Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2002
Ability and safety of a heated humidifier to control hypercapnic acidosis in severe ARDS.
To assess the ability of a heated humidifier to improve CO(2) clearance in ARDS patients submitted to protective ventilation. ⋯ Supposing there is an interest in correcting or limiting hypercapnic acidosis in ARDS patients submitted to protective ventilation, HME removal and use of HH appears to be an efficient and safe way of increasing CO(2) clearance.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA comparison of two depths of prolonged neuromuscular blockade induced by cisatracurium in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients.
To compare two levels of continuous cisatracurium-induced curarization in hypoxemic, ventilated patients. ⋯ When a prolonged curarization is decided upon in an ICU patient, a blockade at 2/4 at TOF at orbicularis oculi has similar effects on respiratory parameters as a blockade at 0/4, allowing a decrease in total administered doses and a shortening of the recovery of muscle strength after cessation of infusion.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNorepinephrine and vital organ blood flow.
To test whether norepinephrine (NE) infusion at 0.4 microg kg(-1) min(-1) adversely affects regional blood flow in the normal mammalian circulation. ⋯ NE infusion does not induce vital organ ischaemia in the normal mammalian circulation. Furthermore, it results in a significant increase in coronary and renal blood flow with a concomitant improvement in urine output and creatinine clearance.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2002
Clinical TrialProgression rate of self-propelled feeding tubes in critically ill patients.
Gaining postpyloric access in ventilated, sedated ICU patients usually requires time-consuming procedures such as endoscopy. Recently, a feeding tube has been introduced that migrates spontaneously into the jejunum in surgical patients. The study aimed at assessing the rate of migration of this tube in critically ill patients. ⋯ Self-propelled feeding tubes progressed from the stomach to the postpyloric position in 49% of patients, reducing the number of endoscopic placements: these tubes may facilitate enteral nutrient delivery in the ICU.