Journal of intensive care medicine
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J Intensive Care Med · Sep 2014
Case ReportsA patient with trauma having cavitary pulmonary nodules: should further workup be pursued?
Traumatic pulmonary pseudocysts (TPPs) are rare sequelae of blunt chest trauma and may be incidentally visualized on initial, or subsequent, chest imaging. ⋯ The TPPs may be discovered on imaging shortly after blunt chest trauma and, in asymptomatic individuals, can often be monitored with observation and serial imaging.
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J Intensive Care Med · Sep 2014
Mutual agreement between providers in intensive care medicine on patient care after interdisciplinary rounds.
Insights regarding the results of interdisciplinary communication about patient care are limited. We explored the perceptions of intensivists, junior physicians, and nurses about patient care directly after the interdisciplinary rounds (IDRs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) to determine mutual agreement. ⋯ The recommendation of IDRs without mutual agreement in important aspects of patient care hampers safety in daily practice. This study demonstrates that a survey to determine this agreement between the intensivists, junior physicians, and ICU nurses has low agreement, as measured directly after the IDRs.
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J Intensive Care Med · Sep 2014
Review Case ReportsChiari syndrome and respiratory failure: a literature review.
Patients with failed extubation requiring reintubation have increased morbidity and mortality. This situation may reflect the severity of the underlying disorder or may reflect an undiagnosed condition that was not apparent at the time of the initial intubation. ⋯ Patients with CMs can have repeated extubation failures. Some of these patients have normal neurological examinations and studies and are not identified until they have an MRI study. Clinicians need to consider this possibility in patients who are difficult to wean.
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Intraabdominal infections are frequent and dangerous entity in intensive care units. Mortality and morbidity are high, causes are numerous, and treatment options are variable. ⋯ Current research describes a wide heterogeneity of patient populations, making it difficult to suggest a general treatment regimen and stressing the need of an individualized approach to decision making. Early focus-oriented intervention and antibiotic coverage tailored to the individual patient and hospital is warranted.
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J Intensive Care Med · Sep 2014
Critical care in patients undergoing lumbar spine fusion: a population-based study.
Data on the utilization of critical care services (CCSs) among patients who underwent spine fusion are rare. Given the increasing popularity of this procedure, information regarding demographics and risk factors for the use of these advanced services is needed in order to appropriately allocate resources, educate clinical staff, and identify targets for future research. ⋯ Approximately, 10% of the patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery require CCS. Utilizing the present data, critical care physicians and administrators can identify patients at risk, educate clinical staff, identify targets for intervention, and allocate resources to meet the needs of this particular patient population.