H3N2 Virus as Causative Agent of ARDS Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support.

Pandemic influenza virus A(H1N1) 2009 was associated with a higher risk of viral pneumonia in comparison with seasonal influenza viruses. The influenza season 2011-2012 was characterized by the prevalent circulation of influenza A(H3N2) viruses. Whereas most H3N2 patients experienced mild, self-limited influenza-like illness, some patients were at increased risk for influenza complications because of age or underlying medical conditions. Cases presented were patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of ECMO referral center (Careggi Teaching Hospital, Florence, Italy). Despite extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment (ECMO), one patient with H3N2-induced ARDS did not survive. Our experience suggests that viral aetiology is becoming more important and hospitals should be able to perform a fast differential diagnosis between bacterial and viral aetiology.

Late decompressive craniectomyafter traumatic brain injury: neurological outcome at 6 months after ICU discharge.

INTRODUCTION: The choice of optimal treatment in traumatic brain injured (TBI) patients is a challenge. The aim of this study was to verify the neurological outcome of severe TBI patients treated with decompressive craniectomy (early < 24 h, late > 24 h), compared to conservative treatment, in hospital and after 6-months. METHODS: A total of 186 TBI patients admitted to the ICU of the Emergency Department of a tertiary referral center (Careggi Teaching Hospital, Florence, Italy) from 2005 through 2009 were retrospectively studied. Patients treated with decompressive craniectomy were divided into 2 groups: "early craniectomy group" (patients who underwent to craniectomy within the first 24 hours); and "late craniectomy group" (patients who underwent to craniectomy later than the first 24 hours). As a control group, patients whose intracranial hypertension was successfully controlled by medical treatment were included in the "no craniectomy group". RESULTS: Groups included 41 patients who required early decompressive craniectomy, 21 patients treated with late craniectomy (7.7 days after trauma, on average), and 124 patients for whom intracranial hypertension was successfully controlled through conservative treatment. Groups were comparable in age and trauma/critical illness scores, except for a significantly higher Marshall score in early craniectomized patients. The Glasgow Outcome Scale was comparable between groups at ICU, at the time of hospital discharge and at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, a late craniectomy in patients with refractory intracranial hypertension produced a comparable 6-months neurological outcome if compared to patients responder to standard treatment. This data must be reproduced and confirmed before considering as goal-treatment in refractory intracranial hypertension.

The use of point-of-care bedside lung ultrasound significantly reduces the number of radiographs and computed tomography scans in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Chest radiography has been reported to have low diagnostic accuracy in critically ill intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and chest computed tomography (CT) scans require patients to be transported out of the ICU, putting them at risk of adverse events. In this study we assessed the efficacy of routine bedside lung ultrasound (LUS) in the evaluation of pleural effusions (PE) in the ICU. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-six patients admitted to the ICU for major trauma (46.3%), medical pathology (41.5%), and postsurgical complications (12.2%) (May 2008 to April 2009) were included in this study. Patients were placed into either the control group (group C) or the study group (group S), on the basis of the introduction of routine LUS performed by a single group of intensivists in 1 tertiary care ICU. To reduce provider bias, the physicians conducting the LUS were not aware of the study. Collected data included patient demographics, clinical course, and number of chest radiographs and CT scans performed. As a secondary goal, we assessed the reliability of Balik's formula in PE estimation. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the 2 groups with regard to their demographics and ICU clinical course. Group S had a significant reduction in the total number of chest radiographs obtained (-26%; P < 0.001) and CT scans (-47%; P < 0.001) in comparison with the comparison group C. A 6-month follow-up analysis of the ICU LUS protocol revealed a time-dependent decrease in the number of radiological examinations requested for patients with PE. Lastly, PE volume estimation using the LUS and Balik's formula correlates well with the effective volume drained (r = 0.65; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of LUS in the ICU setting can be associated with a reduction of the number of chest radiographs and CT scans performed.

Low central venous saturation predicts poor outcome in patients with brain injury after major trauma: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Continuous monitoring of central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) has been proposed as a prognostic indicator in several pathological conditions, including cardiac diseases, sepsis, trauma. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated ScvO2 in polytraumatized patients with brain injury so far. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic role of ScvO2 monitoring during first 24 hours after trauma in this patients' population. METHODS: This prospective, non-controlled study, carried out between April 2006 and March 2008, was performed in a higher level Trauma Center in Florence (Italy). In the study period, 121 patients affected by major brain injury after major trauma were recruited. Inclusion criteria were: 1. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score or= 15. Exclusion criteria included: 1. pregnancy; 2. age < 14 years; 3. isolated head trauma; 4. death within the first 24 hours from the event; 5. the lack of ScvO2 monitoring within 2 hours from the trauma. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), Simplified Acute Physiologic Score II (SAPS II), Marshall score. The worst values of lactate and ScvO2 within the first 24 hours from trauma, ICU length of stay (LOS), and 28-day mortality were recorded. RESULTS: Patients who deceased within 28 days showed higher age (53 +/- 16.6 vs 43.8 +/- 19.6, P = 0.043), ISS core (39.3 +/- 14 vs 30.3 +/- 10.1, P < 0.001), AIS score for head/neck (4.5 +/- 0.7 vs 3.4 +/- 1.2, P = 0.001), SAPS II score (51.3 +/- 14.1 vs 42.5 +/- 15, P = 0.014), Marshall Score (3.5 +/- 0.7 vs 2.3 +/- 0.7, P < 0.001) and arterial lactate concentration (3.3 +/- 1.8 vs 6.7 +/- 4.2, P < 0.001), than survived patients, whereas ScvO2 resulted significantly lower (66.7% +/- 11.9 vs 70.1% +/- 8.9 vs, respectively; P = 0.046). Patients with ScvO2 values 65%. CONCLUSION: ScvO2 value less than 65%, measured in the first 24 hours after admission in patients with major trauma and head injury, was associated with higher mortality and prolonged hospitalization.