Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jul 1998
Reasons for dissatisfaction: a survey of relatives of intensive care patients who died.
To describe the reasons for eventual dissatisfaction among the families of patients who died in the intensive care unit (ICU), regarding both the assistance offered during the patient's stay in the hospital and the information received from the medical staff. ⋯ Our survey found that the relatives of patients who died were most dissatisfied with the care received according to: a) the type of death (e.g., sudden death vs. death preceded by a gradual deterioration in the patient's condition); and b) the manner in which the relatives were notified of the death (in person vs. by telephone). The personal characteristics of the people interviewed, such as gender and the closeness of their relationship to the deceased, also seem to have some bearing on the opinions expressed. A high percentage of respondents were satisfied with the treatment received by their dying relative and the information conveyed by caregivers. Nevertheless, the dissatisfaction expressed by some respondents indicates a need for improvement, especially in communicating information to the relatives of these patients.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 1998
Effects of inhaled nitric oxide during permissive hypercapnia in acute respiratory failure in piglets.
To look for the effects of inhaled nitric oxide on oxygenation and pulmonary hemodynamics during acute hypercapnia in acute respiratory failure. ⋯ Acute hypercapnia resulted in a significant increase in pulmonary arterial pressure without influencing oxygenation and cardiac output. Inhaled nitric oxide significantly reduced the pulmonary hypertension induced by acute permissive hypercapnia but did not influence the flow through the pulmonary artery. Inhaled nitric oxide significantly improved oxygenation in this model of acute lung injury during normocapnia and acute hypercapnia.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial of enteral immunonutrition in the critically ill. Guy's Hospital Intensive Care Group.
To assess the effects of enteral immunonutrition (IMN) on hospital mortality and length of stay in a heterogeneous group of critically ill patients. ⋯ While the administration of enteral IMN to a general, critically ill population did not affect mortality, those patients in whom it was possible to achieve early enteral nutrition with Impact had a significant reduction in the morbidity of their critical illness.