Intensive care unit;critical care

PURPOSE: Furosemide is commonly prescribed in acute kidney injury (AKI). Prior studies have found conflicting findings on whether furosemide modifies the course and outcome of AKI. METHODS: Pilot multi-center randomized blinded placebo-controlled trial in adult patients with AKI admitted to three intensive care units. Participants were randomly allocated to furosemide bolus and infusion or 0.9% saline placebo. Primary endpoint was worsening AKI, defined by the RIFLE criteria...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether discontinuation of chronic antidepressant therapy is associated with a higher risk of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) symptoms in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) when compared with those who were continued on therapy and to identify factors associated with increased risk of ADS in this population. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING: ICUs in a tertiary care hospital...

Objectives Each year in the U.S., approximately 7200 infants are born with a critical congenital heart defect (CCHD). The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) mandated routine screening for CCHD starting January 2015. The current study evaluated hospital performance of the mandated CCHD screenings in Georgia. Methods Utilizing the DPH newborn screening surveillance system, data from 6 months before and after the mandate were analyzed for reports submitted and positive CCHD screening results. Chi square tests of independence were performed to examine the association between reporting of results for CCHD screening after the mandate and hospital nursery level [level I (well-baby/newborn); level II (special care); level III (neonatal intensive care unit-NICU)] and NICU submissions...

INTRODUCTION: Observational evidence suggests physiological benefits and lower mortality with lower chloride solutions; however, 0.9% saline remains the most widely used fluid worldwide. Given uncertainty regarding the association of lower chloride on mortality, it is unlikely that practice will change without direct randomised clinical trial (RCT) evidence. This pilot RCT will investigate the feasibility of a large-scale trial directly comparing low chloride with high chloride fluids in patients with septic shock...

BACKGROUND: Liberal late fluid management (LFM) is associated with higher morbi-mortality in critically ill populations. The aim of the study was to assess the association between LFM and duration of mechanical ventilation in a severe trauma population. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with an ISS≥16 and a length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU)≥7 days was performed. The conservative LFM group included patients with at least 2 consecutive days with a negative fluid balance between day 3 and day 7; other patients were allocated to the liberal LFM group...

The aim of this study was to investigate hyperglycemia as a predictor for mortality and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in groups of patients with and without known diabetes. The present study examines data from 200 859 patients included in eICU Collaborative Research Database, a large multicenter critical care database. The results show that hyperglycemia among ICU patients without diabetes is strongly associated with adverse event. In comparison, hyperglycemia is not as strong among patients with diabetes...

BACKGROUND: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is commonly used to provide renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit. Limited published data suggest that CRRT may lead to depletion of water-soluble vitamins and trace elements. The goal of this study was to identify the incidence of trace element and vitamin deficiencies in critically ill patients during CRRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is based on a retrospective chart review of patients who were referred to Emory University Hospital's nutrition support services and had at least 1 serum micronutrient level measured during CRRT (thiamin, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, folate, zinc, and copper) between April 1, 2009, and June 1, 2012...

BACKGROUND: Ulna length (UL) has been used in mathematical formulas to predict the body height of healthy and sick individuals. However, the evaluation of its use with patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) is scarce. The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical equation to estimate critically ill patients' height using the UL measure and to evaluate its agreement with measured standing height. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed at the ICU of a tertiary hospital in Brazil...

OBJECTIVE: We previously demonstrated the benefit of direct, daily collaboration between infectious disease (ID) and critical care practitioners (CCP) on guideline adherence and antibiotic use in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). In this post-intervention review, we sought to establish whether the effect on antibiotic use and guideline adherence was sustainable. DESIGN: A retrospective review of 87 patients, admitted to the 24-bed MICU, was done 3 (n = 45) and 6 months (n = 42) after the intervention...

The objective is to develop a model based on risk stratification to predict delirium among adult critically ill patients and whether early intervention could be provided for high-risk patients, which could reduce the incidence of delirium.We designed a prospective, observational, single-center study. We examined 11 factors, including age, APACHE-II score, coma, emergency operation, mechanical ventilation (MV), multiple trauma, metabolic acidosis, history of hypertension, delirium and dementia, and application of Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride...

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a system of expedited review of critically ill patients in the Emergency Department (ED) on ED length of stay (LOS) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study at a tertiary hospital comparing two 12-month periods before and after implementation of a 'Code ICU' system of expedited review of critically ill patients in the ED. All adult ED to ICU admissions were included. Separate analyses were performed for patients intubated prior to ICU admission...

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify and describe the outcomes of a nurse-led intervention, "Health-promoting conversations with families," regarding family functioning and well-being in families with a member who was critically ill. BACKGROUND: Families who have a critically ill family member in an intensive care unit face a demanding situation, threatening the normal functioning of the family. Yet, there is a knowledge gap regarding family members' well-being during and after critical illness...

Survival of critically unwell patients has improved in the last decade due to advances in critical care medicine. Some of these survivors develop cognitive, psychiatric and /or physical disability after treatment in intensive care unit (ICU), which is now recognized as post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Given the limited awareness about PICS in the medical faculty this aspect is often overlooked which may lead to reduced quality of life and cause a lot of suffering of these patients and their families. Efforts should be directed towards preventing PICS by minimizing sedation and early mobilization during ICU...

INTRODUCTION: Among survivors of intensive care, many remain dependent on mechanical ventilation and are discharged to long-term chronic ventilator units or to skilled nursing facilities. Few long-term outcome data are available on patients transferred from long-term chronic ventilator units. METHODS: We retrospectively followed subjects discharged from a long-term chronic ventilator unit from 2010-2012. We determined where these subjects went, evaluating whether location of discharge had an effect on mortality...

The diagnostic power of procalcitonin (PCT) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is uncertain. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic ability of PCT to detect serious bacterial infections (SBI) in a heterogeneous PICU population. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients on whom a PCT level was obtained within 48 hours of admission to a PICU from 2013 to 2015. Discriminatory ability of PCT to predict SBI was examined by test and receiver operating characteristics (AUC [area under the curve]-ROC)...

INTRODUCTION: Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiac condition that is often triggered by critical illness but that has rarely been studied in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The aim of this study was to (i) estimate the incidence of TS in a hemodynamically unstable ICU-population; (ii) identify predictors of TS in this population; (iii) study the impact of TS on prognosis and course of hospitalization. METHODS: Medical records from all patients admitted to our general ICU from 2012 to 2015 were analyzed...

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography of the head (HCT) is a widely used diagnostic tool, especially for emergency and trauma patients. However, the diagnostic yield and outcomes of HCT for patients on medical intensive care units (MICUs) are largely unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated all head CTs from patients admitted to a single-center MICU during a 5-year period for CT indications, diagnostic yield, and therapeutic consequences. Uni- and multivariate analyses for the evaluation of risk factors for positive head CT were conducted...

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of AKI development on mortality with four different classification systems (RIFLE, AKIN, CK, KDIGO) in critically ill trauma patients followed in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A retrospective review of 2034 patients in our intensive care unit was conducted between July 2010 and August 2013. A total of 198 patients with primary trauma were included in the study to evaluate the development of AKI. RESULTS: When the presence of AKI was investigated according to the four criteria (RIFLE, AKIN, CK, and KDIGO), the highest incidence of AKI was found according to the KDIGO classification (74...

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. It is often silent and may be complicated by pulmonary embolism and death. Thromboprophylaxis with heparin does not always prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE). Aspirin (ASA) reduces the risk of VTE in surgical and high-risk medical patients but it is unknown if ASA may prevent DVT in mechanically ventilated ICU patients. We performed a retrospective chart review of critically ill patients who received mechanical ventilation for >72 h and underwent venous ultrasonography for suspected DVT between Jan 2012 and Dec 2013...

An 89-year-old man attempted suicide by ingesting a pesticide (trichlorfon). After surviving the initial critical period in the intensive care unit, he developed rapidly progressive distal weakness and sensory disturbance. Electrophysiological examinations revealed sensory motor axonal polyneuropathy. Delayed polyneuropathy is a rare manifestation of organophosphate poisoning. Nerve conduction studies play an important role in the diagnosis of this rare clinical condition.