Antibiotic-exposed patients with non-small-cell lung cancer preserve efficacy outcomes following first-line chemo-immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Prior antibiotic therapy (pATB) is known to impair efficacy of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), potentially through the induction of gut dysbiosis. Whether ATB also affects outcomes to chemo-immunotherapy combinations is still unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this international multicentre study, we evaluated the association between pATB, concurrent ATB (cATB) and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line chemo-immunotherapy at eight referral institutions. RESULTS: Among 302 patients with stage IV NSCLC, 216 (71.5%) and 61 (20.2%) patients were former and current smokers, respectively. Programmed death-ligand 1 tumour expression in assessable patients (274, 90.7%) was ≥50% in 76 (25.2%), 1%-49% in 84 (27.9%) and <1% in 113 (37.5%). Multivariable analysis showed pATB-exposed patients to have similar OS {hazard ratio (HR) = 1.42 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91-2.22]; P = 0.1207} and PFS [HR = 1.12 (95% CI: 0.76-1.63); P = 0.5552], compared to unexposed patients, regardless of performance status. Similarly, no difference with respect to ORR was found across pATB exposure groups (42.6% versus 57.4%, P = 0.1794). No differential effect was found depending on pATB exposure duration (≥7 versus <7 days) and route of administration (intravenous versus oral). Similarly, cATB was not associated with OS [HR = 1.29 (95% CI: 0.91-1.84); P = 0.149] and PFS [HR = 1.20 (95% CI: 0.89-1.63); P = 0.222] when evaluated as time-varying covariate in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to what has been reported in patients receiving single-agent ICIs, pATB does not impair clinical outcomes to first-line chemo-immunotherapy of patients with NSCLC. pATB status should integrate currently available clinico-pathologic factors for guiding first-line treatment decisions, whilst there should be no concern in offering cATB during chemo-immunotherapy when needed.

Low cardiac output syndrome in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Profile, differences in clinical course and prognosis. The ESBAGA study. / Síndrome de bajo gasto cardiaco en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardiaca. Perfil, diferencias en evolución clínica y pronóstico. Estudio ESBAGA.

OBJECTIVES: An analysis is made of the clinical profile, evolution and differences in morbidity and mortality of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery, according to the 3 diagnostic subgroups defined by the SEMICYUC Consensus 2012. DESIGN: A multicenter, prospective cohort study was carried out. SETTING: ICUs of Spanish hospitals with cardiac surgery. PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of 2,070 cardiac surgery patients was included, with the analysis of 137 patients with LCOS. INTERVENTIONS: No intervention was carried out. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 68.3±9.3 years (65.2% males), with a EuroSCORE II of 9.99±13. NYHA functional class III-IV (52.9%), left ventricular ejection fraction<35% (33.6%), AMI (31.9%), severe PHT (21.7%), critical preoperative condition (18.8%), prior cardiac surgery (18.1%), PTCA/stent placement (16.7%). According to subgroups, 46 patients fulfilled hemodynamic criteria of LCOS (group A), 50 clinical criteria (group B), and the rest (n=41) presented cardiogenic shock (group C). Significant differences were observed over the evolutive course between the subgroups in terms of time subjected to mechanical ventilation (114.4, 135.4 and 180.3min in groups A, B and C, respectively; P<.001), renal replacement requirements (11.4, 14.6 and 36.6%; P=.007), multiorgan failure (16.7, 13 and 47.5%), and mortality (13.6, 12.5 and 35.9%; P=.01). The mean maximum lactate concentration was higher in cardiogenic shock patients (P=.002). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical evolution of these patients leads to high morbidity and mortality. We found differences between the subgroups in terms of the postoperative clinical course and mortality.

[Summary of the consensus document: "Clinical practice guide for the management of low cardiac output syndrome in the postoperative period of heart surgery"]. / Resumen del documento de consenso «Guías de práctica clínica para el manejo del síndrome de bajo gasto cardiaco en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardiaca¼

Low cardiac output syndrome is a potential complication in cardiac surgery patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This guide provides recommendations for the management of these patients, immediately after surgery and following admission to the ICU. The recommendations are grouped into different sections, addressing from the most basic concepts such as definition of the disorder to the different sections of basic and advanced monitoring, and culminating with the complex management of this syndrome. We propose an algorithm for initial management, as well as two others for ventricular failure (predominantly left or right). Most of the recommendations are based on expert consensus, due to the lack of randomized trials of adequate design and sample size in patients of this kind. The quality of evidence and strength of the recommendations were based on the GRADE methodology. The guide is presented as a list of recommendations (with the level of evidence for each recommendation) for each question on the selected topic. For each question, justification of the recommendations is then provided.

[Clinical practice guide for the management of low cardiac output syndrome in the postoperative period of heart surgery]. / Guías de práctica clínica para el manejo del síndrome de bajo gasto cardíaco en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca.

The low cardiac output syndrome is a potential complication in cardiac surgery patients and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This guide is to provide recommendations for the management of these patients, immediately after surgery, admitted to the ICU. The recommendations are grouped into different sections, trying to answer from the most basic concepts such as the definition to the different sections of basic and advanced monitoring and ending with the complex management of this syndrome. We propose an algorithm for initial management, as well as two other for ventricular failure (predominantly left or right). Most of the recommendations are based on expert consensus because of the lack of randomized trials of adequate design and sample size in this group of patients. The quality of evidence and strength of the recommendations were made following the GRADE methodology. The guide is presented as a list of recommendations (and level of evidence for each recommendation) for each question on the selected topic. Then for each question, we proceed to the justification of the recommendations.

La aplicación de hipotermia moderada tras la reanimación cardiaca iniciada en el medio extrahospitalario puede incrementar la supervivencia sin deterioro neurológico. Estudio de casos y controles / Prehospital induction of moderate hypothermia after cardiac resuscitation can increase survival without increasing neurologic impairment: a case-control study

Objetivos: Evaluar el efecto que tiene la aplicación por un servicio de emergencias de una hipotermia moderada precoz en el medio extrahospitalario sobre la evolución neurológica de los pacientes recuperados de una parada cardiaca. Método: Estudio comparativo caso-control. Se incluyeron como casos los 40 primeros pacientes en parada cardiorrespiratoria (PCR) que fueron reanimados por el SAMUR Protección Civil y tratados con hipotermia en la propia ambulancia, continuada posteriormente en el medio hospitalario. En el grupo control, se incluyeron los últimos 40 pacientes que habiendo sufrido una PCR de origen médico, fueron reanimados por el SAMUR Protección Civil antes de la implantación del protocolo de hipotermia postresucitación, y fueron sometidos, también, al procedimiento de hipotermia tras el ingreso en el hospital. Se descartaron las PCR de origen neurológico, dado que se pretende conocer la influencia de la técnica en ese órgano diana. Para valorar el deterioro neurológico de de los pacientes, se utilizó la escala CPC (Cerebral Perfomance Category). Se consideró en el estudio los grados I y II como "buena evolución neurológica". Resultados: El 50% de los casos presentaron una buena recuperación neurológica frente al 27,5% de los controles (p = 0,039). Esas diferencias se mantuvieron tanto si el ritmo inicial era desfibrilable (58,3% frente a 37,5% de los controles) como no desfibrilable(42,8% frente a 14,2% respectivamente).Conclusiones: Los datos demuestran que existe una relación estadísticamente significativa entre la aplicación de hipotermia moderada prehospitalaria y una mayor probabilidad de recuperación neurológica (CPC I y II). Así, existe una probabilidad de 2,6 veces mayor de que el paciente que ha sufrido una parada cardiorrespiratoria tenga una buena recuperación neurológica si el inicio de la hipotermia moderada se realiza antes de llegar al hospital (AU)

Objectives: To assess the effect of early prehospital emergency responder implementation of moderate hypothermia on neurologic outcome in patients recovering from cardiac arrest. Methods: Case-control comparative study. The cases were the first 40 patients in cardiorespiratory arrest in who mhypothermia was induced in the ambulance after resuscitation by responders from the Citizen Protection Emergency Service of Madrid (SAMUR); hypothermia was also later used in the hospital. The controls were the last 40 patients in cardiorespiratory arrest who were resuscitated by the SAMUR responders before the prehospital hypothermia protocol had been established; hypothermia was later induced after the control patients’ arrival at the hospital. Patients whose cardiorespiratory arrest had neurologic causes were excluded given that the effect on neurologic outcome was underevaluation. The Cerebral Performance Category scale was used to assess impairment. A grade 1 or 2 assessment was considered to indicate a good neurologic outcome. Results: Neurologic outcome was good for 50% of the patients in whom hypothermia was induced early; outcome was good for 27.5% of the control patients (P=.039). The significant difference between cases and controls was maintained regardless of whether the initial heart rhythm was shockable (58.3% of such cases had good neurologic outcomes with early hypothermia vs 37.5% of the controls with shockable rhythm) or not (42.8% of such cases had good outcomes vs14.2% of the controls with non shockable rhythm).Conclusions: Our findings show a significant relationship between prehospital induction of moderate hypothermia and a higher probability of neurologic recovery (performance categories 1 and 2). If moderate hypothermia is initiated before arrival at the hospital, the likelihood of good neurologic recovery is 2.6-times greater (AU)

[Blood glucose levels in the first 24 hours of admission is not a risk factor for mortality in critical care patients]. / La glucemia de las primeras 24 horas no es un factor pronóstico de mortalidad en pacientes críticos.

INTRODUCTION: Glycemic alterations are known as a risk condition of death in several diseases, such as ischemic cardiovascular and neurological disorders. The fact that its tight control under narrow normality levels decreases mortality and morbidity have led to further studies seeking to confirm the results and expand them to other disease areas. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether glycemic changes by themselves are a mortality risk factor in a sample of patients within an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), among which predominates traumatic-surgical patients. METHODS: Demographic and analytical characteristics were revised, as well as common monitoring variables in an ICU, among a sample of 2,554 patients from admissions between 1st January 2004 and 31 December 2008. Data were obtained from a database which endorsed records compiled with the monitoring ICU patients program "Carevue". They were processed with dynamics sheets included in the Excel software with the following variables: initial glycemia, mean glycemia during the first 24 hours and number of determinations performed. We used the mean value in the admission day of the remaining analytical and monitoring variables and the number of test performed on this first day. The sample was stratified in two groups for the statistical analysis: a) General Sample (MG) and b) sample excluding patients admitted after a programmed surgery (EQP). In both cases the effect of initial and averaged glycemia was checked. Group b was divided in two, according to the number of determinations b1) a single blood glucose determination group (EQP1) and b2) a multiple determination group (EQPM). From this group of non-programmed surgical patients the study was repeated in those patients who stayed at the ICU 3 or more days (EQP3D). Chi-square and Mantel-Haenzel test for the ODD ratio determination were performed for qualitative variables; quantitative variables were examined with the Mann-Whitney test. At each analysis level, logistic regression was performed using mortality as the dependent variable, including those variables with p-values < 0.05 which represented more than 60% of the data. An initially saturated model with backward till the final equation was used. A p-value of 0.05 (i.e. p < 0.05) was set as the significant threshold for all statistical analysis. They were performed with SPSS and GSTAT 2 statistical software. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 2,165 of the 2,554 admitted patients during the study period were included (96.5%). Exclusion criteria were absence of plasma glucose determinations. In the bivariate analysis, first and mean glucose blood levels showed significant differences in mortality rates in absolute figures and also when data were classified stratified in three levels (< 60 mg/dl; 60-110 mg/dl or > 110 mg/dl) or in two (normal values 60 to 110 mg/dl and unusual figures < 60 mg/dl or > 110 mg/dl). These significant differences were lost when a logistic model was applied. From the remaining variables, renal function and NEMS showed to be mortality risks factors in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia is a predominant phenomenon in critically ill patients. Hypoglycemia is less frequent and is associated with higher mortality rates. Initial glucose blood level, by itself, was not a mortality risk factor in the multivariate study and at none of the studied levels. Average glycemia did not add any prediction power. The changes in glucose blood levels seemed to be an adaptation process, which determined by itself a risk for the patient's discharge, at least in the first 24 hours period after ICU admission.

Pericarditis neumocócica: presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Pneumococcal pericarditis: presentation of one case and review of the literature

La pericarditis purulenta es una entidad rara en la actualidad, de curso rápidamente fatal en ausencia de tratamiento y de difícil diagnóstico clínico antes de la aparición de taponamiento pericárdico. Producida clásicamente por gérmenes aerobios grampositivos, la incidencia de etiología anaerobia, gramnegativa y fúngica parece aumentar. La etiología neumocócica es hoy excepcional y prácticamente siempre acompañando a una infección pleuropulmonar evidente. Las bases del tratamiento son la pericardiocentesis precoz, la antibioterapia intravenosa de amplio espectro y el tratamiento de soporte en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. La técnica de drenaje pericárdico idónea en estos pacientes continúa siendo tema de controversia, dada la escasa experiencia clínica existente. El pronóstico es bueno si el reconocimiento es precoz, con una tasa de secuelas relativamente baja, generalmente en forma de pericarditis constrictiva. Presentamos un caso de pericarditis purulenta neumocócica primaria y una revisión de la literatura al respecto

Purulent pericarditis is a rare entity at present, with a rapidly fatal course in absence of treatment. Its clinical diagnosis is difficult due to the appearance of pericardial tamponade. Classically produced by Gram positive aerobic germs, the incidence of anaerobic, Gram negative and fungal etiology seems to increase. Pneumococcal etiology is rare today and almost always accompanies a clear pleuropulmonary infection. Treatment bases are early pericardiocentesis, intravenous wide spectrum antibiotic treatment and support treatment in the intensive care unit. The best pericardial drainage technique in these patients continues to be debatable, given the limited existing clinical experience. Prognosis is good if recognized early, with a relatively low sequel rate, generally as constrictive pericarditis. We present a case of primary purulent pneumococcal pericarditis and a review of the literature in this regards

Cervical spinal cord injury in the adult rat: assessment of forelimb dysfunction.

Traumatic injury to the adult human spinal cord most frequently occurs at the mid-to-low cervical segments and produces tetraplegia. To investigate treatments for improving upper extremity function after cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), three behavioral tests were examined for their potential usefulness in evaluating forelimb function in an adult rat model that mimics human low cervical SCI. Testing was conducted pre- and up to 4 weeks post-operation in adult female rats subjected to either contusion injury at the C7 spinal cord segment or sham-surgery. Modified Forelimb Tarlov scales revealed significant proximal and distal forelimb extension dysfunction in lesion rats at l-to-4 weeks post-cervical SCI. The Forelimb Grip Strength Test showed a significant decrease in forelimb grip strength of lesion rats throughout the 4 weeks post-cervical SCI. Significant deficits in reach and pellet retrieval by lesion rats were measured at l-to-4 weeks post-cervical SCI with the conditioned pellet retrieval Staircase Test. The results demonstrate that these qualitative and quantitative forelimb behavioral tests can be used to evaluate forelimb function following low cervical SCI and may be useful to investigate treatments for improving forelimb function in these lesions.