Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 1991
Comparative StudyOxygen transport measurements to evaluate tissue perfusion and titrate therapy: dobutamine and dopamine effects.
Increased cardiac index, oxygen delivery (DO2), and oxygen consumption (VO2) patterns were shown to characterize the physiologic status of surviving high-risk surgical patients, and indicate increased metabolic needs; relatively normal DO2 and VO2 values were found to characterize the sequential pattern of nonsurvivors who developed an early oxygen debt followed by lethal organ failure. The cardiac index, DO2, and VO2 values empirically determined from survivors' patterns were shown to improve outcome in prospective randomized trials. The present study considers these criteria to evaluate the tissue perfusion status as well as the effects of therapy on tissue perfusion and oxygenation. ⋯ The monitored patterns of cardiac index, DO2, and VO2 may be used to evaluate the adequacy of tissue perfusion as well as the relative effectiveness of alternative therapies. Second, these physiologic criteria may be used to titrate therapy in order to achieve optimal outcome. Third, after colloids optimally expand the plasma volume, dobutamine may be used to enhance flow and the distribution of flow in order to improve tissue oxygenation. Vasodilators may be used when hypertensive episodes occur or there is an inadequate response to inotropic agents. Vasopressors are used as a last resort, usually in the terminal or preterminal state.
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Critical care medicine · May 1991
Use of continuous noninvasive measurement of oxygen consumption in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome following shock of various etiologies.
To describe the patterns of cardiac index, oxygen delivery (DO2), oxygen consumption (VO2), and oxygen deficit (or excess) and to compare invasive and noninvasive monitoring systems for evaluation of these oxygen transport patterns. ⋯ Monitoring of VO2 and DO2 variables is useful for evaluation of tissue oxygenation and titration of therapy in critically ill patients. Noninvasive monitoring of VO2 values are in good agreement with VO2 values calculated from invasive measurements of cardiac index. The increased DO2 and VO2 values are not attributable to mathematical coupling of erroneous cardiac index values.
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Critical care medicine · May 1991
Efficacy and safety of potassium infusion therapy in hypokalemic critically ill patients.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of potassium replacement infusions in critically ill patients. ⋯ In the select group of hypokalemic patients studied, potassium infusions of 20 to 40 mmol delivered over 1 hr were safe to administer and effectively increased serum potassium levels in a dose-dependent and predictable fashion. Furthermore, these results were independent of the patient's underlying renal function or associated diuretic administration.
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Critical care medicine · May 1991
Unaccounted for anion in metabolic acidosis during severe sepsis in humans.
To quantitate the contribution of lactate, phosphate, urate, total serum proteins, and unidentified anions to the anion gap in patients with severe sepsis. ⋯ These data indicate that lactic acidosis does not entirely account for the metabolic acidosis during severe sepsis. Furthermore, the increased corrected anion gap suggests the presence of an unidentified anion (or anions) that is (or are) responsible, in large part, for the development of metabolic acidosis in patients with sepsis.
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Critical care medicine · May 1991
Efficacy of daily routine chest radiographs in intubated, mechanically ventilated patients.
To determine the efficacy of daily routine chest radiographs in intubated, mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ These data demonstrate that, while a large percentage of radiographs will not disclose new findings, routine daily studies have a substantial impact on the management of intubated, mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. These findings support the use of daily chest radiographs in critically ill patients.