Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2018
Early nutritional inadequacy is associated with psoas muscle deterioration and worse clinical outcomes in critically ill surgical patients.
To explore whether psoas cross sectional area (CSA) and density (Hounsfield Units, HU) are associated with nutritional adequacy and clinical outcomes in surgical intensive care unit patients. ⋯ In this exploratory study, early nutritional deficits were correlated with muscle quality deterioration. Inpatient gain in psoas density, compared to maintenance or loss, is associated with shorter hospital stay.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2018
Bereaved donor families' experiences of organ and tissue donation, and perceived influences on their decision making.
To elicit bereaved families' experiences of organ and tissue donation. A specific objective was to determine families' perceptions of how their experiences influenced donation decision-making. ⋯ The influence of temporality on donation-decision making is worthy of consideration in the planning of future education, policy, practice, and research for improved rates of family consent to donation.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2018
Cirrhotic patients admitted to the ICU for medical reasons: Analysis of 5506 patients admitted to 286 ICUs in 8years.
To describe characteristics and prognostic factors of cirrhotic patients admitted to a representative sample of Italian intensive care units (ICUs). ⋯ The outcome of critically ill cirrhotic patients is quite poor, but not to limit their admission to the ICU. When cirrhosis accompanies other acute conditions, the general level of intensive care medicine is more important than the specific liver-oriented expertise in treating these patients.