Impact of chest wall injuries after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in non-traumatic and successfully resuscitated cardiac arrest: insights from the DISCAR study.

Background: Chest wall injuries (CWI) including anterior flail segment, rib and sternal fractures are recognized complications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after unexpected cardiac arrest (UCA). Their impact remains poorly investigated.

Aim: To investigate the role of CWI on outcomes, 28-day-survival with ventilator-free-days, duration of hospitalization, and identify factors associated with CWI.

[Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension].

CHRONIC THROMBOEMBOLIC PULMONARY HYPERTENSION. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) typically develops after one or more acute pulmonary embolisms (PE). Screening with echocardiography and ventilation-perfusion lung scan is recommended in cases of persistent dyspnea following PE, especially if risk factors for CTEPH are present.

Initial therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and cardiovascular comorbidities.

Background: European guidelines recommend initial monotherapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with cardiovascular comorbidities based on the limited evidence for combination therapy in this growing population.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on incident pulmonary arterial hypertension patients enrolled in the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry between 2009 and 2020. Propensity score matching was used to investigate initial dual oral combination therapy oral monotherapy in patients with at least one cardiovascular comorbidity ( hypertension, obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease).

Pulmonary hypertension in patients carrying loss-of-function variants.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an unusual complication of X-linked disease caused by loss-of-function (LOF) variants in the filamin A () gene. Patients with LOF may also present dysmorphic facial features, aortic dilation, thrombocytopenia and periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH).

Methods: We reported the clinical, functional, haemodynamic and radiological characteristics of patients with LOF variants and PH from the French PH Network.

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

Early career members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the 2023 European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. The conference covered acute and chronic respiratory failure. Sessions of interest to our assembly members and to those interested in respiratory critical care are summarised in this article and include the latest updates in respiratory intensive care, in particular acute respiratory distress syndrome and mechanical ventilation.

Sarcoidosis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening complication of advanced sarcoidosis. Many mechanisms can cause an elevation of pulmonary pressure in sarcoidosis, leading to precapillary or postcapillary pulmonary hypertension. Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension contributes to severe exertional dyspnea, reduced exercise capacity, and notably compromised the survival.

A 24-Year-Old Woman With Cough, Arthralgia, and Skin Ulcerations.

A 24-year-old Senegalese woman without remarkable history except anemia and iron deficiency related to excessive menstrual bleeding and sickle cell trait was admitted to our internal medicine department with 4-month fever, weight loss (-13 kg), dyspnea for limited efforts, intermittent productive cough, and bilateral metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and interphalangeal arthralgia. She was born and lived in France. She traveled previously to Senegal in 2015.

Factors associated with prolonged intensive care stay among self-poisoned patients.

Context: Since recovery or death is generally observed within a few days after intensive care unit (ICU) admission of self-poisoned patients in the developed countries, reasons for the prolonged ICU stay are of interest as they have been poorly investigated. We aimed to identify the characteristics, risk factors, outcome, and predictors of death in self-poisoned patients requiring prolonged ICU management.

Methods: We conducted an eight-year single-center cohort study including all self-poisoned patients who stayed at least seven days in the ICU.

Outcome of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients According to the Setting of Corticosteroid Initiation-A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Corticosteroids lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, the outcome of COVID-19 patients referred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory deterioration despite corticosteroids initiated during hospitalization before ICU admission has been poorly investigated. Our objective was to determine survival according to corticosteroid initiation setting.

Dismal Survival in COVID-19 Patients Requiring ECMO as Rescue Therapy after Corticosteroid Failure.

Background: COVID-19 may lead to refractory hypoxemia requiring venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Survival rate if ECMO is implemented as rescue therapy after corticosteroid failure is unknown. We aimed to investigate if ECMO implemented after failure of the full-recommended 10-day corticosteroid course can improve outcome.

Association between Leflunomide and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been described in patients treated with leflunomide. To assess the association between leflunomide and PH. We identified incident cases of PH in patients treated with leflunomide from the French PH Registry and through the pharmacoVIGIlAnce in Pulmonary ArTerial Hypertension (VIGIAPATH) program between September 1999 to December 2019.