Critical care clinics
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Congestive heart failure (CHF) is among the most common causes of admission to hospitals in the United States, especially in those over age 65. Few data exist regarding the prevalence CHF of Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) owing to congestive heart failure in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Treatment should focus on the underlying mechanisms by which CHF increases loop gain and promotes unstable breathing. Few data are available to determine prevalence of CSR in the ICU, or how CSR might affect clinical management and weaning from mechanical ventilation.
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This article summarizes available data on the obesity hypoventilation syndrome and its pertinence to intensivists, outlines clinical and pathophysiologic aspects of the disease, discusses multidisciplinary treatments, and reviews the available literature on outcomes specific to the critically ill patient.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2015
ReviewSeizures in Sleep: Clinical Spectrum, Diagnostic Features, and Management.
Sleep is disrupted in most patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit and the disturbances are even more profound in patients impacted by epilepsy. Nocturnal seizures must be differentiated from other common nocturnal events, such as delirium, parasomnias, and sedation. Many antiepileptic drugs produce undesirable side effects on sleep architecture that may further predispose patients to insomnia during the night and excessive sedation and hypersomnolence during the day. Failure to recognize, correctly diagnose, and adequately manage these disturbances may lead to more prolonged hospitalization, increased risk for nosocomial infections, poorer health-related qualify of life, and greater health care financial burden.
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Delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a common diagnosis, with an incidence ranging between 45% and 87%. Delirium represents a significant burden both to the patient and to the health care system, with a 3.2-fold increase in 6-month mortality and annual US health care costs up to $16 billion. In this review, the diagnosis, epidemiology, and risk factors for delirium in the ICU are discussed. The pathophysiology of delirium and evolving prevention and treatment modalities are outlined.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2015
ReviewNeuromuscular Disorders and Sleep in Critically Ill Patients.
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a frequent presenting manifestation of neuromuscular disorders and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. If not recognized and addressed early in the clinical course, SDB can lead to clinical deterioration with respiratory failure. The pathophysiologic basis of SDB in neuromuscular disorders, clinical features encountered in specific neuromuscular diseases, and diagnostic and management strategies for SDB in neuromuscular patients in the critical care setting are reviewed. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation has been a crucial advance in critical care management, improving sleep quality and often preventing or delaying mechanical ventilation and improving survival in neuromuscular patients.