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Purpose: The efficacy of the 1-h bundle for emergency department (ED) patients with suspected sepsis, which includes lactate measurement, blood culture, broad-spectrum antibiotics administration, administration of 30 mL/kg crystalloid fluid for hypotension or lactate ≥ 4 mmol/L, remains controversial., Methods: We carried out a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial in 23 EDs in France and Spain. Adult patients with Sepsis-3 criteria or a quick sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2 or a lactate > 2 mmol/L were eligible. The intervention was the implementation of the 1-h sepsis bundle. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality truncated at 28 days. Secondary outcomes included volume of fluid resuscitation at 24 h, acute heart failure at 24 h, SOFA score at 72 h, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, number of days on mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy, vasopressor free days, unnecessary antibiotic administration, and mortality at 28 days. 1148 patients were planned to be analysed; the study period ended after 873 patients were included., Results: 872 patients (mean age 66, 42% female) were analyzed: 387 (44.4%) in the intervention group and 485 (55.6%) in the control group. Median SOFA score was 3 [1-5]. Median time to antibiotic administration was 40 min in the intervention group vs 113 min in the control group (difference - 73 [95% confidence interval (CI) - 93 to - 53]). There was a significantly higher rate, volume, and shorter time to fluid resuscitation within 3 h in the intervention group. There were 47 (12.1%) in-hospital deaths in the intervention group compared to 61 (12.6%) in the control group (difference in percentage - 0.4 [95% CI - 5.1 to 4.2], adjusted relative risk (aRR) 0.81 [95% CI 0.48 to 1.39]). There were no differences between groups for other secondary endpoints., Conclusions: Among patients with suspected sepsis in the ED, the implementation of the 1-h sepsis bundle was not associated with significant difference in in-hospital mortality. However, this study may be underpowered to report a statistically significant difference between groups., (© 2024. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Mechanical power (MP) may unify variables known to be related to development of ventilator-induced lung injury. The aim of this study is to examine the association between MP and mortality in critically ill patients receiving invasive ventilation for at least 48 h., Methods: This is an analysis of data stored in the databases of the MIMIC-III and eICU. Critically ill patients receiving invasive ventilation for at least 48 h were included. The exposure of interest was MP. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality., Results: Data from 8207 patients were analyzed. Median MP during the second 24 h was 21.4 (16.2-28.1) J/min in MIMIC-III and 16.0 (11.7-22.1) J/min in eICU. MP was independently associated with in-hospital mortality [odds ratio per 5 J/min increase (OR) 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.11); p = 0.021 in MIMIC-III, and 1.10 (1.02-1.18); p = 0.010 in eICU]. MP was also associated with ICU mortality, 30-day mortality, and with ventilator-free days, ICU and hospital length of stay. Even at low tidal volume, high MP was associated with in-hospital mortality [OR 1.70 (1.32-2.18); p < 0.001] and other secondary outcomes. Finally, there is a consistent increase in the risk of death with MP higher than 17.0 J/min., Conclusion: High MP of ventilation is independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and several other outcomes in ICU patients receiving invasive ventilation for at least 48 h.

Purpose: There is growing interest in the use of both variable and pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV). The combination of these approaches as "noisy PCV" requires adaptation of the mechanical ventilator to the respiratory system mechanics. Thus, we developed and evaluated a new control system based on the least-mean-squares adaptive approach, which automatically and continuously adjusts the driving pressure during PCV to achieve the desired variability pattern of tidal volume (V (T))., Methods: The controller was tested during numerical simulations and with a physical model reproducing the mechanical properties of the respiratory system. We applied step changes in respiratory system mechanics and mechanical ventilation settings. The time needed to converge to the desired V (T) variability pattern after each change (t (c)) and the difference in minute ventilation between the measured and target pattern of V (T) (DeltaMV) were determined., Results: During numerical simulations, the control system for noisy PCV achieved the desired variable V (T) pattern in less than 30 respiratory cycles, with limited influence of the dynamic elastance (E*) on t (c), except when E* was underestimated by >25%. We also found that, during tests in the physical model, the control system converged in <60 respiratory cycles and was not influenced by airways resistance. In all measurements, the absolute value of DeltaMV was <25%., Conclusion: The new control system for noisy PCV can prove useful for controlled mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit.

Objective: To determine whether the patterns of distribution of histological effects of vaporized perfluorohexane (PFH) and partial liquid ventilation (PLV) differ significantly in acute lung injury., Design and Setting: Experimental study in an animal research laboratory., Subjects: Eighteen pigs., Interventions: After induction of acute lung injury by means of infusion of oleic acid animals were randomly assigned to PFH, PLV, or gas ventilation (GV) groups. Six hours thereafter animals were killed, and lung tissue samples were taken for analysis., Measurements and Results: Histopathological analysis revealed less damage with PFH than with GV or PLV in the nondependent and central regions. PFH and PLV showed less injury in the dependent regions than GV. GV and PFH were associated with less histological damage in the nondependent than the dependent regions, whereas PLV presented the opposite pattern. Morphometric analysis showed increased aeration in nondependent than dependent regions with PFH and GV. PLV led to more aeration in the periphery than in central areas., Conclusions: PFH was associated with a more homogeneous attenuation of alveolar damage across the lungs, although this therapy had more pronounced effects in nondependent zones. PLV showed the opposite pattern, with more important reduction in alveolar damage in dependent lung regions. Interestingly, reduction in alveolar damage with PFH was as effective as with PLV in dependent zones. Our findings suggest that vaporized perfluorocarbon could be advantageous as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of acute lung injury.