BackgroundFew data are available on the impact of levosimendan in refractory cardiogenic shock patients undergoing peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of levosimendan on VA-ECMO weaning in patients hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted in a French university hospital from 2010 to 2017. All patients hospitalized in ICU undergoing VA-ECMO were consecutively evaluated.ResultsA total of 150 patients undergoing VA-ECMO were eligible for the study. Thirty-eight propensity-matched patients were evaluated in the levosimendan group and 65 in the non-levosimendan group. In patients treated with levosimendan, left ventricular ejection fraction had increased from 21.5 ± 9.1% to 30.7 ± 13.5% (P < 0.0001) and aortic velocity–time integral from 8.9 ± 4 cm to 12.5 ± 3.8 cm (P = 0.002) 24 h after drug infusion. After propensity score matching, levosimendan was the only factor associated with a significant reduction in VA-ECMO weaning failure rates (hazard ratio = 0.16; 95% confidence interval 0.04–0.7; P = 0.01). Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that survival rates at 30 days were 78.4% for the levosimendan group and 49.5% for the non-levosimendan group (P = 0.02). After propensity score matching analysis, the difference in 30-day mortality between the two groups was not significant (hazard ratio = 0.55; 95% confidence interval 0.27–1.10; P = 0.09).ConclusionsOur results suggest that levosimendan was associated with a beneficial effect on VA-ECMO weaning in ICU patients.

Background The recommendations of learned societies mention risk factors for the presence of multidrug resistant bacteria in hospital-acquired infections, but they do not propose a scoring system to guide empiric antibiotic therapy. Our study was aimed at developing a simple score for predicting “the presence of bacteria requiring carbapenem treatment” in ICU-acquired bloodstream infection and pneumonia. Methods Between December 2011 and January 2015, we conducted a retrospective study using a prospectively collected French database of nosocomial infections in the polyvalent intensive care unit of a French university hospital. All patients with ICU-acquired bloodstream infection or pneumonia were included in the study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to develop the CarbaSCORE, and this score was internally validated. Results In total, 338 patients were analyzed, including 27 patients requiring carbapenem treatment. The CarbaSCORE was composed of four criteria: “presence of bloodstream infection” (as opposed to pneumonia) scored 2 points, “chronic hemodialysis” scored 4 points, “travel abroad in the last 6 months” scored 5 points, and “MDR-colonization or prior use of a β-lactam of class ≥ 3” scored 6 points. Internal validation by bootstrapping showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81 [0.73–0.89]. Sensitivity was 96% at the 6-point threshold and specificity was 91% at the 9-point threshold. Conclusions The CarbaSCORE is a simple and efficient score for predicting the presence of bacteria requiring carbapenem treatment. Further studies are needed to test this score before it can be used in practice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13756-019-0529-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is poorly described in the literature. However, it has been shown to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Probabilistic antibiotic therapy against S. maltophilia is often ineffective as this pathogen is resistant to many antibiotics. There is no consensus at present on the best therapeutic strategy to adopt (class of antibiotics, antibiotic combination, dosage, treatment duration). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of antibiotic therapy strategy on the prognosis of patients with VAP caused by S. maltophilia. Results This retrospective study evaluated all consecutive patients who developed VAP caused by S. maltophilia between 2010 and 2018 while hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a French university hospital in Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean region. A total of 130 patients with a median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II of 58 [43–73] had VAP caused by S. maltophilia after a median duration of mechanical ventilation of 12 [5–18] days. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was polymicrobial in 44.6% of cases, and ICU mortality was 50.0%. After multivariate Cox regression analysis, the factors associated with increased ICU mortality were older age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.04, p = 0.001) and high Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score on the day of VAP onset (HR: 1.08; 95% CI 1.03–1.14, p = 0.002). Appropriate antibiotic therapy, and in particular trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, was associated with decreased ICU mortality (HR: 0.42; 95% CI 0.24–0.74, p = 0.003) and decreased hospital mortality (HR: 0.47; 95% CI 0.28–0.79, p = 0.04). Time to start of appropriate antibiotic therapy, combination therapy, and duration of appropriate antibiotic therapy had no effect on ICU mortality (p > 0.5). Conclusion In our study, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and in particular trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, was associated with decreased ICU and hospital mortality in patients with VAP caused by S. maltophilia.

Background: The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM-VAP) is on the rise. This pathology is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU), notably due to intrinsic resistance and ineffective probabilistic antibiotic therapy. Our study aimed to determine the risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP in ICU.Methods: This single center retrospective study was conducted from 2010 to 2018 in the polyvalent ICU of Félix Guyon University Hospital in Reunion Island. All patients who developed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) during their ICU stay were consecutively evaluated. Patients with a first episode of SM-VAP were compared to those with a first episode of VAP caused by another microorganism. Results: A total of 89 patients developed a first episode of SM-VAP over the study period. In the group of patients with SM-VAP, infection was polymicrobial in 43.8% of cases and ICU mortality was 49.4%. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP were: chronic respiratory failure (Odds Ratio (OR): 4.212; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.776 – 9.989; p = 0.001), chronic renal failure (OR: 2.693; 95% CI: 1.356 – 5.352; p = 0.05), use of third-generation cephalosporins active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 2.862; 95% CI: 1.505 – 5.442; p = 0.001), and female sex (OR: 2.646; 95% CI: 1.458 – 4.808; p = 0.001). Conclusion: In our study, chronic respiratory failure, chronic renal failure, use of third-generation cephalosporins active against P. aeruginosa, and female sex were identified as risk factors for a first episode of SM-VAP.

Since 2018, a dengue epidemic has been ongoing in the French overseas department of Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, with more than 25,000 serologically confirmed cases. Currently, three dengue serotypes have been identified in Réunion Island (DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3) progressing in the form of epidemic outbreaks. This arbovirus is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and may be responsible for serious clinical forms. To date, very few cases of kidney transplant–related dengue virus infection have been described. Here we report the first case of severe dengue virus infection related to kidney transplantation from a patient previously infected with dengue. Testing for dengue fever with PCR search in donor’s urine may help complete the pretransplant assessment in areas where this disease occurs.