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Increasing evidence argues for the promotion of tumorigenesis through activation of the renin-angiotensin system pathway. Accordingly, a benefit of renin-angiotensin system blockers (RABs) treatments has been suggested in patients with solid cancers in terms of survival. We aimed to evaluate in-ICU survival and one-year survival in cancer patients admitted to the ICU with respect to the use of RABs. We conducted a retrospective observational single-center study in a 24-bed medical ICU. We included all solid cancer patients (age ≥ 18 years) requiring unplanned ICU admission. From 2007 to 2020, 1845 patients with solid malignancies were admitted (median age 67 years (59–75), males 61.7%). The most frequent primary tumor sites were the gastrointestinal tract (26.8%), the lung (24.7%), the urological tract (20.1%), and gynecologic and breast cancers (13.9%). RABs were used in 414 patients, distributed into 220 (53.1%) with angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and 194 (46.9%) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis). After multivariate adjustment, ARBs use (OR = 0.62, 95%CI (0.40–0.92), p = 0.03) and ACEis use (OR = 0.52, 95%CI (0.32–0.82), p = 0.006) were both associated with improved in-ICU survival. Treatment with ARBs was independently associated with decreased one-year mortality (OR = 0.6, 95%CI (0.4–0.9), p = 0.02), whereas treatment with ACEis was not. In conclusion, this study argues for a beneficial impact of RABs use on the prognosis of critically ill cancer patients.

Describe the prevalence of acute cerebral dysfunction and assess the prognostic value of an early clinical and electroencephalography (EEG) assessment in ICU COVID-19 patients.Prospective observational study.Two tertiary critical care units in Paris, France, between April and December 2020.Adult critically ill patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome.Neurologic examination and EEG at two time points during the ICU stay, first under sedation and second 4-7 days after sedation discontinuation.Association of EEG abnormalities (background reactivity, continuity, dominant frequency, and presence of paroxystic discharges) with day-28 mortality and neurologic outcomes (coma and delirium recovery). Fifty-two patients were included, mostly male (81%), median (interquartile range) age 68 years (56-74 yr). Delayed awakening was present in 68% of patients (median awakening time of 5 d [2-16 d]) and delirium in 74% of patients who awoke from coma (62% of mixed delirium, median duration of 5 d [3-8 d]). First, EEG background was slowed in the theta-delta range in 48 (93%) patients, discontinuous in 25 patients (48%), and nonreactive in 17 patients (33%). Bifrontal slow waves were observed in 17 patients (33%). Early nonreactive EEG was associated with lower day-28 ventilator-free days (0 vs 16; p = 0.025), coma-free days (6 vs 22; p = 0.006), delirium-free days (0 vs 17; p = 0.006), and higher mortality (41% vs 11%; p = 0.027), whereas discontinuous background was associated with lower ventilator-free days (0 vs 17; p = 0.010), coma-free days (1 vs 22; p0.001), delirium-free days (0 vs 17; p = 0.001), and higher mortality (40% vs 4%; p = 0.001), independently of sedation and analgesia.Clinical and neurophysiologic cerebral dysfunction is frequent in COVID-19 ARDS patients. Early severe EEG abnormalities with nonreactive and/or discontinuous background activity are associated with delayed awakening, delirium, and day-28 mortality.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent neoplasm in women in North American and European countries. Data about intensive care unit (ICU) requirements and the related outcomes are scarce. Furthermore, long-term outcome after ICU discharge has not been described. We conducted a retrospective monocenter study including patients with breast cancer requiring unplanned ICU admission over a 14-year period (2007–2020). 177 patients (age = 65[57–75] years) were analyzed. Breast cancer was at a metastatic stage for 122 (68.9%) patients, recently diagnosed in 25 (14.1%) patients or in progression under treatment in 76 (42.9%) patients. Admissions were related to sepsis in 56 (31.6%) patients, to iatrogenic/procedural complication in 19 (10.7%) patients and to specific oncological complications in 47 (26.6%) patients. Seventy-two (40.7%) patients required invasive mechanical ventilation, 57 (32.2%) vasopressors/inotropes, and 26 (14.7%) renal replacement therapy. In-ICU and one-year mortality rates were 20.9% and 57.1%, respectively. Independent factors associated with in-ICU mortality were invasive mechanical ventilation and impaired performance status. One-year mortality in ICU survivors was independently associated with specific complications, triple negative cancer, and impaired performance status. After hospital discharge, most patients (77.4%) were able to continue or initiate antitumoral treatment. ICU admission was linked to the underlying malignancy in one-quarter of breast cancer patients. Despite the low in-ICU mortality rate (20.9%) and thereafter continuation of cancer treatment in most survivors (77.4%), one-year mortality reached 57.1%. Impaired performance status prior to the acute complication was a potent predictor of both short-term and long-term outcomes.

Introduction Overall survival of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains low, even in those with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). In addition to usual prognostic characteristics, patients’ medical history may also influence their outcome. This study aimed to investigate the role of pre-arrest comorbidities on hospital survival, neurological outcome and mode of death in OHCA patients with successful ROSC. Methods From Jan 2012 to Sep 2017, all consecutive non-traumatic OHCA adults, admitted with a stable ROSC were included. Utstein characteristics, circumstances of arrest and interventions were prospectively recorded. Prior comorbidities were measured using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the population was divided into 3 groups (CCI 0, CCI 1–3 and CCI ≥ 4). The association of CCI with early and long-term mortality was assessed using logistic regression and association with withdrawal-of-life sustaining treatments (WLST) or another cause of death using multinomial regression. Results During the study period, 777 patients were analyzed and 483 (62%) died before hospital discharge, with death rate of 49%, 60% and 70% in CCI 0, CCI 1–3 and CCI ≥ 4 respectively. After adjustment, an increase CCI was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (OR = 2.47 [1.35–4.52], p = 0.001 for CCI 1–3; OR = 2.82 [1.49–5.33], p = 0.003 for CCI ≥ 4; ref = CCI 0). Other independent predictors were non-shockable rhythm (OR = 3.23 [2.08–5]), lack of bystander CPR (OR = 1.96 [1.22–3.13]), epinephrine dose ≥ 2 mg (OR = 5.56 [3.70–8.33]), CA to CPR ≥ 5 min (OR = 1.96 [1.28–3.03]) and CPR to ROSC ≥ 20 min (OR = 2.13 [1.39–3.23]). Using multinomial regression, an increase in CCI was associated with all modes of in-hospital death, particularly with WLST-related death (RRadj = 2.48 [1.26–4.90], p = 0.01 for CCI = 1–3 and 3.75 [1.85−8.7.58], p Conclusion Alteration of chronic health status, as assessed by an elevated CCI, was associated with a higher mortality and a worse neurological outcome in OHCA patients. Presence and burden of comorbidities should be considered in the evaluation of the prognosis in patients admitted in hospital after cardiac arrest.

Simple and accessible prognostic factors are paramount for solid cancer patients experiencing life-threatening complications. The aim of this study is to appraise the impact of functional and nutritional status and skeletal muscle mass in this population. We conducted a retrospective (2007–2020) single-center study by enrolling adult patients with solid cancers requiring unplanned ICU admission. Performance status, body weight, and albumin level were collected at ICU admission and over six months. Skeletal muscle mass was assessed at ICU admission by measuring muscle areas normalized by height (SMI). Four-hundred and sixty-two patients were analyzed, mainly with gastro-intestinal (34.8%) and lung (29.9%) neoplasms. Moreover, 92.8% of men and 67.3% of women were deemed cachectic. In the multivariate analysis, performance status at ICU admission (CSH 1.74 [1.27–2.39], p < 0.001) and the six month increase in albumin level (CSH 0.38 [0.16–0.87], p = 0.02) were independent predictors of ICU mortality. In the subgroup of mechanically ventilated patients, the psoas SMI was independently associated with ICU mortality (CSH 0.82 [0.67–0.98], p = 0.04). Among the 368 ICU-survivors, the performance status at ICU admission (CSH 1.34 [1.14–1.59], p < 0.001) and the six-month weight loss (CSH 1.33 [1.17–2.99], p = 0.01) were associated with a one-year mortality rate. Most cancer patients displayed cachexia at ICU admission. Time courses of nutritional parameters may aid the prediction of short- and long-term outcomes.

Background Among patients successfully resuscitated after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), 10% to 15% evolve toward brain death (BD), thus becoming potential organ donors. Research Question Is it possible to establish a score for early estimation of BD risk after OHCA? Study Design and Methods The BD after cardiac arrest (BDCA) score was developed from data available within 24 hours after OHCA from two OHCA trials: Cyclosporine in Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation and Erythropoietin After OHCA. The BDCA score was then validated in another large prospective multicenter data set. The main outcome was the occurrence of BD. Independent prognostic covariates for BD were identified using a binomial two-stage adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator procedure. Results The development cohort included 569 patients alive 24 hours after OHCA, among whom 84 (14.8%) experienced BD. Independent predictors of BD used to build the BDCA score were being female (4 points), nonshockable rhythm (24 points), cardiac cause of OHCA (−6 points), neurological cause of OHCA (45 points), natremia at 24 hours (natremia in millimoles per liter minus 140 points), and vasoactive drug at admission (4 points) and at 24 hours (6 points). The area under the curve (AUC) of the BDCA score was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.77-0.86), and the discrimination value in the validation cohort (n = 487) was consistent (AUC, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76-0.86). In the validation cohort, BD occurred in 4.0%, 20.4%, and 67.7% of patients with scores of 50, respectively. Interpretation The BDCA score allows early detection of patients with a high probability of experiencing BD, which may help increase organ donation after OHCA. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01595958, and ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT00999583; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

Post-cardiac arrest myoclonus (PCAM) is a frequent finding in resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest (CA), with rather poor prognostic significance. In this study, we evaluated the association of PCAM within intensive care unit (ICU) mortality from a university hospital CA patients’ registry. Clinical data of consecutive CA survivors admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) between January and December 2016 at the Paris Cochin University Hospital were assessed from the Parisian registry of cardiac arrest (PROCAT) and analyzed. Neurologic outcome was assessed using the Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) scale at ICU discharge. Prevalence of PCAM and their association with mortality at ICU discharge were computed. One hundred thirty-two (132) patients were included (73.5% males), median age of 66 years. Among them, 37 (28%) developed PCAM during their ICU stay. Only two patients with PCAM survived (5.4%). PCAM was strongly associated with mortality at ICU discharge (odds ratio 17.5 [4.2–123.2]). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of PCAM for prediction of death were 41%, 96%, 95%, and 46%, respectively. PCAM was observed in nearly one-third of CA patients admitted in ICU. Patients with PCAM had a significantly higher likelihood of ICU mortality and a low likelihood of a good outcome. The prognostic value of PCAM seems rather bleak but remains nuanced and merits study in larger-scale prospective studies taking into account confounding factors.

Background Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement was described to be a poor prognostic factor in systemic necrotizing vasculitis. Its prognostic significance may vary according to clinical presentation and vasculitis subtype. Aims This study investigated risk-factors associated to poor outcome in GI-involvement of vasculitis. Methods Patients with systemic vasculitis as defined by the 2012 Chapel Hill Consensus Conference and presenting with GI involvement were retrospectively included. Baseline characteristics, treatments and outcome were recorded. Primary endpoint was a composite of admission to intensive care unit (ICU), emergency surgical procedure, or death. Results Two hundred and thirteen patients were included. Vasculitis were distributed as follows: 41% IgA vasculitis, 27% ANCA-associated vasculitis, 17% polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and 15% other vasculitis. Eighty-three (39%) patients fulfilled the composite primary endpoint within 6 months. Predictive factors associated with the primary endpoint included PAN subtype (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.29–7.34), performance status (OR 1.40, 1.05–1.87), use of morphine (OR 2.51, 0.87–7.24), abdominal guarding (OR 3.08, 1.01–9.37), ileus (OR 2.29, 0.98–5.32), melena (OR 2.74, 1.17–6.42), increased leukocytes (per G/L, OR 1.05, 1.00–1.10), low hemoglobin (per g/dL, OR 0.80, 0.71–0.91) and increased CRP (log mg/L, OR 1.21, 0.94–1.56). A risk prediction model for the achievement of primary endpoint had a very good performance [C-statistics 0.853 (0.810 to 0.895], and for overall survival as well. Conclusions Vasculitis presenting with GI involvement have a poor outcome in more than one third of cases. An easy-to-use risk prediction model had a very good performance to predict the admission to ICU, emergency surgical procedure, or death.

Objectives Transfusions of blood products are common in critically ill patients and have a potential for immunomodulation. The aim of this study is to address the impact of transfusion of blood products on the susceptibility to ICU-acquired infections in the high-risk patients with septic shock. Design A single-center retrospective study over a 10-year period (2008-2017). Setting A medical ICU of a tertiary-care center. Patients All consecutive patients diagnosed for septic shock within the first 48 hours of ICU admission were included. Patients who were discharged or died within the first 48 hours were excluded. Interventions RBC, platelet, and fresh frozen plasma transfusions collected up to 24 hours prior to the onset of ICU-acquired infection. Measurements and main results During the study period, 1,152 patients were admitted for septic shock, with 893 patients remaining alive in the ICU after 48 hours of management. A first episode of ICU-acquired infection occurred in 28.3% of the 48-hour survivors, with a predominance of pulmonary infections (57%). Patients with ICU-acquired infections were more likely to have received RBC, platelet, and fresh frozen plasma transfusions. In a multivariate Cox cause-specific analysis, transfusions of platelets (cause-specific hazard ratio = 1.55 [1.09-2.20]; p = 0.01) and fresh frozen plasma (cause-specific hazard ratio = 1.38 [0.98-1.92]; p = 0.05) were independently associated with the further occurrence of ICU-acquired infections. Conclusions Transfusions of platelets and fresh frozen plasma account for risk factors of ICU-acquired infections in patients recovering from septic shock. The occurrence of ICU-acquired infections should be considered as a relevant endpoint in future studies addressing the indications of transfusions in critically ill patients.

Background The aim of this study is to determine whether severe COVID-19 patients harbour a higher risk of ICU-acquired pneumonia. Methods This retrospective multicentre cohort study comprised all consecutive patients admitted to seven ICUs for severe COVID-19 pneumonia during the first COVID-19 surge in France. Inclusion criteria were laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation for 48 h or more. Control groups were two historical cohorts of mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU for bacterial or non-SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonia. The outcome of interest was the development of ICU-acquired pneumonia. The determinants of ICU-acquired pneumonia were investigated in a multivariate competing risk analysis. Result One hundred and seventy-six patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted to the ICU between March 1st and 30th June of 2020 were included into the study. Historical control groups comprised 435 patients with bacterial pneumonia and 48 ones with viral pneumonia. ICU-acquired pneumonia occurred in 52% of COVID-19 patients, whereas in 26% and 23% of patients with bacterial or viral pneumonia, respectively (p p = 0.011). Conclusion COVID-19 appears an independent risk factor of ICU-acquired pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients with pneumonia. Whether this is driven by immunomodulatory properties by the SARS-CoV-2 or this is related to particular processes of care remains to be investigated.

International audience; Purpose: Mesenteric ischaemia after successfully resuscitated cardiac arrest (CA) has been insufficiently studied. We aimed to assess the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of non-occlusive mesenteric ischaemia (NOMI) after CA. Methods: We retrospectively included patients admitted to a CA centre with sustained return of spontaneous circulation between 2007 and 2017. NOMI was suspected based on clinical symptoms and classified as possible if no tests were feasible or the only test was a negative abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan and as confirmed if diagnosed by endoscopy, CT, or surgery. Results: Of 1343 patients, 82 (6%) had suspected NOMI, including 33 (2.5%) with confirmed NOMI. Investigations for suspected NOMI were done in 47/82 (57%) patients (CT, n = 30; lower digestive endoscopy, n = 14; and upper digestive endoscopy, n = 12); 11 patients underwent surgery. By multivariate analysis, factors associated with suspected NOMI were female sex (OR, 1.8; 95%CI, 1.1–2.9, p = 0.02), cardiovascular comorbidities (OR, 1.6; 95%CI, 1.0–2.7; p = 0.047), admission lactate >5 mmol/L (OR, 2.0; 95%CI, 1.2–3.4; p = 0.01), low flow >17 min (OR, 2.2; 95%CI, 1.3–3.8; p = 0.003), and inotropic score >7 μg/kg/min (OR, 1.8; 95%CI, 1.1–3.2; p = 0.03). ICU mortality was 96% (79/82), with 61% of patients dying from multi-organ failure (MOF) and 35% from post-anoxic brain injury. Of the eight patients who regained consciousness, 5 finally died from MOF, leaving 3 patients discharged alive from the ICU with a good neurologic outcome. Conclusions: NOMI may affect 2.5–6% of patients after CA. Mortality was extremely high in patients, and very few survived with a good neurological outcome.

ImportanceInformation about the severity of Omicron is scarce.ObjectiveTo report the respective risk of ICU admission in patients hospitalized with Delta and Omicron variants and to compare the characteristics and disease severity of critically ill patients infected with both variants according to vaccination status.DesignAnalysis from the APHP database, called Reality, prospectively recording the following information in consecutive patients admitted in the ICU for COVID-19: age, sex, immunosuppression, vaccination, pneumonia, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, time between symptom onset and ICU admission, and in-ICU mortality. Retrospective analysis on an administrative database, “Système d’Information pour le Suivi des Victimes” (SI-VIC), which lists hospitalized COVID-19 patients.Setting39 hospitals in the Paris area from APHP group.ParticipantsPatients hospitalized from December 1, 2021 to January 18, 2022 for COVID-19.Main outcomes and measuresRisk of ICU admission was evaluated in 3761 patients and Omicron cases were compared to Delta cases in the ICU in 888 consecutive patients.ResultsOn January 18, 45% of patients in the ICU and 63.8% of patients in conventional hospital units were infected with the Omicron variant (p < 0.001). The risk of ICU admission with Omicron was reduced by 64% than with Delta (9.3% versus 25.8% of cases, respectively, p < 0.001). In critically ill patients, 400 had the Delta variant, 229 the Omicron variant, 98 had an uninformative variant screening test and 161 did not have information on variant screening test. 747 patients (84.1%) were admitted for pneumonia. Compared to patients infected with Delta, Omicron patients were more vaccinated (pConclusion and relevanceCompared to the Delta variant, the Omicron variant is less likely to result in ICU admission and less likely to be associated with pneumonia. However, when patients with the Omicron variant are admitted for pneumonia, the severity seems similar to that of patients with the Delta variant, with more immunocompromised and vaccinated patients and no difference in adjusted in-ICU mortality. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.

Background To assess in comatose patients after cardiac arrest (CA) if amplitudes of two somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) responses, namely, N20-baseline (N20-b) and N20–P25, are predictive of neurological outcome. Methods Monocentric prospective study in a tertiary cardiac center between Nov 2019 and July-2021. All patients comatose at 72 h after CA with at least one SSEP recorded were included. The N20-b and N20–P25 amplitudes were automatically measured in microvolts (µV), along with other recommended prognostic markers (status myoclonus, neuron-specific enolase levels at 2 and 3 days, and EEG pattern). We assessed the predictive value of SSEP for neurologic outcome using the best Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC1 or 2 as good outcome) at 3 months (main endpoint) and 6 months (secondary endpoint). Specificity and sensitivity of different thresholds of SSEP amplitudes, alone or in combination with other prognostic markers, were calculated. Results Among 82 patients, a poor outcome (CPC 3–5) was observed in 78% of patients at 3 months. The median time to SSEP recording was 3(2–4) days after CA, with a pattern “bilaterally absent” in 19 patients, “unilaterally present” in 4, and “bilaterally present” in 59 patients. The median N20-b amplitudes were different between patients with poor and good outcomes, i.e., 0.93 [0–2.05]µV vs. 1.56 [1.24–2.75]µV, respectively (p p 2 µV predicted good outcome with a specificity of 73% and a moderate sensitivity of 39%, although an N20–P25 > 3.2 µV was 93% specific and only 30% sensitive. A low voltage N20-b p = 0.002) for prediction of poor outcome. Conclusion In comatose patient after CA, both N20-b and N20–P25 amplitudes could predict both good and poor outcomes with high specificity but low to moderate sensitivity. Our results suggest that caution is needed regarding SSEP amplitudes in clinical routine, and that these indicators should be used in a multimodal approach for prognostication after cardiac arrest.

The objective is to identify the risk markers of multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDRB) related ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in septic shock patients with previous MDRB carriage.This retrospective study was conducted in a medical ICU from 2010 to 2020. Consecutive patients with septic shock and still in the ICU after 48 h, were eligible. The following microorganisms were defined as MDRB: extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Screening for MDRB colonization was performed at ICU admission and during ICU stay. The determinants of MDRB-related VAP were assessed using a time-dependent cause-specific Cox model.643 patients were analyzed and 122 (18.9%) had at least one episode of VAP. The overall ICU mortality was 32.5%. The incidence of MDRB carriage was 31%, distributed into MDRB carriage at admission (14.3%) and MDRB acquired during ICU stay (16.7%). In multivariate analysis, MDRB colonization in ICU was independently associated with an increased risk of VAP (CSH: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.05-3.23; p = 0.03) whereas carriage prior to admission was not.Imported and acquired MDRB carriage harbor different risks of subsequent MDRB-related VAP in patients with septic shock.

Family members of brain dead patients experience an unprecedented situation in which not only they are told that their loved one is dead but are also asked to consider organ donation. The objective of this qualitative study was to determine 1) what it means for family members to make the decision and to take responsibility, 2) how they interact with the deceased patient in the ICU, 3) how family members describe the impact of the process and of the decision on their bereavement process.Qualitative study using interviews with bereaved family members who were approached for organ donation after the death of their relative in the ICU (brain death).Family members from 13 ICUs in France.Bereaved family members who were approached for organ donation after the death of their relative in the ICU (brain death).None.Twenty-four interviews were conducted with 16 relatives of organ donor patients and with eight relatives of nonorgan donor patients. Three themes emerged: 1) taking responsibility-relatives explain how they endorse decisional responsibility but do not experience it as a burden, on the contrary; 2) ambiguous perceptions of death-two groups of relatives emerge: those for whom ambiguity hinders their acceptance of the patient's death; those for whom ambiguity is an opportunity to accept the death and say goodbye; and 3) donation as a comfort during bereavement.In spite of caregivers' efforts to focus organ donation discussions and decision on the patient, family members feel a strong decisional responsibility that is not experienced as a burden but a proof of their strong connection to the patient. Brain death however creates ambivalent experiences that some family members endure whereas others use as an opportunity to perform separation rituals. Last, organ donation can be experienced as a form of comfort during bereavement provided family members remain convinced their decision was right.

Family members of critically ill patients suffer from high levels of anxiety and depression in the ICU, and are at risk of developing post-ICU syndrome following ICU discharge. In the case of brain death, and potential organ donation, the family is at the center of the decision process: within a limited time frame, the family will be informed that the patient is brain-dead and will be approached about potential organ donation. Family experience with organ donation has been the topic of several research papers allowing one to gain knowledge about family members’ experience of organ donation, emphasizing specific needs, adequate support, and pointing out gaps in current delivery of family-centered care. In this narrative review, experts, clinicians, and researchers present the various legal systems regarding family implication in organ donation decisions; describe factors that influence the decision-making process; highlight family perspectives of care and respect for potential donors in the ICU environment; describe the impact of organ donation discussions and decisions on post-ICU syndrome; and suggest communication skills and support to be developed in the future. A research agenda for the next decade is also encouraged. Overall, challenges remain and concern all persons involved in the process, ICU doctors and nurses, the organ procurement organization, family members, and, in some cases, the patients themselves. Looking at the big picture will provide opportunities for further improvements.

Purpose To investigate the determinants and the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia in patients with septic shock. Methods This single-center retrospective study was conducted in a medical ICU in a tertiary care center from January 2008 to December 2016. All consecutive patients diagnosed for septic shock within the first 48 h of ICU admission were included. Patients were classified in three groups: no ICU-acquired infections (no ICU-AI), ICU-acquired pneumonia and non-pulmonary ICU-AI. The determinants of ICU-acquired pneumonia and death were investigated by multivariate competitive risk analysis. Results A total of 1021 patients were admitted for septic shock, and 797 patients were alive in the ICU after 48 h of management. The incidence of a first episode of ICU-AI was 31%, distributed into pulmonary (17%) and non-pulmonary ICU-AI (14%). Patients with septic shock caused by pneumonia were at increased risk of further pulmonary ICU-AI with a cumulated incidence of 34.4%. A pulmonary source of the initial septic shock was an independent risk factor for subsequent ICU-acquired pneumonia (cause-specific hazard 2.33, 95% confidence interval [1.55–3.52], p

The success of any donation process requires that potential brain-dead donors (PBDD) are detected and referred early to professionals responsible for their evaluation and conversion to actual donors. The intensivist plays a crucial role in organ donation. However, identification and referral of PBDDs may be suboptimal in the critical care environment. Factors influencing lower rates of detection and referral include the lack of specific training and the need to provide concomitant urgent care to other critically ill patients. Excellent communication between the ICU staff and the procurement organization is necessary to ensure the optimization of both the number and quality of organs transplanted. The organ donation process has been improved over the last two decades with the involvement and commitment of many healthcare professionals. Clinical protocols have been developed and implemented to better organize the multidisciplinary approach to organ donation. In this manuscript, we aim to highlight the main steps of organ donation, taking into account the following: early identification and evaluation of the PBDD with the use of checklists; donor management, including clinical maintenance of the PBDD with high-quality intensive care to prevent graft failure in recipients and strategies for optimizing donated organs by simplified care standards, clinical guidelines and alert tools; the key role of the intensivist in the donation process with the interaction between ICU professionals and transplant coordinators, nurse protocol managers, and communication skills training; and a final remark on the importance of the development of research with further insight into brain death pathophysiology and reversible organ damage.

Erratum inCorrection to Lancet Respir Med 2021; published online April 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00096-5.; International audience; Background: In the Île-de-France region (henceforth termed Greater Paris), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was considered early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We report ECMO network organisation and outcomes during the first wave of the pandemic.Methods: In this multicentre cohort study, we present an analysis of all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe ARDS requiring ECMO who were admitted to 17 Greater Paris intensive care units between March 8 and June 3, 2020. Central regulation for ECMO indications and pooling of resources were organised for the Greater Paris intensive care units, with six mobile ECMO teams available for the region. Details of complications (including ECMO-related complications, renal replacement therapy, and pulmonary embolism), clinical outcomes, survival status at 90 days after ECMO initiation, and causes of death are reported. Multivariable analysis was used to identify pre-ECMO variables independently associated with 90-day survival after ECMO.Findings: The 302 patients included who underwent ECMO had a median age of 52 years (IQR 45-58) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score-II of 40 (31-56), and 235 (78%) of whom were men. 165 (55%) were transferred after cannulation by a mobile ECMO team. Before ECMO, 285 (94%) patients were prone positioned, median driving pressure was 18 cm H2O (14-21), and median ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen was 61 mm Hg (IQR 54-70). During ECMO, 115 (43%) of 270 patients had a major bleeding event, 27 of whom had intracranial haemorrhage; 130 (43%) of 301 patients received renal replacement therapy; and 53 (18%) of 294 had a pulmonary embolism. 138 (46%) patients were alive 90 days after ECMO. The most common causes of death were multiorgan failure (53 [18%] patients) and septic shock (47 [16%] patients). Shorter time between intubation and ECMO (odds ratio 0·91 [95% CI 0·84-0·99] per day decrease), younger age (2·89 [1·41-5·93] for ≤48 years and 2·01 [1·01-3·99] for 49-56 years vs ≥57 years), lower pre-ECMO renal component of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0·67, 0·55-0·83 per point increase), and treatment in centres managing at least 30 venovenous ECMO cases annually (2·98 [1·46-6·04]) were independently associated with improved 90-day survival. There was no significant difference in survival between patients who had mobile and on-site ECMO initiation.Interpretation: Beyond associations with similar factors to those reported on ECMO for non-COVID-19 ARDS, 90-day survival among ECMO-assisted patients with COVID-19 was strongly associated with a centre's experience in venovenous ECMO during the previous year. Early ECMO management in centres with a high venovenous ECMO case volume should be advocated, by applying centralisation and regulation of ECMO indications, which should also help to prevent a shortage of resources.

International audience; Purpose: Patient data management systems (PDMS) are widely used in intensive care units (ICUs) to improve care traceability. Verbal orders are still used for prescriptions requiring immediate execution but should be subsequently recorded in the system. We assessed the rapid sequence induction (RSI) traceability for endotracheal intubation in an ICU dedicated PDMS.Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted on anonymous databases in 21 ICUs. Endotracheal tube insertions performed during one year were compared to the number of RSI registered in the PDMS.Results: We listed 5516 endotracheal tube insertions. A suxamethonium injection was registered in 829 cases and a rocuronium administration in 909 cases. The RSI traceability rate in the overall cohort was 31.5% and was greater in the units where nurses were allowed to record a drug administration before the computerized physician order entry.Conclusions: PDMS are supposed to improve prescription completeness and traceability, but our study suggests an opposite result. A co-responsibility policy between physicians and nurses should be promoted to improve care traceability. PDMS ergonomic improvements and enhanced integration in clinical workflow might also result in better compliance with documentation requirements. In each centre, indicators of PDMS correct use should be defined and periodically monitored.

Background Long-term outcomes of awakened survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are poorly known. Research Question What are the month (M) 18 outcomes of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) who awakened during the first 2 weeks’ post-OHCA and their poor-outcome risk factors? Study Design and Methods All OHCA survivors with a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥12 during the first 2 weeks’ post-OHCA were enrolled in six ICUs and followed up at M3, M6, M12, and M18. The primary outcome measure was Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) score at M18. Secondary outcome measures included evaluation at M18 of neurologic, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities; health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), anxiety and depression; and poor-outcome risk factors (GOS-E score ≤ 6). Results Among the 139 included patients, 98 were assessable for the primary outcome measure. At M18, 64 (65%) had full recovery or minor disabilities (GOS-E score > 6), 18 (18%) had moderate disabilities but were autonomous for daily-life activities (GOS-E score = 6), 12 (12%) had poor autonomy (GOS-E score 1), and four had died. Percentages of patients with GOS-E scores > 6 increased significantly over the 18-month study period. At M18, no patients had major neurologic disabilities, 20% had cognitive disabilities, 32% had anxiety symptoms, 25% had depression symptoms, and their HR-QOL was impaired compared with a sex- and age-matched population. Low-flow time, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at admission, coma duration > 3 days after cardiac arrest, and mechanical ventilation on days 3 and 7 were associated with poor functional outcome. Interpretation Among patients who awoke (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥12) in the 14 days following OHCA, 35% had moderate to severe disabilities or had died at M18. Interestingly, patients improved until M18 post-OHCA. Risk factors associated with poor functional outcome were low-flow time, clinical severity at ICU admission, prolonged coma duration, and mechanical ventilation. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT02292147; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov .

Background Impact of prior cardiovascular antihypertensive medication during the initial phase of septic shock in terms of catecholamine requirements and mortality has been poorly investigated and remains unclear. Objectives To investigate the association between chronic prescription of cardiovascular antihypertensive medication prior to intensive care unit (ICU) admission, catecholamine requirement, and mortality in patients with septic shock. Methods We included all consecutive patients diagnosed with septic shock within the first 24 h of ICU admission, defined as a microbiologically proven or clinically suspected infection, associated with acute circulatory failure requiring vasopressors despite adequate fluid filling. Prior cardiovascular antihypertensive medication was defined as the chronic use of betablockers (BB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). ICU mortality was investigated using multivariate competitive risk analysis. Results Among 735 patients admitted for septic shock between 2008 and 2016, 46.9% received prior cardiovascular antihypertensive medication. Prior cardiovascular antihypertensive therapy was not associated with increased norepinephrine requirements during the first 24 h (median = 0.28 μg/kg/min in patients previously treated vs. 0.26 μg/kg/min). Prior cardiovascular antihypertensive medication was not associated with a higher risk of ICU mortality after adjustment (cause-specific hazard = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [0.98-1.66], P = 0.06). Subgroups analyses for BB, CCB, and ACEi/ARB using propensity score analyses retrieved similar results. Conclusion In patients admitted with septic shock, prior cardiovascular antihypertensive medication seems to have limited impact on initial hemodynamic failure and catecholamine requirement.

International audience; Lopinavir and low-dose ritonavir (LPV/RTV) are associated in a fixed-dose combination protease inhibitor therapy used in patients with HIV and AIDS. The recent outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rekindled the interest in LPV/RTV after preclinical studies.1 Although no benefit was observed with LPV/RTV treatment beyond standard care,2 other randomized controlled trials, such as DisCoVeRy (NCT04315948), are currently enrolling. Like other antiretroviral therapies, LPV/RTV has been previously associated with acute kidney injuries (AKIs), even though no systematic pharmacovigilance analysis was ever performed.We first describe a small case series of AKI associated with LPV/RTV in the course of COVID-19 treatment. We then performed a query in the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database, VigiBase, and extracted all AKIs associated with LPV/RTV. We then presented clinical characteristics of these events and performed a comparison between HIV and COVID-19 indication in VigiBase.