Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2014
Biphasic changes (overreduction and overoxidation) of plasma redox status and clinical implications in early stage of severe burns.
Although the changes of redox status in the early stage of severe burns are considered to be associated with the disease progression, whereas antioxidant therapy cannot improve the prognosis, the characteristics and mechanisms of dynamic change of redox status related with the disease progression deserve further study. ⋯ This study firstly revealed the excessive, biphasic changes of redox status and clinical implications in the early stage of severe burns, providing a new viewpoint for early pathological changes of severe burns and will be helpful for corresponding early treatment. ΔORP value also appears to be a potential early prognostic marker.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2014
Observational StudyCardiac index monitoring by femoral arterial thermodilution after cardiac surgery in children.
The aim of this study is to determine whether the maintenance of cardiac index (CI) measured by femoral arterial thermodilution during the postoperative period after heart surgery in children is related to short-term outcome. ⋯ Monitoring by femoral arterial thermodilution has been feasible in our experience. Maintenance of a CI of 3 L min(-1) m(-2) or greater is related to a better patient's early outcome.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2014
Observational StudyAlcoholic liver disease in the intensive care unit: Outcomes and predictors of prognosis.
An increasing number of patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are being referred for critical care support, but limited information is available on their short- and medium-term outcomes. This study aimed to determine mortality rates, identify optimal predictors of prognosis, and determine the appropriate time to apply these predictors in patients with ALD admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Patients admitted to ICU with ALD have a very high inhospital mortality. A combination of the established Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and lactate provided the most accurate predictor of outcome on day of admission and at all subsequent time points.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2014
The utility of scoring systems in critically ill cirrhotic patients admitted to a general intensive care unit.
This study aimed to establish which prognostic scoring tool provides the greatest discriminative ability when assessing critically ill cirrhotic patients in a general intensive care unit (ICU) setting. ⋯ This investigation suggests that established prognostic scoring systems should be used with caution when applied to the general, nontransplant ICU as compared to specialist centers. Our data suggest that serum arterial lactate may improve the prognostic ability of these scores.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2014
Pulse pressure variation is not a valid predictor of fluid responsiveness in patients with elevated left ventricular filling pressure.
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the predictive ability of pulse pressure variation (PPV) for fluid responsiveness would be altered in patients with elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure. ⋯ None of the assessed preload indices including PPV were able to predict fluid responsiveness in patients with elevated LV filling pressure.