Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2020
Observational StudyThe ability of Procalcitonin, lactate, white blood cell count and neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio to predict blood stream infection. Analysis of a large database.
The global burden of death due to sepsis is considerable. Early diagnosis is essential to improve the outcome of this deadly syndrome. Yet, the diagnosis of sepsis is fraught with difficulties. Patients with blood stream infection (BSI) are at an increased risk of complications and death. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of four readily available biomarkers to diagnose BSI in patients with suspected sepsis. ⋯ Our results suggest that PCT of less than 0.5 ng/mL may be an effective screening tool to exclude BSI as the cause of sepsis, while the diagnosis of BSI should be considered in patients with a PCT above this threshold. The total WBC count and blood lactate concentration may not be reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis of BSI. The NLCR may be a useful screening test for BSI when PCT assays are not available.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2020
ReviewPrediction on critically ill patients: The role of "big data".
Accurate outcome prediction in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) would allow for better treatment planning, risk adjustment of study populations, and overall improvements in patient care. In the past, prognostic models have focused on mortality using simple ordinal severity of illness scores which could be tabulated manually by a human. With the improvements in computing power and proliferation of electronic medical records, entirely new approaches have become possible. Here we review the latest advances in outcome prediction, paying close attention to methods which are widely applicable and provide a high-level overview of the challenges the field currently faces.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2020
A national survey of critical care services in hospitals accredited for training in a lower-middle income country: Pakistan.
To describe the extent and variation of critical care services in Pakistan. ⋯ Pakistan, a lower middle-income country, has an established network of critical care facilities with access to basic equipment, but inequalities in its distribution. Investment in critical care training for doctors and nurses is needed.
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Intensive care interventions that prolong life without achieving meaningful benefit are considered clinically "inappropriate". In 2012, the frequency of perceived-inappropriate critical care was 10.8% at one academic health system; and we aimed to re-evaluate this frequency. ⋯ Over five years the proportion of patients perceived to be receiving inappropriate critical care dropped by 40%. Understanding the reasons for such change might elucidate how to continue to reduce inappropriate critical care.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2020
ReviewNon-pharmacological interventions to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium in critically ill patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.
To compare non-pharmacological interventions in their ability to prevent delirium in critically ill patients, and find the optimal regimen for treatment. ⋯ Multi-component strategies are overall the optimal intervention techniques for preventing delirium and reducing ICU length of stay in critically ill patients by way of utilizing several interventions simultaneously. Additionally, family participation as a method of patient-centered care resulted in better outcomes for reducing the incidence of delirium.