Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Intermediate care to intensive care triage: A quality improvement project to reduce mortality.
Medical patients whose care needs exceed what is feasible on a general ward, but who do not clearly require critical care, may be admitted to an intermediate care unit (IMCU). Some IMCU patients deteriorate and require medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission. In 2012, staff in the Johns Hopkins IMCU expressed concern that patient acuity and the threshold for MICU admission were too high. Further, shared triage decision-making between residents and supervising physicians did not consistently occur. ⋯ Using a structured quality improvement process targeting triage education and increased resident/supervisor communication, we demonstrated reduced mortality among patients transferred from the IMCU to the MICU.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Review Comparative StudyHypertonic saline in critical illness - A systematic review.
The optimal approach to fluid management in critically ill patients is highly debated. Fluid resuscitation using hypertonic saline was used in the past for more than thirty years, but has recently disappeared from clinical practice. Here we provide an overview on the currently available literature on effects of hypertonic saline infusion for fluid resuscitation in the critically ill. ⋯ Fluid resuscitation using hypertonic saline results in volume expansion and less total infusion volume. This may be of interest in oedematous patients with intravascular volume depletion. When such strategies are employed, renal effects may differ markedly according to prior intravascular volume status. Hypertonic saline induced changes in serum osmolality and electrolytes return to baseline within a limited period in time. Sparse evidence indicates that resuscitation with hypertonic saline results in less perioperative complications, ICU days and mortality in selected patients. In conclusion, the use of hypertonic saline may have beneficial features in selected critically ill patients when carefully chosen. Further clinical studies assessing relevant clinical outcomes are warranted.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Predictors of mortality in adults with Sickle cell disease admitted to intensive care unit in Bahrain.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic blood disorders in Bahrain. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the clinical presentation of SCD patients who require ICU admission. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological data of SCD patients admitted to the ICU and to identify predictors of mortality in order to help intensivists identify patients at most risk. ⋯ Acute chest syndrome was the main reason for SCD patients to be admitted to the ICU. Older age, less frequent hospitalization, shorter stays in the ICU, and the need for renal replacement therapy were found to be indicators of high mortality rate SCD patients.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Observational StudyClinical and laboratory predictors of Infectious Complications in patients after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.
Identification of clinical and laboratory predictors related to Infectious Complications (ICs) in patients after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). ⋯ Early initiated antibiotic treatment is overused in patients after OHCA. This practice is associated with necessitating antibiotic change in the majority of patients with IC. Assessment of clinical and laboratory parameters in the first days after OHCA increases the likelihood of appropriate ATB therapy.