Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2016
The association between prior statin use and long-term outcomes after critical care admission.
Statins may have immunomodulatory effects that benefit critically ill patients. Therefore, we retrospectively examined the association between survival and the prescription of statins prior to admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), or high dependency unit (HDU), as a result of major elective surgery or as an emergency with a presumed diagnosis of sepsis. ⋯ Prior statin use was not associated with improved outcomes in patients admitted to critical care after elective surgical cases or with a presumed diagnosis of sepsis.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2016
Observational StudyPostoperative acute kidney injury in high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in high-risk patients undergoing major surgery and is associated with longer hospital stay, increased risk for nosocomial infection and significantly higher costs. ⋯ Mild AKI is a not rare complication in high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Although in almost the totality of cases, the indicators of renal function recovered to preoperative levels, post-operative AKI represents a primary risk factor for a prolonged ICU stay.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2016
Acid-base disturbances in acute poisoning and their association with survival.
The purpose was to investigate the association between acid-base disturbances and mortality in acute poisoning. ⋯ On-arrival acid-base status predicts survival and can be used in prognostication of the poisoned patients.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2016
Opioid overdose leading to intensive care unit admission: Epidemiology and outcomes.
There is a scarcity of studies assessing the patient population admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with opioid overdose. We sought to characterize the epidemiologic features and outcomes of this patient population. ⋯ Opioid overdose is a common cause of ICU admission and affects a relatively young population. Most have respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. It is associated with a relatively high inhospital mortality. Coingestions appear to have an impact on outcomes.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2016
Can early initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy improve patient survival with septic acute kidney injury when enrolled in early goal-directed therapy?
The purpose of our study was to investigate the timing of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) application, based on the interval between the start of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) and CRRT initiation, to ascertain whether the timing was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with septic acute kidney injury (AKI). ⋯ Early initiation of CRRT may be of benefit. Given the complex nature of this intervention and the ongoing controversy regarding early vs late initiation of therapy in acute and chronic situations, it is vital to develop accurate clinical trials to find definitive answers.