Tag: recovery
Expectations of Recovery: ICU Anecdotes
Most of us believe we know our loved ones' wishes. You may know what your father's favorite meal is or what he enjoys doing on a Sunday afternoon. But do you know if he would want a feeding tube if he can’t eat? These kinds... read more
How You Can Protect Your Parent From Delirium
Unlike dementia, which is constant and gets progressively worse, delirium tends to come and go, fluctuating even in the course of a day. The symptoms are transitory, yet for people who develop delirium, it can be the start... read more
Critical Hemoglobin Desaturation Will Occur before Return to an Unparalyzed State following 1 mg/kg Intravenous Succinylcholine
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) difficult airway algorithm recommends that if initial attempts at tracheal intubation after the induction of general anesthesia are unsuccessful, the practitioner should "consider... read more
Inspiratory Muscle Training for ICU Patients
Inspiratory muscle weakness is a known consequence of prolonged mechanical ventilation, and there is emerging evidence that specific inspiratory muscle training (IMT) can ameliorate this weakness. Australian researchers recommend... read more
Providing Psychological Support to People in Intensive Care
The Provision Of Psychological support to People in Intensive Care (POPPI) psychological intervention to reduce acute patient stress in critical care and prevent future psychological morbidity was feasible and acceptable.... read more
Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in COPD. What We Know and Can Do for Our Patients
Skeletal muscle dysfunction occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and affects both ventilatory and nonventilatory muscle groups. It represents a very important comorbidity that is associated... read more
Dysphagia – A Common, Transient Symptom in Critical Illness Polyneuropathy
Dysphagia is frequent among patients with critical illness polyneuropathy treated in the ICU. Old age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the mode of mechanical ventilation, the prevalence of tracheal tubes, and behavioral... read more
Metabolic Phenotype of Skeletal Muscle in Early Critical Illness
Decreased mitochondrial biogenesis and dysregulated lipid oxidation contribute to compromised skeletal muscle bioenergetic status. In addition, intramuscular inflammation was associated with impaired anabolic recovery with... read more
Early application of continuous HVHF can reduce sepsis and improve the prognosis of patients with severe burns
Early application of high-volume haemofiltration (HVHF) benefits patients with severe burns, especially for those with a greater burn area (≥ 80% TBSA), decreasing the incidence of sepsis and mortality. This effect may... read more
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
We train longer, specialize more, use ever-advancing technologies, and still we fail. Atul Gawande makes a compelling argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist. In riveting stories, he reveals... read more
New research shows why nutrition should be back on the table for surgical patients
More than 48 million people in the U.S. undergo surgery each year, and for decades the focus has been on making sure patients do not consume any food or drinks in the hours leading up to the surgery. Yet, 1 in 3 patients... read more
Current efforts to fight sepsis aren’t working. We need a bolder approach
Thanks to antibiotics, vaccinations, and public health advances like modern sanitation, it's easy to think that Americans live largely free of the infectious diseases that once took such a toll. That’s partially right:... read more
AKI and Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia in Patients After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) on the incidence of and recovery from acute kidney injury (AKI). Mild therapeutic hypothermia seems to have a protective effect... read more
In vitro comparison of the adsorption of inflammatory mediators by blood purification devices
Septic shock, a leading cause of acute kidney injury, induces release of pro-/anti-inflammatory mediators, leading to increased mortality and poor renal recovery. This is the first in vitro study directly comparing three... read more
Reducing diagnostic errors in the ICU
Diagnostic error occurs in 5-20 percent of physician-patient encounters, with a comparable prevalence among ICU admissions and patients who die in the intensive care unit (ICU). Further, diagnostic errors comprise 9-12 percent... read more
A Randomized Trial of a Family-Support Intervention in ICUs
Family-support intervention in ICUs increased patient comfort and reduced costs. Among critically ill patients and their surrogates, a family-support intervention delivered by the interprofessional ICU team did not significantly... read more
Muscle Weakness and 5-Year Survival in ARDS Survivors
At hospital discharge, >1/3 of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) survivors had muscle weakness. Greater strength at discharge and throughout follow-up was associated with improved 5-year survival. In patients with... read more
