Impact of post-procedural glycemic variability on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation : a post hoc cohort analysis

International audienceBackground : Glycemic variability is associated with worse outcomes after cardiac surgery, but the prognosis value of early glycemic variability after transcatheter aortic valve implantation is not known. This study was therefore designed to analyze the prognosis significance of post-procedural glycemic variability within 30 days after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.Methods : A post hoc analysis of patients from our center included in the FRANCE and FRANCE-2 registries was conducted. Post-procedural glycemic variability was assessed by calculating the mean daily δ blood glucose during the first 2 days after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Major complications within 30 days were death, stroke, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.Results : We analyzed 160 patients (age (median [interquartile] = 84 [80–88] years; diabetes mellitus (n) = 41 (26%) patients; logistic Euroscore = 20 [12–32]). The median value of mean daily δ blood glucose was 4.3 mmol l−1. The rate of major complications within 30 days after procedure among patients with the lowest quartile of glycemic variability was 12%, increasing from 12 to 26%, and 39% in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. In multivariate analysis, glycemic variability was independently associated with an increased risk of major complications within 30 days after the procedure (odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.83 [1.19–2.83]; p = 0.006).Conclusions : This study showed that post-procedural glycemic variability was associated with an increased risk of major complications within 30 days after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Improving the understanding of mobility in cross-border areas using a pooled travel survey

Understanding mobility behaviour in cross-border regions is a major challenge for transport policies and the wellbeing of people living near national borders. However, the available relevant information is often limited to a collection of unharmonized national sources. To overcome this limitation, we propose a methodology for building a pooled travel survey, by merging microdata from travel surveys conducted independently in different cross-border areas of the same cross-border region. Anchored in the Luxembourg functional cross-border region as a study area, this paper provides a general, ready-to-use harmonization methodology for pooling travel surveys. It critically discusses the resulting harmonized values of standard daily mobility indicators in regard to the specificities of the study area. Lastly, it shows that the values for the proportions of trip purposes computed with the pooled survey exhibit substantial differences from values obtained using only local travel surveys (up to 6 percentage points, and up to 33 per cent in the total number of trips). This illustrates the added value of a pooled travel survey compared with an unharmonized collection of local surveys.</p

An international tool to measure perceived stressors in intensive care units: the PS-ICU scale.

Background The intensive care unit is increasingly recognized as a stressful environment for healthcare professionals. This context has an impact on the health of these professionals but also on the quality of their personal and professional life. However, there is currently no validated scale to measure specific stressors perceived by healthcare professionals in intensive care. The aim of this study was to construct and validate in three languages a perceived stressors scale more specific to intensive care units (ICU). Results We conducted a three-phase study between 2016 and 2019: (1) identification of stressors based on the verbatim of 165 nurses and physicians from 4 countries (Canada, France, Italy, and Spain). We identified 99 stressors, including those common to most healthcare professions (called generic), as well as stressors more specific to ICU professionals (called specific); (2) item elaboration and selection by a panel of interdisciplinary experts to build a provisional 99-item version of the scale. This version was pre-tested with 70 professionals in the 4 countries and enabled us to select 50 relevant items; (3) test of the validity of the scale in 497 ICU healthcare professionals. Factor analyses identified six dimensions: lack of fit with families and organizational functioning; patient- and family-related emotional load; complex/at risk situations and skill-related issues; workload and human resource management issues; difficulties related to team working; and suboptimal care situations. Correlations of the PS-ICU scale with a generic stressors measure (i.e., the Job Content Questionnaire) tested its convergent validity, while its correlations with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-HSS examined its concurrent validity. We also assessed the test–retest reliability of PS-ICU with intraclass correlation coefficients. Conclusions The perceived stressors in intensive care units (PS-ICU) scale have good psychometric properties in all countries. It includes six broad dimensions covering generic or specific stressors to ICU, and thus, enables the identification of work situations that are likely to generate high levels of stress at the individual and unit levels. For future studies, this tool will enable the implementation of targeted corrective actions on which intervention research can be based. It also enables national and international comparisons of stressors’ impact.post-print925 K

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Improving blood glucose control in cardiac surgery patients : glycemic variability, nurse-compliance to insulin therapy protocols and use of incretin mimetics

L’hyperglycémie de stress et la variabilité glycémique, consécutives à la réaction inflammatoire péri opératoire, sont associées à une morbidité et une mortalité accrues en chirurgie cardiaque. L’insulinothérapie intraveineuse administrée à l’aide de protocoles complexes, dits « dynamiques », constitue à l’heure actuelle le traitement de référence de l’hyperglycémie de stress. L’intérêt du contrôle glycémique péri-opératoire est admis par tous, sans qu’il existe de consensus véritable quant aux objectifs à atteindre, et reste très exigeant en termes de charge de soins. Dans la 1ère partie de ce travail, nous avons voulu vérifier si, 7 ans après sa mise en place, l’observance du protocole d’insulinothérapie utilisé dans notre Unité de Soins Intensifs de Chirurgie Cardiaque était conforme à celle mesurée lors de son implantation. Nous avons constaté des dérives majeures dans l’application du protocole qui ont pu être corrigées par la mise en place de mesures correctrices simples. Dans une 2ème partie du travail, nous avons cherché à évaluer si, à l’instar de la chirurgie cardiaque classique, une variabilité glycémique accrue était associée à une altération du pronostic des patients bénéficiant d’une procédure moins invasive (remplacement valvulaire aortique percutané ou TAVI). Nous avons ainsi analysé les données des patients ayant bénéficié d’un TAVI dans notre centre, et inclus dans les registres multicentriques français France et France-2. Nos résultats suggèrent une association entre une augmentation de la variabilité glycémique et un risque accru de complications cardiovasculaires majeures dans les 30 premiers jours, indépendamment de la qualité du contrôle glycémique obtenu. Enfin, dans une 3ème partie nous avons voulu savoir si exenatide, analogue de synthèse de GLP-1, permettait d’améliorer le contrôle glycémique péri opératoire en chirurgie cardiaque. Nous avons conduit un essai randomisé contrôlé de phase II/III montrant que l’administration intraveineuse (IV) d’exenatide, ne permettait pas d’améliorer la qualité du contrôle glycémique ou de réduire la variabilité glycémique par rapport à l’insuline IV, mais permettait de retarder l’administration d’insuline et de diminuer la quantité d’insuline administrée. Notre étude suggère également une diminution de la charge en soins. Du fait des données rapportées chez l’animal et dans l’infarctus du myocarde, nous avons également conduit une étude ancillaire suggérant l’absence d’effets cardioprotecteurs majeurs d’exenatide sur les lésions d’ischémie-reperfusion myocardiques, ne permettant pas d’améliorer la fonction cardiaque gauche à court et à moyen terme. L’optimisation du contrôle glycémique en chirurgie cardiaque nécessite ainsi la recherche de stratégies visant à améliorer l’observance des protocoles de soins et à réduire la variabilité glycémique. La place des analogues du GLP-1 reste à définir dans cette indication.Stress hyperglycemia and glycemic variability are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery patients. Intravenous (IV) insulin therapy using complex dynamic protocols is the gold standard treatment for stress hyperglycemia. If the optimal blood glucose target range remains a matter of debate, blood glucose control using IV insulin therapy protocols has become part of the good clinical practices during the postoperative period, but implies a significant increase in nurse workload. In the 1st part of the thesis, we aimed at checking the nurse-compliance to the insulin therapy protocol used in our Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit 7 years after its implementation. Major deviations have been observed and simple corrective measures have restored a high level of nurse compliance. In the 2nd part of this thesis, we aimed at assessing whether blood glucose variability could be related to poor outcome in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients, as reported in more invasive cardiac surgery procedures. The analysis of data from patients who undergone TAVI in our institution and included in the multicenter France and France-2 registries suggested that increased glycemic variability is associated with a higher rate of major adverse events occurring between the 3rd and the 30th day after TAVI, regardless of hyperglycemia. In the 3rd part if this thesis, we conducted a randomized controlled phase II/III trial to investigate the clinical effectiveness of IV exenatide in perioperative blood glucose control after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Intravenous exenatide failed to improve blood glucose control and to decrease glycemic variability, but allowed to delay the start in insulin infusion and to lower the insulin dose required. Moreover, IV exenatide could allow a significant decrease in nurse workload. The ancillary analysis of this trial suggested that IV exenatide did neither provide cardio protective effect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries nor improve the left ventricular function by using IV exenatide. Strategies aiming at improving nurse compliance to insulin therapy protocols and at reducing blood glucose variability could be suitable to improve blood glucose control in cardiac surgery patients. The use of the analogues of GLP-1 in cardiac surgery patients needs to be investigated otherwise

Optimisation du contrôle glycémique en chirurgie cardiaque : variabilité glycémique, compliance aux protocoles de soins, et place des incrétino-mimétiques

Stress hyperglycemia and glycemic variability are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery patients. Intravenous (IV) insulin therapy using complex dynamic protocols is the gold standard treatment for stress hyperglycemia. If the optimal blood glucose target range remains a matter of debate, blood glucose control using IV insulin therapy protocols has become part of the good clinical practices during the postoperative period, but implies a significant increase in nurse workload. In the 1st part of the thesis, we aimed at checking the nurse-compliance to the insulin therapy protocol used in our Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit 7 years after its implementation. Major deviations have been observed and simple corrective measures have restored a high level of nurse compliance. In the 2nd part of this thesis, we aimed at assessing whether blood glucose variability could be related to poor outcome in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients, as reported in more invasive cardiac surgery procedures. The analysis of data from patients who undergone TAVI in our institution and included in the multicenter France and France-2 registries suggested that increased glycemic variability is associated with a higher rate of major adverse events occurring between the 3rd and the 30th day after TAVI, regardless of hyperglycemia. In the 3rd part if this thesis, we conducted a randomized controlled phase II/III trial to investigate the clinical effectiveness of IV exenatide in perioperative blood glucose control after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Intravenous exenatide failed to improve blood glucose control and to decrease glycemic variability, but allowed to delay the start in insulin infusion and to lower the insulin dose required. Moreover, IV exenatide could allow a significant decrease in nurse workload. The ancillary analysis of this trial suggested that IV exenatide did neither provide cardio protective effect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries nor improve the left ventricular function by using IV exenatide. Strategies aiming at improving nurse compliance to insulin therapy protocols and at reducing blood glucose variability could be suitable to improve blood glucose control in cardiac surgery patients. The use of the analogues of GLP-1 in cardiac surgery patients needs to be investigated otherwise.L’hyperglycémie de stress et la variabilité glycémique, consécutives à la réaction inflammatoire péri opératoire, sont associées à une morbidité et une mortalité accrues en chirurgie cardiaque. L’insulinothérapie intraveineuse administrée à l’aide de protocoles complexes, dits « dynamiques », constitue à l’heure actuelle le traitement de référence de l’hyperglycémie de stress. L’intérêt du contrôle glycémique péri-opératoire est admis par tous, sans qu’il existe de consensus véritable quant aux objectifs à atteindre, et reste très exigeant en termes de charge de soins. Dans la 1ère partie de ce travail, nous avons voulu vérifier si, 7 ans après sa mise en place, l’observance du protocole d’insulinothérapie utilisé dans notre Unité de Soins Intensifs de Chirurgie Cardiaque était conforme à celle mesurée lors de son implantation. Nous avons constaté des dérives majeures dans l’application du protocole qui ont pu être corrigées par la mise en place de mesures correctrices simples. Dans une 2ème partie du travail, nous avons cherché à évaluer si, à l’instar de la chirurgie cardiaque classique, une variabilité glycémique accrue était associée à une altération du pronostic des patients bénéficiant d’une procédure moins invasive (remplacement valvulaire aortique percutané ou TAVI). Nous avons ainsi analysé les données des patients ayant bénéficié d’un TAVI dans notre centre, et inclus dans les registres multicentriques français France et France-2. Nos résultats suggèrent une association entre une augmentation de la variabilité glycémique et un risque accru de complications cardiovasculaires majeures dans les 30 premiers jours, indépendamment de la qualité du contrôle glycémique obtenu. Enfin, dans une 3ème partie nous avons voulu savoir si exenatide, analogue de synthèse de GLP-1, permettait d’améliorer le contrôle glycémique péri opératoire en chirurgie cardiaque. Nous avons conduit un essai randomisé contrôlé de phase II/III montrant que l’administration intraveineuse (IV) d’exenatide, ne permettait pas d’améliorer la qualité du contrôle glycémique ou de réduire la variabilité glycémique par rapport à l’insuline IV, mais permettait de retarder l’administration d’insuline et de diminuer la quantité d’insuline administrée. Notre étude suggère également une diminution de la charge en soins. Du fait des données rapportées chez l’animal et dans l’infarctus du myocarde, nous avons également conduit une étude ancillaire suggérant l’absence d’effets cardioprotecteurs majeurs d’exenatide sur les lésions d’ischémie-reperfusion myocardiques, ne permettant pas d’améliorer la fonction cardiaque gauche à court et à moyen terme. L’optimisation du contrôle glycémique en chirurgie cardiaque nécessite ainsi la recherche de stratégies visant à améliorer l’observance des protocoles de soins et à réduire la variabilité glycémique. La place des analogues du GLP-1 reste à définir dans cette indication