Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2014
Multicenter StudyTemporal trends in critical events complicating HIV infection: 1999-2010 multicentre cohort study in France.
Multicentre data are limited to appraise the management and prognosis of critically ill human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. We sought to describe temporal trends in demographic and clinical characteristics, indications for intensive care and outcome in this patient population. ⋯ Progressive ageing, increasing prevalence of comorbidities (mainly malignancies), a steady decline in AIDS-related illnesses and improved benefits from life-sustaining therapies were the main temporal trends in HIV-infected patients requiring ICU admission.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyOutcome measures report different aspects of patient function three months following critical care.
Previous investigation of the relationship between physical performance and patient self-report physical function (PF) measures in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors have not been performed. ⋯ The 6 MWT and TUG may both be acceptable measures of PF performance 3 months after ICU. Performance-based tests measure different constructs than self-report measures and choice of outcome variables should be aligned with study aims to ensure the most appropriate measure is used.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyRisk of bloodstream infection in children admitted to paediatric intensive care units in England and Wales following emergency inter-hospital transfer.
Adherence to full sterile procedures may be compromised when central venous catheters are inserted as part of emergency resuscitation and stabilisation, particularly outside the intensive care unit. Half of emergency admissions to paediatric intensive care units (PICU) in the UK occur after stabilisation at other hospitals. We determined whether bloodstream infection (BSI) occurred more frequently in children admitted to PICU after inter-hospital transfer compared to within-hospital admissions. ⋯ Nationally, inter-hospital transfer is no longer a significant risk factor for PICU-acquired BSI. Given the large proportion of infection occurring in the second week of admission, initiatives to further reduce PICU-acquired BSI should focus on maintaining sterile procedures after admission.