Contemporary assessment of short- and functional 90-days outcome in old intensive care patients suffering from COVID-19.

Purpose: There are limited data about the outcome of old intensive care (ICU) patients suffering from Covid-19 in the post-vaccination era. This study distinguishes the pre- and post-acute illness living conditions of ICU survivors from non-survivors.

Methods: This prospective international multicenter study included 642 old (≥ 70 years) ICU patients, including data ranging from pre-illness condition to functional 90-days follow-up.

Sublingual microcirculatory assessment on admission independently predicts the outcome of old intensive care patients suffering from shock.

Shock is a life-threatening condition. This study evaluated if sublingual microcirculatory perfusion on admission is associated with 30-day mortality in older intensive care unit (ICU) shock patients. This trial prospectively recruited ICU patients (≥ 80 years old) with arterial lactate above 2 mmol/L, requiring vasopressors despite adequate fluid resuscitation, regardless of shock cause.

Prognosticating the outcome of intensive care in older patients-a narrative review.

Prognosis determines major decisions regarding treatment for critically ill patients. Statistical models have been developed to predict the probability of survival and other outcomes of intensive care. Although they were trained on the characteristics of large patient cohorts, they often do not represent very old patients (age ≥ 80 years) appropriately.

Frailty assessment in critically ill older adults: a narrative review.

Frailty, a condition that was first defined 20 years ago, is now assessed via multiple different tools. The Frailty Phenotype was initially used to identify a population of "pre-frail" and "frail" older adults, so as to prevent falls, loss of mobility, and hospitalizations. A different definition of frailty, via the Clinical Frailty Scale, is now actively used in critical care situations to evaluate over 65 year-old patients, whether it be for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, limitation of life-sustaining treatments or prognostication.

Prognostic value of early EEG abnormalities in severe stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation: a pre-planned analysis of the SPICE prospective multicenter study.

Introduction: Prognostication of outcome in severe stroke patients necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation poses significant challenges. The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic significance and prevalence of early electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities in adult stroke patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

Methods: This study is a pre-planned ancillary investigation within the prospective multicenter SPICE cohort study (2017-2019), conducted in 33 intensive care units (ICUs) in the Paris area, France.

Critical care beyond organ support: the importance of geriatric rehabilitation.

Very old critically ill patients pose a growing challenge for intensive care. Critical illness and the burden of treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to a long-lasting decline of functional and cognitive abilities, especially in very old patients. Multi-complexity and increased vulnerability to stress in these patients may lead to new and worsening disabilities, requiring careful assessment, prevention and rehabilitation.

The association of premorbid conditions with 6-month mortality in acutely admitted ICU patients over 80 years.

Background: Premorbid conditions influence the outcome of acutely ill adult patients aged 80 years and over who are admitted to the ICU. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of such premorbid conditions on 6 month survival.

Methods: Prospective cohort study in 242 ICUs from 22 countries including patients 80 years or above, admitted over a 6 months period to an ICU between May 2018 and May 2019.

30-Day Mortality among Very Old Patients Admitted to European Intensive Care Units for Major Trauma.

Introduction: Cases of major trauma in the very old (over 80 years) are increasingly common in the intensive care unit (ICU). Predicting outcome is challenging in this group of patients as chronological age is a poor marker of health and poor predictor of outcome. Increasingly, decisions are guided by the use of organ dysfunction scores of both acute conditions (e.

Prediction of esophagogastroduodenoscopy therapeutic usefulness for in-ICU suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding: the SUGIBI score study.

Background: Suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding (SUGIB) is a common issue during ICU stay. In the absence of specific guidelines on the indication and timing of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), there is substantial variability in EGD indication depending on accessibility and clinical presentation. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with the need for per-EGD hemostatic therapy and to create a score predicting therapeutic benefit of emergency bedside EGD in ICU patients with SUGIB.

Albumin versus saline infusion for sepsis-related peripheral tissue hypoperfusion: a proof-of-concept prospective study.

Background: Albumin has potential endothelial protective effects through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of albumin on peripheral tissue perfusion in human sepsis remains poorly known.

Methods: Bi-centric prospective study included patients with sepsis with or without shock and prolonged CRT > 3 s despite initial resuscitation.

Corticosteroids induce an early but limited decrease in IL-6 dependent pro-inflammatory responses in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Background: Corticosteroids have become standard of care for COVID-19 but their effect on the systemic immune-inflammatory response has been little investigated.

Methods: Multicenter prospective cohort, including critically ill COVID-19 patients between March and November 2020. C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocyte count and fibrinogen levels were collected upon hospital admission before initiation of steroid treatment and at ICU admission, three days and seven days later, along with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasma levels.

Reporting SOFA in research: we should always present each of the SOFA subscores.

Introduction: The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is the sum of 6 components, each representing one organ system with dysfunction classified on a 4-point scale. In research, usually by default, the total SOFA score is taken into account, but it may not reflect the severity of the condition of the individual organs. Often, these values are expected to predict mortality.

Limiting life-sustaining treatment for very old ICU patients: cultural challenges and diverse practices.

Background: Decisions about life-sustaining therapy (LST) in the intensive care unit (ICU) depend on predictions of survival as well as the expected functional capacity and self-perceived quality of life after discharge, especially in very old patients. However, prognostication for individual patients in this cohort is hampered by substantial uncertainty which can lead to a large variability of opinions and, eventually, decisions about LST. Moreover, decision-making processes are often embedded in a framework of ethical and legal recommendations which may vary between countries resulting in divergent management strategies.

Permissive Hypotension Has No Deleterious Impact on Fluid Balance or Kidney Function.

Objectives: Mean arterial hypotension between 55 and 65 mm Hg could be tolerated safely in the absence of tissue hypoperfusion, but the consequences on fluid balance and kidney function remain unknown.

Design: During a 1-year period, we retrospectively collected data of consecutive septic patients admitted for sepsis with a mean arterial pressure (MAP) less than 65 mm Hg despite fluid resuscitation.

Setting: Medical 18-bed ICU in a tertiary teaching hospital.

Validity of the total SOFA score in patients ≥ 80 years old acutely admitted to intensive care units: a post-hoc analysis of the VIP2 prospective, international cohort study.

Background: Little is known about the performance of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in older critically ill adults. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of physiological disturbances in the six organ systems included in the SOFA score.

Methods: We analysed previously collected data from a prospective cohort study conducted between 2018 and 2019 in 22 countries.

Sonometric assessment of cough predicts extubation failure: SonoWean-a proof-of-concept study.

Background: Extubation failure is associated with increased mortality. Cough ineffectiveness may be associated with extubation failure, but its quantification for patients undergoing weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains challenging.

Methods: Patients under IMV for more than 24 h completing a successful spontaneous T-tube breathing trial (SBT) were included.

National ICU Registries as Enablers of Clinical Research and Quality Improvement.

Objectives: Clinical quality registries (CQRs) have been implemented worldwide by several medical specialties aiming to generate a better characterization of epidemiology, treatments, and outcomes of patients. National ICU registries were created almost 3 decades ago to improve the understanding of case-mix, resource use, and outcomes of critically ill patients. This narrative review describes the challenges, proposed solutions, and evidence generated by National ICU registries as facilitators for research and quality improvement.

Prospective evaluation of bleeding risk among thrombocytopenic patients admitted in intensive care unit.

Purpose: Bleeding risk evaluation of thrombocytopenic patients admitted in ICU has been poorly investigated.

Methods: A prospective observational study conducted in an 18-bed medical ICU. Consecutive patients with thrombocytopenia (<150 Giga/L) and no bleeding at admission were included.

Epidemiology and Clinical Patterns of Lung Abscesses in ICU: A French Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Background: Data are scarce regarding epidemiology and management of critically ill patients with lung abscesses.

Research Question: What are the clinical and microbiological characteristics of critically ill patients with lung abscesses, how are they managed in the ICU, and what are the risk factors of in-ICU mortality?

Study Design And Methods: This was a retrospective observational multicenter study, based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes, between 2015 and 2022 in France. In-ICU mortality-associated factors were determined by multivariate logistic regression.