Critical care medicine
-
Critical care medicine · Jun 1996
Multicenter StudyStudy of critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
To determine the presenting features, prognostic factors, course, and outcome of critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Our study suggests that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to an ICU often have florid disease manifestations with multifactorial reasons precipitating the admission. The prognosis for such patients is poor, particularly in the presence of renal involvement.
-
Critical care medicine · Jun 1996
ReviewSepsis/septic shock: participation of the microcirculation: an abbreviated review.
An overview of the importance of understanding mechanisms occurring in the microcirculation during septic and endotoxic shock. The thesis of the paper is to place emphasis on this important vascular network to ultimately benefit the patient. ⋯ The purpose of this review is to draw the readers' attention to the growing list of adverse factors occurring in the microcirculation during sepsis/septic shock. A further aim is to point to the realization of the complexity of factors which may contribute to the importance of a well-functioning microcirculation.
-
Critical care medicine · Jun 1996
Comparative StudyProspective, controlled study of the outcome of human immunodeficiency virus-1 antibody-positive children admitted to an intensive care unit.
Intensive care resources are both scarce and costly in South Africa. We set out to ascertain whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status affects the spectrum of disease and the prognosis in children treated in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). ⋯ Outcome in children with AIDS admitted to the pediatric ICU was significantly worse than the outcome in HIV-uninfected children. However, the number of AIDS patients studied was small. HIV antibody-positive children without AIDS do as well as uninfected controls. Ethics committees in resource-constrained countries may be assisted by such data when making difficult decisions on the admissions of HIV-infected patients to pediatric ICU facilities.
-
Critical care medicine · Jun 1996
Comparative StudyPrivate attending physician status and the withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions in a medical intensive care unit population.
To assess the influence of private attending physician status on the withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions among patients dying within a medical intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Among patients dying within a medical ICU, those patients without a private attending physician are more likely to undergo the active withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions.
-
Critical care medicine · Jun 1996
Myocardial dysfunction after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
To investigate the functional and metabolic changes in the myocardium after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest. ⋯ Postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction in this animal model was characterized by impaired contractile function, decreased work capability, and ventricular dilation.