Journal of critical care
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Sepsis is a life-threatening medical condition, affecting approximately 26 million people worldwide every year. The disease is a continuum, marked by dysregulated inflammation and hemodynamic instability leading to shock, multi-system organ dysfunction, and death. Over the past decades, there has been a focus on the early identification and treatment of sepsis primarily with bundled and goal directed therapy. ⋯ Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in mediating inflammation through antioxidant activities and is also important in the synthesis of cortisol, catecholamines, and vasopressin, which are key mediators in the disease process. Emerging evidence provides cursory data in support of the administration of vitamin C in addition to standard therapy to ameliorate the effects of inflammation and improve hemodynamic stability in patients with sepsis and septic shock; however, further evidence is needed to support this practice. This review discusses the physiologic role of vitamin C as well as the recent literature and evidence for the use of vitamin C in patients presenting with sepsis.
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Journal of critical care · Feb 2018
ReviewIntensive care in severe malaria: Report from the task force on tropical diseases by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine.
Severe malaria is common in tropical countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South and Central America. It may also occur in travelers returning from endemic areas. Plasmodium falciparum accounts for most cases, although P vivax is increasingly found to cause severe malaria in Asia. ⋯ Aggressive fluid boluses may not be appropriate in children. Blood transfusions may be required and treatment of seizures and raised intracranial pressure is important in cerebral malaria in children. Mortality in severe disease ranges from 8 to 30% despite treatment.
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Journal of critical care · Feb 2018
Multicenter StudyInitial fluid resuscitation following adjusted body weight dosing is associated with improved mortality in obese patients with suspected septic shock.
The optimal initial fluid resuscitation strategy for obese patients with septic shock is unknown. We evaluated fluid resuscitation strategies across BMI groups. ⋯ Using AdjBW to calculate initial fluid resuscitation volume for obese patients with suspected shock may improve outcomes compared to other weight-based dosing strategies. The optimal fluid dosing strategy for obese patients should be a focus of future prospective research.
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Journal of critical care · Feb 2018
Multicenter StudyRisk of drug resistance in repeat gram-negative infections among patients with multiple hospitalizations.
Drug resistance in gram-negative bacterial hospital-acquired infections (GNB HAIs) has become ubiquitous in recent years. Patients who experience multiple hospitalizations are at high risk of developing repeat GNB HAIs. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between repeat GNB HAIs and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. ⋯ Prevention of repeat infections in high healthcare utilizers may be important in reducing drug resistance in this population.