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Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and severe condition in intensive care units (ICUs). In 2020, the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) group proposed a new stage of AKI, referred to as stage 1S, which represents subclinical disease (sAKI) defined as a positive biomarker but no increase in serum creatinine (sCr). This study aimed to determine and compare the urinary peptide signature of sAKI as defined by biomarkers., Methods: This is an ancillary analysis of the prospective, observational, multinational FROG-ICU cohort study. AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome definition (AKI KDIGO ). sAKI was defined based on the levels of the following biomarkers, which exceeded the median value: neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (pNGAL, uNGAL), cystatin C (pCysC, uCysC), proenkephalin A 119-159 (pPENKID) and liver fatty acid binding protein (uLFABP). Urinary peptidomics analysis was performed using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Samples were collected at the time of study inclusion., Results: One thousand eight hundred eighty-five patients had all biomarkers measured at inclusion, which included 1154 patients without AKI (non-AKI KDIGO subgroup). The non-AKI KDIGO subgroup consisted of individuals at a median age of 60 years [48, 71], among whom 321 (27.8%) died. The urinary peptide signatures of sAKI, regardless of the biomarkers used for its definition, were similar to the urinary peptide signatures of AKI KDIGO (inflammation, haemolysis, and endothelial dysfunction). These signatures were also associated with 1-year mortality., Conclusion: Biomarker-defined sAKI is a common and severe condition observed in patients within intensive care units with a urinary peptide signature that is similar to that of AKI, along with a comparable prognosis., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: The majority of terrorist acts are carried out by explosion or shooting. The objective of this study was first, to describe the management implemented to treat a large number of casualties and their flow together with the injuries observed, and second, to compare these resources according to the mechanism of trauma., Methods: This retrospective cohort study collected medical data from all casualties of the attacks on November 13th 2015 in Paris, France, with physical injuries, who arrived alive at any hospital within the first 24 h after the events. Casualties were divided into two groups: explosion injuries and gunshot wounds., Results: 337 casualties were admitted to hospital, 286 (85%) from gunshot wounds and 51 (15%) from explosions. Gunshot casualties had more severe injuries and required more in-hospital resources than explosion casualties. Emergency surgery was required in 181 (54%) casualties and was more frequent for gunshot wounds than explosion injuries (57% vs. 35%, p < 0·01). The types of main surgery needed and their delay following hospital admission were as follows: orthopedic [n = 107 (57%); median 744 min]; general [n = 27 (15%); 90 min]; vascular [n = 19 (10%); median 53 min]; thoracic [n = 19 (10%); 646 min]; and neurosurgery [n = 4 (2%); 198 min]., Conclusion: The resources required to deal with a terrorist attack vary according to the mechanism of trauma. Our study provides a template to estimate the proportion of various types of surgical resources needed overall, as well as their time frame in a terrorist multisite and multitype attack., Funding: Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris.

Purpose: Intensive care unit survivors suffer from prolonged impairment, reduced quality of life, and higher mortality rates after discharge compared to the general population. Socioeconomic status may play a partial but important role in mortality and recovery. Therefore, the detection of factors that are responsible for poor long-term outcomes would be beneficial in designing targeted interventions for at-risk populations., Methods: For an endpoint analysis, 1834 intensive care unit patients with known French Deprivation Index (FDep) scores were included from the French and euRopean Outcome reGistry in Intensive Care Units (FROG-ICU) study, which was a prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study performed in 20 French intensive care units in 13 different hospitals. Socioeconomic status was defined by using the FDep score [represented as quintiles when referring to the general French population, as quintiles when referring to the FROG-ICU cohort, or as dichotomized data (which was defined as a FDep ≤ 0 for nondeprived patients)] and by using a detailed social questionnaire that was completed 3 months after discharge. The primary outcome included an all-cause, 1-year mortality after ICU discharge when regarding socioeconomic status. The secondary outcomes included both ICU and hospital lengths of stay, both short- and medium-term mortality, and the quality of life, as assessed during the 1-year follow-up by using the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36). The Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) was used to evaluate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to screen for anxiety and depression., Results: Of the 1447 patients who were discharged alive from the ICU, 19.2% died over the following year. No association was found between 1-year mortality and socioeconomic status, regardless of whether this association was analyzed in quintiles (p = 0.911 in the quintiles of the general French population; p = 0.589 in the quintiles of the FROG-ICU cohort itself) or as dichotomized data [nondeprived (n = 177; 1-year mortality of 18.2%) versus deprived (n = 97; 1-year mortality of 20.5%; p = 0.304)]. Moreover, no differences were found between the nondeprived and the deprived patients in the ICU and hospital lengths of stay, ICU mortalities, in-hospital mortalities, or 28-day mortalities. The SF-36 was below the score for the normal French population throughout the follow-up period. Socially deprived patients showed significantly lower median scores in the physical function subscale [55, interquartile range (IQR) (28.8-80) vs. 65, IQR (35-90); p = 0.014], the physical role subscale [25, IQR (0-75) vs. 33.3, IQR (0-100); p = 0.022], and the overall physical component scale [47.5, IQR (30-68.8) vs. 54.4, IQR (35-78.8); p = 0.010]. Up to 31.6% of survivors presented symptoms that indicated post-traumatic stress disorder, and up to 31.5% of survivors reported clinically meaningful symptoms of anxiety or depression., Conclusions: A lower socioeconomic status was associated with lower self-reported physical component scores in the nondeprived patients. Psychiatric symptoms are frequently reported after an ICU stay, and subsequent interventions should target those fields., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01367093; registered on June 6, 2011.

Because of a technical error, the code corresponding to the outcome for the Basir et al. cohort was mis-implemented in the original version of our article. Characteristics of the cohort are in fact the followings.

Objective: Catecholamines have been the mainstay of pharmacological treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS). Recently, use of epinephrine has been associated with detrimental outcomes. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the association between epinephrine use and short-term mortality in all-cause CS patients., Design: We performed a meta-analysis of individual data with prespecified inclusion criteria: (1) patients in non-surgical CS treated with inotropes and/or vasopressors and (2) at least 15% of patients treated with epinephrine administrated alone or in association with other inotropes/vasopressors. The primary outcome was short-term mortality., Measurements and Results: Fourteen published cohorts and two unpublished data sets were included. We studied 2583 patients. Across all cohorts of patients, the incidence of epinephrine use was 37% (17-76%) and short-term mortality rate was 49% (21-69%). A positive correlation was found between percentages of epinephrine use and short-term mortality in the CS cohort. The risk of death was higher in epinephrine-treated CS patients (OR [CI] = 3.3 [2.8-3.9]) compared to patients treated with other drug regimens. Adjusted mortality risk remained striking in epinephrine-treated patients (n = 1227) (adjusted OR = 4.7 [3.4-6.4]). After propensity score matching, two sets of 338 matched patients were identified and epinephrine use remained associated with a strong detrimental impact on short-term mortality (OR = 4.2 [3.0-6.0])., Conclusions: In this very large cohort, epinephrine use for hemodynamic management of CS patients is associated with a threefold increase of risk of death.

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with the activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) improve outcome in patients recovering from AKI remains unexplored. The purpose was to investigate the association between prescription of ACEi/ARB at intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and 1-year outcome in patients recovering from AKI., Methods: Association between ACEi/ARB and 1-year mortality rate was explored in 1551 patients discharged from 21 European ICUs in an observational cohort. One-year all-cause mortality after ICU discharge was the primary endpoint. AKI was defined using the kidney disease improvement global outcome definition. Propensity score matching was used to consider the probability to receive ACEi/ARB at ICU discharge and included chronic heart failure, ACEi/ARB on ICU admission, Charlson Comorbidity Index, age, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate and arterial blood pressure at ICU discharge vasopressors and renal replacement therapy., Results: Overall, 1-year mortality was 28 and 15% in patients with AKI (n = 611, 39%) and without AKI (n = 940), respectively. In patients with AKI, unadjusted, adjusted and propensity-score matched 1-year mortality rates were lower in patients treated with ACEi/ARB at ICU discharge [HR of 0.55 (0.35-0.89), HR of 0.45 (0.27-0.75), and HR of 0.48 (0.27-0.85, p < 0.001), respectively]. These results were consistent across sensitivity analysis. No association was observed in patients without AKI., Conclusions: In patients discharged alive from the ICU after experiencing AKI, ACEi/ARB prescription at discharge is associated with a decrease in 1-year mortality., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01367093. Registered on 6 June 2011.

Purpose: Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is a severe and debilitating disease that requires intensive care unit (ICU) management and prompt surgical treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and factors associated with severe complications of CNF., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients hospitalized in an ICU from 2007 to 2012. The data were collected retrospectively; initial cervical and thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans, performed on admission, were reviewed by an experienced and blinded radiologist to determine CNF complications., Results: A cohort of 160 patients admitted for CNF was included. The following complications of CNF were found: bilateral extension of CNF (28%), internal jugular vein thrombosis (21%), descending necrotic effusion (14%), mediastinitis (24%), and mortality (4%); 53% had at least one complication, and 48% had at least one cervical complication. On the basis of a univariate analysis, the significant independent factors are odynophagia, dyspnea, oral glucocorticoids intake before admission, and pharyngeal source. Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake before admission does not have any impact. The initial CNF complications increased both the duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of stay in the ICU. On the basis of a multivariate analysis, the independent factors for severe complications are pharyngeal CNF and oral glucocorticoid intake before admission., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that an initial cervico-thoracic CT scan revealed a high incidence of cervical and mediastinal CNF complications that all needed immediate management. Those severe complications might be avoidable as they were associated, at least partially, with prehospital oral glucocorticoid intake.

Purpose: Oliguria is a common symptom in critically ill patients and puts patients in a high risk category for further worsening renal function (WRF). We performed this study to explore the predictive value of biomarkers to predict WRF in oliguric intensive care unit (ICU) patients., Patients and Methods: Single-center prospective observational study. ICU patients were included when they presented a first episode of oliguria. Plasma and urine biomarkers were measured: plasma and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (pNGAL and uNGAL), urine α1-microglobulin, urine γ-glutamyl transferase, urine indices of tubular function, cystatin C, C terminal fragment of pro-arginine vasopressin (CT-ProAVP), and proadrenomedullin (MR-ProADM)., Results: One hundred eleven patients formed the cohort, of whom 41 [corrected] had worsening renal function. Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II was 41 (31-51). WRF was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio 8.65 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 3.0-24.9], p = 0.0002). pNGAL, MR-ProADM, and cystatin C had the best odds ratio and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC: 0.83 [0.75-0.9], 0.82 [0.71-0.91], and 0.83 [0.74-0.90]), but not different from serum creatinine (Screat, 0.80 [0.70-0.88]). A clinical model that included age, sepsis, SAPS II, and Screat had AUC-ROC of 0.79 [0.69-0.87]; inclusion of pNGAL increased the AUC-ROC to 0.86 (p = 0.03). The category-free net reclassification index improved with pNGAL (total net reclassification index for events to higher risk 61 % and nonevents to lower 82 %)., Conclusions: All episodes of oliguria do not carry the same risk. No biomarker further improved prediction of WRF compared with Screat in this selected cohort of patients at increased risk defined by oliguria.

Purpose: Severe postpartum haemorrhage (SPPH) is the leading cause of peripartum hysterectomy and maternal death. There are no easily measurable parameters that indicate the failure of medical therapy and the need for an advanced interventional procedure (AIP) to stop genital tract bleeding. The aim of the study was to define factors predictive of the need for an AIP in the management of emergent PPH., Methods: The study included two phases: (1) an initial retrospective study of 257 consecutive patients with SPPH, allowing the determination of independent predictors of AIP, which were subsequently grouped in a predictive score, followed by (2) a multicentre study of 239 patients admitted during 2007, designed to validate the score. The main outcome measure was the need for an AIP, defined as uterine artery embolization, intraabdominal packing, arterial ligation or hysterectomy., Results: Abnormalities of placental implantation, prothrombin time <50% (or an International Normalized Ratio >1.64), fibrinogen <2 g/l, troponin detectable, and heart rate >115 bpm were independently predictive of the need for an AIP. The SPPH score included each of the five predictive factors with a value of 0 or 1. The greater the SPPH score, the greater the percentage of patients needing an AIP (11% for SPPH 0, to 75% for SPPH ≥2). The AUC of the ROC curve of the SPPH score was 0.80., Conclusions: We identified five independent predictors of the need for an AIP in patients with SPPH and persistent bleeding. Using these predictors in a single score could be a reliable screening tool in patients at risk of persistent genital tract bleeding and needing an AIP.

Purpose: To date, treatment with intravenous (IV) agents such as vasodilators, diuretics, and inotropes has shown marginal or mixed benefits in acute heart failure (AHF) trials. The aim of this study was to identify the risks and benefits of IV drugs in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure., Methods: The AHF global survey of standard treatment (ALARM-HF) reviewed in-hospital treatments in eight countries. The present study was a post hoc analysis of ALARM-HF data in which propensity scoring was used to identify groups of patients who differed by treatment but had the same multivariate distribution of covariates. Such propensity matching allowed estimations of the effect of specific treatments on the outcome of in-hospital mortality., Results: Unadjusted analysis showed a lower in-hospital mortality rate in AHF patients receiving "diuretics + vasodilators" (n = 1,805) compared to those receiving "diuretics alone" (n = 2,362) (7.6 vs. 14.2%, p < 0.0001). Propensity-based matching (n = 1,007 matched pairs) confirmed the lower mortality of AHF patients receiving diuretics + vasodilators: 7.8 versus 11.0% (p = 0.016). Unadjusted analysis showed a much greater in-hospital mortality rate in patients receiving IV inotropes (25.9%) compared to those who did not (5.2%) (p < 0.0001). Propensity-based matching (n = 954 pairs) confirmed that IV catecholamine use was associated with 1.5-fold increase for dopamine or dobutamine use and a >2.5-fold increase for norepinephrine or epinephrine use., Conclusions: In terms of in-hospital survival, a vasodilator in combination with a diuretic fared better than treatment with only a diuretic. Catecholamine inotropes should be used cautiously as it has been seen that they actually increase the risk for in-hospital mortality.

Introduction: Propensity score methods have been increasingly used in the last 10 years. However, the practical use of the propensity score (PS) has been reported as heterogeneous in several papers reviewing the use of propensity scores and giving some advice. No precedent work has focused on the specific application of PS in intensive care and anaesthesiology literature., Objectives: After a brief development of the theory of propensity score, to assess the use and the quality of reporting of PS studies in intensive care and anaesthesiology, and to evaluate how past reviews have influenced the quality of the reporting., Study Design and Setting: Forty-seven articles published between 2006 and 2009 in the intensive care and anaesthesiology literature were evaluated. We extracted the characteristics of the report, the type of analysis, the details of matching procedures, the number of patients in treated and control groups, and the number of covariates included in the PS models., Results: Of the 47 articles reviewed, 26 used matching on PS, 12 used stratification on PS and 9 used adjustment on PS. The method used was reported in 81% of the articles, and the choice to conduct a paired analysis or not was reported in only 15%. The comparison with the previously published reviews showed little improvement in reporting in the last few years., Conclusion: The quality of reporting propensity scores in intensive care and anaesthesiology literature should be improved. We provide some recommendations to the investigators in order to improve the reporting of PS analyses.