Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Apr 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialFatty acid composition of platelet membrane lipids after administration of two different fat emulsions in critically ill patients.
To determine the effects on platelet membrane fatty acid composition following administration of two different fat emulsions. ⋯ The observed changes in fatty acid composition are in agreement with the lipid composition of the fat emulsions used. Because the C18:2n-6/C18:3n-3 ratio in both emulsions is close (approximately 9.0), the observed changes in the fatty acid composition of platelets may not be relevant for platelet function.
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Intensive care medicine · Apr 1999
Multicenter StudyApplication of SOFA score to trauma patients. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.
To assess the ability of the SOFA score (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) to describe the evolution of organ dysfunction/failure in trauma patients over time in intensive care units (ICU). ⋯ The SOFA score can reliably describe organ dysfunction/ failure in trauma patients. Regular and repeated scoring may be helpful for identifying categories of patients at major risk of prolonged ICU stay or death.
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Intensive care medicine · Apr 1999
Comparative Study Clinical TrialThe comet-tail artifact: an ultrasound sign ruling out pneumothorax.
Ultrasound artifacts arising from the lung-wall interface are either vertical (comet-tail artifacts) or horizontal. The significance of these artifacts for the diagnosis of pneumothorax was assessed. ⋯ Ultrasound detection of the "comet-tail artifact" at the anterior chest wall allows complete pneumothorax to be discounted.
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Intensive care medicine · Apr 1999
Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of five sedation scoring systems by means of auditory evoked potentials.
To review five sedation scoring systems and to determine their correlation with an objective method for assessing the level of sedation by means of auditory evoked potentials (AEP) in critically ill patients. ⋯ For the assessment of sedation, several scoring systems have been introduced into clinical practice, but the differentiation of deeper sedation levels, especially, remains poor. In this study we compared auditory evoked potentials, as an objective method with which to assess the level of sedation, with five different sedation scoring systems. In comparison with changes in latency of the midlatency component N(b), Ramsay's sedation score showed the closest correlation. Objective electrophysiological monitoring is desirable during long-term sedation.
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Intensive care medicine · Apr 1999
Medication errors at the administration stage in an intensive care unit.
To assess the type, frequency and potential clinical significance of medication-administration errors. ⋯ According to this first observation-based study of medication administration errors in a European ICU, these errors were due to deficiencies in the overall organisation of the hospital medication track, in patient follow-up and in staff training.