Philippe Corne

Severe Imported Falciparum Malaria: A Cohort Study in 400 Critically Ill Adults

Background Large studies on severe imported malaria in non-endemic industrialized countries are lacking. We sought to describe the clinical spectrum of severe imported malaria in French adults and to identify risk factors for mortality at admission to the intensive care unit. Methodology and Principal Findings Retrospective review of severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria episodes according to the 2000 World Health Organization definition and requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Data were collected from medical charts using standardised case-report forms, in 45 French intensive care units in 2000–2006. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Data from 400 adults admitted to the intensive care unit were analysed, representing the largest series of severe imported malaria to date. Median age was 45 years; 60% of patients were white, 96% acquired the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, and 65% had not taken antimalarial chemoprophylaxis. Curative quinine treatment was used in 97% of patients. Intensive care unit mortality was 10.5% (42 deaths). By multivariate analysis, three variables at intensive care unit admission were independently associated with hospital death: older age (per 10-year increment, odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.28–2.32; P = 0.0004), Glasgow Coma Scale score (per 1-point decrease, OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.20–1.45; P<0.0001), and higher parasitemia (per 5% increment, OR, 1.41; 95%CI, 1.22–1.62; P<0.0001). Conclusions and Significance In a large population of adults treated in a non-endemic industrialized country, severe malaria still carried a high mortality rate. Our data, including predictors of death, can probably be generalized to other non-endemic countries where high-quality healthcare is available.

Severe metabolic or mixed acidemia on intensive care unit admission: incidence, prognosis and administration of buffer therapy. A prospective, multiple-center study.

IntroductionIn this study, we sought describe the incidence and outcomes of severe metabolic or mixed acidemia in critically ill patients as well as the use of sodium bicarbonate therapy to treat these illnesses.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, observational, multiple-center study. Consecutive patients who presented with severe acidemia, defined herein as plasma pH below 7.20, were screened. The incidence, sodium bicarbonate prescription and outcomes of either metabolic or mixed severe acidemia were analyzed.ResultsAmong 2, 550 critically ill patients, 200 (8%) presented with severe acidemia, and 155 (6% of the total admissions) met the inclusion criteria. Almost all patients needed mechanical ventilation and vasopressors during their ICU stay, and 20% of them required renal replacement therapy within the first 24 hours of their ICU stay. Severe metabolic or mixed acidemia was associated with a mortality rate of 57% in the ICU. Delay of acidemia recovery as opposed to initial pH value was associated with increased mortality in the ICU. The type of acidemia did not influence the decision to administer sodium bicarbonate.ConclusionsThe incidence of severe metabolic or mixed acidemia in critically ill patients was 6% in the present study, and it was associated with a 57% mortality rate in the ICU. In contradistinction with the initial acid-base parameters, the rapidity of acidemia recovery was an independent risk factor for mortality. Sodium bicarbonate prescription was very heterogeneous between ICUs. Further studies assessing specific treatments may be of interest in this population.

Treatment failure of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis with linezolid

We report a case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis treated by vancomycin and cotrimoxazole switched to oral linezolid alone with a complete resolution of the vegetation. Two months after discontinuation of treatment, the patient presented a relapse confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis involving the same linezolid-susceptible strain and rapidly died.

Molecular Evidence that Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus Plays a Role in Respiratory Tract Infections of Critically Ill Patients

ABSTRACT The relationship between nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage and lower respiratory tract infections was studied in 16 critically ill patients. S. aureus strains from nasal and bronchial samples were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. In all but one case, nasal and bronchial strains were genetically identical in the same patients.

Short- and long-term outcomes of HIV-infected patients admitted to the intensive care unit: impact of antiretroviral therapy and immunovirological status

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the short- and long-term outcomes of HIV-infected patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) according to immunovirological status at admission and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use in ICU.MethodsRetrospective study of 98 HIV-infected patients hospitalized between 1997 and 2008 in two medical ICU in Montpellier, France. The primary outcome was mortality in ICU. The secondary end point was probability of survival in the year following ICU admission.ResultsEighty-two (83.6%) admissions in ICU were related to HIV infection and 45% of patients had received HAART before admission. Sixty-two patients (63.3%) were discharged from ICU, and 34 (34.7%) were alive at 1 year. Plasma HIV RNA viral load (VL) and CD4+ cell count separately were not associated with outcome. Independent predictors of ICU mortality were the use of vasopressive agents (odds ratio (OR), 3.779; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–12.861; p = 0.0334) and SAPS II score (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.003-1.077; p = 0.0319), whereas introducing or continuing HAART in ICU was protective (OR, 0.278; 95% CI, 0.082-0.939; p = 0.0393). Factors independently associated with 1-year mortality were immunovirological status with high VL (>3 log10/ml) and low CD4 (<200/mm3; hazard ratio (HR), 5.19; 95% CI, 1.328-20.279; p = 0.0179) or low VL (<3 log10/ml) and low CD4 (HR, 4.714; 95% CI, 1.178-18.867; p = 0.0284) vs. high CD4 and low VL, coinfection with C hepatitis virus (HR, 3.268; 95% CI, 1.29-8.278; p = 0.0125), the use of vasopressive agents (HR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.394-9.716; p = 0.0085), and SAPS II score (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.057-1.124; p <0.0001). Introducing HAART in a patient with no HAART at admission was associated with a better long-term outcome (HR, 0.166; 95% CI, 0.043-0.642; p = 0.0093).ConclusionsIn a population of HIV-infected patients admitted to ICU, short- and long-term outcomes are related to acute illness severity and immunovirological status at admission. Complementary studies are necessary to identify HIV-infected patients who benefit from HAART use in ICU according to immunovirological status and the reasons of ICU admission.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of soluble CD14 subtype (Presepsin) for sepsis and community-acquired pneumonia in ICU patients.

BackgroundThe soluble CD14 subtype, Presepsin, appears to be an accurate sepsis diagnostic marker, but data from intensive care units (ICUs) are scarce. This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of Presepsin in ICU patients with severe sepsis (SS), septic shock (SSh) and severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP).MethodsPresepsin and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were determined for patients at admission to ICU. Four groups have been differentiated: (1) absence or (2) presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, (3) SS or (4) SSh; and 2 groups, among the patients admitted for acute respiratory failure: absence or presence of sCAP. Biomarkers were tested for diagnosis of SS, SSh and sCAP and for prediction of ICU mortality.ResultsOne hundred and forty-four patients were included: 44 SS and 56 SSh. Plasma levels of Presepsin and PCT were significantly higher in septic than in non-septic patients and in SSh as compared to others. The sepsis diagnostic accuracy of Presepsin was not superior to that of PCT (AUC: 0.75 vs 0.80). In the 72/144 patients admitted for acute respiratory failure, the capability of Presepsin to diagnose sCAP was significantly better than PCT. Presepsin levels were also predictive of ICU mortality in sepsis and in sCAP patients.ConclusionPlasma levels of Presepsin were useful for the diagnosis of SS, SSh and sCAP and may predict ICU mortality in these patients.

Rhodococcus equi Brain Abscess in an Immunocompetent Patient

Rhodococcus equi brain abscesses usually occur in immunocompromised patients with prolonged and refractory pulmonary infections. Herein we report a case of R. equi brain abscess in a 67-y-old man without immunodepression. Our patient recovered after neurosurgical resection and prolonged antimicrobial therapy with vancomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Detection and enumeration of HIV-1-producing cells by ELISPOT (enzyme-linked immunospot) assay.

The enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay was adapted to detect and enumerate HIV-1-producing cells at the single cell level. With CEM cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) infected in vitro with HIV-1, the ELISPOT assay detected cells that produced HIV-1 antigens and showed that between 5.4% and 9.5% of the p24 antigen-positive CEM cells and 11.1% to 23.6% of the p24 antigen-positive PBMC were productively infected. In HIV-1-infected patients in early stage of the disease and without antiretroviral therapy, up to 4.54 HIV-1-producing cells per 10(6) CD4+ T lymphocytes were detected in peripheral blood and up to 277.75 HIV-1-producing cells per 10(6) CD4+ T lymphocytes were detected in splenic lymphoid tissue. Our results indicate that the ELISPOT assay could represent a new tool to study HIV-1 replication in vivo.

Prognosis and ICU outcome of systemic vasculitis

BackgroundSystemic vasculitis may cause life threatening complications requiring admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of systemic vasculitis patients admitted to the ICU and to identify prognosis factors.MethodsDuring a ten-year period, records of 31 adult patients with systemic vasculitis admitted to ICUs (median age: 63 y.o, sex ratio M/F: 21/10, SAPS II: 40) were reviewed including clinical and biological parameters, use of mechanical ventilation, catecholamine or/and dialysis support. Mortality was assessed and data were analyzed to identify predictive factors of outcome.ResultsCauses of ICU admissions were active manifestation of vasculitis (n = 19), septic shock (n = 8) and miscellaneous (n = 4). Sixteen patients (52%) died in ICU. By univariate analysis, mortality was associated with higher SOFA (p = 0.006) and SAPS II (p = 0.004) scores. The need for a catecholamine support or/and a renal replacement therapy, and the occurrence of an ARDS significantly worsen the prognosis. By multivariate analysis, only SAPS II (Odd ratio: 1.16, 95% CI [1.01; 1.33]) and BVAS scores (Odd ratio: 1.16, 95% CI = [1.01; 1.34]) were predictive of mortality.ConclusionThe mortality rate of severe vasculitis requiring an admission to ICU was high. High levels of SAPS II and BVAS scores at admission were predictive of mortality.

Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus CC398 in Intensive Care Unit, France

During testing for Staphylococcus aureus in an intensive care unit in France in 2011, we found that methicillin-sensitive S. aureus clonal complex 398 was the most frequent clone (29/125, 23.2%). It was isolated from patients (5/89, 5.6%), health care workers (2/63, 3.2%), and environmental sites (15/864,1.7%). Results indicate emergence of this clone in a hospital setting.