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To describe early electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities after status epilepticus (SE) and evaluate their association with 90-day neurological outcomes.Retrospective analysis of a multicenter, national prospective registry between February 2018 and June 2020.Sixteen ICUs in France, IctalGroup Research Network.Adults with available ECG performed less than or equal to 24 hours after the onset of SE and less than or equal to 12 hours after its resolution.Double-blinded review of all ECGs was performed by two independent cardiologists. ECGs were categorized as normal/abnormal and then with minor/major early ECG abnormalities according to the Novacode ECG Classification system.Among 155 critically ill patients with SE, early ECG abnormalities were encountered in 145 (93.5%), categorized as major in 91 of 145 (62.8%). In addition to sinus tachycardia, the main abnormalities were in the ST segment (elevation [16.6%] or depression [17.9%]) or negative T waves (42.1%). Major early ECG abnormalities were significantly associated with respiratory distress and sinus tachycardia at the scene and hyperlactatemia at ICU admission. By multivariable analysis, three variables were significantly associated with 90-day poor outcome: age, preexisting ultimately fatal comorbidity, and cerebral insult as the cause of SE. Early major ECG abnormalities were not independently associated with 90-day functional outcome.In our study, early ECG abnormalities in the acute phase of SE were frequent, often unrecognized and were associated with clinical and biological stigma of hypoxemia. Although they were not independently associated with 90-day functional outcome, ECG changes at the early stage of SE should be systematically evaluated.Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03457831.

IntroductionStatus epilepticus (SE) is a common life-threatening neurological emergency that can cause long-term impairments. Overall outcomes remain poor. Major efforts are required to clarify the epidemiology of SE and the determinants of outcomes, thereby identifying targets for improved management.Methods and analysisICTAL Registry is a multicentre open cohort of critically ill patients with convulsive, non-convulsive or psychogenic non-epileptic SE. Observational methods are applied to collect uniform data. The goal of the ICTAL Registry is to collect high-quality information on a large number of patients, thereby allowing elucidation of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in mortality and morbidity. The registry structure is modular, with a large core data set and the opportunity for research teams to create satellite data sets for observational or interventional studies (eg, cohort multiple randomised controlled trials, cross-sectional studies and short-term and long-term longitudinal outcome studies). The availability of core data will hasten patient recruitment to studies, while also decreasing costs. Importantly, the vast amount of data from a large number of patients will allow valid subgroup analyses, which are expected to identify patient populations requiring specific treatment strategies. The results of the studies will have a broad spectrum of application, particularly given the multidisciplinary approach used by the IctalGroup research network.Ethics and disseminationThe ICTAL Registry protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the French Intensive Care Society (#CE_SRLF 19-68 and 19-68a). Patients or their relatives/proxies received written information to the use of the retrospectively collected and pseudonymised data, in compliance with French law. Prospectively included patients receive written consent form as soon as they recover decision-making competency; if they refuse consent, they are excluded from the registry. Data from the registry will be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numberNCT03457831.

Background We describe a frugal approach (focusing on needs, performance, and costs) to manage a massive influx of COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) using the Boussignac valve protected by a filter (“Filter Frugal CPAP”, FF-CPAP) in and out the ICU. Methods (1) A bench study measured the impact of two filters with different mechanical properties on CPAP performances, and pressures were also measured in patients. (2) Non-ICU healthcare staff working in COVID-19 intermediate care units were trained with a video tutorial posted on a massive open online course. (3) A clinical study assessed the feasibility and safety of using FF-CPAP to maintain oxygenation and manage patients out of the ICU during a massive outbreak. Results Bench assessments showed that adding a filter did not affect the effective pressure delivered to the patient. The resistive load induced by the filter variably increased the simulated patient’s work of breathing (6–34%) needed to sustain the tidal volume, depending on the filter’s resistance, respiratory mechanics and basal inspiratory effort. In patients, FF-CPAP achieved pressures similar to those obtained on the bench. The massive training tool provided precious information on the use of Boussignac FF-CPAP on COVID-19 patients. Then 85 COVID-19 patients with ICU admission criteria over a 1-month period were studied upon FF-CPAP initiation for AHRF. FF-CPAP significantly decreased respiratory rate and increased SpO2. Thirty-six (43%) patients presented with respiratory indications for intubation prior to FF-CPAP initiation, and 13 (36%) of them improved without intubation. Overall, 31 patients (36%) improved with FF-CPAP alone and 17 patients (20%) did not require ICU admission. Patients with a respiratory rate > 32 breaths/min upon FF-CPAP initiation had a higher cumulative probability of intubation (p Conclusion Adding a filter to the Boussignac valve does not affect the delivered pressure but may variably increase the resistive load depending on the filter used. Clinical assessment suggests that FF-CPAP is a frugal solution to provide a ventilatory support and improve oxygenation to numerous patients suffering from AHRF in the context of a massive outbreak.

Background Ineffective triggering is frequent during pressure support ventilation (PSV) and may persist despite ventilator adjustment, leading to refractory asynchrony. We aimed to assess the effect of proportional assist ventilation with load-adjustable gain factors (PAV+) on the occurrence of refractory ineffective triggering. Design Observational assessment followed by prospective cross-over physiological study. Setting Academic medical ICU. Patients Ineffective triggering was detected during PSV by a twice-daily inspection of the ventilator’s screen. The impact of pressure support level (PSL) adjustments on the occurrence of asynchrony was recorded. Patients experiencing refractory ineffective triggering, defined as persisting asynchrony at the lowest tolerated PSL, were included in the physiological study. Interventions Physiological study: Flow, airway, and esophageal pressures were continuously recorded during 10 min under PSV with the lowest tolerated PSL, and then under PAV+ with the gain adjusted to target a muscle pressure between 5 and 10 cmH2O. Measurements Primary endpoint was the comparison of asynchrony index between PSV and PAV+ after PSL and gain adjustments. Results Among 36 patients identified having ineffective triggering under PSV, 21 (58%) exhibited refractory ineffective triggering. The lowest tolerated PSL was higher in patients with refractory asynchrony as compared to patients with non-refractory ineffective triggering. Twelve out of the 21 patients with refractory ineffective triggering were included in the physiological study. The median lowest tolerated PSL was 17 cmH2O [12–18] with a PEEP of 7 cmH2O [5–8] and FiO2 of 40% [39–42]. The median gain during PAV+ was 73% [65–80]. The asynchrony index was significantly lower during PAV+ than PSV (2.7% [1.0–5.4] vs. 22.7% [10.3–40.1], p 2O/s/min [79–131] under PSV vs. 149 cmH2O/s/min [129–170] under PAV+, p = 0.092), but the proportion of PTPes lost in ineffective triggering was significantly lower with PAV+ (2 cmH2O/s/min [1–6] vs. 8 cmH2O/s/min [3–30], p = 0.012). Conclusions Among patients with ineffective triggering under PSV, PSL adjustment failed to eliminate asynchrony in 58% of them (21 of 36 patients). In these patients with refractory ineffective triggering, switching from PSV to PAV+ significantly reduced or even suppressed the incidence of asynchrony.

Background Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis and ventriculitis are difficult issues, because of the low diffusion of antibiotics in the cerebrospinal fluid and bacterial multidrug resistance. The presence of an infected intraventricular hematoma, constituting an equivalent of undrained abscess, may promote biofilm formation and failure of medical treatment. Case description In this case of ventriculostomy-related infection after ventricular hemorrhage, Acinetobacter baumannii was sensitive only to colistin and tigecycline. Despite a combination therapy involving intraventricular injections of colistin, we observed clinical and bacteriologic failure. Therefore, at day 4 of antibiotic therapy, we performed intraventricular fibrinolysis, which dissolved the clot, enabling sterilization of the cerebrospinal fluid after 48 hours. Conclusion This clinical case suggests the usefulness of intraventricular fibrinolysis to lyse the clot and optimize the action of antibiotics.

Les cliniciens sont generalement familiers avec le concept de VILI (ventilator induced lung injury), dont les principaux determinants mecaniques sont le volotrauma et l’atelectrauma. Le volotrauma depend du volume insuffle par le ventilateur et du volume pulmonaire disponible pour la ventilation. Sur le plan conceptuel comme experimental, l’effort inspiratoire spontane du patient est a meme de generer un volume courant identique a celui genere par le ventilateur et ainsi d’exposer au meme risque de volotrauma. De plus, des donnees experimentales recentes ont decrit des consequences physiologiques additionnelles, potentiellement deleteres, de la survenue d’un effort inspiratoire important chez un patient presentant une atteinte lesionnelle pulmonaire sous-jacente (par exemple phenomene de « pendelluft », atelectrauma des regions dependantes, augmentation de la pression transmurale vasculaire). Ces effets physiologiques sont de nature a aggraver les lesions pulmonaires preexistantes, perturbant davantage l’hematose et la mecanique respiratoire, et donc stimulant d’autant plus la commande respiratoire. Ce cercle vicieux au sein duquel le patient s’auto-inflige des lesions pulmonaires a ete recemment conceptualise sous le terme de P-SILI (patient selfinflicted lung injury). La reconnaissance des situations a risque de P-SILI en pratique clinique permet d’apporter une reponse therapeutique adaptee. Parfois, la ventilation controlee constitue alors un traitement protecteur.

Purpose Few outcome data are available about morbidity associated with endotracheal intubation modalities in critically ill patients with convulsive status epilepticus. We compared etomidate versus sodium thiopental for emergency rapid sequence intubation in patients with out-of-hospital convulsive status epilepticus. Methods Patients admitted to our intensive care unit in 2006–2015 were studied retrospectively. The main outcome measure was seizure and/or status epilepticus recurrence within 12 h after rapid sequence intubation. Results We included 97 patients (60% male; median age, 59 years [IQR, 48–70]). Median time from seizure onset to first antiepileptic drug was 60 min [IQR, 35–90]. Reasons for intubation were coma in 95 (98%), acute respiratory distress in 18 (19%), refractory convulsive status epilepticus in 9 (9%), and shock in 6 (6%) patients; 50 (52%) patients had more than one reason. The hypnotic drugs used were etomidate in 54 (56%) and sodium thiopental in 43 (44%) patients. Seizure and/or status epilepticus recurred in 13 (56%) patients in the etomidate group and 11 patients (44%) in the sodium thiopental group (adjusted common odds ratio [aOR], 0.98; 95%CI, 0.36–2.63; P = 0.97). The two groups were not significantly different for proportions of patients with hemodynamic instability after intubation (aOR, 0.60; 95%CI, 0.23–1.58; P = 0.30) or with difficult endotracheal intubation (OR, 1.28; 95% CI 0.23 to 7.21; P=0.77). Conclusions Our findings argue against a difference in seizure and/or status epilepticus recurrences rates between critically ill patients with convulsive status epilepticus given etomidate vs. sodium thiopental as the induction agent for emergency intubation.

Rationale Patients with coronavirus disease-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (C-ARDS) could have a specific physiological phenotype as compared with those affected by ARDS from other causes (NC-ARDS). Objectives To describe the effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on respiratory mechanics in C-ARDS patients in supine and prone position, and as compared to NC-ARDS. The primary endpoint was the best PEEP defined as the smallest sum of hyperdistension and collapse. Methods Seventeen patients with moderate-to-severe C-ARDS were monitored by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and evaluated during PEEP titration in supine (n = 17) and prone (n = 14) position and compared with 13 NC-ARDS patients investigated by EIT in our department before the COVID-19 pandemic. Results As compared with NC-ARDS, C-ARDS exhibited a higher median best PEEP (defined using EIT as the smallest sum of hyperdistension and collapse, 12 [9, 12] vs. 9 [6, 9] cmH2O, p 2O, p = 0.59. The response to PEEP was also similar in C-ARDS patients with higher vs. lower respiratory system compliance. Conclusion An intermediate PEEP level seems appropriate in half of our C-ARDS patients. There is no solid evidence that compliance at low PEEP could predict the response to PEEP.

Background In COVID-19 patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the relatively preserved respiratory system compliance despite severe hypoxemia, with specific pulmonary vascular dysfunction, suggests a possible hemodynamic mechanism for VA/Q mismatch, as hypoxic vasoconstriction alteration. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO)–almitrine combination to restore oxygenation in severe COVID-19 ARDS (C-ARDS) patients. Methods We conducted a monocentric preliminary pilot study in intubated patients with severe C-ARDS. Respiratory mechanics was assessed after a prone session. Then, patients received iNO (10 ppm) alone and in association with almitrine (10 μg/kg/min) during 30 min in each step. Echocardiographic and blood gases measurements were performed at baseline, during iNO alone, and iNO–almitrine combination. The primary endpoint was the variation of oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2 ratio). Results Ten severe C-ARDS patients were assessed (7 males and 3 females), with a median age of 60 [52–72] years. Combination of iNO and almitrine outperformed iNO alone for oxygenation improvement. The median of PaO2/FiO2 ratio varied from 102 [89–134] mmHg at baseline, to 124 [108–146] mmHg after iNO (p = 0.13) and 180 [132–206] mmHg after iNO and almitrine (p Conclusion In this pilot study of severe C-ARDS patients, iNO–almitrine combination was associated with rapid and significant improvement of oxygenation. These findings highlight the role of pulmonary vascular function in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

Epileptic seizures in critically ill patients represent a major source of concern, because they are associated with significant mortality and morbidity rates. Despite recent advances that have enabled a better understanding of the global epidemiology of this entity, epileptic seizures in critically ill patients remain associated with a high degree of uncertainty and numerous questions remain unanswered. The present Special Issue aims to invite authors to contribute original research articles as well as review articles related to all aspects of epileptic seizures in critically ill patients, diagnosis, management, and outcomes.

Background:Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) has well-established links with several drugs. Whether a link also exists with serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor such as duloxetine is unclear.Methods:We report on a patient who developed PRES with a coma and myoclonus