Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 1982
Normal values of functional residual capacity in the sitting and supine positions.
The measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) has assumed new importance in the diagnosis of acute respiratory failure. However few reference values exist for FRC in supine positions for both sexes. We measured the FRC in 100 healthy subjects with the helium dilution closed circuit method in the sitting and supine positions. ⋯ The FRC always decreased when the subject changed from the sitting to supine position. In this study, the correlation coefficients between FRC and height were statistically significant for both sexes, the influence of age and weight on FRC being negligible. Our results provide useful reference values for FRC in the supine position.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 1982
Nosocomial infections in intensive care wards: a multicenter prospective study.
In a three-year prospective investigation, a total of 6,952 patients were investigated prospectively in nine intensive care wards and their rate of nosocomial infections was analysed. The frequency of the nosocomial infections varied between 3% and 27%. ⋯ The pathogen spectrum was analysed. By specific control of infection with employment of an infection control nurse, the frequency of nosocomial infections on intensive care wards was lowered from 17.2% to 14.3% within one year in one of the hospitals.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 1982
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialThe significance of colloid osmotic pressure measurement after crystalloid and colloid infusions.
Colloid osmotic pressure (COP) was followed postoperatively in 55 randomized patients. After minor operations and short-term infusion therapy only small changes of the COP could be observed and it was concluded that after such operations COP measurement is unnecessary. After major surgical interventions, however, COP measurement gave valuable hints. ⋯ The same applied also to preoperative hemodilution. It was unnecessary to substitute the withdrawn blood with a colloid solution. In addition, COP measurement helped to avoid expensive albumin administrations, and indicated colloid overload in cases of pulmonary edema.
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The necessity of surgical procedures for insertion as well as for removal of the balloon catheter remains a serious disadvantage of IABP. The percutaneous technique of insertion and removal of a specially designed balloon catheter is therefore of a great interest. ⋯ No specific complications were encountered although two cases of pulmonary embolism were recorded. A causal relationship between pulmonary embolism and the percutaneous removal of a balloon catheter must therefore be considered.