Critical care clinics
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Critical illness predisposes individuals to highly variable metabolic and immune responses, leading to muscle mass loss, impaired healing, immobility, and susceptibility to infections and cognitive impairment. Recommendations for nutrition in critically ill patients are supported by observational studies, small randomized controlled trials, and mechanistic data. There is no standardization of nutritional therapy in critically ill patients and controversies in the type, quantity, and timing of nutrition support persist. This article reviews the physiologic basis for nutrition support, the concept of nutritional risk, and various controversies in critical care nutrition support.
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Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a frequent reason for hospitalization especially in the elderly. Patients with LGIB are frequently admitted to the intensive care unit and may require transfusion of packed red blood cells and other blood products especially in the setting of coagulopathy. ⋯ LGIB may present as an acute life-threatening event or as a chronic insidious condition manifesting as iron deficiency anemia and positivity for fecal occult blood. This article discusses the presentation, diagnosis, and management of LGIB with a focus on conditions that present with acute blood loss.
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Acute pancreatitis results in nearly 250,000 admissions annually. Acute pancreatitis varies widely in its clinical presentation. ⋯ The extent of necrosis correlates well with the incidence of infected necrosis, multiorgan failure, need for pancreatic debridement, and morbidity and mortality. Having established the diagnosis of pancreatic necrosis, goals of appropriately aggressive resuscitation should be established and adhered to in a multidisciplinary approach involving both medical and surgical critical care.
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Acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) is common in critical illness and negatively affects outcome. A variety of definitions have been used to describe AGI, which has led to clinical confusion and hampered comparison of research studies across institutions. An international working group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine was convened to standardize definitions for AGI and provide current evidence-based understanding of its pathophysiology and management. This disorder is associated with a wide variety of signs and symptoms and may be difficult to detect, therefore a high index of suspicion is warranted.
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In the intensive care unit, vigilance is needed to manage nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A focused history and physical examination must be completed to identify inciting factors and the need for hemodynamic stabilization. ⋯ Urgent evaluation for nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeds requires prompt respiratory assessment, and identification of hemodynamic instability with fluid resuscitation and blood transfusions if necessary. Future studies are needed to evaluate the indication, safety, and efficacy of emerging endoscopic techniques.