Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Sep 1998
Systemic pressure-flow reactivity to norepinephrine in rabbits: impact of endotoxin and fluid loading.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of fluid loading on hemodynamics and vascular hypocontractility to norepinephrine (NE) in an endotoxic shock model. ⋯ Fluid loading transformed the hypodynamic profile of endotoxic shock into a hyperdynamic state without improving blood pressure. Depressed vascular reactivity to NE was observed in both hyperdynamic and hypodynamic states, suggesting that a reduced vascular reactivity does not necessarily imply systemic vasodilation.
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Intensive care medicine · Sep 1998
Work of breathing, inspiratory flow response, and expiratory resistance during continuous positive airway pressure with the ventilators EVITA-2, EVITA-4 and SV 300.
To analyze work of breathing (WOB) imposed by the respirators EVITA-2, EVITA-4 (Drägerwerk, Lübeck, Germany) and SV 300 (Siemens-Elema, Sweden) as well as inspiratory flow response and expiratory flow resistance during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). ⋯ Under similar conditions, no difference in WOBimposed was observed, although inspiratory flow response and expiratory flow resistance differed substantially between the three ventilators tested. Trigger sensitivity plays a minor role in determining PTP and WOB but has major influence on flow.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of single proton emission tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-HMPAO in the diagnosis of brain death (BD). ⋯ Our results confirm the reliability of SPECT in the diagnosis of BD. A problem arises about its effectiveness in brain-dead children, but this seems to be a matter of definition of BD and cerebral viability, rather than a limit of SPECT.
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Intensive care medicine · Sep 1998
Case ReportsA re-appraisal of the tri-axial chart for monitoring arterial acid-base values.
To demonstrate the practicability of a tri-axial chart for the graphical and quantitative monitoring of arterial pH, arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) and actual arterial bicarbonate-ion concentration (a[HCO3-]) in intensive care patients. ⋯ With the tri-axial acid-base chart, the complete acid-base status can be faithfully monitored. Moreover, the proposed monitoring parameters provide extra information about the arterial acid-base status that, otherwise, would remain hidden.