Online Letters to the Editor Cochin University Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, AP-HP, Paris, France; Jean-Philippe Empana, MD, PhD, Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité—Medical School, Paris, France, and INSERM U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Paris, France; Alain Cariou, MD, Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité—Medical School, Paris, France, INSERM U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Paris, France, and Medical Intensive Care Unit, Cochin University Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, AP-HP, Paris, France

REFERENCES

1. Xue FS, Li RP, Cui XL: Short- and Long-Term Neurologic Outcome of Elderly Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Crit Care Med 2015; 43:e33–e34 2. Grimaldi D, Dumas F, Perier MC, et al: Short- and long-term outcome in elderly patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A cohort study. Crit Care Med 2014; 42:2350–2357 3. Jacobs I, Nadkarni V, Bahr J, et al; International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation; American Heart Association; European Resuscitation Council; Australian Resuscitation Council; New Zealand Resuscitation Council; Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada; InterAmerican Heart Foundation; Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa; ILCOR Task Force on Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Outcomes: Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome reports: Update and simplification of the Utstein templates for resuscitation registries: A statement for healthcare professionals from a task force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (American Heart Association, European Resuscitation Council, Australian Resuscitation Council, New Zealand Resuscitation Council, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa). Circulation 2004; 110:3385–3397 4. Chan PS, Nallamothu BK, Krumholz HM, et al; American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines–Resuscitation Investigators: Long-term outcomes in elderly survivors of in-hospital cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med 2013; 368:1019–1026 5. Nadkarni VM, Larkin GL, Peberdy MA, et al; National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Investigators: First documented rhythm and clinical outcome from in-hospital cardiac arrest among children and adults. JAMA 2006; 295:50–57 6. Bunch TJ, White RD, Khan AH, et al: Impact of age on long-term survival and quality of life following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Crit Care Med 2004; 32:963–967 DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000735

Inconsistent Reporting of Findings To the Editor:

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would like to draw the attention to questionable reporting of data which I came across during a recent literature search. In 2013, Bayer et al (1) reported a significantly higher prevalence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) associated with the administration of 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) compared with that of crystalloids (7.0% vs 4.8%, respectively; p < 0.004) in cardiac surgical patients. By contrast, in 2011, Bayer et al (2) had reported in abstract form that HES was not associated with a significantly higher prevalence of RRT (prevalence of RRT with HES and crystalloids 7.0% and 5.6%, respectively; p = 0.076). Importantly, according to both methods, the data were obtained from the identical patient population over an identical period of time. However, the number of patients in the crystalloid group differ between publications Critical Care Medicine

(n = 2,017 and n = 2,091 in [1] and [2], respectively), as does the number of patients requiring RRT (n = 97 and n = 117 in [1] and [2], respectively). These discrepancies in total number of patients and in the number of patients needing RRT despite identical patient populations require detailed explanation. It is noteworthy that contrary to common practice, in the full publication (1), there is no mentioning of the previously published abstract (2). Furthermore, one of the coauthors of the abstract (Badrelin) is no longer coauthor, and two additional authors have been added to the list of authors (2). Dr. Priebe served as a board member for Anesthesia & Analgesia. Hans-Joachim Priebe, MD, FRCA, FCAI, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

REFERENCES

1. Bayer O, Schwarzkopf D, Doenst T, et al: Perioperative Fluid Therapy With Tetrastarch and Gelatin in Cardiac Surgery—A Prospective Sequential Analysis. Crit Care Med 2013; 41:2532–2542 2. Bayer O, Kohl M, Kabisch B, et al: Effects of synthetic colloids on renal function in cardiac surgical patients. Intensive Care Med 2011; 37:S202 DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000668

Can Soluble CD73 Predict the Persistent Organ Failure in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis? To the Editor:

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n a recent issue of Critical Care Medicine, Maksimow et al (1) aimed to evaluate whether levels of soluble form of CD73 (sCD73) can predict the development of organ failure in acute pancreatitis (AP). They concluded that activity of sCD73 at admission to hospital could predict persistent organ failure in patients with AP. We thank Maksimow et al (1) for their comprehensive contribution. sCD73 exists in the plasma of normal individuals. Any inflammatory disease will result in an increase in sCD73 (2). It inhibits inflammation by inhibiting leukocyte extravasation, immune activation, vascular leakage, macrophages and neutrophils functions, endothelial cells activation, release of cytokines, and the adherent molecules expression (1, 3, 4). sCD73 has been shown to be associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases, such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, atherosclerosis, and cancer (2, 5). Thus, it would have been better if the authors had mentioned these sCD73 affecting factors (the difference of comorbidities between groups) in a detailed way. Furthermore, it would have been accurate if the authors defined the time elapsed between blood sampling and sCD73 measuring, because we do not know whether waiting period prior to analysis may affect sCD73 levels. www.ccmjournal.org

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