Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2013
ReviewInterprofessional care in intensive care settings and the factors that impact it: Results from a scoping review of ethnographic studies.
At the heart of safe cultures are effective interactions within and between interprofessional teams. Critical care clinicians see severely ill patients who require coordinated interprofessional care. In this scoping review, we asked: "What do we know about processes, relationships, organizational and contextual factors that shape the ability of clinicians to deliver interprofessional care in adult ICUs?" Using the 5-stage process established by Levac et al. (2010), we reviewed 981 abstracts to identify ethnographic articles that shed light on interprofessional care in the intensive care unit. ⋯ Overall, studies were of mixed quality, with an average (SD) score of 5.8 out of 10 (1.77). Insights into intensive care unit cultures include the importance of paying attention to workflow, the nefarious impact of hierarchical relationships, the mixed responses to protocols imposed from the top down, and a general undertheorization of sex and race. This review highlights several lessons for safe cultures and argues that more needs to be known about the context of critical care if quality and safety interventions are to succeed.
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Journal of critical care · Dec 2013
ReviewPractical considerations for the dosing and adjustment of continuous renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit.
Familiarity with the initiation, dosing, adjustment, and termination of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a core skill for contemporary intensivists. Guidelines for how to administer CRRT in the intensive care unit are not well documented. ⋯ Management of electrolyte and acid-base derangements commonly encountered with acute renal failure is emphasized. Knowledge regarding the practical aspects of managing CRRT in the intensive care unit is a prerequisite for achieving desired physiological end points.
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Ventilatory management of acute respiratory distress syndrome has evolved significantly in the last few decades. The aims have shifted from optimal gas transfer without concern for iatrogenic risks to adequate gas transfer while minimizing lung injury. This change in focus, along with improved ventilator and multiorgan system management, has resulted in a significant improvement in patient outcomes. ⋯ These choices may be further influenced by the emerging novel extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal devices that can compliment LPV. Given the heterogeneity of acute respiratory distress syndrome, each of these modalities may play a role in an individual patient. Future studies comparing LPV, HFOV, and VV ECMO should not only focus on defining the patients who benefit most from each of these therapies but also consider long-term functional outcomes.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2013
ReviewHow to select an antifungal agent in critically ill patients.
Fungal infections are common in critically ill patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Candida spp are the most commonly isolated fungal pathogens. The last 2 decades have seen an increased incidence of fungal infections in critical illness and the emergence of new pathogenic fungal species and also the development of more effective (better bioavailability) and safer (less toxicity, fewer drug interactions) drugs. ⋯ The antifungal agents that are most frequently used in the intensive care unit are the first- and second-generation azoles and the echinocandins; amphotericin B derivatives (mainly the liposomal agents) are less widely used because of adverse effects. The choice of antifungal agent in critically ill patients will depend on the aim of therapy (prophylaxis, pre-emptive, empiric, definitive), as well as on local epidemiology and specific properties of the drug (antifungal spectrum, efficacy, toxicity, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, cost). In this article we will review all these aspects and propose an algorithm to guide selection of antifungal agents in critically ill patients.
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Journal of critical care · Oct 2013
ReviewAssessment and management of cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension in acute liver failure.
Acute liver failure is uncommon but not a rare complication of liver injury. It can happen after ingestion of acetaminophen and exposure to toxins and hepatitis viruses. The defining clinical symptoms are coagulopathy and encephalopathy occurring within days or weeks of the primary insult in patients without preexisting liver injury. ⋯ Intracranial pressure monitoring, transcranial Doppler, and jugular venous oximetry provide valuable information for monitoring ICP and guiding therapeutic measures in patients with encephalopathy grade III or IV. Osmotic therapy using hypertonic saline and mannitol, therapeutic hypothermia, and propofol sedation are shown to improve ICPs and stabilize the patient for liver transplantation. In this article, diagnosis and management of hepatic encephalopathy and cerebral edema in patients with acute liver failure are reviewed.