Neurological Pupil Index and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Multicentric Study

BACKGROUND

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) occurs in around 30% of patients suffering from nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is associated with poor neurological outcome. Whether the Neurological Pupil index (NPi) derived from the automated pupillometry could help to diagnose the occurrence of DCI remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of NPi with the occurrence of DCI in patients with SAH.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with SAH admitted to the intensive care units of five hospitals between January 2018 and December 2020 who underwent daily NPi recordings (every 8 h) during the first 10 days of admission. DCI was diagnosed according to standard definitions (in awake patients) or based on neuroimaging and neuromonitoring (in sedated or unconscious patients). An NPi < 3 was defined as abnormal. The primary outcome of the study was to assess the time course of daily NPi between patients with DCI and patients without DCI. Secondary outcome included the number of patients who had an NPi < 3 before DCI.

RESULTS

A total of 210 patients were eligible for the final analysis; DCI occurred in 85 (41%) patients. Patients who developed DCI had similar values of mean and worst daily NPi over time when compared with patients without DCI. Patients with DCI had a higher proportion of at least one NPi < 3 at any moment before DCI when compared with others (39/85, 46% vs. 35/125, 38%, p = 0.009). Similarly, the worst NPi before DCI diagnosis was lower in the DCI group when compared with others (3.1 [2.5-3.8] vs. 3.7 [2.7-4.1], p = 0.05). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, the presence of NPi < 3 was not independently associated with the development of DCI (odds ratio 1.52 [95% confidence interval 0.80-2.88]).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, NPi measured three times a day and derived from the automated pupillometry had a limited value for the diagnosis of DCI in patients with SAH.

Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to rule out early bacterial coinfection in COVID-19 critically ill patients

PURPOSE

Although the prevalence of community-acquired respiratory bacterial coinfection upon hospital admission in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported to be < 5%, almost three-quarters of patients received antibiotics. We aim to investigate whether procalcitonin (PCT) or C-reactive protein (CRP) upon admission could be helpful biomarkers to identify bacterial coinfection among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

METHODS

We carried out a multicentre, observational cohort study including consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to 55 Spanish intensive care units (ICUs). The primary outcome was to explore whether PCT or CRP serum levels upon hospital admission could predict bacterial coinfection among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The secondary outcome was the evaluation of their association with mortality. We also conducted subgroups analyses in higher risk profile populations.

RESULTS

Between 5 February 2020 and 21 December 2021, 4076 patients were included, 133 (3%) of whom presented bacterial coinfection. PCT and CRP had low area under curve (AUC) scores at the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis [0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.61) and 0.6 (95% CI, 0.55-0.64), respectively], but high negative predictive values (NPV) [97.5% (95% CI 96.5-98.5) and 98.2% (95% CI 97.5-98.9) for PCT and CRP, respectively]. CRP alone was associated with bacterial coinfection (OR 2, 95% CI 1.25-3.19; p = 0.004). The overall 15, 30 and 90 days mortality had a higher trend in the bacterial coinfection group, but without significant difference. PCT ≥ 0.12 ng/mL was associated with higher 90 days mortality.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that measurements of PCT and CRP, alone and at a single time point, are not useful for ruling in or out bacterial coinfection in viral pneumonia by COVID-19.

Cerebro-spinal fluid glucose and lactate concentrations changes in response to therapies in patIents with primary brain injury: the START-TRIP study

INTRODUCTION

Altered levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose and lactate concentrations are associated with poor outcomes in acute brain injury patients. However, no data on changes in such metabolites consequently to therapeutic interventions are available. The aim of the study was to assess CSF glucose-to-lactate ratio (CGLR) changes related to therapies aimed at reducing intracranial pressure (ICP).

METHODS

A multicentric prospective cohort study was conducted in 12 intensive care units (ICUs) from September 2017 to March 2022. Adult (> 18 years) patients admitted after an acute brain injury were included if an external ventricular drain (EVD) for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring was inserted within 24 h of admission. During the first 48-72 h from admission, CGLR was measured before and 2 h after any intervention aiming to reduce ICP ("intervention"). Patients with normal ICP were also sampled at the same time points and served as the "control" group.

RESULTS

A total of 219 patients were included. In the intervention group (n = 115, 53%), ICP significantly decreased and CPP increased. After 2 h from the intervention, CGLR rose in both the intervention and control groups, although the magnitude was higher in the intervention than in the control group (20.2% vs 1.6%; p = 0.001). In a linear regression model adjusted for several confounders, therapies to manage ICP were independently associated with changes in CGLR. There was a weak inverse correlation between changes in ICP and CGRL in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, CGLR significantly changed over time, regardless of the study group. However, these effects were more significant in those patients receiving interventions to reduce ICP.

In-hospital and 6-month outcomes in patients with COVID-19 supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EuroECMO-COVID): a multicentre, prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used in patients with COVID-19, but uncertainty remains about the determinants of in-hospital mortality and data on post-discharge outcomes are scarce. The aims of this study were to investigate the variables associated with in-hospital outcomes in patients who received ECMO during the first wave of COVID-19 and to describe the status of patients 6 months after ECMO initiation.

METHODS

EuroECMO-COVID is a prospective, multicentre, observational study developed by the European Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. This study was based on data from patients aged 16 years or older who received ECMO support for refractory COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic-from March 1 to Sept 13, 2020-at 133 centres in 21 countries. In-hospital mortality and mortality 6 months after ECMO initiation were the primary outcomes. Mixed-Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate associations between patient and management-related variables (eg, patient demographics, comorbidities, pre-ECMO status, and ECMO characteristics and complications) and in-hospital deaths. Survival status at 6 months was established through patient contact or institutional charts review. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04366921, and is ongoing.

FINDINGS

Between March 1 and Sept 13, 2020, 1215 patients (942 [78%] men and 267 [22%] women; median age 53 years [IQR 46-60]) were included in the study. Median ECMO duration was 15 days (IQR 8-27). 602 (50%) of 1215 patients died in hospital, and 852 (74%) patients had at least one complication. Multiorgan failure was the leading cause of death (192 [36%] of 528 patients who died with available data). In mixed-Cox analyses, age of 60 years or older, use of inotropes and vasopressors before ECMO initiation, chronic renal failure, and time from intubation to ECMO initiation of 4 days or more were associated with higher in-hospital mortality. 613 patients did not die in hospital, and 547 (95%) of 577 patients for whom data were available were alive at 6 months. 102 (24%) of 431 patients had returned to full-time work at 6 months, and 57 (13%) of 428 patients had returned to part-time work. At 6 months, respiratory rehabilitation was required in 88 (17%) of 522 patients with available data, and the most common residual symptoms included dyspnoea (185 [35%] of 523 patients) and cardiac (52 [10%] of 514 patients) or neurocognitive (66 [13%] of 512 patients) symptoms.

INTERPRETATION

Patient's age, timing of cannulation (<4 days vs ≥4 days from intubation), and use of inotropes and vasopressors are essential factors to consider when analysing the outcomes of patients receiving ECMO for COVID-19. Despite post-discharge survival being favourable, persisting long-term symptoms suggest that dedicated post-ECMO follow-up programmes are required.

FUNDING

None.

Key Factors Associated With Pulmonary Sequelae in the Follow-Up of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

INTRODUCTION

Critical COVID-19 survivors have a high risk of respiratory sequelae. Therefore, we aimed to identify key factors associated with altered lung function and CT scan abnormalities at a follow-up visit in a cohort of critical COVID-19 survivors.

METHODS

Multicenter ambispective observational study in 52 Spanish intensive care units. Up to 1327 PCR-confirmed critical COVID-19 patients had sociodemographic, anthropometric, comorbidity and lifestyle characteristics collected at hospital admission; clinical and biological parameters throughout hospital stay; and, lung function and CT scan at a follow-up visit.

RESULTS

The median [p₂₅-p₇₅] time from discharge to follow-up was 3.57 [2.77-4.92] months. Median age was 60 [53-67] years, 27.8% women. The mean (SD) percentage of predicted diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (D_LCO) at follow-up was 72.02 (18.33)% predicted, with 66% of patients having D_LCO<80% and 24% having D_LCO<60%. CT scan showed persistent pulmonary infiltrates, fibrotic lesions, and emphysema in 33%, 25% and 6% of patients, respectively. Key variables associated with D_LCO<60% were chronic lung disease (CLD) (OR: 1.86 (1.18-2.92)), duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (OR: 1.56 (1.37-1.77)), age (OR [per-1-SD] (95%CI): 1.39 (1.18-1.63)), urea (OR: 1.16 (0.97-1.39)) and estimated glomerular filtration rate at ICU admission (OR: 0.88 (0.73-1.06)). Bacterial pneumonia (1.62 (1.11-2.35)) and duration of ventilation (NIMV (1.23 (1.06-1.42), IMV (1.21 (1.01-1.45)) and prone positioning (1.17 (0.98-1.39)) were associated with fibrotic lesions.

CONCLUSION

Age and CLD, reflecting patients' baseline vulnerability, and markers of COVID-19 severity, such as duration of IMV and renal failure, were key factors associated with impaired D_LCO and CT abnormalities.

Detailed stratified GWAS analysis for severe COVID-19 in four European populations

Given the highly variable clinical phenotype of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a deeper analysis of the host genetic contribution to severe COVID-19 is important to improve our understanding of underlying disease mechanisms. Here, we describe an extended genome-wide association meta-analysis of a well-characterized cohort of 3255 COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure and 12 488 population controls from Italy, Spain, Norway and Germany/Austria, including stratified analyses based on age, sex and disease severity, as well as targeted analyses of chromosome Y haplotypes, the human leukocyte antigen region and the SARS-CoV-2 peptidome. By inversion imputation, we traced a reported association at 17q21.31 to a ~0.9-Mb inversion polymorphism that creates two highly differentiated haplotypes and characterized the potential effects of the inversion in detail. Our data, together with the 5th release of summary statistics from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative including non-Caucasian individuals, also identified a new locus at 19q13.33, including NAPSA, a gene which is expressed primarily in alveolar cells responsible for gas exchange in the lung.

Prognostic implications of comorbidity patterns in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A multicenter, observational study

Background

The clinical heterogeneity of COVID-19 suggests the existence of different phenotypes with prognostic implications. We aimed to analyze comorbidity patterns in critically ill COVID-19 patients and assess their impact on in-hospital outcomes, response to treatment and sequelae.

Methods

Multicenter prospective/retrospective observational study in intensive care units of 55 Spanish hospitals. 5866 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients had comorbidities recorded at hospital admission; clinical and biological parameters, in-hospital procedures and complications throughout the stay; and, clinical complications, persistent symptoms and sequelae at 3 and 6 months.

Findings

Latent class analysis identified 3 phenotypes using training and test subcohorts: low-morbidity (n=3385; 58%), younger and with few comorbidities; high-morbidity (n=2074; 35%), with high comorbid burden; and renal-morbidity (n=407; 7%), with chronic kidney disease (CKD), high comorbidity burden and the worst oxygenation profile. Renal-morbidity and high-morbidity had more in-hospital complications and higher mortality risk than low-morbidity (adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.57 (1.34-1.84) and 1.16 (1.05-1.28), respectively). Corticosteroids, but not tocilizumab, were associated with lower mortality risk (HR (95% CI) 0.76 (0.63-0.93)), especially in renal-morbidity and high-morbidity. Renal-morbidity and high-morbidity showed the worst lung function throughout the follow-up, with renal-morbidity having the highest risk of infectious complications (6%), emergency visits (29%) or hospital readmissions (14%) at 6 months (p<0.01).

Interpretation

Comorbidity-based phenotypes were identified and associated with different expression of in-hospital complications, mortality, treatment response, and sequelae, with CKD playing a major role. This could help clinicians in day-to-day decision making including the management of post-discharge COVID-19 sequelae.

Funding

ISCIII, UNESPA, CIBERES, FEDER, ESF.

Methodology of a Large Multicenter Observational Study of Patients with COVID-19 in Spanish Intensive Care Units

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic created tremendous challenges for health-care systems. Intensive care units (ICU) were hit with a large volume of patients requiring ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and other organ support with very high mortality. The Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), a network of Spanish researchers to investigate in respiratory disease, commissioned the current proposal in response to the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) call.

METHODS

CIBERESUCICOVID is a multicenter, observational, prospective/retrospective cohort study of patients with COVID-19 admitted to Spanish ICUs. Several work packages were created, including study population and ICU data collection, follow-up, biomarkers and miRNAs, data management and quality.

RESULTS

This study included 6102 consecutive patients admitted to 55 ICUs homogeneously distributed throughout Spain and the collection of blood samples from more than 1000 patients. We enrolled a large population of COVID-19 ICU-admitted patients including baseline characteristics, ICU and MV data, treatments complications, and outcomes. The in-hospital mortality was 31%, and 76% of patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. A 3-6 month and 1 year follow-up was performed. Few deaths after 1 year discharge were registered. Low anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody levels predict mortality in critical COVID-19. These antibodies contribute to prevent systemic dissemination of SARS-CoV-2. The severity of COVID-19 impacts the circulating miRNA profile. Plasma miRNA profiling emerges as a useful tool for risk-based patient stratification in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

We present the methodology used in a large multicenter study sponsored by ISCIII to determine the short- and long-term outcomes in patients with COVID-19 admitted to more than 50 Spanish ICUs.

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background

Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission.

Methods

Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes.

Results

Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO₂/FiO₂ increased from 115.6 [80.0–171.2] to 180.0 [135.4–227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33–2.25] to 1.96 [1.61–2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01–1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01–1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93–1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO₂/FiO₂ variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47).

Conclusions

Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO₂/FiO₂ variation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-021-03727-x.

Genomewide Association Study of Severe Covid-19 with Respiratory Failure

BACKGROUND

There is considerable variation in disease behavior among patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Genomewide association analysis may allow for the identification of potential genetic factors involved in the development of Covid-19.

METHODS

We conducted a genomewide association study involving 1980 patients with Covid-19 and severe disease (defined as respiratory failure) at seven hospitals in the Italian and Spanish epicenters of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe. After quality control and the exclusion of population outliers, 835 patients and 1255 control participants from Italy and 775 patients and 950 control participants from Spain were included in the final analysis. In total, we analyzed 8,582,968 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and conducted a meta-analysis of the two case-control panels.

RESULTS

We detected cross-replicating associations with rs11385942 at locus 3p21.31 and with rs657152 at locus 9q34.2, which were significant at the genomewide level (P<5×10-8) in the meta-analysis of the two case-control panels (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 2.11; P = 1.15×10-10; and odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.47; P = 4.95×10-8, respectively). At locus 3p21.31, the association signal spanned the genes SLC6A20, LZTFL1, CCR9, FYCO1, CXCR6 and XCR1. The association signal at locus 9q34.2 coincided with the ABO blood group locus; in this cohort, a blood-group-specific analysis showed a higher risk in blood group A than in other blood groups (odds ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.75; P = 1.48×10-4) and a protective effect in blood group O as compared with other blood groups (odds ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.79; P = 1.06×10-5).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a 3p21.31 gene cluster as a genetic susceptibility locus in patients with Covid-19 with respiratory failure and confirmed a potential involvement of the ABO blood-group system. (Funded by Stein Erik Hagen and others.).

Cerebral Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Adult Patients Undergoing Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

BACKGROUND

Acute cerebral complications (ACC) of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) are associated with poor long-term neurologic outcome. We described the role of rSO₂ monitoring in detecting ACC and desaturations and their relationship with poor outcome when employing VA-ECMO.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of patients monitored by cerebral frontal near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) (CAS Medical Systems Inc., Branford, CT, USA) during VA-ECMO (November 2008-December 2015). ACC was defined as the presence of stroke and/or brain death, while cerebral desaturation as cortical oxygen tissue saturation (rSO₂) < 60%.

RESULTS

Fifty-six of 159 VA-ECMO patients (age 55 [36-60] years) were included; 18 (32%) developed ACC and 36 died (64%). Cerebral desaturation occurred in 43 (74%) patients, who had a higher mortality than those without cerebral desaturation (74 vs. 31%). A high sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on the first day of ECMO (OR 1.40 [95% CIs 1.06-1.84]) and the minimum ECMO blood flow during the first 4 days of therapy (OR 3.05 [1.01-9.17]) were independently associated with the occurrence of cerebral desaturation. Cerebral desaturation occurred more frequently in patients with ACC than others (94 vs. 68%); patients with ACC also had a lower minimal rSO₂ over time (49 vs. 54%) and more frequently had high right-left rSO₂ differences (33 vs. 8%), which were both independent predictors of ACC. The occurrence of cerebral desaturation (OR 7.93 [1.62-38.74]) and high lactate concentrations during the first 4 days of ECMO support (OR 1.22 [1.03-1.46]) was independently associated with hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring of rSO₂ could be considered as an interesting tool to monitor the brain of patients on VA-ECMO.

Altered liver function in patients undergoing veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy

BACKGROUND

Multiple organ dysfunction can occur in patients undergoing Veno-arterial Extra Corporal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO); however, liver function has not been well studied in this setting.

METHODS

In a review of our institutional ECMO database (n=162), we collected aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) transaminases, total bilirubin and international normalized ratio (INR) at time of ECMO initiation (baseline) and once daily during therapy in patients who survived for at least 24 hours. Elevated liver enzymes (ELE) were defined if AST and/or ALT were > 200 UI/L, and acute liver failure (ALF) as the presence of an INR ≥ 1.5, new onset encephalopathy and an elevated total bilirubin concentrations.

RESULTS

On a total of 80 patients undergoing VA-ECMO, 69 patients met the inclusion criteria (cardiogenic shock, n=52; refractory cardiac arrest, n=15; cardiac failure following severe ARDS, n=2). Of them, 45 (65%) had early ELE after ECMO initiation (median highest AST and ALT were 528 [251-2606] UI/L and 513 [130-1031] UI/L, respectively). Two thirds of patients with ELE (N = 30) had a progressive reduction in AST and ALT, but the levels were normalized only after 5 [5-6] days. Among patients with ELE, 21/45 (47%) had AST and/or ALT levels above > 1000 UI/L. A total of 14/69 (20%) patients developed ALF. However, mortality rate was not significantly higher in patients with ELE or ALF when compared to others.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of patients needing VA-ECMO have early ELE, which usually improves over days. The prognostic implications are not evident.

New Atlanta Classification of acute pancreatitis in intensive care unit: Complications and prognosis

BACKGROUND

The updated Atlanta Classification of acute pancreatitis (AP) in adults defined three levels of severity according to the presence of local and/or systemic complications and presence and length of organ failure. No study focused on complications and mortality of patients with moderately severe AP admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). The main aim of this study is to describe the complications developed and outcomes of these patients and compare them to those with severe AP.

METHODS

Prospective, observational study. We included patients with acute moderately severe or severe AP admitted in a medical-surgical ICU during 5years. We collected demographic data, admission criteria, pancreatitis etiology, severity of illness, presence of organ failure, local and systemic complications, ICU length of stay, and mortality.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients were included: 12 with moderately severe AP and 44 with severe. All patients developed some kind of complications without differences on complications rate between moderately severe or severe AP. All the patients present non-infectious systemic complications, mainly acute respiratory failure and hemodynamic failure. 82.1% had an infectious complication, mainly non-pancreatic infection (66.7% on moderately severe AP vs. 79.5% on severe, p=0.0443). None of the patients with moderately severe AP died during their intensive care unit stay vs. 29.5% with severe AP (p=0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderately severe AP has a high rate of complications with similar rates to patients with severe AP admitted to ICU. However, their ICU mortality remains very low, which supports the existence of this new group of pancreatitis according to their severity.