The reference method for hemoglobin concentration measurement remains automated analysis in the laboratory. Although point-of-care devices such as the HemoCue® 201+ (HemoCue, Ängelholm, Sweden) ...provide immediate hemoglobin values, a noninvasive, spectrophotometry-based technology (Radical-7®; Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA) that provides continuous online hemoglobin (SpHb) measurements has been introduced. This clinical study aimed to test the hypothesis that SpHb monitoring was equivalent to that of HemoCue® (the automated hemoglobin measurement in the laboratory taken as a reference method) during acute surgical hemorrhage.
Blood for laboratory analysis was sampled after induction of anesthesia, during surgery according to the requirements of the anesthesiologist, and finally after the transfer of the patient to the recovery room. When each blood sample was taken, capillary samples were obtained for analysis with HemoCue®. SpHb monitoring was performed continuously during surgery. Using the automated hemoglobin measurement in the laboratory as a reference method, the authors tested the hypothesis that SpHb monitoring is equivalent to that of HemoCue®. The agreement between two methods was evaluated by linear regression and Bland and Altman analysis.
Eighty-five simultaneous measurements from SpHb, HemoCue®, and the laboratory were obtained from 44 patients. Bland and Altman comparison of SpHb and HemoCue® with the laboratory measurement showed, respectively, bias of -0.02 ± 1.39 g · dl(-1) and -0.17 ± 1.05 g · dl(-1), and a precision of 1.11 ± 0.83 g · dl(-1) and 0.67 ± 0.83 g · dl(-1). Considering an acceptable difference of ± 1.0 g · dl(-1) with the laboratory measurement, the percentage of outliers was significantly higher for SpHb than for HemoCue® (46% vs. 16%, P < 0.05).
Taking automated laboratory hemoglobin measurement as a reference, the study shows that SpHb monitoring with Radical-7® gives lower readings than does the HemoCue® for assessment of hemoglobin concentration during hemorrhagic surgery.
Purpose
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major public health concern, but data regarding epidemiology of this disease in Western European countries are outdated. This study reports the first results ...from a large registry of SCD.
Methods
A population-based registry was established in May 2011 using multiple sources to collect every case of SCD in Paris and its suburbs, covering a population of 6.6 million. Utstein variables were recorded. Pre-hospital and in-hospital data were considered, and the main outcome was survival at hospital discharge. Neurologic status at discharge was established as well.
Results
Of the 6,165 cases of SCD recorded over 2 years, 3,816 had a resuscitation attempt and represent the study population. Most patients were male (69 %), the SCD occurred at home (72 %) with bystanders in 80 % of cases, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed in 45 % of cases. Initial rhythm was shockable in 26 % of cases. A total of 1,332 patients (35 %) were admitted alive to hospital. Among hospitalized patients, 58 % had a coronary angiogram, and the same proportion had therapeutic hypothermia. Finally, 279 patients (7.5 %) were discharged alive, of whom 96 % had a favorable neurological outcome. In multivariate analysis, bystander CPR (OR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.5–3.1) and initial shockable rhythm (OR 11.5, 95 % CI 7.6–17.3) were positively associated with survival at hospital discharge, whereas age (OR 0.97 per year, 95 % CI 0.96–0.98), longer response time (OR 0.93 per minute, 95 % CI 0.89–0.97), occurrence at home (OR 0.4, 95 % CI 0.3–0.6), and epinephrine dose greater than 3 mg (OR 0.05, 95 % CI 0.03–0.08) were inversely associated with survival.
Conclusion
Despite being conducted in the therapeutic hypothermia and early coronary angiogram era, hospital discharge survival rate of resuscitated SCD remains poor. The current registry suggests ways to improve pre-hospital and in-hospital care of these patients.
Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being deployed for selected patients in cardiac arrest who do not attain a native circulation with conventional CPR (ECPR). ...This ELSO guideline is intended to be a practical guide to implementing ECPR and the early management following establishment of ECMO support. Where a paucity of high-quality evidence exists, a consensus has been reached amongst the authors to provide guidance to the clinician. This guideline will be updated as further evidence in this field becomes available.
In a large cohort of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients without ST-segment elevation (STE), the study assessed the relationship between the use of an early invasive strategy and patient ...outcome.
Emergent coronary angiogram (CAG) and reperfusion are currently a standard of care in patients resuscitated from an OHCA with ST-segment elevation (STE). However, using a similar invasive strategy is still debated in patients without STE.
In the absence of an obvious extracardiac cause, for many years our practice has had to perform an emergent CAG in all OHCA patients (STE and no STE) at admission, followed by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) when required. All patients' characteristics are prospectively collected in the PROCAT (Parisian Registry Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest) database. Focusing on non-STE patients and using logistical regression, we investigated the association between early PCI and favorable outcome (cerebral performance category 1 to 2 at discharge) and we searched predictive factors for PCI requirement.
During the study period (2004 to 2013), we investigated 958 OHCA patients with an emergent CAG. Among them 695 of 958 (73%), mostly male (76%), and average 60 years of age had no evidence of STE on the post-resuscitation electrocardiography. A PCI was deemed necessary in 199 of 695 (29%). A favorable outcome was observed in 87 of 200 (43%) in patients with PCI compared with 164 of 495 (33%) in patients without PCI (p = 0.02). After adjustment, PCI was associated with a better outcome (adjusted odds ratio: 1.80 95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 2.97; p = 0.02). The other predictive factors of favorable outcome were a shorter resuscitation length (<20 min), an initial shockable rhythm, and a lower dose of epinephrine during resuscitation (p < 0.001). An initial shockable rhythm (adjusted odds ratio: 2.83 95% confidence interval: 1.84 to 4.36; p < 0.001) was the sole independent indicator for PCI requirement.
A culprit coronary lesion requiring PCI was found in nearly one-third of OHCA patients without STE. In these patients, emergent PCI was associated with a nearly 2-fold increase in the rate of favorable outcome. These findings support the use of an invasive strategy in these patients, particularly in those resuscitated from a shockable rhythm.
•Population pharmacokinetics is not designed to unveil sequestration•In vitro studies using blood are unable to provide a definitive conclusion•Extensive sequestration of caspofungin in ...polyacrylonitrile filter does occur•Sequestration may result in treatment failure•Increasing the dose more than recommendation does not mitigate sequestration
Critically ill patients frequently require continuous renal replacement therapy. Echinocandins are recommended as first-line treatment of candidemia. Preliminary results suggested echinocandin sequestration in a polyacrylonitrile filter. The present study aimed to determine whether increasing the dose might balance sequestration.
An STX filter (Baxter-Gambro) was used. A liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method was used for dosage of caspofungin. In vitro drug disposition was evaluated by NeckEpur (Neckepur, Versailles, France) technology using a crystalloid medium instead of diluted/reconstituted blood, focusing on the disposition of the unbound fraction of drugs. Two concentrations were assessed.
At the low dose, the mean measured initial concentration in the central compartment (CC) was 5.1 ± 0.6 mg/L. One hundred percent of the initial amount was eliminated from the CC within the 6-h session. The mean total clearance from the CC was 9.6 ± 2.5 L/h. The mean percentages of elimination resulting from sequestration and diafiltration were 96.0 ± 5.0 and 4.0 ± 5.2%, respectively. At high dose, the mean measured initial concentration in the CC was 13.1 mg/L. One hundred percent of the initial amount was eliminated from the CC within the 6-h session. The mean total clearance from the CC was 9.5 L/h. The mean percentages of elimination resulting from sequestration and filtration were 88.5% and 11.5%, respectively.
Increasing the dose does not mitigate caspofungin sequestration in the STX filter. The results raise caution about the simultaneous use of caspofungin and polyacrylonitrile-derived filters. Intermittent modes of renal replacement therapy might be considered. For sensitive species, fluconazole might be an alternative.
Patients with severe COVID-19 have emerged as a population at high risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). However, to our knowledge, the prevalence of IFIs has not yet been assessed in large ...populations of mechanically ventilated patients. We aimed to identify the prevalence, risk factors, and mortality associated with IFIs in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 under intensive care.
We performed a national, multicentre, observational cohort study in 18 French intensive care units (ICUs). We retrospectively and prospectively enrolled adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and requiring mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome, with all demographic and clinical and biological follow-up data anonymised and collected from electronic case report forms. Patients were systematically screened for respiratory fungal microorganisms once or twice a week during the period of mechanical ventilation up to ICU discharge. The primary outcome was the prevalence of IFIs in all eligible participants with a minimum of three microbiological samples screened during ICU admission, with proven or probable (pr/pb) COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) classified according to the recent ECMM/ISHAM definitions. Secondary outcomes were risk factors of pr/pb CAPA, ICU mortality between the pr/pb CAPA and non-pr/pb CAPA groups, and associations of pr/pb CAPA and related variables with ICU mortality, identified by regression models. The MYCOVID study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04368221.
Between Feb 29 and July 9, 2020, we enrolled 565 mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. 509 patients with at least three screening samples were analysed (mean age 59·4 years SD 12·5, 400 79% men). 128 (25%) patients had 138 episodes of pr/pb or possible IFIs. 76 (15%) patients fulfilled the criteria for pr/pb CAPA. According to multivariate analysis, age older than 62 years (odds ratio OR 2·34 95% CI 1·39-3·92, p=0·0013), treatment with dexamethasone and anti-IL-6 (OR 2·71 1·12-6·56, p=0·027), and long duration of mechanical ventilation (>14 days; OR 2·16 1·14-4·09, p=0·019) were independently associated with pr/pb CAPA. 38 (7%) patients had one or more other pr/pb IFIs: 32 (6%) had candidaemia, six (1%) had invasive mucormycosis, and one (<1%) had invasive fusariosis. Multivariate analysis of associations with death, adjusted for candidaemia, for the 509 patients identified three significant factors: age older than 62 years (hazard ratio HR 1·71 95% CI 1·26-2·32, p=0·0005), solid organ transplantation (HR 2·46 1·53-3·95, p=0·0002), and pr/pb CAPA (HR 1·45 95% CI 1·03-2·03, p=0·033). At time of ICU discharge, survival curves showed that overall ICU mortality was significantly higher in patients with pr/pb CAPA than in those without, at 61·8% (95% CI 50·0-72·8) versus 32·1% (27·7-36·7; p<0·0001).
This study shows the high prevalence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and candidaemia and high mortality associated with pr/pb CAPA in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. These findings highlight the need for active surveillance of fungal pathogens in patients with severe COVID-19.
Pfizer.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major public health concern, but data regarding epidemiology of this disease in Western European countries are outdated. This study reports the first results from a ...large registry of SCD. A population-based registry was established in May 2011 using multiple sources to collect every case of SCD in Paris and its suburbs, covering a population of 6.6 million. Utstein variables were recorded. Pre-hospital and in-hospital data were considered, and the main outcome was survival at hospital discharge. Neurologic status at discharge was established as well. Of the 6,165 cases of SCD recorded over 2 years, 3,816 had a resuscitation attempt and represent the study population. Most patients were male (69 %), the SCD occurred at home (72 %) with bystanders in 80 % of cases, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed in 45 % of cases. Initial rhythm was shockable in 26 % of cases. A total of 1,332 patients (35 %) were admitted alive to hospital. Among hospitalized patients, 58 % had a coronary angiogram, and the same proportion had therapeutic hypothermia. Finally, 279 patients (7.5 %) were discharged alive, of whom 96 % had a favorable neurological outcome. In multivariate analysis, bystander CPR (OR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.5-3.1) and initial shockable rhythm (OR 11.5, 95 % CI 7.6-17.3) were positively associated with survival at hospital discharge, whereas age (OR 0.97 per year, 95 % CI 0.96-0.98), longer response time (OR 0.93 per minute, 95 % CI 0.89-0.97), occurrence at home (OR 0.4, 95 % CI 0.3-0.6), and epinephrine dose greater than 3 mg (OR 0.05, 95 % CI 0.03-0.08) were inversely associated with survival. Despite being conducted in the therapeutic hypothermia and early coronary angiogram era, hospital discharge survival rate of resuscitated SCD remains poor. The current registry suggests ways to improve pre-hospital and in-hospital care of these patients.
BACKGROUND:In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), geographic disparities in outcomes may reflect baseline variations in patients’ characteristics but may also result from differences in the number ...of ambulances providing basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS). We aimed at assessing the association between allocated ambulance resources and outcomes in OHCA patients in a large urban community.
METHODS:From May 2011 to January 2016, we analyzed a prospectively collected Utstein database for all OHCA adults. Cases were geocoded according to 19 neighborhoods and the number of BLS (firefighters performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and applying automated external defibrillator) and ALS ambulances (medicalized team providing advanced care such as drugs and endotracheal intubation) was collected. We assessed the respective associations of Utstein parameters, socioeconomic characteristics, and ambulance resources of these neighborhoods using a mixed-effect model with successful return of spontaneous circulation as the primary end point and survival at hospital discharge as a secondary end point.
RESULTS:During the study period, 8754 nontraumatic OHCA occurred in the Greater Paris area. Overall return of spontaneous circulation rate was 3675 of 8754 (41.9%) and survival rate at hospital discharge was 788 of 8754 (9%), ranging from 33% to 51.1% and from 4.4% to 14.5% respectively, according to neighborhoods (P<0.001). Patient and socio-demographic characteristics significantly differed between neighborhoods (P for trend <0.001). After adjustment, a higher density of ambulances was associated with successful return of spontaneous circulation (respectively adjusted odds-ratio aOR, 1.31 1.14–1.51; P<0.001 for ALS ambulances >1.5 per neighborhood and aOR, 1.21 1.04–1.41; P=0.01 for BLS ambulances >4 per neighborhood). Regarding survival at discharge, only the number of ALS ambulances >1.5 per neighborhood was significant (aOR, 1.30 1.06–1.59 P=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS:In this large urban population-based study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests patients, we observed that allocated resources of emergency medical service are associated with outcome, suggesting that improving healthcare organization may attenuate disparities in prognosis.