Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 1999
Comparative StudyStressors in ICU: perception of the patient, relatives and health care team.
To compare the evaluation of the stressors present in the intensive care unit (ICU) from the point of view of the patient, relatives and the multiprofessional team and to identify differences and similarities with regard to the perception of stressors in order to optimize patient care. ⋯ Being in pain, being unable to sleep and having tubes in the nose and/or mouth were pointed out as the major stressors by the three groups. There was no statistically significant correlation between the total stress scores of the patients and their relatives (r = 0.193), between the patients and the team (r = -0.002), or between the total scores of the team and the relatives (r = -0.185). The results suggest that the views of the relatives and the professional team concerning the stressors have some similar points compared to the evaluation made by the patient himself, although the intensity of the evaluation for each group corresponds to its own perception.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 1999
Effects of noninvasive positive pressure ventilatory support in non-COPD patients with acute respiratory insufficiency after early extubation.
To investigate the effects of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) on pulmonary gas exchange, breathing pattern, intrapulmonary shunt fraction, oxygen consumption, and resting energy expenditure in patients with persistent acute respiratory failure but without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after early extubation. ⋯ In non-COPD patients with persistent acute respiratory failure after early extubation, NPPV improved pulmonary gas exchange and breathing pattern, decreased intrapulmonary shunt fraction, and reduced the work of breathing.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 1999
Impact of standard procedures and clinical standards on cost-effectiveness and intensive care unit performance in adult patients after cardiac surgery.
To investigate the impact of organizational procedures on intensive care unit (ICU) performance and cost-effectiveness after cardiac surgery. ⋯ Organizational changes can improve ICU performance and cost-effectiveness after cardiac surgery. The RIP may be used to monitor the clinical and economical effects of change.
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Intensive care medicine · Dec 1999
Pharmacokinetics of cefpirome in critically ill patients with renal failure treated by continuous veno-venous hemofiltration.
To study the cefpirome pharmacokinetics of patients with sepsis and multiple organ failure treated with CVVH. ⋯ The sieving coefficient (64%) indicates that a substantial fraction of the drug is not filtered; clearance by pathways other than CVVH mounted to 50% of the total clearance and increased on day 2, indicating that the dosing schedule used is appropriate for this setting. Cefpirome appeared to be safe in these patients and effective for most of the nosocomial microbial isolates. During more than 90% of the time, serum levels were maintained above killing concentrations for susceptible micro-organisms.