Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2004
Continuous pentobarbital infusion in children is associated with high rates of complications.
To evaluate the incidence and severity of complications related to continuous pentobarbital (PB) infusion for sedation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). ⋯ We found continuous PB infusion to be an effective sedative for children when other drugs fail. However, we observed a high rate of clinically significant complications requiring discontinuation of the drug.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2004
Should procalcitonin be introduced in the diagnostic criteria for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis?
To define whether procalcitonin should be introduced in the diagnostic criteria of sepsis. ⋯ Despite the limited diagnostic value of procalcitonin for SIRS, concentrations of procalcitonin above 1.1 ng/mL are highly indicative for sepsis without, however, excluding the presence of SIRS.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2004
Patterns of chest physiotherapy in Australian Intensive Care Units.
The aim of this study was to identify the availability of physiotherapy services in Australian Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and articulate the roles that physiotherapists and nursing staff play in the provision of chest physiotherapy. ⋯ The provision of chest physiotherapy services is often shared between physiotherapists and nurses, however, the actual therapies provided appears to vary depending on the provider. While strong evidence for chest physiotherapy procedures is lacking, the widespread use in the ICU suggests that it is an ideal setting for undertaking clinical research.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2004
Practice Guideline GuidelineClinical practice guideline for the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in COPD patients with acute respiratory failure.
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation has been demonstrated to be of benefit in preventing endotracheal intubation and reducing mortality in specific patients in the setting of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The successful application of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation depends on a multitude of factors, including patient selection, choice of interface, physician experience, and patient-ventilator synchrony. The use of clinical practice guidelines has been shown to improve the process and outcomes of care. This paper presents a guideline for the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the setting of acute ventilatory failure in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2004
Preoperative 24-hour urine amount as an independent predictor of renal outcome in poor cardiac function patients after coronary artery bypass grafting.
To investigate the incidence and the main pre-operative risk factors for the development of acute renal failure (ARF) in triple vessels coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with special reference to a subset of patients with poor cardiac function (ejection fraction <50%). ⋯ Preoperative 24-hour urine amount and pre-operative serum creatinine can provide valuable information for predicting the likelihood of developing acute renal failure and requiring dialysis in this subgroup of patients.