Intensive care medicine
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To investigate, in patients with severe septic shock, the adrenocortical function assessed by daily plasma cortisol determinations during the first 72 h and by the short synthetic ACTH stimulation test performed within 24 h of the onset of shock. ⋯ Our data suggest that in a selected population of patients with severe septic shock single plasma cortisol determination has no predictive value. The short ACTH stimulation test performed within the first 24 h of onset shock can neither predict outcome nor estimate impairment in adrenocortical function in patients with high basal cortisol level. Adrenal insufficiency is rare in septic shock and should be suspected when cortisol level is below 15 micrograms/dl and then confirmed by a peak cortisol level lower than 18 micrograms/dl during the short ACTH stimulation test.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 1995
Comparative StudyDifferences in oxygen content between mixed venous blood and cerebral venous blood for outcome prediction after cardiac arrest.
To assess the usefulness of differences in oxygen content between mixed venous blood and cerebral venous blood for predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. ⋯ Differences between oxygen content of blood samples from the pulmonary artery and the jugular bulb is a simple measurement that has provided good accuracy in the outcome prediction of brain damage after cardiac arrest treated by resuscitation.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 1995
A five-year study of severe community-acquired pneumonia with emphasis on prognosis in patients admitted to an intensive care unit.
To characterize the epidemiology and to determine the prognosis factors in severe community-acquired pneumonia among patients admitted to an intensive care unit. ⋯ The effectiveness of the initial therapy appears to be the most significant prognosis factor and, as the one and only related to the initial medical intervention, suggests a need for permanent optimization of our antimicrobial strategies.
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Intensive care medicine · Nov 1994
Clinical TrialA new device to remove obstruction from endotracheal tubes during mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients.
To evaluate the efficiency of a new device developed to remove obstructions from endotracheal tubes (ETT) in mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ this experimental device can be safely and successfully used to remove obstructions from the ETT lumen, without suspending mechanical ventilation, reducing the need for rapid ETT substitution in emergency and life-threatening situations.