Bilious Emesis and Failure to Pass Meconium in the Nursery

Introduction: In this case we review important newborn nursery management strategies and unique surgical diagnostic measures in a severe case of intestinal obstruction due to small left colon syndrome (SLCS) - illustrating an impressive relationship between intestinal dysmotility and meconium plug formation that increases risk of intestinal perforation in the newborn. Case Description: We present a case of an infant born to a mother with symptomatic COVID-19, who at 24 hours of life was treated for failure to pass meconium with a glycerin suppository and went on to develop bilious emesis and severe abdominal distention as feeding continued over the next several hours. After a normal upper GI, a barium enema identified a distal obstruction and the pediatric surgical team used rectal irrigation to remove a large meconium plug which mimicked the appearance of the descending colon on plain film, ultimately leading to the diagnosis of SLCS. The infant went on to stool normally after removal, however due to the severity of his initial clinical picture, a multi-disciplinary team was consulted, and concluded that given the severity of the meconium plug, a workup for cystic fibrosis was indicated, but deferred a rectal biopsy for Hirschprung disease due to normal return of bowel function upon removal of the obstruction. Discussion: Meconium plug syndrome is a transient distal GI obstruction in the lower colon or rectum with thick meconium and is thought to be due to poor intestinal motility. A contrast enema is typically diagnostic, showing a decrease in bowel caliber distal to the plug, and therapeutic, as the plug is often passed during the procedure. A sharp transition zone at the splenic flexure followed by a narrow descending colon on imaging is consistent with SLCS with a meconium plug at the transition zone. Infants presenting with both meconium plug syndrome and SLCS may require an evaluation for an underlying diagnosis of cystic fibrosis or Hirschprung disease. Delayed meconium passage is present in 11.9% of infants diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, while 15% of infants with meconium plugs have an aganglionic segment on rectal biopsy, indicative of Hirschprung disease. The decision to perform additional tests in an infant with SLCS should be guided by the patient's clinical course and in conjunction with a pediatric surgical team. Conclusion: Although intestinal obstruction in the newborn is rather rare, it is imperative that it is promptly diagnosed and treated to avoid negative outcomes. Despite being considered a mild form of obstruction due to its transient nature, meconium plug syndrome can lead to an impressive clinical illness and urgent consultation with a surgical team is vital due to the risk of intestinal perforation if the obstruction is not relieved.

Interleukine 6 is associated with severity and poor outcome in ICU-patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Background-aim: SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide, mostly due to the exacerbated inflammatory response observed in critically ill patients. However, little is known about the kinetics of the systemic immune response and its association with survival in Covid-19 patients admitted in ICU Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study including all patients with SARS-Cov-2 infection admitted in 3 ICUs between March 1st and April 15th 2020, with at least 2 measurements of Interleukin 6 (IL6) in 4 days (baseline and day 3-4). Patients who received immunomodulatory treatment were excluded. IL6 was measured on serum by ELISA (Quantikine R&D Systems) and results were expressed at median [25th – 75th percentile]. The relationship between IL6 and CRP, organ failure severity (SOFA score) or in-ICU mortality was analyzed. Results: From the 140 patients admitted in the 3 ICU for SARS-Cov2 infection (PCR diagnosis), 101 patients were included, the mean age was 59 ± 11 years with a high proportion of men (82%). Patients had severe respiratory disease with media SOFA score of 4 [3-7] and 83 required endotracheal intubation/mechanical ventilation at baseline. An increase of SOFA score between baseline and day3-4 was observed in 32 patients (worsening group). Baseline measurements were done 14 days [11-20] after onset of symptoms. At the end of the study, on April 15th 2020, 47 patients had been discharged from ICU, 35 were still in ICU, and 19 had died in ICU. Baseline IL6 concentrations were positively associated with SOFA score. Moreover, baseline IL-6 and CRP concentrations were significantly higher in the worsening group vs the non-worsening: 278 [70-622] vs 71 [29-153] pg/mL (P<0.01) for IL6 and 178 [100-295] vs 100 [37-213] mg/L (P<0.05) for CRP. However, IL6 concentrations were not correlated with CRP. Il6 and CRP concentrations were higher in non-survivors at baseline and at day 3-4. CRP significantly decreased in survivors (190 [80-248] to 108 [45-185], P<0.05) whereas IL6 decreased in both groups. Conclusions: In this multicenter cohort of ICU patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found that Il6 was associated with organ failure severity, worsening and poor outcome.

[Priorisation of old critically-ill patients for an ICU admission]

PRIORISATION OF OLD CRITICALLY-ILL PATIENTS FOR AN ICU ADMISSION There are currently no national or international recommendations for admission decisions to an intensive care unit (icu) for patients over 80 years of age. The decision, whether, or not to admit an elderly patient to intensive care is probably one of the most difficult decisions for an intensivist with the double risk of loss of chance in the event of refusal or non-beneficial care in the event of acceptance. Doubt should always benefit the patient with icu admission in case of prognosis uncertainty. In that case the patient should be reassessed after a few days for tailoring of the level of care. The best criterion for judging the accuracy of decisions is the vital but also the functional prognosis and the long-term expected quality of life for the patient and his relatives. Current and future demographic changes as well as financial constraints justify producing general guidelines in order to ease the decision-making process and reduce practice heterogeneity. The principle of distributive justice must apply in situations of strain on icu bed availability, as in times of a Covid wave.