ETI in ICU patients is associated with a high rate of immediate and severe life-threatening complications. Independent risk factors of complication occurrence were presence of acute respiratory failure and presence of shock as an indication for ETI. Further studies should aim to better define protocols for intubation in critically ill patients to make this procedure safer.

Epidemiology and prognosis of complications related to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients requiring admission to intensive care unit (ICU) have not been reassessed precisely in the past few years. We performed a retrospective single-center study on 318 consecutive HSCT patients (2009HSCT patients ( -2013, analyzing outcome and factors prognostic of ICU admission. Among these patients, 73 were admitted to the ICU. In all, 32 patients (40.3%) died in ICU, 46 at hospital discharge (63%) and 61 (83.6%) 1 year later. Survivors had a significantly lower sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, serum lactate and bilirubin upon ICU admission. Catecholamine support, mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or renal replacement therapy during ICU stay, a delayed organ support and an active graft versus host disease (GvHD) significantly worsen the outcome. By multivariate analysis, the worsening of SOFA score from days 1 to 3, the need for MV and the occurrence of an active GvHD were predictive of mortality. In conclusion, the incidence of HSCT-related complications requiring an admission to an ICU was at 22%, with an ICU mortality rate of 44%, and 84% 1 year later. A degradation of SOFA score at day 3 of ICU, need of MV and occurrence of an active GvHD are main predictive factors of mortality.

BackgroundThe association between mortality and time of admission to ICU has been extensively studied but remains controversial. We revaluate the impact of time of admission on ICU mortality by retrospectively investigating a recent (2006–2014) and large ICU cohort with on-site intensivist coverage.Patients and MethodsAll adults (≥ 18 years) admitted to a tertiary care medical ICU were included in the study. Patients' characteristics, medical management, and mortality were prospectively collected. Patients were classified according to their admission time: week working days on- and off-hours, and weekends. ICU mortality was the primary outcome and adjusted Hazard-ratios (HR) of death were analysed by multivariate Cox model.Results2,428 patients were included: age 62±18 years; male: 1,515 (62%); and median SAPSII score: 38 (27–52). Overall ICU mortality rate was 13.7%. Admissions to ICU occurred during open-hours in 680 cases (28%), during night-time working days in 1,099 cases (45%) and during weekends in 649 cases (27%). Baseline characteristics of patients were similar between groups except that patients admitted during the second part of night (00:00 to 07:59) have a significantly higher SAPS II score than others. ICU mortality was comparable between patients admitted during different time periods but was significantly higher for those admitted during the second part of the night. Multivariate analysis showed however that admission during weeknights and weekends was not associated with an increased ICU mortality as compared with open-hours admissions.ConclusionTime of admission, especially weeknight and weekend (off-hour admissions), did not influence the prognosis of ICU patients. The higher illness severity of patients admitted during the second part of the night (00:00–07:59) may explain the observed increased mortality.

Aims: High cut-off (HCO) continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) was compared to high-flux membrane (HFM) continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) in intensive care unit (ICU) acute kidney injury (AKI) in terms of efficiency, hemodynamic tolerance, medium-sized molecules removal, albumin loss, and inflammatory system activation. Methods: In a prospective cross-over randomized study, 10 AKI patients underwent successively HCO (Ultraflux EmiC₂: β₂-microglobulin [β₂M] sieving coefficient [SC]: 0.9) CVVHD and HFM (Ultraflux AV1000S: β₂M SC: 0.65) ­CVVHDF. Results: Over the 20 sessions, hypotensive and febrile episodes, reduction rates of urea, creatinine, and β₂M were similar in both modalities. Though dialysis dose was higher with CVVHDF (36 ± 4 vs. 21 ± 6 mL/Kg/h), urea, creatinine, and β₂M instantaneous and plasmatic clearances did not differ except for urea at 12 h. Protein loss, superoxide anion production, cytokines, and growth factors variations were also comparable. Conclusion: HCO CVVHD is well tolerated and is as effective as HFM CVVHDF in clearance of solutes and removal of β₂M. It induces neither protein loss nor overproduction of superoxide anion. Video Journal Club “Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco” at http://www.karger.com/?doi=489082.

Aims: To evaluate the capability of an electrolytes-enriched solution to prevent metabolic disorders during continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). Methods: Serum biochemistry and clinical tolerance were compared during CVVHDF treatments with an electrolyte-enriched (Phoxilium) or standard solutions in 10 acute renal failure patients. Results: As compared to standard fluids, serum potassium and phosphate levels were maintained in the normal range with Phoxilium without any supplementation but total serum calcium levels were significantly lower. Bicarbonatemia was slightly higher (24-26 vs. 21.5-24.5 mmol/l, p < 0.05) with conventional solutions and was associated with a significant increased level of pH (>7.44). Despite the absence of glucose in the Phoxilium solution, blood glucose levels and glucose supplementation were similar between treatments. Clinical tolerance and efficiency of CVVHDF sessions were comparable. Conclusion: Phoxilium effectively prevented hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia during CVVHDF. It was, however, associated with a slight metabolic acidosis and hypocalcemia compared with conventional solutions.