Thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusions in ICU patients: an international inception cohort study (PLOT-ICU)

Purpose Thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 150 × 109/L) is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and is likely associated with worse outcomes. In this study we present international contemporary data on thrombocytopenia in ICU patients. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult ICU patients in 52 ICUs across 10 countries. We assessed frequencies of thrombocytopenia, use of platelet transfusions and clinical outcomes including mortality. We evaluated pre-selected potential risk factors for the development of thrombocytopenia during ICU stay and associations between thrombocytopenia at ICU admission and 90-day mortality using pre-specified logistic regression analyses. Results We analysed 1166 ICU patients; the median age was 63 years and 39.5% were female. Overall, 43.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 40.4–46.1) had thrombocytopenia; 23.4% (20–26) had thrombocytopenia at ICU admission, and 19.8% (17.6–22.2) developed thrombocytopenia during their ICU stay. Non-AIDS-, non-cancer-related immune deficiency, liver failure, male sex, septic shock, and bleeding at ICU admission were associated with the development of thrombocytopenia during ICU stay. Among patients with thrombocytopenia, 22.6% received platelet transfusion(s), and 64.3% of in-ICU transfusions were prophylactic. Patients with thrombocytopenia had higher occurrences of bleeding and death, fewer days alive without the use of life-support, and fewer days alive and out of hospital. Thrombocytopenia at ICU admission was associated with 90-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.7; 95% CI 1.19–2.42). Conclusion Thrombocytopenia occurred in 43% of critically ill patients and was associated with worse outcomes including increased mortality. Platelet transfusions were given to 23% of patients with thrombocytopenia and most were prophylactic.publishedVersio

Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System and Immunomodulation: A State-of-the-Art Review

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) has long been described in the field of cardiovascular physiology as the main player in blood pressure homeostasis. However, other effects have since been described, and include proliferation, fibrosis, and inflammation. To illustrate the immunomodulatory properties of the RAS, we chose three distinct fields in which RAS may play a critical role and be the subject of specific treatments. In oncology, RAS hyperactivation has been associated with tumor migration, survival, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis; preliminary data showed promise of the benefit of RAS blockers in patients treated for certain types of cancer. In intensive care medicine, vasoplegic shock has been associated with severe macro- and microcirculatory imbalance. A relative insufficiency in angiotensin II (AngII) was associated to lethal outcomes and synthetic AngII has been suggested as a specific treatment in these cases. Finally, in solid organ transplantation, both AngI and AngII have been associated with increased rejection events, with a regional specificity in the RAS activity. These elements emphasize the complexity of the direct and indirect interactions of RAS with immunomodulatory pathways and warrant further research in the field

Current Advances in Lung Ultrasound in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients: A Narrative Review

Lung ultrasound (LUS) has a relatively recent democratization due to the better availability and training of physicians, especially in intensive care units. LUS is a relatively cheap and easy-to-learn and -use bedside technique that evaluates pulmonary morphology when using simple algorithms. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, LUS was found to be an accurate tool to quickly diagnose, triage and monitor patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of LUS use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first section of our work defines the technique, the practical approach and the semeiotic signs of LUS examination. The second section exposed the COVID-19 pattern in LUS examination and the difference between the differential diagnosis patterns and the well-correlation found with computer tomography scan findings. In the third section, we described the utility of LUS in the management of COVID-19 patients, allowing an early diagnosis and triage in the emergency department, as the monitoring of pneumonia course (pneumonia progression, alveolar recruitment, mechanical ventilation weaning) and detection of secondary complications (pneumothorax, superinfection). Moreover, we describe the usefulness of LUS as a marker of the prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia in the fourth section. Finally, the 5th part is focused on describing the interest of the LUS, as a non-ionized technique, in the management of pregnant COVID-19 women

Survival Benefit of Renin-Angiotensin System Blockers in Critically Ill Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study

Increasing evidence argues for the promotion of tumorigenesis through activation of the renin-angiotensin system pathway. Accordingly, a benefit of renin-angiotensin system blockers (RABs) treatments has been suggested in patients with solid cancers in terms of survival. We aimed to evaluate in-ICU survival and one-year survival in cancer patients admitted to the ICU with respect to the use of RABs. We conducted a retrospective observational single-center study in a 24-bed medical ICU. We included all solid cancer patients (age ≥ 18 years) requiring unplanned ICU admission. From 2007 to 2020, 1845 patients with solid malignancies were admitted (median age 67 years (59–75), males 61.7%). The most frequent primary tumor sites were the gastrointestinal tract (26.8%), the lung (24.7%), the urological tract (20.1%), and gynecologic and breast cancers (13.9%). RABs were used in 414 patients, distributed into 220 (53.1%) with angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and 194 (46.9%) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis). After multivariate adjustment, ARBs use (OR = 0.62, 95%CI (0.40–0.92), p = 0.03) and ACEis use (OR = 0.52, 95%CI (0.32–0.82), p = 0.006) were both associated with improved in-ICU survival. Treatment with ARBs was independently associated with decreased one-year mortality (OR = 0.6, 95%CI (0.4–0.9), p = 0.02), whereas treatment with ACEis was not. In conclusion, this study argues for a beneficial impact of RABs use on the prognosis of critically ill cancer patients

Safety and benefit of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in out of hospital cardiac arrest patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention

International audienceBackground: Out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at higher risk of both stent thrombosis and bleeding. The use of aggressive antiplatelet therapy could lead to a higher risk of bleeding in these patients. Indeed, data on glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPi) use in this specific indication is scarce.Aim: We sought to evaluate the benefit and safety of GPi use in OHCA patients requiring PCI.Methods and results: Between January 2007 and December 2017, we retrospectively included all consecutive patients treated with PCI for an OHCA from cardiac cause. Clinical, procedural data and in-hospital outcomes were collected. Three hundred and eighty-five patients were included. GPi were administrated in 41.3% of cases (159 patients). Patients who received GPi were younger, had less prior PCI, more often a TIMI 0 or 1 flow before PCI and thromboaspiration use. There were no differences regarding in-hospital definite stent thrombosis among the two groups (11.9% in the GPi group vs 7.1% in the non-GPi group, p = 0.10) or in-hospital mortality (48.6% vs 49.3%, p = 0.68). The incidence of any bleeding (33.3% vs. 19.6%; p = 0.002), and major bleeding (BARC 3-5) (21.9% vs. 16.8%; p = 0.007) was significantly higher in patients receiving GPi. Indeed, using multivariate analysis, GPi use was predictor of major bleeding (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.06-3.08; p = 0.03).Conclusions: In patients treated with PCI for OHCA from cardiac cause, GPi use was associated with an increased risk of major bleeding events, without difference on in-hospital stent thrombosis or death

The balance of thrombosis and hemorrhage in STEMI patients with or without associated cardiac arrest: An observational study

International audienceBackground: Data is scarce on hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).Methods: This is a monocentric, retrospective study conducted from January 2012 to December 2017 in a tertiary university hospital, which serves as a cardiac arrest center for a large urban area. Over the study period, all consecutive patients who were treated with stent implantation for STEMI with or without OHCA were included. Baseline characteristics, treatments, hemorrhagic and thrombotic events were compared between STEMI patients with and without OHCA. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed in order to identify predictors of 30-day mortality, occurrence of major bleeding (MB), and early stent thrombosis (ST).Results: A total of 549 patients treated for STEMI without OHCA and 146 patients for STEMI with OHCA were included. The incidence of definite ST and MB after coronary angioplasty was significantly higher in patients with OHCA (2.6% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.004 and 3.3% vs. 19.2%, p < 0.001, respectively). Independent predictors of MB in OHCA patients were anticoagulation therapy (HR = 3.11, 95%CI [1.22-7.98], p = 0.02) and the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (HR = 4.16, 95%CI [1.61-10.79], p = 0.003). Independent predictors of mortality in OHCA patients were age (HR = 1.05, 95%CI [1.02-1.09], p = 0.004) and ST (HR = 5.62, 95%CI [1.61-19.65], p = 0.007, with a protective effect of new anti-P2Y12 treatments (HR = 0.20, 95%CI [0.08-0.46], p < 0.001).Conclusion: Patients treated for STEMI associated with OHCA are at higher-risk of ST and MB than those who did not experience cardiac arrest. In this subset of patients, prospective studies are needed to better evaluate the balance of thrombosis and hemorrhage