Background Patients with severe stroke requiring mechanical ventilation have a severe prognosis. There are differences in the management of these patients, particularly regarding intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ICP monitoring and one-year functional outcome of patients with severe stroke in ICU requiring mechanical ventilation. Materials and Methods We conducted a predefined ancillary study of the SPICE cohort (NCT03335995), comparing patients in ICU with ICP monitoring to those receiving standard monitoring following a stroke requiring mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was an unfavourable one-year functional outcome, defined by a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score between 4 and 6. The association between ICP monitoring and functional outcome was evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression and propensity score weighting analyses. Results Among the 356 patients in the SPICE cohort, 129 (36%) underwent ICP monitoring (27 ischemic strokes, 50 intracerebral haemorrhages, and 52 subarachnoid haemorrhages). In the ICP group, 71 patients (55%) had an unfavourable functional outcome compared to 168 patients (74%) in the standard monitoring group (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.43 [95%CI, 0.27–0.68]). Patients in the ICP group were younger, had fewer comorbidities, and a less severe clinical presentation. After adjustment for age, Glasgow Coma Scale score, Charlson comorbidity index at admission, septic shock, cerebral oedema, and anisocoria, ICP monitoring was independently associated with lower odds of unfavourable functional outcome (OR 0.38, [95%CI 0.22-0.67]). In the propensity score-weighted analysis, the difference between groups was not statistically significant (OR 0.90 [95%CI, 0.80–1.01]). Conclusion ICP monitoring in severe stroke is more commonly employed in younger patients with fewer comorbidities. This monitoring does not appear to be an independent protective factor for a favourable one-year functional outcome when adjusted for confounders.

The impact of socioeconomic deprivation on long-term prognosis of stroke patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is unclear. We conducted an ancillary study of the SPICE prospective multicenter cohort conducted in 33 ICUs of the Greater Paris area between November 2017, and December 2018. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation upon ICU admission and within seven days of non-traumatic stroke were included. The primary endpoint was unfavorable functional outcome at one year (severe disability or death: modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score of 4–6). Deprivation at admission was assessed using the 2015 French Deprivation index (Fdep), based on patient addresses. The association of socioeconomic deprivation on outcome was evaluated using logistic regression, minimally adjusted for age and sex, then further adjusted for stroke type, center type, comorbidities, and severity at admission. Secondary endpoints included ICU stays, ICU and one-year survival, withholding/withdrawal life-sustaining therapies (WLST) decisions, and in survivors: quality of life (EQ-5D-3L), autonomy (Barthel Index), anxiety-depression (HADS), and post-discharge care pathways. Among the 350 included patients, 129 (37

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with high mortality rates and respiratory compromise in which excessive neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) production may amplify alveolar inflammation and injury. Dornase alfa, a recombinant DNAse 1, has been proposed to attenuate these effects by degrading extracellular DNA and enhancing alveolar clearance of NETs. In this multicenter, open-label, randomized in two parallel arms (1:1) controlled trial, intubated COVID-19 ARDS patients received either standard-of-care (SOC) alone or SOC plus aerosolized dornase alfa (2500 IU twice daily for 7 days). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with ARDS severity improvement at Day 7, defined by at least one-grade improvement on the Berlin criteria scale. Secondary outcomes included 28-day mortality, ventilator-free days, ICU-free days, and changes in key ventilatory parameters. Biological samples were analyzed to assess NET related markers, DNAse drug activity and indicate possible bioavailability issues associated with aerosolization of dornase alfa. Seventy-seven patients were enrolled (dornase alfa group, n = 39; SOC group, n = 38). At Day 7, ARDS severity improved in 18% of patients receiving dornase alfa compared with 29% in the SOC group (adjusted OR: 0.33; 95% CI 0.09-1.14; p = 0.11). Secondary endpoints, including 28-day mortality, ventilator-free days, and ICU-free days, showed no significant differences between groups. Adverse events occurred in 38.5% of patients in the dornase alfa arm versus 31.6% in the SOC arm, indicating comparable safety profiles. Despite early increases in NET plasmatic levels observed in both groups and successful ex vivo NET degradation, aerosolized dornase alfa failed to significantly enhance DNAse activity or reduce NET-related markers in patients' plasma and mucus, suggesting potential bioavailability limitations with this delivery method. In patients with COVID-19-related ARDS, dornase alfa did neither significantly reduce ARDS severity nor improve clinical outcomes over SOC. Although well tolerated, analysis of biological samples suggests that aerosol administration may have compromised drug bioavailability. Further trials are needed to determine whether specific patient subgroups could benefit more from dornase alfa or if alternative drug delivery methods might enhance treatment efficacy. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04355364. Registered on 21/04/2020.

Objective: To provide modern guidelines for management of acute pain in adult emergency patients. Design: A consensus committee of 31 experts from the French Society of Emergency Medicine (Soci & eacute;t & eacute; fran & ccedil;aise de m & eacute;decine d'urgence, SFMU) including 10 pain specialists (national/international publications) was convened. & Agrave; formal conflict-of-interest (COI) policy was developed at the beginning of the process and enforced throughout. The entire guideline construction process was conducted independently of any industrial funding (i.e. pharmaceutical, medical devices). The authors were required to follow the rules of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. Methods: The aim of this expert panel guidelines is to evaluate the medical treatment of acute pain in emergency medicine intrahospital and extra-hospital. The experts studied questions within 3 domains : 1) Pain assessment guiding indication of its treatment and the organization of the healthcare teams, 2) Pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, and 3) analgesic relay after discharge or inhospitalization. Each question was formulated according to the PICO (Patients Intervention Comparison Outcome) model and the evidence profiles were produced. An extensive literature review and recommendations were carried out and analysed according to the GRADE (R) methodology. Results: The experts' synthesis work and the application of the GRADE (R) method resulted in 35 recommendations and 1 diagram. Among the formalised recommendations, 5 have high levels of evidence (GRADE 1 +) and 13 have low levels of evidence (GRADE 2 +). For 17 recommendations, the GRADE method could not be applied, resulting in expert opinions. 4 questions did not find any response in the literature. After 2 rounds of scoring and amendment, strong agreement was reached for all the recommendations. Conclusions: There was strong agreement among experts for 35 recommendations to improve practices for acute pain management in adult emergency patients.

OBJECTIVE:Hyperthermia is common in brain-injured patients and is considered a systemic secondary brain injury. Paracetamol is most often administered as first-line treatment, although its efficacy in controlling cerebral temperature (CT) has never been evaluated, which is the aim of this study. DESIGN:Pharmacodynamic prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. SETTING:Neuro-ICU. PATIENTS:Brain-injured patients who were febrile (CT ≥ 38.5°C for > 30 min) and monitored with an intracerebral pressure sensor including a thermal probe. INTERVENTIONS:Patients received paracetamol or placebo (only one IV administration). CT and systemic temperature (ST) were recorded every 10 minutes over 6 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:The primary endpoint was the difference in mean CT over 6 hours after treatment. The primary endpoint was the difference in mean CT over6 hours after treatment. We included 99 patients (mean age 55 ± 13 yr, 24% female): 49 in the paracetamol group and 50 in the placebo group. Mean CT during the 6-hour follow-up was significantly lower in the paracetamol than placebo group: 38.4 ± 0.5 vs. 39.0 ± 0.5°C ( p < 0.001). In both groups, mean CT was always higher than mean ST: 38.7 ± 0.6 vs. 38.4 ± 0.6°C ( p < 0.001). Median time with CT less than 38.5°C was 215 minutes (interquartile range 0-290) in the paracetamol group vs. 0 minutes (0-5) in the placebo group ( p < 0.001). One-third (30%) of patients in the paracetamol group did not respond to treatment. In the responder group paracetamol lowered the mean CT by 1°C. The paracetamol group exhibited a moderate decrease in systolic arterial pressure and heart rate, without any other significant effect. CONCLUSIONS:Paracetamol significantly reduced CT in febrile brain-injured patients (overall mean reduction of 0.6°C), maintaining temperatures less than 38.5°C for a median of 3.6 hours. The gradient between CT and ST was consistently about 0.3°C in both groups.

Aux urgences, la douleur aiguë concerne 70 % des admissions et parmi celles-ci, 45 % sont des douleurs sévères. Dans ce contexte, les opioïdes forts ont une place prépondérante dans la stratégie de prise en charge (morphine). Cependant, cette place a été quelque peu bousculée depuis quelques années. La crise des opioïdes aux États-Unis a fait prendre conscience de la non-innocuité des opioïdes dans la douleur aiguë et a engendré de nombreux travaux dont les résultats nous profitent. Un des résultats les plus intéressants pour les urgences, c’est l’évaluation du risque de mésusage avant les prescriptions de relais morphiniques au sortir des urgences. D’autres travaux ont bousculé la hiérarchie démontrant clairement que les non-opioïdes pouvaient être aussi efficaces que les opioïdes mettant un terme du même coup à la notion de palier d’antalgique. Il faut cependant rappeler que la prescription d’opioïdes forts reste encore faible dans les urgences françaises. Ceci pose la question des éléments qui freinent ces prescriptions comme le refus d’antalgique par le patient, l’opiophobie des soignants, la ré-interprétation par les soignants des évaluations et la nécessité de surveiller, dans des urgences saturées, l’administration d’opioïdes forts. Enfin, les modalités d’administration des opioïdes se sont élargies avec la démonstration de l’efficacité de la morphine nébulisée par aérosol et du sufentanil par voie intranasale. Finalement, les opioïdes forts restent pertinents en première intention, lorsqu’ils sont prescrits en cas de douleur sévère dont l’étiologie n’est pas encore connue, en contre-indications aux AINS, ou lorsqu’elle est associée à certaines pathologies bien identifiées. En 2e intention ils concernent les douleurs intenses ou sévères après échec des non-opioïdes.

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. 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. We included adult stroke patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, who underwent at least one intermittent EEG examination during their ICU stay. The primary endpoint was the functional neurological outcome at one year, determined using the modified Rankin scale (mRS), and dichotomized as unfavorable (mRS 4–6, indicating severe disability or death) or favorable (mRS 0–3). Multivariable regression analyses were employed to identify EEG abnormalities associated with functional outcomes. Of the 364 patients enrolled in the SPICE study, 153 patients (49 ischemic strokes, 52 intracranial hemorrhages, and 52 subarachnoid hemorrhages) underwent at least one EEG at a median time of 4 (interquartile range 2–7) days post-stroke. Rates of diffuse slowing (70

Background: During the first wave of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it was necessary to prepare for the possibility of triaging patients who could benefit from access to an intensive care unit (ICU). In our neuroscience institution, the challenge was to continue to manage usual neurological emergencies as well as the influx of COVID-19 patients. Methods: We report the experience of an ethical consulting unit to support care clinical decisions during the first wave of the pandemic (March 16 to April 30, 2020). Three objective evaluation criteria were defined: 2 of these criteria, patient’s factors and general disease severity (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II), were common to all patients, and the third was the specific severity of the disease (neurological for brain injury, respiratory for COVID-19). Given our scarce resources, we used a high probability of a 3-month modified Rankin Scale ≤3 as the criterion for further resuscitation and management. Results: A total of 295 patients were admitted during the first pandemic wave; 111 with COVID-19 and 184 with neurological emergencies. The ethical unit’s expertise was sought for 75 clinical situations in 56 patients (35 COVID-19 and 21 neurological). Decisions were as follows: 11% no limitation on care, 5% expectant care with reassessment (maximum therapy to assess possible progress pending decision), 67% partial limitation (no intensification of care or no transfer to ICU), and 17% limitation of curative care. At no time did a lack of availability of ICU beds require the ethical unit to advise against admission to the ICU. Conclusions: Our ethical consulting unit allowed for collegial ethical decision-making in line with international recommendations. This model could be easily transferred to other triage situations, provided it is adapted to the local context.

OBJECTIVE:The adequate assessment of pain in the emergency department (ED) can be challenging. Two dynamic pupillary measures used in conscious subjects after a surgical procedure were previously shown to correlate to the magnitude of ongoing pain. The objective of this study was to test the ability of dynamic measures derived from pupillometry to evaluate pain intensity in conscious adult patients admitted to the ED.METHODS:This prospective, interventional, single-centre study was performed between August 2021 and January 2022 (NCT05019898). An assessment of self-reported pain intensity was performed on ED admission by the triage nurse using a numeric rating scale (NRS). This was followed by two dynamic measures derived from pupillometry that were previously correlated with pain perception: the pupillary unrest under ambient light (PUAL) and the pupillary light reflex (PLR).RESULTS:Among the 313 analysed patients, the median age was 41 years, and 52% were women. No correlation was found between self-reported pain ratings and PUAL (r = 0.007) or PLR (baseline diameter r = -0.048; decrease r = 0.024; latency r = 0.019; slope = -0.051). Similarly, the pupillometry measures could not discriminate patients with moderate to severe pain (defined as NRS ≥4).CONCLUSIONS:Pupillometry does not appear to be an effective tool to evaluate pain in the ED environment. Indeed, too many factors influencing the sympathetic system-and thus the dynamic pupillary measures-are not controllable in the ED.SIGNIFICANCE:Pupillometry does not appear to be an effective tool to evaluate pain in the ED environment. There are several possible explanations for these negative results. The factors influencing the sympathetic system-and thus the PD fluctuations-are controllable in the postoperative period but not in the ED (e.g. full bladder, hypothermia). In addition, numerous psychological phenomena can impact pupillometry measurements such as emotional reactions or cognitive tasks. These phenomena are particularly difficult to control in the ED environment.

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes of patients with severe stroke remain poorly documented. We aimed to characterize one-year outcomes of patients with stroke requiring mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study in 33 ICUs in France (2017–2019) on patients with consecutive strokes requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours. Outcomes were collected via telephone interviews by an independent research assistant. The primary end point was poor functional outcome, defined by a modified Rankin Scale score of 4 to 6 at 1 year. Multivariable mixed models investigated variables associated with the primary end point. Secondary end points included quality of life, activities of daily living, and anxiety and depression in 1-year survivors. RESULTS: Among the 364 patients included, 244 patients (66.5% [95% CI, 61.7%–71.3%]) had a poor functional outcome, including 190 deaths (52.2%). After adjustment for non-neurological organ failure, age ≥70 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.38 [95% CI, 1.26–4.49]), Charlson comorbidity index ≥2 (OR, 2.01 [95% CI, 1.16–3.49]), a score on the Glasgow Coma Scale <8 at ICU admission (OR, 3.43 [95% CI, 1.98–5.96]), stroke subtype (intracerebral hemorrhage: OR, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.29–4.63] versus ischemic stroke: OR, 2.06 [95% CI, 1.06–4.00] versus subarachnoid hemorrhage: reference) remained independently associated with poor functional outcome. In contrast, a time between stroke diagnosis and initiation of mechanical ventilation >1 day was protective (OR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.33–0.94]). A sensitivity analysis conducted after exclusion of patients with early decisions of withholding/withdrawal of care yielded similar results. We observed persistent physical and psychological problems at 1 year in >50% of survivors. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe stroke requiring mechanical ventilation, several ICU admission variables may inform caregivers, patients, and their families on post-ICU trajectories and functional outcomes. The burden of persistent sequelae at 1 year reinforces the need for a personalized, multi-disciplinary, prolonged follow-up of these patients after ICU discharge. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03335995

À peu près 30 % des patients admis aux urgences ont une douloureux chronique (DC). Parmi ceux-ci, 20 à 30 % ont pour motif d’admission une douleur en rapport avec leur douleur habituelle, soit 10 % des patients des urgences. L’objectif du présent article est de mettre en avant cette pathologie peu connue des urgentistes bien que fréquente et de proposer des modalités de prise en charge. Celle-ci admet 2 limites principales dans ce contexte. La première est le faible niveau de connaissance de ces pathologies par les urgentistes, le second est le temps limité pour s’en occuper. La DC est maintenant reconnue comme maladie à part entière et comprend 1 sous-groupe de DC primaires et 6, de DC secondaires, dont les douleurs cancéreuses. Elle est présente dans la CIM-11depuis 2018. Lors de la prise en charge, s’il s’agit d’une DC non cancéreuse, la stratégie est basée sur la recherche d’éléments de décompensation d’ordre thérapeutique, psychologique, de perte de contrôle de la gestion de la douleur. S’il s’agit d’une DC cancéreuse, il faut éliminer une urgence carcinologique puis rechercher des accès paroxystiques douloureux ou une augmentation des besoins en antalgique. En conclusion, la douleur chronique est une pathologie fréquente aux urgences et 10 % des patients des urgences vient pour leur douleur habituelle. Étant donné le volume de patients admis chaque année aux urgences cela représente un nombre absolu non négligeable. On se doit d’être attentif aux causes possibles d’une aggravation de la douleur chronique notamment chez les patients cancéreux. Globalement il est clair que les médecins urgentistes ne sont pas encore bien familiarisés avec ces pathologies.

Background: Dexmedetomidine is an alterna-tive agent for procedural sedation in the emergency depart-ment thanks to its ability to maintain hemodynamic and respiratory stability. Dexmedetomidine must, however, be combined with a powerful analgesic. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the quality and safety of procedural sedation using the combination of dexmedetomidine and ketamine for patients undergoing painful procedures in the emer-gency department. Methods: This prospective interventional single-center study was conducted in an academic emer-gency department of an urban hospital in Brussels, Belgium. Patients received a bolus injection of 1 mu g/kg dexmedeto-midine over 10 min and then a continuous infusion of 0.6 mu g/kg/h followed by a bolus of 1 mg/kg ketamine. The painful procedure was carried out 1 min later. The level of pain was evaluated with a numerical rating scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximal pain). The level of patient com-fort for the procedure was measured using a comfort scale. Results: Thirty patients were included. Overall, 90% of pa-tients felt little or no pain (n = 29 of 30) or discomfort (n = 28 of 30) during the procedure. One patient experi-enced apnea with desaturation, which was resolved by a jaw-thrust maneuver. Although 23% of patients had signif-icant arterial hypertension, none required drug treatment. Conclusions: The combination of dexmedetomidine and ke-tamine provides conscious sedation, bringing comfort and pain relief to patients in optimal conditions for respiratory and hemodynamic safety. However, sedation and recovery times are longer than with conventional drug combinations. The dexmedetomidine-ketamine combination should there-fore be recommended for nonurgent procedures and fragile patients.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The triage of patients presenting with chest pain on admission to the emergency department uses scales based on patient clinical presentation or an electrocardiogram (ECG). These scales have different sensitivity and specificity. Although a good sensitivity allows for the prompt identification of high-risk patients, specificity prevent ED overcrowding. Moreover, ECG at triage avoids missing ST elevation myocardial infarction, which requires urgent revascularization. Our study therefore aimed to investigate whether a scale combining ECG and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) improves the diagnostic performance of ED chest pain triage scale. In this prospective single-center observational study involving 505 patients, the standard ECG-based FRENCH scale was compared to a scale combining the ECG-based FRENCH scale and the patients CVRF. The new scale was called the “modified” FRENCH. The accuracy of patient CVRF collection was evaluated by comparing the results of triage nurses and ED physicians. Compared with the standard FRENCH scale, the modified FRENCH scale had an increased sensitivity (61% versus 75%) but a decrease in specificity (76% versus 64%) resulting in a similar diagnostic performance. Using CVRF collected by the ED physicians, the modified FRENCH scale had a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 56% with a significant improvement in his diagnostic performance compared with standard FRENCH scales. This improvement can be explained by an accurate collection of the CVRF by physicians compared with nurses, as suggested by the weak to moderate correlation between their respective data collection. In conclusion, combining ECG and accurately collected cardiovascular risks factor improves the diagnostic performance of the ECG based chest pain triage in the ED. Trial registration number: NCT03913767 .

To report the occurrence of non-ischemic cerebral enhancing (NICE) lesions following mechanical thrombectomy (MT) through the retrospective French nationwide registry of NICE lesions. All thrombectomy capable stroke centers (TSC) in France were invited to fill out a questionnaire disseminated through a trainee-led research network (JENI-RC: Jeunes en Neuroradiologie Interventionnelle-Research Collaborative). NICE lesions were defined according to previous literature as delayed onset punctate, nodular, or annular foci enhancements with peri-lesion edema and vascular distribution in the territory of the MT with no other confounding disease. All 43 TSC French centers responded. Three patients were reported by 3 different centers over a total of 34,824 MT (2015–2020). Patient no. 1 developed symptomatic NICE lesions 8 weeks after MT with combination of aspiration and stentriever for a right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Patient no. 2 developed asymptomatic NICE lesions 5 weeks after MT with direct thromboaspiration for a right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Patient no. 3 developed symptomatic NICE lesions 6 weeks after MT with direct thromboaspiration, and combination of aspiration and stentriever for a basilar artery occlusion. This study provides evidence that NICE lesions following MT are a possible rare complication with a similar presentation as previously described following endovascular aneurysm treatment. Both radiologists and neurologists should be aware of this adverse event and make use of MRI contrast agents in case of unexplained symptoms/images during follow-up after MT.

Background Patients with obesity are at higher risk for community-acquired and nosocomial infections. However, no study has specifically evaluated the relationship between obesity and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Research Question Is obesity associated with an increased incidence of VAP? Study Design and Methods This study was a post hoc analysis of the Impact of Early Enteral vs Parenteral Nutrition on Mortality in Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation and Catecholamines (NUTRIREA2) open-label, randomized controlled trial performed in 44 French ICUs. Adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support for shock and parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition were included. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 at ICU admission. VAP diagnosis was adjudicated by an independent blinded committee, based on all available clinical, radiologic, and microbiologic data. Only first VAP episodes were taken into account. Incidence of VAP was analyzed by using the Fine and Gray model, with extubation and death as competing risks. Results A total of 699 (30%) of the 2,325 included patients had obesity; 224 first VAP episodes were diagnosed (60 and 164 in obese and nonobese groups, respectively). The incidence of VAP at day 28 was 8.6% vs 10.1% in the two groups (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI 0.63-1.14; P = .26). After adjustment on sex, McCabe score, age, antiulcer treatment, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment at randomization, the incidence of VAP remained nonsignificant between obese and nonobese patients (hazard ratio, 0.893; 95% CI, 0.66-1.2; P = .46). Although no significant difference was found in duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay, 90-day mortality was significantly lower in obese than in nonobese patients (272 of 692 [39.3%] patients vs 718 of 1,605 [44.7%]; P = .02). In a subgroup of patients (n = 123) with available pepsin and alpha-amylase measurements, no significant difference was found in rate of abundant microaspiration of gastric contents, or oropharyngeal secretions between obese and nonobese patients. Interpretation Our results suggest that obesity has no significant impact on the incidence of VAP. Patients with obesity are at higher risk for community-acquired and nosocomial infections. However, no study has specifically evaluated the relationship between obesity and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Is obesity associated with an increased incidence of VAP? This study was a post hoc analysis of the Impact of Early Enteral vs Parenteral Nutrition on Mortality in Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation and Catecholamines (NUTRIREA2) open-label, randomized controlled trial performed in 44 French ICUs. Adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support for shock and parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition were included. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 at ICU admission. VAP diagnosis was adjudicated by an independent blinded committee, based on all available clinical, radiologic, and microbiologic data. Only first VAP episodes were taken into account. Incidence of VAP was analyzed by using the Fine and Gray model, with extubation and death as competing risks. A total of 699 (30%) of the 2,325 included patients had obesity; 224 first VAP episodes were diagnosed (60 and 164 in obese and nonobese groups, respectively). The incidence of VAP at day 28 was 8.6% vs 10.1% in the two groups (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI 0.63-1.14; P = .26). After adjustment on sex, McCabe score, age, antiulcer treatment, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment at randomization, the incidence of VAP remained nonsignificant between obese and nonobese patients (hazard ratio, 0.893; 95% CI, 0.66-1.2; P = .46). Although no significant difference was found in duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay, 90-day mortality was significantly lower in obese than in nonobese patients (272 of 692 [39.3%] patients vs 718 of 1,605 [44.7%]; P = .02). In a subgroup of patients (n = 123) with available pepsin and alpha-amylase measurements, no significant difference was found in rate of abundant microaspiration of gastric contents, or oropharyngeal secretions between obese and nonobese patients. Our results suggest that obesity has no significant impact on the incidence of VAP. Is It a Real Obesity Paradox?CHESTVol. 160Issue 2PreviewWe read with great interest the article by Nseir et al1 published in CHEST (June 2021). This study is prominent because the authors focused on obesity, which is a common and one of the most serious health conditions. It is an important risk factor associated with morbidity in ICUs. In addition, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common ICU-acquired infections and can lead to increased mortality, highlighting the clinical relevance of this study. Although informative, we have two concerns regarding the validity of this study. Full-Text PDF ResponseCHESTVol. 160Issue 2PreviewWe thank Dr Watanabe and colleagues for their interest in our manuscript on the relationship between obesity and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).1 They raised concern regarding potential misclassification of the exposure variable, namely obesity. As mentioned in Methods and outlined by the authors, the World Health Organization definition of obesity was used in our study, BMI > 30, suggesting that patients with obesity were correctly identified and classified. The incidence of VAP was compared between obese (BMI > 30) and nonobese (BMI ≤ 30) patients using the Fine and Gray model, with extubation, and death as competing risks. Full-Text PDF

Douleur & Analgésie, première revue internationale francophone consacrée à la douleur, dont le champ de son expertise s'étend de la recherche fondamentale à la clinique tant sur le plan de l'évaluation de la douleur que de ses traitements.

Purpose: Although it is a well-known disease, the occurrence of Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) during a hospital stay may render the diagnosis particularly challenging. The objective of this report is to alert clinicians about the diagnostic pitfalls arising from hospital-developed HSE. Materials and methods: Clinical observation of one patient. Case report: An 87-year-old male was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because of respiratory failure due to an exacerbation of myasthenia gravis. After corticoids and azathioprine treatment, his clinical condition improved, allowing weaning from mechanical ventilation. One month after admission, while still hospitalized in the ICU, the patient developed fever and confusion. In the context of confounding factors, HSE was not suspected before a convulsive status epilepticus occurred, resulting in a significant delay in treatment. Diagnosis was confirmed by PCR-analysis in the cerebrospinal fluid. Serological status confirmed reactivation of prior herpes simplex infection. The patient died one week after the onset of confusion. Conclusions: Hospital-"acquired" HSE must be suspected in case of new neurologic symptoms associated with fever, even in ICU-hospitalized patients. The diagnosis is made even more difficult by nonspecific symptoms due to previous diseases, leading to an even more severe prognosis in those vulnerable patients.

Outcome of very elderly patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) was most often reported for octogenarians. ICU admission demands for nonagenarians are increasing. The primary objective was to compare outcome and intensity of treatment of octogenarians and nonagenarians.