Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2007
ReviewClinician-performed focused sonography for the resuscitation of trauma.
Traumatic death remains pandemic. The majority of preventable deaths occur early and are due to injuries or physiologic derangements in the airway, thoracoabdominal cavities, or brain. Ultrasound is a noninvasive and portable imaging modality that spans a spectrum between the physical examination and diagnostic imaging. ⋯ Although not as widely appreciated, the focused use of ultrasound may also have a role in detecting hemothoraces and pneumothoraces, guiding airway management, and detecting increased intracranial pressure. Intensivists generally utilize a treating philosophy that requires the real-time integration of many divergent sources of information regarding their patients' anatomy and physiology. They are therefore positioned to take advantage of focused resuscitative ultrasound, which offers immediate diagnostic information in the early care of the critically injured.
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Physicians spend a considerable amount of time and effort inserting catheters and needles into patients. Central venous catheters are the mainstay of measuring hemodynamic variables that cannot be assessed by noninvasive procedures. These catheters also allow hemodialysis, parenteral nutritional support, delivery of medications, and catecholamine administration. ⋯ With the development and refinement of portable and affordable high-resolution ultrasound devices, imaging vascular access has changed the role of the traditional landmark techniques. In this article, we explain the use of ultrasound for vascular access to reduce complications associated with cannulation of veins and arteries. We will also provide a brief overview of the current literature regarding ultrasound-guided vascular access.
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Critical care medicine · May 2007
ReviewRole of ultrasound in the airway management of critically ill patients.
Ultrasound imaging of the upper airway in critically ill patients offers a number of attractive advantages compared with competitive imaging techniques or endoscopy. It is widely available, portable, repeatable, relatively inexpensive, pain-free, and safe. ⋯ The role of ultrasound in endotracheal tube placement, including preintubation assessment, verification of tube position, double-lumen intubation, and extubation outcome, are explained. Also, ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy, the role of ultrasound in using the laryngeal mask airway, and upper airway anesthesia are described.
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Critical care medicine · May 2007
Prediction of short-term and long-term outcomes after cardiac arrest: a prospective multivariate approach combining biochemical, clinical, electrophysiological, and neuropsychological investigations.
To determine the prognostic accuracy of biochemical, clinical, electrophysiological, and neuropsychological investigations in predicting outcomes after cardiac arrest. ⋯ A multivariate assessment approach should be used to establish an early high-certainty prognosis after cardiac arrest. However, further prospective clinical studies are necessary to confirm this derived predictor index. In addition, an early recording of S-100B, long-latency sensory-evoked potential, and neuropsychological bedside screening reflect a cognitive long-term outcome.
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Critical care medicine · May 2007
ReviewPoint-of-care ultrasound: Infection control in the intensive care unit.
Ultrasound provides a diagnostic modality that allows a whole-body approach at the bedside of a critically ill patient in the search for infectious foci. Both common sites of infection, such as the lung and pleura, central veins, and maxillary sinuses, and also less common sites, such as gastrointestinal perforation, sepsis due to mesenteric ischemia, or even meningitis, provide characteristic ultrasound patterns. ⋯ Experience has shown that fevers of unknown origin in the critical care unit often have ultrasound equivalents. Thus, if a comprehensive ultrasound examination is negative, it is now appropriate to speak of fever of unknown sonographic origin.