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This multicenter randomized trial compared strategies of early and delayed renal-replacement therapy in patients with severe acute kidney injury. There was no significant difference in mortality, the primary outcome, between the study groups. Acute kidney injury is a common condition among patients in the intensive care unit 1 – 4 and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. 2 , 5 – 8 Renal-replacement therapy is the cornerstone of the management of severe acute kidney injury. Many studies have focused on methods of renal-replacement therapy, 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 but the issue of when to initiate the therapy in the absence of a potentially life-threatening complication directly related to renal failure remains a subject of debate. Indirect evidence has suggested that early renal-replacement therapy could confer a survival benefit. 10 – 12 However, two observational studies reported high survival rates among . . .

Purpose: Hyperglycaemia is an adaptive response to stress commonly observed in critical illness. Its management remains debated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Individualising hyperglycaemia management, by targeting the patient's pre-admission usual glycaemia, could improve outcome.Methods: In a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study, critically-ill adults were considered for inclusion. Patients underwent until ICU discharge either individualised glucose control by targeting the pre-admission usual glycaemia using the glycated haemoglobin A1c level at ICU admission (IC group), or conventional glucose control by maintaining glycaemia below 180 mg/dL (CC group). A non-commercial web application of a dynamic sliding-scale insulin protocol gave to nurses all instructions for glucose control in both groups. The primary outcome was death within 90 days.Results: Owing to a low likelihood of benefit and evidence of the possibility of harm related to hypoglycaemia, the study was stopped early. 2075 patients were randomized; 1917 received the intervention, 942 in the IC group and 975 in the CC group. Although both groups showed significant differences in terms of glycaemic control, survival probability at 90-day was not significantly different (IC group: 67.2%, 95% CI [64.2%; 70.3%]; CC group: 69.6%, 95% CI [66.7%; 72.5%]). Severe hypoglycaemia (below 40 mg/dL) occurred in 3.9% of patients in the IC group and in 2.5% of patients in the CC group (p = 0.09). A post hoc analysis showed for non-diabetic patients a higher risk of 90-day mortality in the IC group compared to the CC group (HR 1.3, 95% CI [1.05; 1.59], p = 0.018).Conclusion: Targeting an ICU patient's pre-admission usual glycaemia using a dynamic sliding-scale insulin protocol did not demonstrate a survival benefit compared to maintaining glycaemia below 180 mg/dL.

Proteinuria results from kidney damage and can be a predictor of illness severity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the optimal timing of proteinuria measurements and the reference values remain undetermined. Our objective was to identify the patterns of proteinuria change associated with mortality in ICU patients with sepsis or shock. This monocentric retrospective cohort study performed from April 2010 to April 2018 involved all ICU patients with sepsis or shock and at least two measurements of proteinuria from a 24h-urine collection during the first 10 days of ICU stay, the first of which was made within 48h after ICU admission. We identified proteinuria trajectories by a semi-parametric mixture model and analysed the association between the trajectories and the mortality at day 28 by Cox proportional-hazards model. A total of 3,344 measurements of proteinuria from 659 patients were analysed. Four proteinuria trajectories were identified. Trajectories 1, 2, 3 and 4 comprised 127, 421, 60 and 51 patients, and were characterized by a first proteinuria of 1.14 [0.66-1.55], 0.52 [0.26-0.91], 2.92 [2.38-3.84] and 2.58 [1.75-3.32] g/24h (p2g/24h). Only, the proteinuria of trajectory 4 increased within 3 days following the first measurement and was associated with increased mortality at day 28 (hazard ratio: 2.36 95%CI [1.07-5.19], p = 0.03), regardless of acute renal failure. The factors associated with trajectory 4 were cancer (relative risk: 8.91 95%CI [2.09-38.02], p = 0.003) and use of inotropic drugs (relative risk: 0.17 95%CI [0.04-0.69], p = 0.01). This exploratory study of ICU patients with sepsis or shock identified four proteinuria trajectories with distinct patterns of proteinuria change over time and mortality rates. These results provide novel insights into renal pathophysiology and may be helpful to investigate subphenotypes of kidney injury among ICU patients in future studies.

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) for respiratory virus testing is increasingly used in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), however data on one-year outcome in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with reference to the causative pathogen are scarce. We performed a single-center retrospective study in 123 ICU patients who had undergone respiratory virus testing for CAP by mPCR and with known one-year survival status. Functional status including dyspnea (mMRC score), autonomy (ADL Katz score) and need for new home-care ventilatory support was assessed at a one-year post-ICU follow-up. Mortality rates and functional status were compared in patients with CAP of a bacterial, viral or unidentified etiology one year after ICU admission. The bacterial, viral and unidentified groups included 19 (15.4%), 37 (30.1%), and 67 (54.5%) patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, one-year mortality in the bacterial group was higher compared to the viral group (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.71-7.28, p = 0.02) and tended to be higher compared to the unidentified etiology group (p = 0.06); but no difference was found between the viral and the unidentified etiology group (p = 0.43). In 64/83 one-year survivors with a post-ICU follow-up consultation, there were no differences in mMRC score, ADL Katz score and new home-care ventilatory support between the groups (p = 0.52, p = 0.37, p = 0.24, respectively). Severe dyspnea (mMRC score = 4 or death), severe autonomy deficiencies (ADL Katz score ≤ 2 or death), and major adverse respiratory events (new home-care ventilatory support or death) were observed in 52/104 (50.0%), 47/104 (45.2%), and 65/104 (62.5%) patients, respectively; with no difference between the bacterial, viral and unidentified group: p = 0.58, p = 0.06, p = 0.61, respectively. CAP of bacterial origin had a poorer outcome than CAP of viral or unidentified origin. At one-year, impairment of functional status was frequently observed, with no difference according to the etiology.

Invasive fusariosis can be life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised patients who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study to describe clinical and biologic characteristics, patient outcomes, and factors associated with death and response to antifungal therapy. We identified 55 patients with invasive fusariosis from 16 ICUs in France during 2002---2020. The mortality rate was high (56%). Fusariosis-related pneumonia occurred in 76% of patients, often leading to acute respiratory failure. Factors associated with death included elevated sequential organ failure assessment score at ICU admission or history of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or hematologic malignancies. Neither voriconazole treatment nor disseminated fusariosis were strongly associated with response to therapy. Invasive fusariosis can lead to multiorgan failure and is associated with high mortality rates in ICUs. Clinicians should closely monitor ICU patients with a history of hematologic malignancies or stem cell transplantation because of higher risk for death.

The death of a loved one in an intensive care unit is an emotionally trying experience. These investigators compared a proactive end-of-life conference with family members, including the provision of an informational brochure, with a customary conference; outcomes were reported by family members 90 days after the loved one's death. Family members who participated in the intervention conference had improved outcomes, as compared with those who participated in the standard conference. These investigators compared a proactive end-of-life conference with a customary conference. Family members who participated in the proactive conference had improved outcomes. Having a loved one die in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an extraordinarily stressful event. 1 The patient is usually unable to communicate with the family or with ICU staff. Qualitative and quantitative studies of families in this situation 2 have identified effective communication between caregivers and families and support from caregivers throughout the decision-making process as important to family members. 3 – 9 In many ICUs, an end-of-life family conference, which is rooted in findings from epidemiologic and interventional studies on communicating with families of dying patients, is an important part of ICU practice. 10 In these conferences, family members and ICU staff . . .

Open lung biopsy (OLB) is a rare procedure in intensive care units (ICUs) for therapeutic management of acute respiratory failure (ARF). The purpose of this study was to analyze the diagnostic yield, therapeutic contribution and complications of OLB in ICU patients with ARF of unclear etiology, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and ARDS mimics. Retrospective study conducted in a 10-bed ICU over a 13-year period. Patients undergoing OLB for ARF with undiagnosed infiltrates on CT scan were included. ARDS was defined according to Berlin criteria, and ARDS mimics as a condition looking like ARDS except for the presence of a known cause. OLB was contributive when the OLB findings yielded a specific diagnosis resulting in a change in the patients' treatment or management. Forty six patients were included (sex ratio = 2.5, median and [interquartile range] age = 69 [59-77] years, and admission SAPS II = 42 [33-50]. ARF corresponded to ARDS in 22 patients and to ARDS mimics in 16. OLB yielded 61 diagnoses in 45 patients including diffuse alveolar damage (N = 21), lung fibrosis (N = 18), and organizing pneumonia (N = 11). OLB was contributive in 37 patients (80%), including 13/16 ARDS mimickers. The main contributions of OLB were the introduction or maintenance of steroids (N = 32) and discontinuation of antibiotics (N = 9). In 4 patients OLB resulted directly in the decision to forgo life-sustaining treatment. OLB complications occurred in 16 patients (35%), in one case associated with fatal outcome. OLB can play a useful role in the management of ICU patients with ARF of undetermined origin, including ARDS mimickers. Further studies should be done to identify the groups of ICU patients likely to benefit from the procedure with minimum risk.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a serious complication in the ICU that results in increased mortality and risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some studies suggest RRT modality may have an impact on long-term renal recovery after AKI. However, other predictive factors of severe long-term CKD in ICU patients with AKI requiring RRT are unknown. Methods We performed an ancillary study of the multicenter ELVIS trial in the population with AKI requiring RRT. Patients alive 3 months after RRT initiation were eligible. Serum creatinine levels available at 3, 6 and 12 months and 3 and 5 years were recorded. CKD stage was determined according to the glomerular filtration rate as estimated by the CKD-EPI formula. At each timepoint, two groups of patients were compared, a no/mild CKD group with normal or mildly to moderately decreased renal function (stages 1, 2 and 3 of the international classification) and a severe CKD group (stages 4 and 5). Our objective was to identify predictive factors of severe long-term CKD. Results Of the 287 eligible patients, 183 had follow-up at 3 months, 136 (74.3%) from the no/mild CKD group and 47 (25.7%) from the severe CKD group, and 122 patients at 5 years comprising 96 (78.7%) from the no/mild CKD group and 26 (21.3%) from the severe CKD group. Multivariate analysis showed that a long RRT period was associated with severe CKD up to 12 months (OR M12  = 1.03 95% CI [1.02–1.05] per day) and that a high SOFA score at the initiation of RRT was not associated with severe CKD up to 5 years (OR M60  = 0.85 95% CI [0.77–0.93] per point). Conclusion Severe long-term CKD was found in 21% of ICU survivors who underwent RRT for AKI. The duration of the RRT in AKI patients was identified as a new predictive factor for severe long-term CKD. This finding should be taken into consideration in future studies on the prognosis of ICU patients with AKI requiring RRT. Trial registration ELVIS trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number: NCT00875069 (June 16, 2014), and this ancillary study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number: NCT03302624 (October 6, 2017).

Background The transition from medical school to surgical residency often leaves students underprepared for essential technical procedures, impacting their confidence and patient safety. Surgical boot camps can help address this skill gap, but few articles have described exactly how to organize a boot camp. We aimed to precisely describe the simulation stations and evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp. Methods We conducted a prospective, monocentric, observational study at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand (France) over a 3-year period, assessing technical skills and cognitive workload before and after boot camp using a validated questionnaire. We included sixty-five medical students (34 female, 31 male) who had been accepted into a general surgery residency program were included. We described precisely the 9 simulation stations. Results After the boot camp, participants reported increased confidence in basic surgical skills, with significant improvements in technical performance. Satisfaction scores were high, averaging 8.8 out of 10 for women and 9.0 for men. Segmenting the boot camp into multiple workshops made it easy to organize. Conclusion This surgical boot camp significantly reduced the perceived cognitive workload and improved the confidence of incoming residents, addressing key challenges in pre-residency preparation. By providing a detailed description of our simulation workshops, we aim to facilitate the implementation of similar programs in other institutions.

IntroductionFirst-line oxygenation strategy in patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure consists in standard oxygen or high-flow nasal oxygen therapy. Clinical practice guidelines suggest the use of high-flow nasal oxygen rather than standard oxygen. However, findings remain contradictory with a low level of certainty. We hypothesise that compared with standard oxygen, high-flow nasal oxygen may reduce mortality in patients with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure.Method and analysisThe Standard Oxygen versus High-flow nasal Oxygen-trial is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial comparing high-flow nasal oxygen versus standard oxygen in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) for acute respiratory failure with moderate-to-severe hypoxaemia. 1110 patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups with a ratio of 1:1. The primary outcome is the number of patients who died 28 days after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include comfort, dyspnoea and oxygenation 1 hour after treatment initiation, the number of patients intubated at day 28, mortality in ICU, in hospital and until day 90, and complications during ICU stay.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the central Ethics Committee ‘Sud Méditerranée III’ (2020-07-05) and patients will be included after informed consent. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT04468126.