Intensive care unit;critical care

PURPOSE: Cellular immune dysfunctions, which are common in intensive care patients, predict a number of significant complications. In order to effectively target treatments, clinically applicable measures need to be developed to detect dysfunction. The objective was to confirm the ability of cellular markers associated with immune dysfunction to stratify risk of secondary infection in critically ill patients. METHODS: Multi-centre, prospective observational cohort study of critically ill patients in four UK intensive care units...

Secondary peritonitis accounts for 1% of urgent or emergent hospital admissions and is the second leading cause of sepsis in patients in intensive care units globally. Overall mortality is 6%, but mortality rises to 35% in patients who develop severe sepsis. Despite the dramatic growth in the availability and use of imaging and laboratory tests, the rapid diagnosis and early management of peritonitis remains a challenge for physicians in emergency medicine, surgery, and critical care. In this article, we review the pathophysiology of peritonitis and its potential progression to sepsis, discuss the utility and limitations of the physical examination and laboratory and radiographic tests, and present a paradigm for the management of secondary peritonitis...

PURPOSE: Measuring gastric residual volumes (GRV) is common in intensive care units (ICU) in patients receiving enteral nutrition (EN) and are a common source of feeding interruptions. Interruptions in EN yield adverse outcomes and are an area of improvement in burn care. The objectives of this study are to summarize the literature's ICU GRV practices and offer practical suggestions to GRV management in the burn patient. METHODS: PubMed, SCOPUS, and OvidSP Medline were systematically reviewed using the keywords: burns; thermal injury; gastric residual volume; enteral feeding; tube feeding; enteral nutrition; gastric intolerance; ICU; critical illness...

Intravenous lipid emulsions (ILEs) have been an integral component of parenteral nutrition for more than 50 years. Numerous formulations are available and are based on vegetable (soybean, olive, coconut) and animal (fish) oils. Therefore, each of these formulations has a unique fatty acid composition that offers both benefits and limitations. As clinical experience and our understanding of the effects of fatty acids on various physiological processes has grown, there is evidence to suggest that some ILEs may have benefits compared with others...

Background and aims As far as we know, the range of issues particular to social work, when working with clients at a pain clinic has not been previously researched. Methods A retrospective study of referrals at the multidisciplinary Pain Clinic of Helsinki University Central Hospital was conducted based on medical records, focusing on pain conditions, treatments and patient flow. Variables used were age, gender, pain conditions, treatment interventions, pain duration and intensity, disruption in everyday life due to pain, psychiatric co-morbidities, referrals, outside care providers, post-treatment care and health habits...

BACKGROUND: Severe viral pneumonia is associated with a high mortality rate. However, due to the vulnerability of critically ill patients, invasive diagnostic methods should be performed with caution in the intensive care unit (ICU). It would be helpful if the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact of virus detection are elucidated. METHODS: We evaluated patients with severe pneumonia between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2015. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed for 8 respiratory viruses when viral pathogen could not be excluded as the origin of severe pneumonia...

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy and concordance between physicians (MDs) and family surrogate decision makers (FSDMs) in predicting 3 month post-hospital patient mortality and concordance in identifying patient goals of care. A prospective cohort study was conducted in 3 intensive care units (ICUs). Two-hundred and sixty-four FSDMs and 54 attending MDs of patients who had resided in the ICU for >3 days were enrolled in the study. Expectation for mortality was measured dichotomously and goals of care were measured using a continuous visual analog scale...

Objectives: Glycemic excursions are commonly seen in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and are related to adverse outcomes. Glycemic gap is a marker of this excursion in patients with diabetes. It can be used to predict adverse outcomes in patients with diabetes admitted to the ICU. It is calculated by subtracting A1C-derived average glucose (ADAG) = ([28.7 × HbA1c]-46.7) from plasma glucose at admission. Objective of this study was to correlate glycemic gap and adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) admitted to the ICU...

Objectives: Focused transthoracic echocardiography (fTTE) in critical care can be used to assess patient's volume status, ventricular contractility, right ventricle chamber size, and valvular abnormalities. The objective of the study was to assess the competency of intensivists in performing fTTE in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients after a brief training course by cardiologist using a specific ECHO protocol. Methods: One hundred and four patients in ICU were recruited for this prospective observational study over a period of 12 months...

BACKGROUND: Acute acidaemia is frequently observed during critical illness. Sodium bicarbonate infusion for the treatment of severe metabolic acidaemia is a possible treatment option but remains controversial, as no studies to date have examined its effect on clinical outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether sodium bicarbonate infusion would improve these outcomes in critically ill patients. METHODS: We did a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled, phase 3 trial...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and the factors associated with delirium in intensive care unit patients. METHODS: A cohort study conducted on 134 patients in the intensive care unit at a clinic in Bucaramanga, Colombia., who were recruited in the first 24hours following admission and on whom the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), PRE-DELIRIC version in Spanish, and Confusion Assessment method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) were applied; the outcome was evaluated through daily monitoring with CAM-ICU...

BACKGROUND: Sedation with dexmedetomidine and propofol may cause hypotension or bradycardia. This study aimed to compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol on hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients after major abdominal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enrolled patients were randomly allocated to the dexmedetomidine or propofol group. Cardiac index was measured using a continuous noninvasive cardiac output monitor on the basis of chest bioreactance...

BACKGROUND: Early identification of critically ill patients who will require prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) has proven to be difficult. The purpose of this study was to use machine learning to identify patients at risk for PMV and tracheostomy placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III database was queried for all intensive care unit (ICU) stays with mechanical ventilation. PMV was defined as ventilation >7 d...

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) are suggested to be biomarkers for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI). We compared them with proposed AKI biomarker of cystatin C (CysC), and aimed (1) to examine whether concentrations of these biomarkers vary with age, body weight, illness severity assessed by pediatric risk of mortality III score, and kidney function assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), (2) to determine the association between these biomarkers and AKI, and (3) to evaluate whether these biomarkers could serve as early independent predictors of AKI in critically ill children...

OBJECTIVE:  We conducted a detailed survey to identify medication safety practices among a large network of United States neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). METHODS:  We created a 53-question survey to assess 300 U.S. NICU's demographics, medication safety practices, adverse drug event (ADE) reporting, and ADE response plans. RESULTS:  Among the 164 (55%) NICUs that responded to the survey, more than 85% adhered to practices including use of electronic health records, computerized physician order entry, and clinical decision support; fewer reported adopting barcoding, formal safety surveys, and formal culture training; 137 of 164 (84%) developed at least one NICU-specific order-set with a median of 10 order-sets...

Transfusions of red blood cells (RBCs), platelets, and plasma are critical therapies for infants and neonates (particularly preterm neonates) in the neonatal intensive care unit, who are the most frequently transfused subpopulation across all ages. Although traditionally a significant gap has existed between the blood utilization and the evidence base essential to adequately guide transfusion practices in infants and neonates, pediatric transfusion medicine is evolving from infancy and gradually coming of age...

Background: The geriatric population in intensive care units (ICUs) has recently increased. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of initial complete blood count (CBC)-related parameters and nutritional status on morbidity and mortality in geriatric ICU patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of geriatric patients admitted to our tertiary adult ICU for 1 year. Patients with a length of stay (LOS) of < 48 h, with hematological malignancy or age < 65 years age were excluded from the study...

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a major challenge in contemporary cardiology. Despite a better understanding of the pathophysiology of CS, its management has only improved slightly. The prevalence of CS has remained stable over the past decade, but its outcome has seen few improvements, with the 1-month mortality rate still in the range of 40-60%. Inotropes and vasopressors are the first-line therapies for CS, but they are associated with significant hazards, and have well-known deleterious effects. Furthermore, a significant number of patients develop refractory CS with haemodynamic instability, causing critical organ hypoperfusion and/or pulmonary congestion, despite increasing doses of catecholamines...

OBJECTIVE: To describe a focused transthoracic echocardiography (FoTE) curriculum for advanced practice providers (APPs) for echocardiography-driven diagnosis of shock in critically ill patients. METHODS: Twelve APPs in 4 intensive care units at an academic medical center received didactic sessions on FoTE, including 1-on-1 proctorship with a registered cardiac sonographer. For a period of 6 months the trainees performed individual studies, then they performed FoTE examinations on critically ill patients; their diagnoses were compared with those of experienced intensivists for the same patients...

BACKGROUND: Optimising nutrition support in critically ill patients with an open abdomen is challenging. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to (i) quantify the amount and adequacy of nutrition support administered and (ii) determine any relationships that exist between mode of nutrition support delivery and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with an open abdomen. METHODS: A retrospective review of critically ill patients mechanically ventilated for at least 48 h with an open abdomen in a mixed quaternary referral intensive care unit...