Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2011
N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide as a marker of right ventricular dysfunction after open-lung approach in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the utility of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a marker of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction after open-lung approach (OLA) in patients with acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ⋯ In patients with ALI/ARDS, intraindividual NT-proBNP changes correlated with RV afterload following OLA, thereby serving as a potential marker for RV dysfunction after OLA.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2011
Increased pulmonary artery systolic storage associated with improved ventilation-to-perfusion ratios in acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The possibility that the increased pulmonary artery systolic storage (PASS) correlates with an improved distribution of ventilation/perfusion (V(A)/Q) and hence benefits gas exchange in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was examined. Pulmonary artery systolic storage is the fraction of stroke volume stored in PA during systole and then discharged to the capillaries. The increased PASS can augment the diastolic pulmonary capillary blood flow (PCBF), which can then increase capillary blood volume participating in gas diffusion. We examined this by assessing the correlation between PASS and physiologic dead space to tidal volume (VD/VT) ratio. ⋯ Our data indicate that the increased PASS correlates with an improved distribution of V(A)/Q and hence benefits gas exchange in ARDS.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2011
Admission hyperlactatemia: causes, incidence, and impact on outcome of patients admitted in a general medical intensive care unit.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes, incidence, and impact on outcome of admission hyperlactatemia in patients admitted to a general medical intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Admission hyperlactatemia is common in a general ICU and is associated with increased mortality, irrespective of presence of hypotension. Shock was the commonest cause for hyperlactatemia, followed by respiratory and renal failures.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2011
Procalcitonin levels are lower in intensive care unit patients with H1N1 influenza A virus pneumonia than in those with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. A pilot study.
The purpose of the study was to know the kinetics of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) in critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza A virus pneumonia and to compare levels of these inflammatory mediators with patients with acute community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. ⋯ Among patients admitted to the ICU with pneumonia, the PCT level could help identify H1N1 influenza A virus pneumonia and thus enable earlier antiviral therapy.