Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2014
Indocyanine green clearance as an outcome prediction tool in cardiac surgery: A prospective study.
To evaluate the role of plasma disappearance rate of indocyanine green (PDR-ICG) as an outcome prediction tool in cardiac surgery. ⋯ In addition to the established scores, PDR-ICG may provide valuable information for the assessment of perioperative morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery. Pre- and early postoperative measurements may help to identify patients at risk for developing perioperative complications.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2014
Severe acidosis does not predict fatal outcomes in intensive care unit patients: A retrospective analysis.
Severe acidosis is a potentially life-threatening acid-base imbalance. The outcome of patients with severe acidosis has only been anecdotally described. We therefore assessed the discharge rate of such patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) and survival time after the event. ⋯ A significant number of patients can outlast severe acidosis and return to their prehospitalization status. Larger studies are needed to define the patient population most likely to benefit from aggressive resuscitation efforts during severe acidosis.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2014
Hypoglycemia is associated with increased mortality in patients with acute decompensated liver cirrhosis.
The liver plays an important role in glucose metabolism, in terms of glucolysis and gluconeogenesis. Several studies have shown that hyperglycemia in patients with liver cirrhosis is associated with progression of the liver disease and increased mortality. However, no study has ever targeted the influence of hypoglycemia. The aim of this study was to assess the association of glucose disturbances with outcome in patients presenting to the emergency department with acute decompensated liver cirrhosis. ⋯ Hypoglycemia is associated with increased mortality in patients with acute decompensated liver cirrhosis. It is not yet clear whether hypoglycemia is jointly responsible for the increased short-term mortality of patients with acute decompensated liver cirrhosis or is only a consequence of the severity of the disease or the complications.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2014
Thermodilution vs pressure recording analytical method in hemodynamic stabilized patients.
Many mini-invasive devices to monitor cardiac output (CO) have been introduced and, among them, the pressure recording analytical method (PRAM). The aim of this study was to assess the agreement of PRAM with the intermittent transpulmonary thermodilution and continuous pulmonary thermodilution in measuring CO in hemodynamically stabilized patients. ⋯ The PRAM system showed good agreement with pulmonary artery catheter and PiCCO in hemodynamically stabilized patients.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2014
Observational StudyHigh-frequency percussive ventilation improves oxygenation and ventilation in pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure.
High-frequency percussive ventilation (HFPV) in pediatrics has been described predominantly in burned patients. We aimed to describe its effectiveness and safety in noninhalational pediatric acute respiratory failure (ARF). ⋯ In a heterogeneous population of pediatric ARF failing conventional ventilation, HFPV efficiently improves gas exchange in a lung-protective manner.