Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Aug 1999
Outcome of critically ill patients treated with intermittent high-volume haemofiltration: a prospective cohort analysis.
To evaluate intervention and outcome in critically ill patients treated with high-volume haemofiltration (HV-HF). ⋯ Mortality in HV-HF patients was lower than that predicted by illness severity scores, as was the case in all patients in our ICU. Treatment with HV-HF appears to be safe and feasible. The efficacy of HV-HF should be tested in randomised, controlled trials of suitable power.
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Intensive care medicine · Aug 1999
Case ReportsDelayed admission for ethylene glycol poisoning: lack of elevated serum osmol gap.
In the absence of an immediately available serum ethylene glycol (EG) assay, the diagnosis of EG poisoning is usually based on anamnesis, clinical findings and presence of metabolic acidosis with elevated serum anion gap, elevated serum osmol gap, hypocalcemia and crystalluria. We report two cases of EG poisoning, both presenting without an elevated serum osmol gap and we discuss conditions which facilitate such a presentation, especially delayed hospital admission. Finally, we confirm the fact that determination of the osmol gap can fail as a screen for EG poisoning.
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Intensive care medicine · Aug 1999
Application of transcranial doppler ultrasonography for the diagnosis of brain death.
To determine the clinical validity of transcranial Doppler ultrasonographic (TCD) signs of total cerebral circulatory arrest for confirmation of brain death and to define the test protocol. ⋯ In agreement with previously published data, we conclude that TCD ultrasonography is a highly specific and sensitive confirmatory test and should be included as an additional test in the protocol for the assessment of brain death.