Journal of critical care
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2015
Comparative Study Observational StudyPrognostic evaluation of severe sepsis and septic shock: Procalcitonin clearance vs Δ Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.
The purpose of the study is to compare the clearance of procalcitonin (PCT-c) in the first 24 and 48 hours of treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock with another early prognostic marker represented by the 48-hour Δ Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). ⋯ The 48-hour Δ SOFA score and the clearance of 24- and 48-hour PCT are useful markers of prognosis in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. A decrease in PCT-c in the first 24 hours of treatment should prompt the reassessment of the appropriateness and adequacy of treatment.
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2015
Prolonged mechanical ventilation in Canadian intensive care units: A national survey.
We sought to describe prevalence and care practices for patients experiencing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV), defined as ventilation for 21 or more consecutive days and medical stability. ⋯ Prolonged mechanical ventilation patients occupied 11% of Canadian acute care ventilator bed capacity. Most units preferred an individualized approach to weaning and mobilization with considerable variation in weaning methods, protocol availability, access to specialized rehabilitation equipment, communication technology, psychiatry, and discharge follow-up.
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2015
Observational StudyComparative effectiveness of physician diagnosis and guideline definitions in identifying sepsis patients in the emergency department.
The purpose of our study was to compare the agreement of emergency physician diagnoses relative to the 1991 American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)/Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and 2001 ACCP/SCCM/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine/American Thoracic Society/Surgical Infection Society internationally accepted definitions of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. ⋯ Our study showed that ED physician diagnosis of sepsis may disagree with the international definitions such that severe sepsis is underrecognized by clinical judgment alone. Although these results are limited to a single center, we raise concern that early treatments for these high-risk patients may be delayed due to inaccurate clinical diagnosis. Efforts are needed to increase the application of sepsis guideline definitions to better identify ED patients with this potentially deadly condition.
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2015
Observational StudyCharacteristics and outcomes of HIV-1-infected patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
We determined the prevalence of risk factors for the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), outcomes of critical illness, and the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected patients. We hypothesized that in an urban county hospital, HIV-1-infected patients with ARDS would have a higher mortality than their HIV-1-uninfected counterparts. ⋯ In patients with ARDS, HIV-1 infection was associated with greater illness severity but was not associated with higher mortality in ARDS. Future studies need to be done to evaluate the factors that contribute to high morbidity and mortality in medically vulnerable populations who develop ARDS.
-
Journal of critical care · Feb 2015
Observational StudyProcalcitonin as a rapid diagnostic biomarker to differentiate between culture-negative bacterial sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome: A prospective, observational, cohort study.
Differentiation between culture-negative sepsis and noninfectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) remains a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, both conditions having similar clinical presentations. Therefore, a swift accurate diagnostic tool, which helps differentiate these 2 conditions would immensely aid appropriate therapeutic continuum. This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the potential diagnostic role of biomarkers, procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), in culture-negative sepsis patients. ⋯ Procalcitonin can accurately differentiate culture-negative sepsis from noninfectious SIRS and thereby contribute to early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions.