Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Oct 2000
Comparative StudyRandomised comparison of partial liquid ventilation, nebulised perfluorocarbon, porcine surfactant, artificial surfactant, and combined treatments on oxygenation, lung mechanics, and survival in rabbits after saline lung lavage.
To compare gas exchange, lung mechanics, and survival to 12 h in surfactant-depleted lung-injured rabbits, treated with partial liquid ventilation (PLV) with perfluorocarbon, nebulised perfluorocarbon, and porcine or artificial surfactant. ⋯ PLV, porcine surfactant and combinations of surfactant with PLV improved oxygenation, Cdyn and survival, but none was clearly superior to the others.
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Physicians are increasingly involved in how their critically ill patients die [72]. The more this happens, the more physicians will have to understand not only how their own backgrounds and biases influence their medical management, but also the cultural and religious backgrounds of the patient and surrogate [72, 73]. The medical profession must realise that, despite tremendous advances in medical knowledge and technology, not everyone can be saved all the time, even in the area of intensive care. ⋯ The patient's code status and the intention of forgoing life-sustaining treatment should be discussed with other members of staff together with the patient and/or family in a compassionate and humane manner. The wishes of the patient and family should be taken into consideration and the physician must try to make an impartial decision by doing what is medically and ethically correct and best for this specific patient. Hopefully, in this way, a more ethical and compassionate approach to end-of-life decisions in the ICU will be obtained.
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Intensive care medicine · Oct 2000
Comparative Study Clinical TrialThe initial distribution volume of glucose rather than indocyanine green derived plasma volume is correlated with cardiac output following major surgery.
To determine whether the initial distribution volume of glucose (IDVG) rather than plasma volume or blood volume is correlated better with cardiac output during the 4 days following major surgery. ⋯ Our results indicate that IDVG rather than intravascular volume is correlated with cardiac output. We suggest that IDVG has potential as an alternative indicator of cardiac preload following major surgery.
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Intensive care medicine · Oct 2000
Comparative StudyCardiac output measured by lithium dilution and transpulmonary thermodilution in patients in a paediatric intensive care unit.
To compare the results of cardiac output measurements obtained by lithium dilution and transpulmonary thermodilution in paediatric patients. ⋯ These results suggest that the LiDCO method can be used to provide safe and accurate measurement of cardiac output in paediatric patients. The method is simple and quick to perform, requiring only arterial and venous catheters, which will already have been inserted for other reasons in these patients.
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Intensive care medicine · Oct 2000
Out-of-hospital diagnosis of cerebral infarction versus intracranial hemorrhage.
To establish a model based on clinical and anamnestic data easily available in the out-of-hospital setting, which facilitates the differential diagnosis between cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhage. ⋯ Our model is a useful guideline for the differential diagnosis between cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhage in the out-of-hospital setting, as it is based on easily available clinical and anamnestic parameters.