Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2016
ICU-RESPECT: An index to assess patient and family experiences of respect in the intensive care unit.
The purpose of the study is to develop a brief index of patient and family experiences of respect in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The "ICU-RESPECT" index demonstrates high reliability and concurrent validity in ICU patients and families. Future research should validate this index in other ICU settings, assess its predictive validity, and evaluate different methods for maximizing response rate. As hospitals address patient experience more broadly in response to national metrics, the index could identify particular behaviors or ICUs that would benefit from interventions to enhance respectful treatment.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2016
Comparative StudyA change of colloid from hydroxyethyl starch to gelatin does not reduce rate of renal failure or mortality in surgical critical care patients: Results of a retrospective cohort study.
Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) may compromise renal function in critically ill patients. As an alternative, gelatin (GEL) was suggested. This study investigated whether GEL (4%) may have advantages over HES (6%, 130/0.4) with respect to acute renal failure (ARF), length of intensive care unit /hospital stay, and 30-day mortality and evaluated dose-dependent effects. ⋯ A change of colloid from HES to GEL did not reduce the rate of ARF or mortality in surgical critical care patients. Both colloids appear to have dose-dependent effects on renal function.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2016
Effect and mechanism of hydrocortisone on organ function in patients with severe burns.
In patients with severe burns, resuscitation with large volumes of fluid is needed, partly because of an increase in capillary leakage. Corticosteroids might be beneficial by diminishing capillary leakage. This study aimed to assess in severely burned nonseptic patients whether hydrocortisone (HC) improved outcome and diminished capillary leakage. ⋯ Hydrocortisone treatment in severe burned patients without sepsis might improve organ dysfunction possibly because of a reduction in capillary leakage, as reflected by a decrease of proteinuria, an increase of BNP, and diminished fluid resuscitation volumes.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2016
Admission plasma levels of the neuronal injury marker neuron-specific enolase are associated with mortality and delirium in sepsis.
Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentrations are prognostic following traumatic and anoxic brain injury and may provide a method to quantify neuronal injury in other populations. We determined the association of admission plasma NSE concentrations with mortality and delirium in critically ill septic patients. ⋯ Higher plasma NSE concentrations were associated with mortality and delirium in critically ill septic patients, suggesting that NSE may have utility as a marker of neuronal injury in sepsis.