Publications by authors named "Laurent Bitker"

Purpose: The optimal ventilation strategy in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) remains unknown. We aimed to compare the effects of two ultra-protective ventilatory strategies applied to patients with ARDS and VV-ECMO.

Methods: Our study was an observational, retrospective, single-center study with a before-and-after design.

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Purpose: Although most patients recover well from Covid-19 infection, this may not be the case of those who experienced severe dysfunction after being admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). This study aimed to assess the recovery of patients who experienced severe multiple dysfunctions after being admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for Covid-19 infection.

Methods: Forty-seven patients hospitalized and mechanically ventilated in ICU for SARS-CoV-2 infection underwent evaluations at 4-8 weeks (T1) and 6 months (T2) post ICU discharge.

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Background: The recruitment-to-inflation (R/I) ratio is a new bedside tool with potential to evaluate lung recruitability by positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) but was only validated using pressure-volume curves and the optimal threshold separating low and high recruiters by PEEP is not precisely known. The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the R/I ratio using computed tomography (CT) as a gold standard in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: This study is a single-center prospective observational study performed on adults ARDS patients under invasive mechanical ventilation.

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Introduction: Dialysate-to-patient chloride mass transfer may occur during continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) with regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA). However, additional RCA-related ultrafiltration (UF) and plasma chloride shifts to the intracellular compartment may impact mass transfer evaluation to an unknown extent.

Methods: In an ancillary prospective, single-center study, we evaluated chloride mass transfer J of adult patients treated with CVVHD-RCA.

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Background: Patients with ARDS have heterogeneous lungs which exposes them to the risk of lung injury exacerbation by mechanical ventilation. Functional lung CT imaging gives a comprehensive description of regional lung mechanical behaviour. Here, we investigated whether CT registration-based regional lung function parameters are associated with survival in patients with COVID-ARDS.

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Background: Emergency coronary angiogram after a cardiac arrest without ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still a matter of debate. To better select patients who may benefit from this procedure, we tested a visual coronary artery calcification (VCAC) score available in chest CT to predict significant coronary artery stenosis and/or culprit lesion or ad hoc or delayed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Results: A total of 113 patients with cardiac arrest and without STEMI who had a coronary angiogram and chest CT (January 2013 to March 2023, Croix-Rousse Hospital, Lyon, France) were retrospectively included.

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Purpose: Net ultrafiltration (UF) during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) can control fluid balance (FB), but is usually 0 ml·h in patients with vasopressors due to the risk of hemodynamic instability associated with CRRT (HIRRT). We evaluated a UF strategy adjusted by functional hemodynamics to control the FB of patients with vasopressors, compared to the standard of care.

Methods: In this randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter, proof-of-concept trial, adults receiving vasopressors, CRRT since ≤ 24 h and cardiac output monitoring were randomized (ratio 1:1) to receive during 72 h a UF ≥ 100 ml·h, adjusted using a functional hemodynamic protocol (intervention), or a UF ≤ 25 ml·h (control).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated chloride mass transfer (JS,Cl) during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in ICU patients, examining differences between two techniques: continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) and continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD).
  • Results showed that plasma chloride levels were significantly higher and JS,Cl lower in CVVHD compared to CVVH, while factors like net ultrafiltration and plasma chloride concentration were found to influence chloride mass transfer.
  • The study concluded that CVVHD with regional citrate anticoagulation leads to greater chloride mass transfer towards the patient compared to CVVH, highlighting the importance of CRRT technique on electrolyte management.
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Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of non-calibrated multi-beat analysis continuous cardiac output (CCO), against calibrated pulse-contour analysis continuous cardiac output (CCO) during a passive leg raise (PLR) and/or a fluid challenge (FC).

Design: Observational, single-centre, prospective study.

Setting: Tertiary academic medical intensive care unit, Lyon, France.

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  • About 30% of COVID-19 patients need hospitalization, with 20% requiring ICU care, and many experience ongoing fatigue even weeks after recovery, highlighting the need to understand its causes.
  • The study involved 59 patients who had been in the ICU, where assessments included questionnaires, blood tests, and exercise testing to evaluate fatigue and lung function post-discharge.
  • Results showed 56% of patients reported fatigue, linked to poorer lung function and lower maximal voluntary activation; this suggests that respiratory health and muscle function are crucial for recovery and emphasizes the importance of rehabilitation.
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Background: The aim of this study is to assess whether a strategy combining spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) with both pressure support (PS) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and extended use of post-extubation non-invasive ventilation (NIV) (extensively-assisted weaning) would shorten the time until successful extubation as compared with SBT with T-piece (TP) and post-extubation NIV performed in selected patients as advocated by guidelines (standard weaning), in difficult-to-wean patients from mechanical ventilation.

Methods: The study is a single-center prospective open label, randomized controlled superiority trial with two parallel groups and balanced randomization with a 1:1 ratio. Eligible patients were intubated patients mechanically ventilated for more than 24 h who failed their first SBT using TP.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the effects of ultra-protective ventilation (UPV) versus protective ventilation (PV) on lung inflammation in a pig model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), using veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO).
  • - It was found that UPV (using lower tidal volumes) reduced lung inflammation and other damaging factors compared to PV, even though both groups had similar levels of oxygenation after ARDS induction.
  • - The research involved detailed imaging and modeling techniques to assess differences in lung conditions between the two ventilation strategies, highlighting the potential benefits of UPV in minimizing lung injury.
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Introduction: Low cardiac output and hypovolemia are candidate macrocirculatory mechanisms explanatory of de novo anuria in intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We aimed to determine the hemodynamic parameters and CRRT settings associated with the longitudinal course of UO during CRRT.

Methods: This is an ancillary analysis of the PRELOAD CRRT observational, single-center study (NCT03139123).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Out of 105 patients monitored, 30% developed AKI within 12 hours, and those without AKI had significantly higher uACE2 activity compared to those with AKI.
  • * The findings suggest that increased uACE2 activity may help identify patients at lower risk for AKI, supporting further research into the non-classical renin-angiotensin system's role in kidney health.
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  • This study investigates the effects of administering room temperature versus body temperature 20% albumin fluid bolus therapy (FBT) on temperature and blood flow in ventilated post-cardiac surgery patients in an Australian ICU.
  • It involved 60 patients and tracked changes in cardiac index (CI) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) over 30 minutes after FBT.
  • Results showed that body temperature albumin prevents a drop in blood temperature and leads to a higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), but both fluid temperatures produced similar effects on CI and MAP, indicating fluid temperature has limited overall haemodynamic impact.
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Pregnancy is a risk factor for acute respiratory failure (ARF) following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We hypothesised that SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the respiratory tract might be higher in pregnant intensive care unit (ICU) patients with ARF than in non-pregnant ICU patients with ARF as a consequence of immunological adaptation during pregnancy. Single-centre, retrospective observational case-control study.

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Background: Inter-facility transport of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the prone position (PP) is a high-risk situation, compared to other strategies. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of complications during transport in PP, compared to transports with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) or in the supine position (SP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single center cohort study in Lyon university hospital, France.

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  • The study investigates fluid intake in ICU patients at risk of negative outcomes due to excessive fluid balance, highlighting the need for fluid optimization beyond traditional resuscitation.
  • Conducted across multiple ICUs in France and Spain, it recorded the types and volumes of fluids administered to patients needing vasopressors or invasive ventilation over a 24-hour period.
  • Results indicate that only 36% of the total fluid volume was essential for body fluid homeostasis, with significant variations in fluid administration based on the specific ICU, suggesting a strong center effect on fluid management practices.
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Background: COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with a high mortality rate and longer mechanical ventilation. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of ventilation with ultra-low tidal volume (ULTV) compared with low tidal volume (LTV) in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS.

Methods: This study was a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised trial conducted in ten intensive care units in France.

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  • Qualitative SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests are effective for mass COVID-19 diagnosis but are less sensitive than RT-PCR tests, while quantitative assays have the potential to enhance performance and examine various sample types.
  • A study tested 26 patients and found N-antigen present in respiratory, plasma, and urine samples, with RNA only detected in respiratory and some plasma samples.
  • The study concluded that urine N-antigen testing could aid in late-stage COVID-19 diagnosis and monitoring, due to its non-invasive nature and the prolonged presence of antigen in urine.
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Background: Assessing measurement error in alveolar recruitment on computed tomography (CT) is of paramount importance to select a reliable threshold identifying patients with high potential for alveolar recruitment and to rationalize positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) setting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of this study was to assess both intra- and inter-observer smallest real difference (SRD) exceeding measurement error of recruitment using both human and machine learning-made lung segmentation (i.e.

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Objectives: We aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety on antibiotic exposure of a strategy combining a respiratory multiplex PCR (mPCR) with enlarged panel and daily procalcitonin (PCT) measurements, as compared with a conventional strategy, in adult patients who were critically ill with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Methods: This multicentre, parallel-group, open-label, randomized controlled trial enrolled patients admitted to 13 intensive care units (ICUs) in France. Patients were assigned (1:1) to the control strategy, in which antibiotic streamlining remained at the discretion of the physicians, or interventional strategy, consisting of using mPCR and daily PCT measurements within the first 7 days of randomization to streamline initial antibiotic therapy, with antibiotic continuation encouraged when PCT was >1 ng/mL and discouraged if < 1 ng/mL or decreased by 80% from baseline.

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