Tag: ICU
Severity of Illness Scores May Misclassify Critically Ill Obese Patients
Severity of illness scores rest on the assumption that patients have normal physiologic values at baseline and that patients with similar severity of illness scores have the same degree of deviation from their usual state.... read more
The Contents of a Patient Diary and its Significance in the ICU
The aim of this study was to describe the contents of a patient diary and its significance for persons cared for in an ICU. What formerly critically ill patients appreciate most about the diary is that the diary is personally... read more
A Comparison of the qSOFA and SIRS Criteria for the Diagnosis of Sepsis and Prediction of Mortality
Several studies were published to validate quick-SOFA (qSOFA), namely in comparison with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria. We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis with the aim of comparing... read more
Effect of Lung Recruitment and Titrated PEEP vs Low PEEP on Mortality in Patients with ARDS
In patients with moderate to severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a strategy with lung recruitment and titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) compared with low PEEP increased 28-day all-cause mortality.... read more
Early goal-directed nutrition in ICU patients (EAT-ICU)
Extensive weight loss has been documented in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, primarily as the result of muscle loss, leading to impaired physical function and reduced quality of life. The aim of the EAT-ICU trial is... read more
Effect of Boarding on Mortality in ICUs
Mortality increased with boarding of critically ill patients. Further research is needed to identify safer practices for managing patients during periods of high ICU occupancy. The study population consisted of 8,429 patients... read more
Bleeding During Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy – What to do while waiting for the surgeon?
A patient suffered significant bleeding during an attempt at percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy due to an aberrant anterior jugular vein. Bleeding was controlled with pressure temporarily, but quickly returned necessitating... read more
Development and Validation of an Empiric Tool to Predict Favorable Neurologic Outcomes Among PICU Patients
This proposed prediction tool encompasses 20 risk factors into one probability to predict favorable neurologic outcome during ICU stay among children with critical illness. Future studies should seek external validation and... read more
Dexmedetomidine-Associated Hyperthermia
Dexmedetomidine-associated hyperthermia: a retrospective cohort study of intensive care unit admissions between 2009 and 2016. Dexmedetomidine-associated hyperthermia has not been previously studied. Analysis is warranted... read more
Knowledge of Constituent Ingredients in Enteral Nutrition Formulas Can Make a Difference in Patient Response to Enteral Feeding
The selection of an EF should be a conscientious process based on a number of factors, including the patient's clinical and medical status. The ingredients need to be carefully evaluated in their quality and quantity as they... read more
The Future of Mechanical Ventilation
The adverse effects of mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) arise from two main causes: unphysiological increases of transpulmonary pressure and unphysiological increases/decreases of pleural... read more
Optimizing Quality and Efficiency of Critical Care Delivery
Providing "health" care is expensive, and providing "sick" care is even more expensive. Here we will outline a newly packaged, high-yield opportunity for your institution regarding optimization of your critical care service... read more
Integration of Nurse Practitioners Into the Critical Care Team
As the demands of critical care medicine increase one viable option to meet needs is the addition of a nurse practitioner to the traditional structure of the critical care team. The purpose of this article is to convey our... read more
The Hidden Faces of Sepsis, What Do They Tell Us?
Based on the patients' perspective Nutma sheds light on the hidden faces of sepsis, calling for more expertise on sepsis sequelae. She also offers recommendations to improve recovery and outcome. Sepsis really caught me by... read more
Alleviating ICU Survivors’ Burden
In a review paper, a team of international researchers highlights how critical illness and critical care affect longer-term outcomes. According to the authors, the severity of acute illness determines the degree of impairment... read more
What Can Psychologists Do in Intensive Care?
As awareness has grown of the great distress intensive care patients may suffer, units have begun recruiting psychologists to their teams. Intensive care unit psychologists aim to assess and reduce distress for patients,... read more
Dietitians in Critical Care
Patients in the critical care setting are at risk of malnutrition. The provision of nutrition support (enteral or parenteral) to critically ill patients is vital, but achieving the optimum quantity and balance is a contentious... read more
Causes of Mortality in ICU-Acquired Weakness
Intensive care unit–acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is a common complication of critical illness and is associated with increased mortality, longer mechanical ventilation and longer hospital stay. Little is known about the causes... read more
Inpatient antiviral treatment reduces ICU admissions among influenza patients
Administering inpatient antiviral influenza treatment may reduce admissions to the ICU among adults hospitalized with flu, according to a study presented at ID Week 2017, an infectious diseases meeting. While interventions... read more
The Effect of ICU Out-of-Hours Admission on Mortality
Adjusted risk of death for ICU admission was greater over the weekends compared with weekdays. The absence of a dedicated intensivist on-site overnight may be associated with increased mortality for acute admissions. These... read more
Guiding Vascular Access Selection for Intensive Care
Determining appropriateness for vascular access devices limits the risk of complications in critically ill patients. Michigan Appropriateness Guide to Intravenous Catheters (MAGIC) establishes evidence-based indications as... read more
Dying at Home – Our Grandfather’s Great Escape
Our 94-year-old grandfather's last journey was not a glorious affair, an inelegant denouement to a life marked by global travel and migration. Still, to us, as we pushed his wheelchair out of the hospital lobby, it felt like... read more
