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International audience; ntroduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Patterns of inflammatory bronchoalveolar cells in COVID-19 patients treated with ECMO are not well described.Objective: We aimed to describe inflammatory cell subpopulations in blood and bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) obtained in critically ill COVID-19 patients shortly after ECMO implementation.Methods: BAL was performed in the middle lobe in 12 consecutive ECMO-treated COVID-19 patients. Trained cytologists analyzed peripheral blood and BAL cells using flow cytometry and routine staining, respectively. Data were interpreted in relation to dexamethasone administration and weaning from ECMO and ventilator.Results: High neutrophil proportions (66% to 88% of total cells) were observed in the absence of bacterial superinfection and more frequently in dexamethasone-free patients (83% [82-85] vs. 29% [8-68], P = 0.006), suggesting that viral infection could be responsible of predominantly neutrophilic lung inflammation. Successful weaning from ECMO/ventilator could not be predicted by the peripheral white blood and BAL cell pattern.Conclusion: High neutrophil proportions can be observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients despite the lack of microbiological evidence on BAL of bacterial superinfection. Dexamethasone was associated with lower neutrophil proportions in BAL. Our study was probably underpowered to provide BAL cell pattern helpful to predict weaning from ECMO/ventilator.

(1) Background: Corticosteroids lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, the outcome of COVID-19 patients referred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory deterioration despite corticosteroids initiated during hospitalization before ICU admission has been poorly investigated. Our objective was to determine survival according to corticosteroid initiation setting. (2) Methods: We conducted a cohort study including all successive critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with corticosteroids and managed in our ICU. We compared survival, whether corticosteroids were initiated before (Cb-group) or after ICU admission (Ca-group), using a propensity score matching. (3) Results: Overall, 228 patients (67 years (56–74); 168M/60F; invasive mechanical ventilation on admission, 17%) were included with 63 patients in the Cb-group and 165 patients in the Ca-group. Survival to hospital discharge was 43% versus 69%, respectively (p = 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, factors associated with death were age (odds ratio, 1.07; 95%-confidence interval, (1.04–1.11); p < 0.0001), the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on ICU admission (1.30 (1.14–1.50); p = 0.0001) and corticosteroid initiation before ICU admission (2.64 (1.30–5.43); p = 0.007). No significant differences in outcome related to corticosteroid regimen were found. (4) Conclusions: Critically ill COVID-19 patients transferred to the ICU with deterioration despite corticosteroids initiated before admission have a less favorable outcome than patients receiving corticosteroids initiated after ICU admission.