Intensive care medicine
-
Status epilepticus (SE) is a common medical emergency associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Management that follows published guidelines is best suited to improve outcomes, with the most severe cases frequently being managed in the intensive care unit (ICU). Diagnosis of convulsive SE can be made without electroencephalography (EEG), but EEG is required to reliably diagnose nonconvulsive SE. ⋯ If possible, management of the underlying cause of seizures is crucial particularly for patients with autoimmune encephalitis. Short-term mortality ranges from 10 to 15% after SE and is primarily related to increasing age, underlying etiology, and medical comorbidities. Refractoriness of treatment is clearly related to outcome with mortality rising from 10% in responsive cases, to 25% in refractory, and nearly 40% in super-refractory SE.
-
Intensive care medicine · Jan 2024
ReviewDiagnosis and management of autoimmune diseases in the ICU.
Autoimmune diseases encompass a broad spectrum of disorders characterized by disturbed immunoregulation leading to the development of specific autoantibodies, resulting in inflammation and multiple organ involvement. A distinction should be made between connective tissue diseases (mainly systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma, inflammatory muscle diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis) and vasculitides (mainly small-vessel vasculitis such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and immune-complex mediated vasculitis). ⋯ Data about autoimmune diseases in the ICU are limited and there is a need for multicenter, international collaboration to improve patients' diagnosis, management, and outcomes. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize the epidemiology, clinical features, and selected management of severe systemic autoimmune diseases.
-
Intensive care medicine · Jan 2024
Randomized Controlled TrialSelective digestive tract decontamination in critically ill adults with acute brain injuries: a post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial.
The aim of this study was to determine whether selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) reduces in-hospital mortality in mechanically ventilated critically ill adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with acute brain injuries or conditions. ⋯ In this post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial in critically ill patients with acute brain injuries receiving mechanical ventilation, the use of SDD significantly reduced in-hospital mortality in patients compared to standard care without SDD. These findings require confirmation.
-
Intensive care medicine · Jan 2024
Randomized Controlled TrialLong-term outcomes with haloperidol versus placebo in acutely admitted adult ICU patients with delirium.
We assessed long-term outcomes in acutely admitted adult patients with delirium treated in intensive care unit (ICU) with haloperidol versus placebo. ⋯ In acutely admitted adult ICU patients with delirium, haloperidol treatment reduced mortality at 1-year follow-up, but did not statistically significantly improve HRQoL.