonisations, and their epidemic spread.

[Comparison between ETCO2 values measured by the Smart Capnoline™ and the PACO2 in intubated then extubated postoperative cardiac surgery patients]. / Comparaison de la mesure de la PETCO(2) obtenue avec le Smart Capnoline™ avec la PaCO(2) en postopératoire de chirurgie cardiaque chez des patients intubés puis extubés.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the PaCO(2) with the ETCO(2) obtained with the Smart Capnoline™ in the postoperative setting of cardiac surgery during ventilation and after extubation TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective, observational. PATIENTS: Twenty patients after cardiac surgery. METHODS: In the intensive care unit, arterial blood gases were measured concomitantly with ETCO(2), and difference between PaCO(2) and ETCO(2) were calculated. Three CO(2) sensors were utilized: Filterline H set for intubated patients, Smart Capnoline HO(2) (nasal version) and Smart Capnoline O(2) (bucconasal version) after extubation. Data were compared with Wilconson test and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated. RESULTS: The difference PaCO(2) - ETCO(2) was significantly larger in extubated patients compared to intubated patients, which is also confirmed for the bucconasal sensor (intubated patients: 6.6 ± 4.3 mmHg, nasal sensor: 9.3 ± 3.5 mmHg, bucconasal sensor: 15,4 ± 12.9 mmHg). CONCLUSION: In the postoperative setting of cardiac surgery, ETCO(2) measurements allow a reliable estimation of PaCO(2) in intubated patients in contrast to measurements in extubated patients. The bucconasal CO(2) sensor does not show more reliable measurements compared to nasal sensors in the postoperative setting of cardiac surgery.

Assessment of a cardiac output device using arterial pulse waveform analysis, Vigileo, in cardiac surgery compared to pulmonary arterial thermodilution.

Many devices are available to assess cardiac output (CO) in critically ill patients and in the operating room. Classical CO monitoring via a pulmonary artery catheter involves continuous cardiac output (CCO) measurement. The second generation of Flotrac/Vigileo monitors propose an analysis of peripheral arterial pulse waves to calculate CO (APCO) without calibration. The aim of our study was to compare the CO between the Swan Ganz catheter and the VigileoT. In this observational study, nine patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were prospectively included. APCO, mean (CCO) and instantaneous CO (ICO) were measured. Perioperative and postoperative assessments were performed up to 24 hours post-surgery. Measurements were recorded every minute, resulting in the collection of 6492 data pairs. Comparison of APCO and ICO showed a limited bias of -0.1 l/min but an important percentage error of 48%. Corresponding values were -0.1 l/min and 46% for the APCO versus CCO comparison, and 0 and 17% for ICO versus CCO comparison. Large inter-individual variability does exist. During cardiac surgery and after leaving the operating room, Vigileo is not clinically equivalent to continuous thermodilution by pulmonary artery catheter Nevertheless, the connection between CCO and ICO relates the difference between APCO and CCO more to the different algorithms used. Further efforts should be concentrated on assessing the ability of this device to track changes in cardiac output.

[Refractory hypoxemia treated early by HFO in a severe traumatic brain injury patient]. / Hypoxémie réfractaire traitée précocement par HFO chez un patient traumatisé crânien grave.

A 23-year-old man without previous medical history, was transferred to our surgical intensive care unit for management of a traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Score of 3 on admission). He rapidly presented a refractory hypoxaemia essentially due to posterior alveolar collapse. Severe hypoxaemia and hypercarboxaemia didn't respond to conventional ventilation and complicated the management of the brain injury and the control of intracranial pressure. The introduction of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation permitted a respiratory improvement in 48 hours and a good neurological outcome.

[Metabolic acidosis after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass revisited with the use of the Stewart acid-base approach]. / Evaluation de la théorie de Stewart lors de l'acidose métabolique survenant après chirurgie cardiaque sous circulation extracorporelle.

INTRODUCTION: According to the Stewart approach of acid-base regulation, chloride from either volume replacement or cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) priming solution may induce metabolic acidosis. The alternative hypothesis stands in volume dilution with solutions free of bicarbonate. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the acid-base status of patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB priming containing chloride and bicarbonate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were prospectively included. Priming of CPB contained 47.4 mmol/l of bicarbonate and 97.7 mmol/l of chloride. Arterial blood samples were taken at 3 timings: prior (T1) and after (T2) CPB, and on arrival in the ICU (T3). Following measurements were performed: Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), Mg(++), Ca(++), phosphates, albumin, lactate and arterial blood gases. RESULTS: After CPB respiratory acidosis was observed. There was a significant increase of chloride with a decrease in apparent strong ion difference (SIDa). At the same time bicarbonate and base excess (BE) remained constant. A significant but weak correlation between BE and SIDa existed (r(2) = 0.06, p=0.024). On the contrary, no correlation was found between variations of BE and SIDa. However, the correlation was stronger between values and variations of bicarbonate and BE (respectively r(2)=0.605, p<0.0001 and r(2)=0.495, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: No metabolic acidosis occurred after cardiac surgery when CPB was primed with bicarbonate. Therefore, it appears that chloride administration is not the main mechanism being involved in the acid-base regulation. This reinforces the hypothesis that metabolic acidosis during CPB may mainly be due to dilution of bicarbonate.

Cardiac output measurements in off-pump coronary surgery: comparison between NICO and the Swan-Ganz catheter.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective study was to compare continuous cardiac output measurements of the non-invasive cardiac output system (NICO) with the pulmonary artery catheter during off-pump coronary bypass surgery. METHODS: Twenty-two patients enrolled for off-pump coronary surgery received both a pulmonary artery catheter and a non-invasive cardiac output system for measurement of cardiac output. Data were compared by the Bland-Altman method to calculate the degree of agreement and to analyse if a significant difference existed between the two methods of cardiac output measurements. RESULTS: Perioperatively, the non-invasive cardiac output underestimated cardiac output, but postoperatively overestimated it. The limits of agreement were larger during surgery compared to the postoperative period (-3.1; +2.5 vs. -1.4; +2.2 L min(-1)). Perioperatively, cardiac output measured with the pulmonary artery catheter varied from 0.5 to 7.5 L min(-1) (mean 3.6 L min(-1)) and with the non-invasive cardiac output from 0.5 to 8.4 L min(-1) (mean 3.9 L min(-1)). Postoperatively, these were 2.5-7.7 L min(-1) (mean 4.5 L min(-1)) and 2.3-8.4 L min(-1) (mean 4.9 L min(-1)), respectively. CONCLUSION: During off-pump cardiac surgery, the non-invasive cardiac output reliably measures cardiac output and does it more rapidly than a pulmonary artery catheter and may be more useful in order to detect rapid haemodynamic changes.

Is muscle relaxant necessary for cardiac surgery?

The need for continuous and complete paralysis during the entire cardiac surgery has not yet been investigated and is still controversial. In a series of 87 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, we studied the delay of recovery, incidence of residual paralysis, unwanted patient movement, and difficult surgical conditions after a single dose of atracurium (0.5 mg/kg) or cisatracurium (0.15 mg/kg). Anesthesia was induced with etomidate and remifentanil followed by tracheal intubation. The delay to obtain a train-of-four ratio of >0.9 was longer with cisatracurium than with atracurium (86 +/- 18 versus 97 +/- 19 min). However, at the end of surgery, this ratio was >0.9 for all patients. The presence of unwanted patient movement, diaphragmatic contractions, and difficult surgical conditions were observed. Delay of extubation of the trachea was similar in both groups. We conclude that there is no need for continuous neuromuscular blockade during cardiac surgery. A single dose of either atracurium or cisatracurium is sufficient to provide efficient paralysis from the start of induction leading to quicker recovery from paralysis in fast-track cardiac surgery.

[Peripheral neurologic complications of brachial plexus blocks]. / Complications neurologiques périphériques des blocs du plexus brachial.

Nerve injury can arise as a complication of peripheral nerve block anesthesia. From the review of the literature remain three factors which alone or in combination, are of special etiologic interest: nerve lesion due to the needle or intraneural injection; toxic effects of the agent injected overall when epinephrine is used; ischemic trauma. The symptoms of such nerve lesions vary from light paresthesia to painful dysesthesia and motor weakness or paralysis. The clinical analysis of these complications does not differ from that in other neurological patients, but must be realized effectively and immediately for avoiding a lawsuit. These postanesthetic neuropathies may benefit from specific treatment or even surgical exploration and external neurolysis. The block should be handled with care: rough paresthesia seeking and intraneural injections should be avoided; short bevel needles and plane solutions should be preferred.