Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2013
Case Reports[Hyponatremic encephalopathy with non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Development following marathon run].
This article presents the case of a 52-year-old woman who developed exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) complicated by non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema after a marathon run. The condition of EAH is a potentially life-threatening complication of endurance exercise. ⋯ Known risk factors are female gender, slow running pace and lack of weight loss. Emergency therapy is fluid restriction and bolus infusion of 3% NaCl solution to rapidly reduce brain edema.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEnteral nutrition is associated with improved outcome in patients with severe sepsis. A secondary analysis of the VISEP trial.
The optimal nutritional strategy remains controversial, particularly in severely septic patients. Our aim was to analyze the effect of three nutritional strategies--enteral (EN), parenteral (PN), and combined nutrition (EN+PN)--on the outcome of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. ⋯ In patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and prolonged ICU stay, EN alone was associated with improved clinical outcome compared to EN+PN. This hypothesis-generating result has to be confirmed by a randomized-controlled trial in this specific patient population.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2013
Review[Anaphylaxis. Diagnostic and therapeutic management].
Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction, which generally happens unexpectedly in healthy individuals. Among children, the most common elicitors are food, insect stings, and drugs. Currently, the incidence of anaphylaxis is increasing. ⋯ If cutaneous, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and neurologic symptoms involving ≥2 organ systems occur, adrenaline/epinephrine, preferably intramuscularly, should be administered. Although allergen skin testing and serological estimation of specific IgE antibodies do not predict who will develop anaphylaxis, they help to identify sensitized individuals at risk. Patients with a history of anaphylaxis need training on how to use the emergency medication and how to recognize and prevent the anaphylactic symptoms.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2013
Review[Appropriate diagnostics in emergency admission. Echocardiography].
Echocardiography is the central imaging modality for the diagnosis of myocardial, valvular and structural heart disease. Coronary artery disease can be detected by impaired left ventricular function. The rapid bedside application in unstable patients requiring immediate diagnostics and treatment is a decisive advantage of echocardiography. ⋯ Echocardiography also has an important impact in the differential diagnosis of chest pain symptoms. The application of echocardiography in the emergency department may set the course for understanding of the underlying disease processes as well as the required treatment strategy. Due to the operator dependency of the technique, a meaningful application of echocardiography requires an experienced investigator even in the emergency department.
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · Apr 2013
Review[Hematooncology patients in intensive care management].
Critically ill cancer patients on intensive units with hematological or oncological underlying diseases are a special situation: the underlying disease may be incurable, acute problems are often therapy associated and immunosuppression is regularly present. Due to evolving knowledge about special aspects of these patients and optimized supportive therapy, the prognosis has substantially improved during the last decades. General reluctance to admit cancer patients to an intensive care unit is therefore no longer justified. ⋯ Extensive diagnostic measures, causal and supportive therapy of sepsis according to current guidelines has led to improved outcome even in cancer patients. In respiratory failure, non-invasive ventilation is the key to improved prognosis if used early enough and indications, contraindications and break-off criteria are strictly followed. The prognosis of critically ill cancer patients is determined by the severity of the acute problem and not by the underlying disease.