Stories Category: Intensive Care
Elevated HDL levels predict reduced lung function
Having an elevated level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is associated with an increased rate of lung function decline over time, according to results from a cohort analysis of more than 30,000 adults presented... read more
Memory of a heart attack is stored in our genes
Both heredity and environmental factors influence our risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study shows now that the memory of a heart attack can be stored in our genes through epigenetic changes.... read more
Telehealth Can Be a Useful Communication Tool in the ICU
A Penn Medicine study finds that a video-based telehealth platform could improve communications between clinicians and a patient's family members in the always-busy ICU. A telehealth link could be more beneficial to... read more
Signatures of Subacute Potentially Catastrophic Illness in the ICU
The severity of the original insult often determines prognosis, and the risk of death is further increased by events that occur during the stay, such as acute respiratory failure, sepsis, and hemorrhage. These new insults... read more
Artificial pancreas could save lives
An Asheville doctor-and-son team have an idea they say could save at least 100,000 lives a year. Leon and Jeremy DeJournett have patented an artificial pancreas, a system that uses a form of artificial intelligence to ensure... read more
Driving Risk Factors Behind Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Ventilators that help patients breathe can be life-saving devices; however, they also have the power to cause deadly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).... read more
Early Palliative Care Improves Quality of Life for Terminal Cancer Patients
The new study included 350 patients recently diagnosed with incurable lung or gastrointestinal cancer. They were randomly assigned to one of two care groups. One group received early palliative care integrated with cancer... read more
Study Finds Two Ways to Reduce HAIs
The risk for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is reduced by conducting fewer patient transports and limiting urinary catheter use, according to a study conducted at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey.... read more
Few ICU Patients with Pneumonia Tested for Virus Infections
Researchers investigated the clinical practices of testing for respiratory virus infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and... read more
Blood lactate concentrations predict ICU deaths
Blood lactate concentration is a strong predictor of mortality, more so than other measures of acidity in the blood, according to Australian researchers.... read more
Penn studies including families in ICU medical rounds
Unlike at many hospitals, the medical team at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania\'s surgical intensive care unit has embraced the idea of including families in physician rounds...... read more
Study shows retinoic acid could prevent postsurgical lymphedema
A study conducted at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California showed that 9-cis retinoic acid (alitretinoin) could significantly prevent postsurgical lymphedema.... read more
Deworming drugs could treat deadly C. difficile infection
A class of drugs used to deworm animals may have the potential to treat even the deadliest strains of Clostridium difficile in humans, new study suggests.... read more
