Journal of critical care
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2018
Feasibility of the electrolarynx for enabling communication in the chronically critically ill: The EECCHO study.
To assess feasibility of producing intelligible and comprehensible speech with an electrolarynx; measure anxiety, communication ease, and satisfaction before/after electrolarynx training; and identify barriers/facilitators. ⋯ The electrolarynx may aid intelligible speech for some tracheostomized patients if the communication partner can visualize the users face, and reduce anxiety and make patient perceived communication easier.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2018
Observational StudyNoradrenaline modifies arterial reflection phenomena and left ventricular efficiency in septic shock patients: A prospective observational study.
To determine whether noradrenaline alters the arterial pressure reflection phenomena in septic shock patients and the effects on left ventricular (LV) efficiency. ⋯ Noradrenaline increased reflection phenomena, increasing LV workload and worsening LV performance in septic shock patients. These conditions could explain the detrimental effects during long-term use of noradrenaline.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2018
Early mobility in frail and non-frail older adults admitted to the cardiovascular intensive care unit.
Little is known about the effects of early mobilization in older adults in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CICU). ⋯ EM is feasible in older adults admitted to the CICU. Functional status improved in both frail and non-frail older adults during CICU admission. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether frail older adults may benefit from EM.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2018
Multicenter Study Observational StudySafety incidents in airway and mechanical ventilation in Spanish ICUs: The IVeMVA study.
To assess incidence, related factors and characteristics of safety incidents associated with the whole process of airway management and mechanical ventilation (MV) in Spanish ICUs. ⋯ MV is a risk process in critical patients. Although most incidents did not harm patients, some caused damage and a few were related to the patient's death or permanent damage. Preventability is high.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2018
Emergence of antimicrobial resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam or meropenem in the ICU: Intermittent versus continuous infusion. A retrospective cohort study.
Prolonged infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics is broadly recognized as a strategy to optimize antibiotic therapy by achieving a higher percentage of time that concentrations remain above the minimal inhibitory concentration (% fT>MIC), i.e. the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index. However, %fT>MIC may not be the PK/PD index of choice for inhibition of resistance emergence and it is therefore unsure what impact prolonged infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics may have on the emergence of resistance. ⋯ In this retrospective cohort study, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam or meropenem was not related to the mode of infusion.