Critical care beyond organ support: the importance of geriatric rehabilitation.

Very old critically ill patients pose a growing challenge for intensive care. Critical illness and the burden of treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to a long-lasting decline of functional and cognitive abilities, especially in very old patients. Multi-complexity and increased vulnerability to stress in these patients may lead to new and worsening disabilities, requiring careful assessment, prevention and rehabilitation. The potential for rehabilitation, which is crucial for optimal functional outcomes, requires a systematic, multi-disciplinary approach and careful long-term planning during and following ICU care. We describe this process and provide recommendations and checklists for comprehensive and timely assessments in the context of transitioning patients from ICU to post-ICU and acute hospital care, and review the barriers to the provision of good functional outcomes.

Severe asthma exacerbation: Changes in patient characteristics, management, and outcomes from 1997 to 2016 in 40 ICUs in the greater Paris area.

Background: Despite advances in asthma treatments, severe asthma exacerbation (SAE) remains a life-threatening condition in adults, and there is a lack of data derived from adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for SAE. The current study investigated changes in adult patient characteristics, management, and outcomes of SAE over a 20-year period in 40 ICUs in the greater Paris area. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, admissions to 40 ICUs in the greater Paris area for SAE from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2016 were analyzed. The primary outcome was the proportion of ICU admissions for SAE during 5-year periods. Secondary outcomes were ICU and hospital mortality, and the use of mechanical ventilation and catecholamine. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess factors associated with ICU mortality. Results: A total of 7049 admissions for SAE were recorded. For each 5-year period, the proportion decreased over time, with SAE accounting for 2.84% of total ICU admissions (n=2841) between 1997 and 2001, 1.76% (n=1717) between 2002 and 2006, 1.05% (n=965) between 2007 and 2011, and 1.05% (n=1526) between 2012 and 2016. The median age was 46 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 32-59 years), 55.41% were female, the median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was 20 (IQR: 13-28), and 19.76% had mechanical ventilation. The use of mechanical ventilation remained infrequent throughout the 20-year period, whereas the use of catecholamine decreased. ICU and hospital mortality rates decreased. Factors associated with ICU mortality were renal replacement therapy, catecholamine, cardiac arrest, pneumothorax, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Non-survivors were older, had more severe symptoms, and were more likely to have received IMV. Conclusion: ICU admission for SAE remains uncommon, and the proportion of cases decreased over time. Despite a slight increase in symptom severity during a 20-year period, ICU and hospital mortality decreased. Patients requiring IMV had a higher mortality rate.

The association of premorbid conditions with 6-month mortality in acutely admitted ICU patients over 80 years.

BACKGROUND: Premorbid conditions influence the outcome of acutely ill adult patients aged 80 years and over who are admitted to the ICU. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of such premorbid conditions on 6 month survival. METHODS: Prospective cohort study in 242 ICUs from 22 countries including patients 80 years or above, admitted over a 6 months period to an ICU between May 2018 and May 2019. Only emergency (acute) ICU admissions in adult patients ≥ 80 years of age were eligible. Patients who were admitted after planned/elective surgery were excluded. We measured the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE), disability with the Katz activities of daily living (ADL) score, comorbidities and a Polypharmacy Score (CPS). RESULTS: Overall, the VIP2 study included 3920 patients. During ICU stay 1191 patients died (30.9%), and another 436 patients (11.1%) died after ICU discharge but within the first 30 days of admission, and an additional 895 patients died hereafter but within the first 6 months after admission (22.8%). The 6 months mortality was 64%. The median CFS was 4 (IQR 3-6). Frailty (CFS ≥ 5) was present in 26.6%. Cognitive decline (IQCODE above 3.5) was found in 30.2%. The median IQCODE was 3.19. A Katz ADL of 4 or less was present in 27.7%. Patients who surviving > 6 months were slightly younger (median age survivors 84 with IQR 81-86) than patients dying within the first 6 months (median age 84, IQR 82-87, p = 0.013), were less frequently frail (CFS > 5 in 19% versus 34%, p < 0.01) and were less dependent based on their Katz activities of daily living measurement (median Katz score 6, IQR 5-6 versus 6 points, IQR 3-6, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found that Clinical Frailty Scale, age, and SOFA at admission were independent prognostic factors for 6 month mortality after ICU admission in patients age 80 and above. Adding other geriatric syndromes and scores did not improve the model. This information can be used in shared-decision making. CLINICALTRIALS: gov: NCT03370692.

30-day mortality among very old patients admitted to European intensive care units for major trauma.

INTRODUCTION: Cases of major trauma in the very old (over 80 years) are increasingly common in the intensive care unit. Predicting outcome is challenging in this group of patients as chronological age is a poor marker of health and poor predictor of outcome. Increasingly, decisions are guided with the use of organ dysfunction scores of both the acute condition (e.g. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score) and chronic health issues (e.g. clinical frailty scale, (CFS)). Recent work suggests that increased CFS is associated with a worse outcome in elderly major trauma patients. We aimed to test whether this association held true in the very old (over 80) or whether SOFA had a stronger association with 30-day outcome. METHODS: Data from the VIP-1 and VIP-2 studies for patients over 80 years old with major trauma admissions were merged. These participants were recruited from 20 countries across Europe. Baseline characteristics, level of care provided and outcome (ICU and 30-day mortality) were summarised. Uni- and multi- variable regression analysis were undertaken to determine associations between CFS and SOFA score in the first 24-hours, type of major trauma and outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 8062 acute patients recruited to the two VIP studies, 498 patients were admitted to intensive care because of major trauma. Median age was 84 years; median SOFA score was 6 (IQR 3,9) and median CFS was 3 (IQR 2,5). Survival to 30-days was 54%. Median and inter-quartile range of CFS was the same in survivors and non-survivors. In the logistic regression analysis, CFS was not associated with increased mortality. SOFA score (p<0.001) and trauma with head injury (p<0.01) were associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Major trauma admissions in the very old are not uncommon and 30-day mortality is high. We found that CFS was not a helpful predictor of mortality. SOFA and trauma with head injury were associated with worse outcomes in this patient group.

Prediction of esophagogastroduodenoscopy therapeutic usefulness for in-ICU suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding: the SUGIBI score study.

BACKGROUND: Suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding (SUGIB) is a common issue during ICU stay. In the absence of specific guidelines on the indication and timing of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), there is substantial variability in EGD indication depending on accessibility and clinical presentation. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with the need for per-EGD hemostatic therapy and to create a score predicting therapeutic benefit of emergency bedside EGD in ICU patients with SUGIB. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in our ICU to identify factors associated with the need for hemostatic procedure during EGD performed for SUGIB. From this observational cohort, we derived a score predicting the need for hemostasis during EGD, the SUGIBI score. This score was subsequently validated in a retrospective multicenter cohort. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-five patients not primarily admitted for GI bleeding who underwent a bedside EGD for SUGIB during their ICU stay were analyzed. The preeminent EGD indication were anemia (79%), melena (19%), shock (14%), and hematemesis (13%). EGD was normal in 24.7% of cases, while primary lesions reported were ulcers (23.1%), esophagitis (18.8%), and gastritis (12.5%). Only 12.9% of patients underwent hemostatic endotherapy during EGD. A SUGIBI score < 4 had a negative predictive value of 95% (91-99) for hemostatic endotherapy [AUC of 0.81; 0.75-0.91 (p < 0.0001)]. The SUGIBI score for predicting the need for an EGD-guided hemostatic procedure was next validated in a multicenter cohort with an AUC of 0.75 (0.66-0.85) (p < 0.0001), a score < 4 having a negative predictive value of 95% (92-97). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the therapeutic usefulness of bedside emergency EGD for SUGIB in critically ill patients is limited to a minority of patients. The SUGIBI score should help clinicians stratify the probability of a therapeutic EGD.

Albumin versus saline infusion for sepsis-related peripheral tissue hypoperfusion: a proof-of-concept prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Albumin has potential endothelial protective effects through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of albumin on peripheral tissue perfusion in human sepsis remains poorly known. METHODS: Bi-centric prospective study included patients with sepsis with or without shock and prolonged CRT > 3 s despite initial resuscitation. Clinicians in charge of the patients were free to infuse either saline 500 mL or human serum albumin 20% 100 mL over 15 min. Global hemodynamic parameters as well as peripheral tissue perfusion were analyzed after 1 (H1) and 4 h (H4). The primary endpoint was CRT normalization (< 3 s) at H1. RESULTS: 62 patients were screened, and 50 patients (13 sepsis and 37 septic shock) were included, 21 in the saline group and 29 in the albumin group. SOFA score was 8 [5-11], and SAPS II was 53 [45-70]. Median age was 68 [60-76] years with a higher proportion of men (74%). The primary sources of infection were respiratory (54%) and abdominal (24%). At baseline, comorbidities, clinical and biological characteristics were similar between groups. At H1, CRT normalization (< 3 s) was more frequent in patients receiving albumin as compared to patients treated by saline (63 vs 29%, P = 0.02). The decrease in fingertip CRT was more important in the albumin group when compared to saline group (- 1.0 [- 0.3; - 1.5] vs - 0.2 [- 0.1; - 1.1] seconds, P = 0.04) as well as decrease in mottling score. At H4, beneficial effects of albumin on peripheral tissue perfusion were maintained and urinary output trended to be higher in the albumin group (1.1 [0.5-1.8] vs 0.7 [0.5-0.9] ml/kg/h, P = 0.08). Finally, arterial lactate level did not significantly change between H0 and H4 in the saline group but significantly decreased in the albumin group (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In patients with resuscitated sepsis, albumin infusion might lead to greater improvement of tissue hypoperfusion compared to saline. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT05094856.

The trajectory of very old critically ill patients.

The demographic shift, together with financial constraint, justify a re-evaluation of the trajectory of care of very old critically ill patients (VIP), defined as older than 80 years. We must avoid over- as well as under-utilisation of critical care interventions in this patient group and ensure the inclusion of health care professionals, the patient and their caregivers in the decision process. This new integrative approach mobilises expertise at each step of the process beginning prior to intensive care unit (ICU) admission and extending to long-term follow-up. In this review, several international experts have contributed to provide recommendations that can be universally applied. Our aim is to define a minimum core dataset of information to be shared and discussed prior to ICU admission and to facilitate the shared-decision-making process with the patient and their caregivers, throughout the patient journey. Documentation of uncertainty may contribute to a tailored level of care and ultimately to discussions around possible limitations of life sustaining treatments. The goal of ICU care is not only to avoid death, but more importantly to maintain an acceptable quality of life and functional autonomy after hospital discharge. Societal consideration is important to highlight, together with alternatives to ICU admission. We discuss challenges for the future and potential areas of research. In summary, this review provides a state-of-the-art current overview and aims to outline future directions to address the challenges in the treatment of VIP.

Corticosteroids induce an early but limited decrease in IL-6 dependent pro-inflammatory responses in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids have become standard of care for COVID-19 but their effect on the systemic immune-inflammatory response has been little investigated. METHODS: Multicenter prospective cohort, including critically ill COVID-19 patients between March and November 2020. C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocyte count and fibrinogen levels were collected upon hospital admission before initiation of steroid treatment and at ICU admission, three days and seven days later, along with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasma levels. RESULTS: A hundred and fifty patients were included, 47 received corticosteroids, 103 did not. Median age was 62 [53-70], and 96 (65%) patients were mechanically ventilated. Propensity score matching rendered 45 well-balanced pairs of treated and non-treated patients, particularly on pre-treatment CRP levels. Using a mixed model, CRP (P=0.019), fibrinogen (P=0.003) and lymphocyte counts (P=0.006) remained lower in treated patients over ICU stay. Conversely, there was no significant difference over the ICU stay for Il-6 (P=0.146) and IL-10 (0.301), while TNF- α levels were higher in the treated group (P=0.013). Among corticosteroid-treated patients, CRP (P=0.012), fibrinogen (P=0.041) and lymphocyte count (P=0.004) over time were associated with outcome, whereas plasma cytokine levels were not. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid treatment was associated with an early and sustained decrease in the downstream IL-6-dependent inflammatory signature but an increase in TNF-α levels. In corticosteroid-treated patients, CRP and lymphocyte count were associated with outcome, conversely to plasma cytokine levels. Further research on using these biomarker's kinetics to individualize immunomodulatory treatments is warranted.

Epidemiology and Clinical Patterns of Lung Abscesses in ICU: A French Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Data are scarce regarding epidemiology and management of critically ill patients with lung abscesses. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the clinical and microbiological characteristics of critically ill patients with lung abscesses, how are they managed in the ICU, and what are the risk factors of in-ICU mortality? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational multicenter study, based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes, between 2015 and 2022 in France. In-ICU mortality-associated factors were determined by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We analyzed 171 ICU patients with pulmonary abscesses. Seventy-eight percent were male, with a mean age of 56.5 ± 16.4 years; 20.4% misused alcohol, 25.2% had a chronic lung disease (14% COPD), and 20.5% had a history of cancer. Overall, 40.9% were immunocompromised and 38% qualified for nosocomial infection. Presenting symptoms included fatigue or weight loss in 62%, fever (50.3%), and dyspnea (47.4%). Hemoptysis was reported in 21.7%. A polymicrobial infection was present in 35.6%. The most frequent pathogens were Enterobacteriaceae in 31%, Staphylococcus aureus in 22%, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 19.3%. Fungal infections were found in 10.5%. Several clusters of clinicoradiologic patterns were associated with specific microbiological documentation and could guide empiric antibiotic regimen. Percutaneous abscess drainage was performed in 11.7%; surgery was performed in 12.7%, and 12% required bronchial artery embolization for hemoptysis. In-ICU mortality was 21.5%, and age (OR: 1.05 [1.02-1.91], P = .007], renal replacement therapy during ICU stay (OR, 3.56 [1.24-10.57], P = .019), and fungal infection (OR, 9.12 [2.69-34.5], P = .0006) were independent predictors of mortality after multivariate logistic regression, and drainage or surgery were not. INTERPRETATION: Pulmonary abscesses in the ICU are a rare but severe disease often resulting from a polymicrobial infection, with a high proportion of Enterobacteriaceae, S aureus, and P aeruginosa. Percutaneous drainage, surgery, or arterial embolization was required in more than one-third of cases. Further prospective studies focusing on first-line antimicrobial therapy and source control procedure are warranted to improve and standardize patient management.

National ICU Registries as Enablers of Clinical Research and Quality Improvement.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical quality registries (CQRs) have been implemented worldwide by several medical specialties aiming to generate a better characterization of epidemiology, treatments, and outcomes of patients. National ICU registries were created almost 3 decades ago to improve the understanding of case-mix, resource use, and outcomes of critically ill patients. This narrative review describes the challenges, proposed solutions, and evidence generated by National ICU registries as facilitators for research and quality improvement. DATA SOURCES: English language articles were identified in PubMed using phrases related to ICU registries, CQRs, outcomes, and case-mix. STUDY SELECTION: Original research, review articles, letters, and commentaries, were considered. DATA EXTRACTION: Data from relevant literature were identified, reviewed, and integrated into a concise narrative review. DATA SYNTHESIS: CQRs have been implemented worldwide by several medical specialties aiming to generate a better characterization of epidemiology, treatments, and outcomes of patients. National ICU registries were created almost 3 decades ago to improve the understanding of case-mix, resource use, and outcomes of critically ill patients. The initial experience in European countries and in Oceania ensured that through locally generated data, ICUs could assess their performances by using risk-adjusted measures and compare their results through fair and validated benchmarking metrics with other ICUs contributing to the CQR. The accomplishment of these initiatives, coupled with the increasing adoption of information technology, resulted in a broad geographic expansion of CQRs as well as their use in quality improvement studies, clinical trials as well as international comparisons, and benchmarking for ICUs. CONCLUSIONS: ICU registries have provided increased knowledge of case-mix and outcomes of ICU patients based on real-world data and contributed to improve care delivery through quality improvement initiatives and trials. Recent increases in adoption of new technologies (i.e., cloud-based structures, artificial intelligence, machine learning) will ensure a broader and better use of data for epidemiology, healthcare policies, quality improvement, and clinical trials.

Prospective evaluation of bleeding risk among thrombocytopenic patients admitted in intensive care unit.

PURPOSE: Bleeding risk evaluation of thrombocytopenic patients admitted in ICU has been poorly investigated. METHODS: A prospective observational study conducted in an 18-bed medical ICU. Consecutive patients with thrombocytopenia (<150 Giga/L) and no bleeding at admission were included. RESULTS: Over one year, 91 patients were included, mainly men (63%), with an age of 61 [46-68] years and a SOFA score of 6 [3-8]. Twenty-three patients (25%) had an hemorrhagic event during ICU stay, mainly digestive (n = 9; 39%) and urological (n = 6; 26%). The time between ICU admission and bleeding was 8 [2-19] days. Almost half of bleeding events required vasopressor infusion and a hemostatic procedure. At admission, two variables were significantly different between the Bleeding and No-Bleeding groups: plasma urea level was significantly higher in the Bleeding group (9 [5.1; 13] vs. 13 [8.9; 31] mmol/L; p < 0.001) and the presence of skin purpura was associated with a 3-fold higher risk for bleeding during ICU stay (HR: 3.4 [1.3-8.3]; p < 0.05). In contrast, admission platelet count was not significantly different between the 2 groups (90 [32; 128] vs 62 [36; 103] G/L; p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Plasma urea levels and the presence of skin purpura are helpful in identifying thrombocytopenic patients at high-risk of bleeding during ICU stay.

Frailty's influence on 30-day mortality in old critically ill ICU patients: a bayesian analysis evaluating the clinical frailty scale.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is widely acknowledged as influencing health outcomes among critically ill old patients. Yet, the traditional understanding of its impact has predominantly been through frequentist statistics. We endeavored to explore this association using Bayesian statistics aiming to provide a more nuanced understanding of this multifaceted relationship. METHODS: Our analysis incorporated a cohort of 10,363 older (median age 82 years) patients from three international prospective studies, with 30-day all-cause mortality as the primary outcome. We defined frailty as Clinical Frailty Scale ≥ 5. A hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression model was employed, adjusting for covariables, using a range of priors. An international steering committee of registry members reached a consensus on a minimal clinically important difference (MCID). RESULTS: In our study, the 30-day mortality was 43%, with rates of 38% in non-frail and 51% in frail groups. Post-adjustment, the median odds ratio (OR) for frailty was 1.60 (95% CI 1.45-1.76). Frailty was invariably linked to adverse outcomes (OR > 1) with 100% probability and had a 90% chance of exceeding the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (OR > 1.5). For the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) as a continuous variable, the median OR was 1.19 (1.16-1.22), with over 99% probability of the effect being more significant than 1.5 times the MCID. Frailty remained outside the region of practical equivalence (ROPE) in all analyses, underscoring its clinical importance regardless of how it is measured. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates the significant impact of frailty on short-term mortality in critically ill elderly patients, particularly when the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is used as a continuous measure. This approach, which views frailty as a spectrum, enables more effective, personalized care for this vulnerable group. Significantly, frailty was consistently outside the region of practical equivalence (ROPE) in our analysis, highlighting its clinical importance.

Limiting life-sustaining treatment for very old ICU patients: cultural challenges and diverse practices.

BACKGROUND: Decisions about life-sustaining therapy (LST) in the intensive care unit (ICU) depend on predictions of survival as well as the expected functional capacity and self-perceived quality of life after discharge, especially in very old patients. However, prognostication for individual patients in this cohort is hampered by substantial uncertainty which can lead to a large variability of opinions and, eventually, decisions about LST. Moreover, decision-making processes are often embedded in a framework of ethical and legal recommendations which may vary between countries resulting in divergent management strategies. METHODS: Based on a vignette scenario of a multi-morbid 87-year-old patient, this article illustrates the spectrum of opinions about LST among intensivsts with a special interest in very old patients, from ten countries/regions, representing diverse cultures and healthcare systems. RESULTS: This survey of expert opinions and national recommendations demonstrates shared principles in the management of very old ICU patients. Some guidelines also acknowledge cultural differences between population groups. Although consensus with families should be sought, shared decision-making is not formally required or practised in all countries. CONCLUSIONS: This article shows similarities and differences in the decision-making for LST in very old ICU patients and recommends strategies to deal with prognostic uncertainty. Conflicts should be anticipated in situations where stakeholders have different cultural beliefs. There is a need for more collaborative research and training in this field.

Permissive Hypotension Has No Deleterious Impact on Fluid Balance or Kidney Function.

OBJECTIVES: Mean arterial hypotension between 55 and 65 mm Hg could be tolerated safely in the absence of tissue hypoperfusion, but the consequences on fluid balance and kidney function remain unknown. DESIGN: During a 1-year period, we retrospectively collected data of consecutive septic patients admitted for sepsis with a mean arterial pressure (MAP) less than 65 mm Hg despite fluid resuscitation. SETTING: Medical 18-bed ICU in a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Septic patients with a MAP less than 65 mm Hg despite initial resuscitation. INTERVENTIONS: In our ICU, MAP between 55 and 65 mm Hg was tolerated in the absence of peripheral hypoperfusion (permissive hypotension) or corrected using norepinephrine (septic shock group) when peripheral tissue hypoperfusion was present. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-four consecutive septic patients were included, 15 in the permissive hypotension group and 79 in the septic shock group. Median age was 66 years (57-77 yr) and 42% were women. The main sources of infection were respiratory (45%) and abdominal (18%). Severity was more important in septic shock group with higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (7 [5-10] vs. 4 [1-6]; p < 0.0001), more frequent organ support therapy and ultimately higher mortality (38 vs. 0%; p < 0.01). The total volume of crystalloids infused before ICU admission was not different between groups (1930 ± 250 vs. 1850 ± 150 mL; p = 0.40). Within the 6 first hours of ICU stay, patients in the permissive hypotension group received less fluids (530 ± 170 vs. 1100 ± 110 mL; p = 0.03) and had higher urinary output (1.4 mL [0.88-2.34 mL] vs. 0.47 mL/kg/hr [0.08-1.25 mL/kg/hr]; p < 0.001). In addition, kidney injury evaluated using KDIGO score was lower in the permissive hypotension group at 48 hours (0 hr [0-1 hr] vs. 1 hr [0-2 hr]; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In septic patients without clinical peripheral hypoperfusion, mean arterial hypotension between 55 and 65 mm Hg could be tolerated safely without vasopressor infusion and was not associated with excessive fluid administration or kidney damage.

Validity of the total SOFA score in patients ≥ 80 years old acutely admitted to intensive care units: a post-hoc analysis of the VIP2 prospective, international cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the performance of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in older critically ill adults. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of physiological disturbances in the six organ systems included in the SOFA score. METHODS: We analysed previously collected data from a prospective cohort study conducted between 2018 and 2019 in 22 countries. Consecutive patients ≥ 80 years old acutely admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) were eligible for inclusion. Patients were followed up for 30 days after admission to the ICU. We used logistic regression to study the association between increasing severity of organ dysfunction and mortality. RESULTS: The median SOFA score among 3882 analysed patients was equal to 6 (IQR: 4-9). Mortality was equal to 26.1% (95% CI 24.7-27.5%) in the ICU and 38.7% (95% CI 37.1-40.2%) at day 30. Organ failure defined as a SOFA score ≥ 3 was associated with variable adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for ICU mortality dependant on the organ system affected: respiratory, 1.53 (95% CI 1.29-1.81); cardiovascular 1.69 (95% CI 1.43-2.01); hepatic, 1.74 (95% CI 0.97-3.15); renal, 1.87 (95% CI 1.48-2.35); central nervous system, 2.79 (95% CI 2.34-3.33); coagulation, 2.72 (95% CI 1.66-4.48). Modelling consecutive levels of organ dysfunction resulted in aORs equal to 0.57 (95% CI 0.33-1.00) when patients scored 2 points in the cardiovascular system and 1.01 (0.79-1.30) when the cardiovascular SOFA equalled 3. CONCLUSIONS: Different components of the SOFA score have different prognostic implications for older critically ill adults. The cardiovascular component of the SOFA score requires revision.

Sonometric assessment of cough predicts extubation failure: SonoWean-a proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Extubation failure is associated with increased mortality. Cough ineffectiveness may be associated with extubation failure, but its quantification for patients undergoing weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains challenging. METHODS: Patients under IMV for more than 24 h completing a successful spontaneous T-tube breathing trial (SBT) were included. At the end of the SBT, we performed quantitative sonometric assessment of three successive coughing efforts using a sonometer. The mean of the 3-cough volume in decibels was named Sonoscore. RESULTS: During a 1-year period, 106 patients were included. Median age was 65 [51-75] years, mainly men (60%). Main reasons for IMV were acute respiratory failure (43%), coma (25%) and shock (17%). Median duration of IMV at enrollment was 4 [3-7] days. Extubation failure occurred in 15 (14%) patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between success and failure extubation groups, except percentage of simple weaning which was lower and MV duration which was longer in extubation failure patients. Sonoscore was significantly lower in patients who failed extubation (58 [52-64] vs. 75 [70-78] dB, P < 0.001). After adjustment on MV duration and comorbidities, Sonoscore remained associated with extubation failure. Sonoscore was predictive of extubation failure with an area under the ROC curve of 0.91 (IC95% [0.83-0.99], P < 0.001). A threshold of Sonoscore < 67.1 dB predicted extubation failure with a sensitivity of 0.93 IC95% [0.70-0.99] and a specificity of 0.82 IC95% [0.73-0.90]. CONCLUSION: Sonometric assessment of cough strength might be helpful to identify patients at risk of extubation failure in patients undergoing IMV.

Outcomes of patients aged ≥80 years with respiratory failure initially treated with non-invasive ventilation in European intensive care units before and during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been commonly used to treat acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19. In this study we aimed to compare outcomes of older critically ill patients treated with NIV before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analysed a merged cohort of older adults admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) due to respiratory failure. Patients were enrolled into one of two prospective observational studies: before COVID-19 (VIP2-2018 to 2019) and admitted due to COVID-19 (COVIP-March 2020 to January 2023). The outcomes included: 30-day mortality, intubation rate and NIV failure (death or intubation within 30 days). RESULTS: The final cohort included 1986 patients (1292 from VIP2, 694 from COVIP) with a median age of 83 years. NIV was used as a primary mode of respiratory support in 697 participants (35.1%). ICU admission due to COVID-19 was associated with an increased 30-day mortality (65.5% vs. 36.5%, HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.71 to 2.77), more frequent intubation (36.9% vs. 17.5%, OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.74 to 3.99) and NIV failure (76.2% vs. 45.3%, OR 4.21, 95% CI 2.84 to 6.34) compared to non-COVID causes of respiratory failure. Sensitivity analysis after exclusion of patients in whom life supporting treatment limitation was introduced during primary NIV confirmed higher 30-day mortality in patients with COVID-19 (52.5% vs. 23.4%, HR 2.64, 95% CI 1.83 to 3.80). CONCLUSION: The outcomes of patients aged ≥80 years treated with NIV during COVID-19 pandemic were worse compared then those treated with NIV in the pre-pandemic era.

The impact of age-related syndromes on ICU process and outcomes in very old patients.

In this narrative review, we describe the most important age-related "syndromes" found in the old ICU patients. The syndromes are frailty, comorbidity, cognitive decline, malnutrition, sarcopenia, loss of functional autonomy, immunosenescence and inflam-ageing. The underlying geriatric condition, together with the admission diagnosis and the acute severity contribute to the short-term, but also to the long-term prognosis. Besides mortality, functional status and quality of life are major outcome variables. The geriatric assessment is a key tool for long-term qualitative outcome, while immediate severity accounts for acute mortality. A poor functional baseline reduces the chances of a successful outcome following ICU. This review emphasises the importance of using a geriatric assessment and considering the older patient as a whole, rather than the acute illness in isolation, when making decisions regarding intensive care treatment.

Construction of reference criteria to admit patients to intermediate care units in France: a Delphi survey of intensivists, anaesthesiologists and emergency medicine practitioners (first part of the UNISURC project).

OBJECTIVES: No consensus criteria describe the medical eligibility of the patients to intermediate care units (IMCUs). In this first part of the UNISURC project, we aimed to develop criteria based on a consensus of physicians from the main specialties involved in IMCU admission decisions. DESIGN: We selected criteria from IMCU literature, scoring systems and intensive care unit nursing workload. We submitted these criteria to a panel of experts in a Delphi survey. We used a two-round Delphi survey procedure to assess the validity and feasibility of each criterion. SETTING: Medical practitioners in either public or private French institutions and proposed by the national scientific societies of anaesthesiology, emergency medicine and intensive care. The Delphi rounds took place in 2015-2016. OUTCOME MEASURES: Validity and feasibility of the proposed criteria; uniformity of the judgement across the primary specialty and the hospital category of the responders. RESULTS: The criteria submitted to vote were classified as one of: chronic factor (CF); acute factor (AF); specific pathway (SP); nursing activity (NA) and hospital environment (HE). Of 189 experts invited, 81 (41%) responded to the first round and 62 of them (76%) responded to the second round. A definite selection of 63 items was made, distributed across 6 CF, 18 AF, 31 SP, 3 NA and 5 HE. Validity and feasibility were influenced by the specialty or the public/private status of the institution of the responders for a few items. CONCLUSION: We created a set of 63 consensus criteria with acceptable validity and feasibility to assess the medical eligibility of the patients to IMCUs. The second part of the UNISURC project will assess the distribution of each criterion in a prospective multicentre national cohort. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02590172.