Limitation of life-sustaining therapies in critically ill patients with COVID-19: a descriptive epidemiological investigation from the COVID-ICU study
Mikhaël Giabicani, Christophe Le Terrier, Antoine Poncet, Bertrand Guidet, Jean‐Philippe Rigaud, Jean‐Pierre Quenot, Marie‐France Mamzer, Jérôme Pugin, Emmanuel Weiss, Simon Bourcier, COVID-ICU study investigators, Alain Mercat, Pierre Asfar, François Beloncle, Julien Demiselle, Tài Pham, Arthur Pavot, Xavier Monnet, Christian Richard, Alexandre Demoule, Martin Dres, Julien Mayaux, Alexandra Beurton, Cédric Daubin, Richard Descamps, Aurélie Joret, Damien du Cheyron, Frédéric Pène, Jean‐Daniel Chiche, Mathieu Jozwiak, Paul Jaubert, Guillaume Voiriot, Muriel Fartoukh, Marion Teulier, Clarisse Blayau, Erwen L’Her, Cécile Aubron, Laetitia Bodénes, Nicolas Ferrière, Johann Auchabie, Anthony Le Meur, Sylvain Pignal, Thierry Mazzoni, Jean‐Pierre Quenot, Pascal Andreu, Jean-Baptiste Roudau, Marie Labruyère, Saad Nseir, Sébastien Préau, Julien Poissy, Daniel Mathieu, Sarah Benhamida, Rémi Paulet, Nicolas Roucaud, Martial Thyrault, Florence Daviet, Sami Hraiech, Gabriel Parzy, Aude Sylvestre, Sébastien Jochmans, Anne-Laure Bouilland, Mehran Monchi, Marc Danguy des Déserts, Quentin Mathais, Gwendoline Rager, Pierre Pasquier, Jean Reignier, Amélie Seguin, Charlotte Garret, Emmanuel Canet, Jean Dellamonica, Clément Saccheri, Romain Lombardi, Yanis Kouchit, Sophie Jacquier, Armelle Mathonnet, Mai-Ahn Nay, Isabelle Runge, Frédéric Martino, Laure Flurin, Amélie Rollé, Michel Carles, Rémi Coudroy, Arnaud W. Thille, Jean-Pierre Frat, Maeva Rodriguez, Pascal Beuret, Audrey Tientcheu, Arthur Vincent, Florian Michelin, Fabienne Tamion, Dorothée Carpentier, Déborah Boyer, G. Béduneau, Valérie Gissot, Stéphan Ehrmann, Charlotte Salmon Gandonnière, Djlali Elaroussi, Agathe Delbove, Yannick Fédun
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limitations of life-sustaining therapies (LST) practices are frequent and vary among intensive care units (ICUs). However, scarce data were available during the COVID-19 pandemic when ICUs were under intense pressure. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, cumulative incidence, timing, modalities, and factors associated with LST decisions in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We did an ancillary analysis of the European multicentre COVID-ICU study, which collected data from 163 ICUs in France, Belgium and Switzerland. ICU load, a parameter reflecting stress on ICU capacities, was calculated at the patient level using daily ICU bed occupancy data from official country epidemiological reports. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess the association of variables with LST limitation decisions. RESULTS: Among 4671 severe COVID-19 patients admitted from February 25 to May 4, 2020, the prevalence of in-ICU LST limitations was 14.5%, with a nearly six-fold variability between centres. Overall 28-day cumulative incidence of LST limitations was 12.4%, which occurred at a median of 8 days (3-21). Median ICU load at the patient level was 126%. Age, clinical frailty scale score, and respiratory severity were associated with LST limitations, while ICU load was not. In-ICU death occurred in 74% and 95% of patients, respectively, after LST withholding and withdrawal, while median survival time was 3 days (1-11) after LST limitations. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, LST limitations frequently preceded death, with a major impact on time of death. In contrast to ICU load, older age, frailty, and the severity of respiratory failure during the first 24 h were the main factors associated with decisions of LST limitations.