Journal of intensive care medicine
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J Intensive Care Med · Jul 2016
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis of Intra-Abdominal Hypertension in Critically Ill Children: A Prospective Epidemiological Study.
To assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). ⋯ Intra-abdominal hypertension does occur in about 13% of the critically ill children, albeit less frequently than adult patients, probably related to a better compliance of the abdominal wall. The presence of abdominal distension and a plateau pressure of more than 30 cm H2O was found to be independent predictors of IAH. Children with IAH had higher mortality rate and more prolonged ICU stay.
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Pulmonary hypertension occurs as the result of disease processes increasing pressure within the pulmonary circulation, eventually leading to right ventricular failure. Patients may become critically ill from complications of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure or may develop pulmonary hypertension as the result of critical illness. Diagnostic testing should evaluate for common causes such as left heart failure, hypoxemic lung disease and pulmonary embolism. ⋯ Management of right ventricular failure involves optimization of preload, maintenance of systemic blood pressure and augmentation of inotropy to restore systemic perfusion. Selected patients may require pharmacologic therapy to reduce right ventricular afterload by directly targeting the pulmonary vasculature, but only after excluding elevated left heart filling pressures and confirming increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Critically-ill patients with pulmonary hypertension remain at high risk of adverse outcomes, requiring a diligent and thoughtful approach to diagnosis and treatment.
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J Intensive Care Med · Jul 2016
ReviewVenoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Adults With Cardiac Arrest.
Cardiac arrest (CA) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the use of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), rates of return of spontaneous circulation and survival with minimal neurologic impairment remain low. ⋯ Propensity-matched cohort studies have reported outcomes associated with ECMO use to be superior to that of conventional CPR alone in in-hospital patients with CA. In this review, we discuss the mechanism, indications, complications, and evidence for ECMO in CA in adults.
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J Intensive Care Med · Jul 2016
Chronic Statin Use and Long-Term Rates of Sepsis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
"Statins" have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects and may attenuate the risk of infections. We sought to determine the association between chronic statin use and long-term rates of sepsis events. ⋯ In the REGARDS cohort, statin use at baseline was not associated with rates of future sepsis events.