Journal of intensive care medicine
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J Intensive Care Med · Mar 2018
Correlation of Venous Blood Gas and Pulse Oximetry With Arterial Blood Gas in the Undifferentiated Critically Ill Patient.
Blood gas analysis is often used to assess acid-base, ventilation, and oxygenation status in critically ill patients. Although arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis remains the gold standard, venous blood gas (VBG) analysis has been shown to correlate with ABG analysis and has been proposed as a safer less invasive alternative to ABG analysis. ⋯ In this population of undifferentiated critically ill patients, pH and pCO2 on VBG analysis correlated with pH and pCO2 on ABG analysis. The SpO2 correlated well with pO2 on ABG analysis. The combination of VBG analysis plus SpO2 provided accurate information on acid-base, ventilation, and oxygenation status for undifferentiated critically ill patients in the ED and ICU.
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J Intensive Care Med · Feb 2018
ReviewCerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation in Sepsis for the Intensivist: Why Its Monitoring May Be the Future of Individualized Care.
Cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation maintains consistent blood flow across a range of blood pressures (BPs). Sepsis is a common cause of systemic hypotension and cerebral dysfunction. Guidelines for BP management in sepsis are based on historical concepts of CBF autoregulation that have now evolved with the availability of more precise technology for its measurement. ⋯ Studies of CBF autoregulation in sepsis suggest patients frequently manifest impaired CBF autoregulation, possibly a result of BP below the lower limit of autoregulation, particularly in early sepsis or with sepsis-associated encephalopathy. This suggests that the present consensus guidelines for BP management in sepsis may expose some patients to both cerebral hypoperfusion and cerebral hyperperfusion, potentially resulting in damage to brain parenchyma. The future use of novel techniques to study and clinically monitor CBF autoregulation could provide insight into the cerebral pathophysiology of sepsis and offer more precise treatments that may improve functional and cognitive outcomes for survivors of sepsis.
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J Intensive Care Med · Feb 2018
ReviewMisdirected Sympathy: The Role of Sympatholysis in Sepsis and Septic Shock.
The spectrum of sepsis and septic shock remains a highly prevalent disease state, carrying a high risk of morbidity and mortality. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays an important role in this initial cascade, enabling the host to respond to invading pathogens; however, prolonged activation can become pathological. The potential for unregulated sympathetic tone to become of detriment in patients with sepsis has fueled interest in the role and impact of sympatholysis, the selective inhibition of sympathetic tone. ⋯ Presently, the most robust clinical evidence involves the use of the cardioselective β-blocker esmolol in patients with septic shock with persistent tachycardia secondary to catecholamine use. Evidence is isolated only to animal models with α-agonists. Future evidence stands to elucidate the balance of sympathetic and autonomic tone as well as the potential role of redirecting and maximizing sympathetic activity.
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J Intensive Care Med · Feb 2018
Factors Associated With the Increasing Rates of Discharges Directly Home From Intensive Care Units-A Direct From ICU Sent Home Study.
To evaluate the relationship between rates of discharge directly to home (DDH) from the intensive care unit (ICU) and bed availability (ward and ICU). Also to identify patient characteristics that make them candidates for safe DDH and describe transfer delay impact on length of stay (LOS). ⋯ The DDH rates have been increasing over time at our institution and were inversely correlated with ICU bed occupancy but were not associated with ward occupancy. The DDH patients are young, have few comorbidities on admission, and few discharge diagnoses, which are usually reversible single system problems with low disease burden. Transfers to the ward are delayed in a majority of cases, leading to increased ICU LOS and likely increased overall hospital LOS as well.
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J Intensive Care Med · Feb 2018
Observational StudyHospital Length of Stay Among Patients Receiving Intermittent Versus Prolonged Piperacillin/Tazobactam Infusion in the Intensive Care Units.
We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients following a hospital-wide initiative of prolonged piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) infusion. ⋯ Our study demonstrated a reduction in hospital LOS with prolonged PIP/TAZ infusion among critically ill patients. Randomized trials are needed to further validate these findings.