Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin
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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.
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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[Infections in hemato-oncology patients in intensive care. An interdisciplinary challenge].
Infections are among the most common complications in patients with hematologic neoplasms. Due to changes in demographics, the number of hematologic patients with severe infections who require intensive care is expected to increase. Treatment of these patients requires knowledge of multiple specialties. This review summarizes key aspects for the optimal management of infections in critical care patients with hematologic malignancies.
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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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The rapid development of novel, targeted drugs in cancer medicine has led to an increase in chronically ill cancer patients and hematology patients, who are being treated aggressively despite significant comorbidities and higher age. This development will lead to an increase in the number of hematologic and oncologic emergencies, and these patients will be seen by various specialties. This review article, therefore, aims at providing clinical management algorithms for the most frequent emergencies.