Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2001
Comparative StudyAnalgesia, sedation, and memory of intensive care.
The purpose of this article was to investigate the relationship between analgesia, sedation, and memory of intensive care. ⋯ The patients receiving sedatives in the ICU are not comparable with those receiving only opiates or nothing, due to the different clinical condition. The lack of memory of intensive care is present in one third of patients and is influenced more by length of stay in ICU than by the sedation received. Sedation does not influence the incidence of factual, sensation, and emotional memories of ICU admitted patients. Females have higher incidences of emotional memories than males.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2001
Comparative StudyMortality due to ventilator-associated pneumonia: impact of medical versus surgical ICU admittance status.
The purpose of this study was to compare the prognosis of medical versus surgical patients developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). ⋯ In this series, after adjustment for mortality confounding factors, medical versus surgical admittance status was not a significant determinant of VAP mortality.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2001
Comparative StudyRoutine exploratory thoracentesis in ICU patients with pleural effusions: results of a French questionnaire study.
The purpose of this study was to report the opinions of intensivists regarding pleural effusions in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The beliefs and attitudes of intensivists regarding pleural effusions and exploratory thoracentesis are divergent. This may be due to the lack of precise guidelines on the topic and prompt the design of further studies to establish precisely the epidemiology and causes of pleural effusions in ICU patients.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2001
Comparative StudyAdult respiratory distress syndrome among blunt and penetrating trauma patients: demographics, mortality, and resource utilization over 8 years.
The purpose of this study was to compare demographics, resources used, and mortality rates among a subset of trauma patients (blunt versus penetrating) who developed adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and over two time periods, 8 years apart. ⋯ ARDS in patients with blunt and penetrating trauma showed similar trends in ICU mortality, complications, and resource utilization. The ARDS mortality rate decreased over the time period studied in both blunt and penetrating trauma.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2001
Comparative StudyContinuous venovenous hemofiltration improves intensive care unit, but not hospital survival rate, in nonoliguric septic patients.
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the early institution of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration on survival rates of nonoliguric, septic patients. ⋯ In this retrospective uncontrolled study, the mortality rate was considerably lower in nonoliguric septic patients who received continuous venovenous hemofiltration early in the course of the disease. The improved survival rate may be due to the ability of CVVH to eliminate mediators involved in the septic process, thus averting the multiple system organ failure consequent to septic insult.