Journal of critical care
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Newly diagnosed swallowing dysfunction is rare, with an incidence <1% in hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of dysphagia in elderly trauma patients specifically. ⋯ Elderly trauma patients with a high comorbidity burden or with prolonged ICU lengths of stay should be screened for dysphagia.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Glycemic control in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Clinical features, predictors, and outcomes.
Critically ill patients with hyperglycemia have worse prognosis. The degree to which glycemic control is achieved following CABG surgery and the association with clinical outcomes is not well understood. ⋯ Achieving glycemic control following high risk CABG was associated with lower operative mortality and morbidity, yet achieved in only 15% of patients. Hospitals varied considerably in their ability to achieve good glycemic control.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
A "Code ICU" expedited review of critically ill patients is associated with reduced emergency department length of stay and duration of mechanical ventilation.
To examine the effect of a system of expedited review of critically ill patients in the Emergency Department (ED) on ED length of stay (LOS) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) outcomes. ⋯ A system of rapid review of critically ill patients in the ED was associated with reduced ED LOS and improved ICU outcomes.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Observational StudyThe prognostic value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in non-cardiac patients with sepsis, ultra-long follow-up.
Sepsis is a multifactorial syndrome with increasing incidence of morbidity and mortality. Identification of outcome predictors is therefore essential. Recently, elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels have been observed in patients with septic shock. Little information is available concerning BNP levels in patients with critical illness, especially with sepsis. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the role of BNP as a biomarker for long-term mortality in patients with sepsis. ⋯ In the population of hospitalized patients with sepsis, BNP is a strong independent predictor of short- and long-term mortality.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2017
Developing and testing a comprehensive tool to assess family meetings: Empirical distinctions between high- and low-quality meetings.
The heterogeneity with regard to findings on family meetings (or conferences) suggests a need to better understand factors that influence family meetings. While earlier studies have explored frequency or timing of family meetings, little is known about how factors (such as what is said during meetings, how it is said, and by whom) influence family meeting quality. ⋯ We filled a gap by developing an evaluation tool to assess family meetings, and we identified how what is said during meetings impacts quality.