Epidemiology and outcome predictors in 450 patients with hanging-induced cardiac arrest: a retrospective study.

Background: Cardiac arrest is the most life-threatening complication of attempted suicide by hanging. However, data are scarce on its characteristics and outcome predictors. Methods: This retrospective observational multicentre study in 31 hospitals included consecutive adults admitted after cardiac arrest induced by suicidal hanging. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality were identified by multivariate logistic regression with multiple imputations for missing data and adjusted to the temporal trends over the study period. Results: Of 450 patients (350 men, median age, 43 [34-52] years), 305 (68%) had a psychiatric history, and 31 (6.9%) attempted hanging while hospitalized. The median time from unhanging to cardiopulmonary resuscitation was 0 [0-5] min, and the median time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was 20 [10-30] min. Seventy-nine (18%) patients survived to hospital discharge. Three variables were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality: time from collapse or unhanging to ROSC>20 min (odds ratio [OR], 4.71; 95% confidence intervals [95%CIs], 2.02-10.96; p = 0.0004); glycaemia >1.4 g/L at admission (OR, 6.38; 95%CI, 2.60-15.66; p < 0.0001); and lactate >3.5 mmol/L at admission (OR, 6.08; 95%CI, 1.71-21.06; p = 0.005). A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of >5 at admission was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (OR, 0.009; 95%CI, 0.02-0.37; p = 0.0009). Conclusion: In patients with hanging-induced cardiac arrest, time from collapse or unhanging to return of spontaneous circulation, glycaemia, arterial lactate, and coma depth at admission were independently associated with survival to hospital discharge. Knowledge of these risk factors may help guide treatment decisions in these patients at high risk of hospital mortality.

Identifying early indicators of secondary peritonitis in critically ill patients with cirrhosis.

Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) is a life-threatening complication of cirrhosis. We aimed to identify early indicators of secondary peritonitis (SP), which requires emergency surgery, and to describe the outcomes of SP and spontaneous bacterial/fungal peritonitis (SBFP). Adults with cirrhosis and AFI admitted to 16 university or university-affiliated ICUs in France between 2002 and 2017 were studied retrospectively. Cases were identified by searching the hospital databases for relevant ICD-10 codes and hospital charts for AFI. Logistic multivariate regression was performed to identify factors associated with SP. Secondary outcomes were short- and long-term mortality and survivors' functional outcomes. Of 178 included patients (137 men and 41 women; mean age, 58 ± 11 years), 21 (11.8%) had SP, confirmed by surgery in 16 cases and by abdominal computed tomography in 5 cases. Time to diagnosis exceeded 24 h in 7/21 patients with SP. By multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with SP were ascitic leukocyte count > 10,000/mm3 (OR 3.70; 95%CI 1.38-9.85; P = 0.009) and absence of laboratory signs of decompensated cirrhosis (OR 4.53; 95%CI 1.30-15.68; P = 0.017). The 1-year mortality rates in patients with SBFP and SP were 81.0% and 77.5%, respectively (Log-rank test, P = 0.92). Patients with SP vs. SBFP had no differences in 1-year functional outcomes. This multicenter retrospective study identified two indicators of SP as opposed to SBFP in patients with cirrhosis. Using these indicators may help to provide early surgical treatment.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation network organisation and clinical outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greater Paris, France: a multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In the Île-de-France region (henceforth termed Greater Paris), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was considered early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We report ECMO network organisation and outcomes during the first wave of the pandemic. METHODS: In this multicentre cohort study, we present an analysis of all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe ARDS requiring ECMO who were admitted to 17 Greater Paris intensive care units between March 8 and June 3, 2020. Central regulation for ECMO indications and pooling of resources were organised for the Greater Paris intensive care units, with six mobile ECMO teams available for the region. Details of complications (including ECMO-related complications, renal replacement therapy, and pulmonary embolism), clinical outcomes, survival status at 90 days after ECMO initiation, and causes of death are reported. Multivariable analysis was used to identify pre-ECMO variables independently associated with 90-day survival after ECMO. FINDINGS: The 302 patients included who underwent ECMO had a median age of 52 years (IQR 45-58) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score-II of 40 (31-56), and 235 (78%) of whom were men. 165 (55%) were transferred after cannulation by a mobile ECMO team. Before ECMO, 285 (94%) patients were prone positioned, median driving pressure was 18 cm H2O (14-21), and median ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen was 61 mm Hg (IQR 54-70). During ECMO, 115 (43%) of 270 patients had a major bleeding event, 27 of whom had intracranial haemorrhage; 130 (43%) of 301 patients received renal replacement therapy; and 53 (18%) of 294 had a pulmonary embolism. 138 (46%) patients were alive 90 days after ECMO. The most common causes of death were multiorgan failure (53 [18%] patients) and septic shock (47 [16%] patients). Shorter time between intubation and ECMO (odds ratio 0·91 [95% CI 0·84-0·99] per day decrease), younger age (2·89 [1·41-5·93] for ≤48 years and 2·01 [1·01-3·99] for 49-56 years vs ≥57 years), lower pre-ECMO renal component of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0·67, 0·55-0·83 per point increase), and treatment in centres managing at least 30 venovenous ECMO cases annually (2·98 [1·46-6·04]) were independently associated with improved 90-day survival. There was no significant difference in survival between patients who had mobile and on-site ECMO initiation. INTERPRETATION: Beyond associations with similar factors to those reported on ECMO for non-COVID-19 ARDS, 90-day survival among ECMO-assisted patients with COVID-19 was strongly associated with a centre's experience in venovenous ECMO during the previous year. Early ECMO management in centres with a high venovenous ECMO case volume should be advocated, by applying centralisation and regulation of ECMO indications, which should also help to prevent a shortage of resources. FUNDING: None.

Outcomes in 886 Critically Ill Patients After Near-Hanging Injury.

BACKGROUND: Near-hanging experiences are life-threatening events about which few data are available. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the outcomes and early predictors of hospital mortality in critically ill patients who have undergone a near-hanging experience? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Adult patients who were resuscitated successfully after suicidal near-hanging injury admitted to 31 university or university-affiliated ICUs in France and Belgium between 1992 and 2014 were studied retrospectively. Patients were identified by searching the hospital databases for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th and 10th revisions, codes and hospital charts for hanging. Logistic multivariate regression was performed to identify factors associated vital and functional outcomes at hospital discharge as the primary end points. Secondary outcomes were evaluation of temporal trends and identification of predictors of hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of the 886 patients (181 women and 705 men; median age, 43 years; interquartile range, 34-52 years), 266 (30.0%) had attempted suicide previously, 600 (67.7%) had a diagnosed mental illness, and 55 (6.2%) attempted hanging while hospitalized. Median time from hanging awareness to unhanging was 0 min (interquartile range [IQR], 0-0; range, 0-82 min). Median Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3 (IQR, 3-5) at ICU admission. Hanging induced cardiac arrest in 450 of 886 patients (50.8%). Overall, 497 of 886 patients (56.1%) were alive at hospital discharge, including 479 of 497 patients (96.4%) with a favorable neurocognitive outcome (defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4 or 5). By multivariate analysis, factors associated with hospital mortality were hanging-induced cardiac arrest (OR, 19.50; 95% CI, 7.21-60.90; P < .00001) and findings at ICU admission of glycemia level > 1.4 g/L (OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.82-10.81; P = .0007) and of lactate level > 3.5 mmol/L (OR, 9.98; 95% CI, 4.17-25.36; P < .00001). INTERPRETATION: The findings from this large multicenter retrospective cohort emphasize the very high mortality after hanging injury chiefly because of hanging-induced cardiac arrest. However, patients who survive near-hanging experiences achieve excellent neurocognitive recovery. Studies of early neuroprotective strategies for patients who have undergone near-hanging experiences are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT04096976; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Cardiac Arrest in Patients Managed for Convulsive Status Epilepticus: Characteristics, Predictors, and Outcome.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiac arrest is a catastrophic event that may arise during the management of convulsive status epilepticus. We aimed to report the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and early predictors of convulsive status epilepticus-related cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter study. SETTING: Seventeen university or university affiliated participating ICUs in France and Belgium. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients admitted to the participating ICUs for management of successfully resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest complicating the initial management of convulsive status epilepticus between 2000 and 2015. Patients were compared with controls without cardiac arrest identified in a single-center registry of convulsive status epilepticus patients, regarding characteristics, management, and outcome. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We included 49 cases with convulsive status epilepticus-cardiac arrest and 235 controls. In the cases, median time from medical team arrival to cardiac arrest was 25 minutes (interquartile range, 5-85 min). First recorded rhythm was asystole in 25 patients (51%) and pulseless electrical activity in 13 patients (27%). A significantly larger proportion of patients had a favorable 1-year outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 5) among controls (90/235; 38%) than among cases (10/49; 21%; p = 0.02). By multivariate analysis, independent predictors of cardiac arrest were pulse oximetry less than 97% on scene (odds ratio, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.03-7.26; p = 0.04), drug poisoning as the cause of convulsive status epilepticus (odds ratio, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.27-13.53; p = 0.02), and complications during early management (odds ratio, 11.98; 95% CI, 4.67-34.69; p < 0.0001). Having at least one comorbidity among cardiac, respiratory, and neurologic (other than epilepsy) conditions predicted absence of cardiac arrest (odds ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.10-0.80; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In patients managed for convulsive status epilepticus, relative hypoxemia, on-scene management complications, and drug poisoning as the cause of convulsive status epilepticus were strong early predictors of cardiac arrest, suggesting areas for improvement.

Targeted temperature management after intraoperative cardiac arrest: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Few outcome data are available about temperature management after intraoperative cardiac arrest (IOCA). We describe targeted temperature management (TTM) (32-34 °C) modalities, adverse events, and association with 1-year functional outcome in patients with IOCA. METHODS: Patients admitted to 11 ICUs after IOCA in 2008-2013 were studied retrospectively. The main outcome measure was 1-year functional outcome. RESULTS: Of the 101 patients [35 women and 66 men; median age, 62 years (interquartile range, 42-72)], 68 (67.3%) were ASA PS I to III and 57 (56.4%) had emergent surgery. First recorded rhythms were asystole in 44 (43.6%) patients, pulseless electrical activity in 36 (35.6%), and ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia in 20 (19.8%). Median times from collapse to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were 0 min (0-0) and 10 min (4-20), respectively. The 30 (29.7%) patients who received TTM had an increased risk of infection (P = 0.005) but not of arrhythmia, bleeding, or metabolic/electrolyte disorders. By multivariate analysis, one or more defibrillation before ROSC was positively associated with a favorable functional outcome at 1-year (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.05-8.95, P = 0.04) and emergency surgery was negatively associated with 1-year favorable functional outcome (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.14-0.95, P = 0.038). TTM use was not independently associated with 1-year favorable outcome (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.27-2.46, P = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: TTM was used in less than one-third of patients after IOCA. TTM was associated with infection but not with bleeding or coronary events in this setting. TTM did not independently predict 1-year favorable functional outcome after IOCA in this study.

Difficult peripheral venous access: clinical evaluation of a catheter inserted with the Seldinger method under ultrasound guidance.

PURPOSE: A preliminary observational study was undertaken to evaluate the risk of failure of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheterization of a deep arm vein for a maximum of 7 days, after peripheral intravenous (PIV) cannulation failure. METHODS: This prospective study included patients referred to the intensive care unit for placement of a central line, a polyurethane cannula commercialized for arterial catheterization was used for peripheral venous cannulation. Catheter length and diameter were chosen based on preliminary ultrasound measurements of vein diameter and skin-vein distance. RESULTS: Catheterization was successful for all 29 patients. Mean vein diameter was 0.42 ± 0.39 cm; mean vein depth was 0.94 ± 0.52 cm. Mean catheter duration was 6 (median 7) days. Two occluded catheters were removed prematurely. No thrombophlebitis, catheter infection, or extravasation was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that catheters inserted with the Seldinger method are adapted to prolonged peripheral deep-vein infusion. Ultrasound can play a role in catheter monitoring by identifying early thrombosis formation.

Predictors of functional outcome after intraoperative cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Few outcome data are available about intraoperative cardiac arrest (IOCA). The authors studied 90-day functional outcomes and their determinants in patients admitted to the intensive care unit after IOCA. METHODS: Patients admitted to 11 intensive care units in a period of 2000-2013 were studied retrospectively. The main outcome measure was a day-90 Cerebral Performance Category score of 1 or 2. RESULTS: Of the 140 patients (61 women and 79 men; median age, 60 yr [interquartile range, 46 to 70]), 131 patients (93.6%) had general anesthesia, 80 patients (57.1%) had emergent surgery, and 73 patients (52.1%) had IOCA during surgery. First recorded rhythms were asystole in 73 patients (52.1%), pulseless electrical activity in 44 patients (31.4%), and ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia in 23 patients (16.4%). Median times from collapse to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and return of spontaneous circulation were 0 min (0 to 0) and 10 min (5 to 20), respectively. Postcardiac arrest shock was identified in 114 patients (81.4%). Main causes of IOCA were preoperative complications (n = 46, 32.9%), complications of anesthesia (n = 39, 27.9%), and complications of surgical procedures (n = 36, 25.7%). On day 90, 63 patients (45.3%) were alive with Cerebral Performance Category score 1/2. Independent predictors of day-90 Cerebral Performance Category score 1/2 were day-1 Logistic Organ Dysfunction score (odds ratio, 0.78 per point; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.87; P = 0.0001), ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia as first recorded rhythm (odds ratio, 4.78; 95% CI, 1.38 to 16.53; P = 0.013), and no epinephrine therapy during postcardiac arrest syndrome (odds ratio, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.29 to 7.65; P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: By day 90, 45% of IOCA survivors had good functional outcomes. The main outcome predictors were directly related to IOCA occurrence and postcardiac arrest syndrome; they suggest that the intensive care unit management of postcardiac arrest syndrome may be amenable to improvement.

Ongoing abdominal status myoclonus in postanoxic coma.

We present the video of a patient who presented massive and ongoing rhythmic abdominal myoclonus in postanoxic coma.

A pneumococcal purulent pericarditis revealing a pneumonia and complicated by an acute cardiac tamponade.

Purulent pericarditis secondary to pneumococcal pneumonia is a rare entity, and often underestimated despite being associated with a high mortality rate. We report a case of a man who developed a cardiac tamponade related to a previously unknown pneumococcal pneumonia. In conclusion, we emphasize the need of repeated clinical and echocardiographic exams.

Impact of routine percutaneous coronary intervention after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Since 2003, we have routinely used percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) to treat patients < 80 years of age after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) related to ventricular fibrillation. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of routine PCI in association with MTH and the potential influence of age. METHODS: We studied 111 consecutive patients resuscitated successfully following OHCA related to shock-sensitive rhythm. They were divided into five groups according to age: < 45 years (n = 22, group 1), 45 to 54 years (n = 27, group 2), 55 to 64 years (n = 22, group 3), 65 to 74 years (n = 23, group 4) and ≥75 years (n = 17, group 5). Emergency coronary angiography was performed in hemodynamically stable patients < 80 years old, regardless of the electrocardiogram pattern. MTH was targeted to a core temperature of 32°C to 34°C for 24 hours. RESULTS: Most patients (73%) had coronary heart disease, although its incidence in group 1 was lower than in other groups (41% versus 81%; P = 0.01). In group 1, all patients but one underwent coronary angiography, and 33% of them underwent associated PCI. In group 5, only 53% of patients underwent a coronary angiography and 44% underwent PCI. Overall in-hospital survival was 54%, ranging between 52% and 64% in groups 1 to 4 and 24% in group 5. Time from collapse to return of spontaneous circulation was associated with mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05 (25th to 75th percentile range, 1.03 to 1.08); P < 0.001), whereas PCI was associated with survival (OR = 0.30 (25th to 75th percentile range, 0.11 to 0.79); P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that routine coronary angiography with potentially associated PCI may favorably alter the prognosis of resuscitated patients with stable hemodynamics who are treated with MTH after OHCA related to ventricular fibrillation. Although age was not an independent cause of death, the clinical relevance of this therapeutic strategy remains to be determined in older people.