Journal of critical care
-
Journal of critical care · Dec 2011
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleMax Harry Weil: a tribute from the Italian research fellows.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2011
Clinical TrialReduction in ventilator associated pneumonia in a mixed intensive care unit after initiation of a novel hand hygiene program.
Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) impact 10% of hospitalized patients. Some of these infections result from bacterial cross contamination and poor compliance with guidelines (Pittet D: Compliance with hand disinfection and its impact on hospital-acquired infections. J HospInfect 48 Suppl A:S40-S46, 2001); (Watanakunakorn C, Wang C, Hazy J: An observational study of hand washing and infection control practices by healthcare workers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 19:858-860, 1998). Contamination of provider hands may be a modifiable risk factor. We instituted a novel multimodal system designed to improve hand hygiene by ICU providers. ⋯ A novel multi-modal hand hygiene system resulted in a reduction in VAP. Provider hand contamination during patient care in the ICU is a modifiable risk factor for reducing ventilator associated pneumonias.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2011
Oxygen saturation/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio is a simple predictor of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure in critically ill patients.
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) can improve outcomes of critically ill patients. Early and simple predictors of NPPV outcome could improve clinical management of patients with respiratory failure. ⋯ For patients without malignancy, SF ratios at the time of NPPV initiation discriminated NPPV success and failure, and could be used to help guide the management of critically ill patients who require ventilatory support.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2011
Acinetobacter baumannii infection in patients with hematologic malignancies in intensive care unit: risk factors and impact on mortality.
We investigated the characteristics of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in critically ill patients with hematologic malignancies. ⋯ Despite the high mortality rate in critically ill patients with hematologic malignancies, presence of A baumannii infection was not an independent risk factor for mortality.
-
Journal of critical care · Oct 2011
Vasopressor administration and sepsis: a survey of Canadian intensivists.
Patients with septic shock often receive intravenous vasopressor infusions, with little evidence available to guide their titration. We surveyed Canadian intensivists to document self-reported vasopressor titration strategies for patients with septic shock. ⋯ Self-reported vasopressor use for the treatment of septic shock is relatively uniform among Canadian intensivists; however, practice is variable in patients with chronic comorbidities or acute concurrent illnesses.