Critical care clinics
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Psychiatric medications are used commonly in hospitalized patients and are particularly indicated in patients who are critically ill to manage many conditions. Due to their many indications in the intensive care unit (ICU), psychiatric medications should be closely monitored in these medically compromised patients for adverse reactions and medical complications because they may affect essentially all organ systems. These range from life-threatening reactions to other less significant effects, such as sedation, to other detrimental complications, such as pancreatitis. Knowledge of psychopharmacology as well as the diagnosis and treatment of these complications is imperative in treating patients in the ICU.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2017
ReviewDetection and Management of Preexisting Cognitive Impairment in the Critical Care Unit.
Older adults account for half of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and ICU days, and approximately 2 in 5 older adults in the ICU have preexisting cognitive impairment (PCI). PCI identification is important for risk stratification and may influence ICU utilization and decision-making surrogacy. ⋯ Management of PCI in the ICU involves addressing associated neuropsychiatric symptoms. Nonpharmacological interventions should be considered the mainstay of treatment; psychotropics may be considered, although available data on their efficacy is limited.
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Among the critically ill, infectious diseases can play a significant role in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disturbances. All critical care physicians are familiar with delirium as a secondary complication of systemic infection. This article focuses on key infectious diseases that commonly and directly produce neuropsychiatric symptoms, including direct infection of the central nervous system, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and AIDS.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2017
ReviewNeurobehavioral Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in the Critical Care Setting: An Update.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. TBI is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Post-traumatic amnesia, or the interval from injury until the patient is oriented and able to form and later recall new memories, is an important index of TBI severity and functional outcome. This article will discuss the updates in the epidemiology, definition and classification, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of common acute neuropsychiatric sequelae of traumatic brain injury that the critical care specialist may encounter.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2017
ReviewSubstance Use, Intoxication, and Withdrawal in the Critical Care Setting.
Substance use is common among individuals admitted to the critical care setting and may complicate treatment of underlying disorders. Management issues include the effects of intoxication as well as the risk posed by substance-withdrawal syndromes in patients being treated for critical illness. This article reviews the epidemiology of substance use in this population and the identification and treatment of common intoxication and withdrawal syndromes. The authors stress the importance of long-term planning as part of the overall treatment protocol beyond the acute presentation.