Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2017
Multicenter StudyPediatric intermediate care and pediatric intensive care units: PICU metrics and an analysis of patients that use both.
To examine how intermediate care units (IMCUs) are used in relation to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), characterize PICU patients that utilize IMCUs, and estimate the impact of IMCUs on PICU metrics. ⋯ There was no association between having an IMCU and most measures of PICU efficiency. At hospitals with an IMCU, patients spent more time in the PICU once they were cleared for discharge. Other ways that IMCUs might affect PICU efficiency or particular patient populations should be investigated.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2017
Multicenter Study Observational StudyNon-survivor septic patients have persistently higher serum sCD40L levels than survivors.
Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is a protein with proinflammatory and prothrombotic effects. Previously we found higher circulating sCD40L levels in non-survivor than in survivor patients at sepsis diagnosis. Now some questions arise such as how are serum sCD40L levels during the first week of severe sepsis?, is there an association between serum sCD40L levels during the first week and mortality?, and serum sCD40L levels during the first week could be used as sepsis mortality biomarker?. This study was developed to answer these asks. ⋯ The novel findings of our study were that there were higher serum sCD40L levels persistently during the first week in non-survivor than in survivor patients, that there is an association between serum sCD40L levels during the first week and sepsis mortality, and that serum sCD40L levels during the first week could be used as sepsis mortality biomarker.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2017
ReviewExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a treatment strategy for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the low tidal volume era: A systematic review.
To evaluate the hospital survival in patients with severe ARDS managed with ECMO and low tidal volume ventilation as compared to patients managed with low tidal volume ventilation alone. ⋯ Given the lack of studies with appropriate control groups, our confidence in a difference in outcome between the two therapies remains weak. Future studies on the use of ECMO for severe ARDS are needed to clarify the role of ECMO in this disease.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2017
Multicenter StudyHopelessness: Independent associations with health-related quality of life and short-term mortality after critical illness: A prospective, multicentre trial.
To assess the independent associations between ability to cope and hopelessness with measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and their effects on mortality up to 3 years after discharge in patients who have been treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The psychological factors ability to cope and hopelessness both strongly affected HRQoL after ICU care, and this effect was stronger than the effects of coexisting disease. Hopelessness also predicted mortality after critical illness. Awareness of the psychological state of patients after a stay in ICU is important to identify which of them are at risk.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2017
Benefit on optimal cerebral perfusion pressure targeted treatment for traumatic brain injury patients.
The maintenance of patient-specific optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPPopt) is crucial for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal of the study was to explore the influence of CPP declination from CPPopt value on the TBI patients' outcome. ⋯ The CPPopt-targeted patient-specific management might be useful for stabilizing CA in TBI patients as well as for improving their outcome. Better outcomes were obtained by maintaining CPP in light hyperperfusion condition (up to 10mmHg above CPPopt) when CPPopt is in the range of 60-80mmHg, and keeping CPP within the range of CPPopt +/-5mmHg when CPPopt is above 80mmHg.