Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1992
Comparative StudyComparison of gastric intramucosal pH with measures of oxygen transport and consumption in critically ill patients.
To determine the relationship of tonometrically measured gastric intramucosal pH to clinically accepted indices of systemic oxygenation. ⋯ In this group of patients, death was associated with increased tissue needs for oxygen that were not adequately satisfied by the available levels of oxygen supply. We also conclude that tonometrically measured gastric intramucosal pH is a useful noninvasive adjunct to current methods of monitoring systemic oxygenation.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1992
Ventilation/perfusion indices do not correlate with the difference between oxygen consumption measured by the Fick principle and metabolic monitoring systems in critically ill patients.
To determine whether the difference between oxygen consumption (VO2) measured by metabolic gas monitoring systems and by the Fick principle is related to venous admixture, deadspace/tidal volume ratio, or alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradient in critically ill patients. ⋯ If the difference in VO2 measured by metabolic gas monitoring systems and the Fick principle is due to intrapulmonary VO2 then in critically ill patients the ventilation/perfusion indices of venous admixture, deadspace/tidal volume ratio and alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradient correlate poorly with intrapulmonary VO2.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1992
Clinical TrialIntestinal platelet trapping after traumatic and septic shock. An early sign of sepsis and multiorgan failure in critically ill patients?
Patients resuscitated after severe traumatic or septic shock were studied with reference to the behavior of radiolabeled platelets in vital organs, the occurrence of sepsis, and multiorgan failure. These findings were compared with findings of patients who had sustained severe head trauma, but had reportedly not been in shock. ⋯ The results indicate that, in patients resuscitated after severe traumatic or septic shock, increased sequestration of platelets in the intestine, as measured by external detection of radioisotope-labeled autologous platelets, may precede clinical signs of sepsis and multiorgan failure and may possibly predict the outcome.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1992
Influence of age on outcome of mechanically ventilated patients in an intensive care unit.
To assess the influence of age on the outcome of patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation. ⋯ An influence of age on the outcome of mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU could not be ascertained in this study.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1992
Site of pressure measurement during spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure: effect on calculating imposed work of breathing.
To describe the importance of measuring pressure at the tracheal end of the endotracheal tube during spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure in order to correctly assess: a) the changes in airway pressure and b) the work imposed by the breathing apparatus. ⋯ The results indicate that pressure should be measured as close to the patient's airway as possible, i.e., at the tracheal end of the endotracheal tube, rather than using the traditional approach of measuring pressure and assessing work at the inspiratory or expiratory limbs, or "Y" piece of the breathing tubing.