Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Case ReportsMaking a case for controlled organ donation after cardiac death: the story of Italy's first experience.
Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is a valuable option for the procurement of organs for transplantation. In Italy, organ procurement after controlled DCD is legally and ethically conceivable within the current legislative framework. However, although formal impediments do not exist, the health care team is faced with many obstacles that may hinder the implementation of such programs. ⋯ By making donation possible, the medical team was able to fulfill the family's last request on behalf of the patient. This case should stimulate deliberation regarding the potential to shorten the 20-minute no-touch period currently in place in Italy. Such an action would not have injured this patient and would certainly have increased the quality of the procured organs.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Sepsis in Haiti: Prevalence, treatment, and outcomes in a Port-au-Prince referral hospital.
Developing countries carry the greatest burden of sepsis, yet few descriptive data exist from the Western Hemisphere. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to elucidate the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of sepsis at an urban referral hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. ⋯ This is the first descriptive study of sepsis in Haiti. Our findings contribute to the knowledge base of global sepsis and reveal similarities in independent predictors of mortality between high- and low-income countries.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
The epidemiology, prognosis, and trends of severe traumatic brain injury with presenting Glasgow Coma Scale of 3.
To characterize trends and prognosis of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ The epidemiology of severe TBI is changing. These epidemiologic data may be used for management and resource decisions, monitoring, and directing injury prevention measures.