Journal of critical care
-
Journal of critical care · Jun 2014
d-dimers as an early marker for oxygenator exchange in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Early markers of oxygenator dysfunction during prolonged use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are important for timely exchange to avoid sudden loss of function due to clot formation within the system. The measurement of D-dimers (DDs) in plasma might be a marker for early diagnosis of thrombus formation and dysfunction of heparin-coated membrane oxygenators (MOs). ⋯ An increase in plasma DD concentration in absence of other explaining pathology can be helpful in predicting an MO exchange in miniaturized heparin-coated ECMO systems.
-
Journal of critical care · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of the arterial catheter insertion technique on the success of radial artery cannulation: A prospective and randomized study.
The main objective of the current investigation was to compare a single wall puncture to vessel transfixing on the success of radial artery cannulation by resident physicians. ⋯ Our findings suggest that there does not appear to be an advantage of the transfixing technique over the single wall puncture method for cannulating the radial artery by resident physicians. Cannulation was achieved in shorter time using the single wall puncture technique even after accounting for differences between residents and prior levels of experience.
-
Journal of critical care · Jun 2014
Outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with lung cancer and pneumonia-induced respiratory failure in a medical intensive care unit: A single-center study.
To evaluate the outcomes and prognostic factors of 28-day mortality following medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission of patients with lung cancer and pneumonia-induced respiratory failure. ⋯ The prognosis of patients with lung cancer and severe pneumonia after 72 hours of MICU management mainly depends on the severity of the underlying lung injury, which is reflected by a history of radiotherapy and a low P/F ratio, rather than on cancer stage or disease status.
-
Journal of critical care · Jun 2014
Relation of impaired interorgan communication and parasympathetic activity in chronic heart failure and multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome.
We investigated the relationship of impaired autonomic function and severity of illness in chronic heart failure (CHF) and multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) as an end stage of CHF. Furthermore, we assessed the link of parasympathetic modulation of the heart rate and inflammatory activation in CHF and MODS. ⋯ Our results allow for speculation that autonomic dysfunction in CHF indicates a beginning of uncoupled interorgan communication potentially leading to MODS as characterized by disruption of communication between the organs.
-
Journal of critical care · Jun 2014
Observational StudyEvaluation of a dosing regimen for continuous vancomycin infusion in critically ill patients: An observational study in intensive care unit patients.
We aimed to evaluate a dosing algorithm for continuous vancomycin administration in intensive care unit patients. ⋯ The evaluated vancomycin dosing regimen for continuous infusion allowed rapid achievement of sufficient vancomycin serum levels. However, we frequently observed supra-therapeutic serum vancomycin concentrations in the first days of vancomycin treatment.