Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2015
Reversible Increase in Maximal Cortisol Secretion Rate in Septic Shock.
Cortisol clearance is reduced in sepsis and may contribute to the development of impaired adrenocortical function that is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency. We sought to assess adrenocortical function using computer-assisted numerical modeling methodology to characterize and compare maximal cortisol secretion rate and free cortisol half-life in septic shock, sepsis, and healthy control subjects. ⋯ Results obtained by numerical modeling are consistent with comparable measures obtained by the gold standard stable isotope dilution method. Septic shock is associated with generally not only higher levels but also greater variance of maximal cortisol secretion rate when compared with control and sepsis groups. Additional studies would be needed to determine whether assessment of cortisol kinetic parameters such as maximal cortisol secretion rate and free cortisol half-life is useful in the diagnosis or management of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2015
Risk Factors for and Prediction by Caregivers of Extubation Failure in ICU Patients: A Prospective Study.
The influence of delirium, ICU-acquired paresis, and cardiac performance on extubation outcome has never been evaluated together. We aimed to assess the respective role of these factors on the risk of extubation failure and to assess the predictive accuracy of caregivers. ⋯ An ineffective cough, a prior duration of mechanical ventilation more than 7 days, and severe systolic left ventricular dysfunction were stronger predictors of extubation failure than delirium or ICU-acquired weakness. Only one-third patients who required reintubation were considered at high risk for extubation failure by caregivers.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2015
Use of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy to Prevent Desaturation During Tracheal Intubation of Intensive Care Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Hypoxemia.
Tracheal intubation of ICU patients is frequently associated with severe hypoxemia. Although noninvasive ventilation reduces desaturation during intubation of severely hypoxemic patients, it does not allow for per-procedure oxygenation and has not been evaluated in mild-to-moderate hypoxemic patients for whom high-flow nasal cannula oxygen may be an alternative. We sought to compare pre- and per-procedure oxygenation with either a nonrebreathing bag reservoir facemask or a high-flow nasal cannula oxygen during tracheal intubation of ICU patients. ⋯ High-flow nasal cannula oxygen significantly improved preoxygenation and reduced prevalence of severe hypoxemia compared with nonrebreathing bag reservoir facemask. Its use could improve patient safety during intubation.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2015
Is Lymphocyte Adenosine a Diagnostic Marker of Clinical Malignant Hyperthermia? A Pilot Study.
Malignant hyperthermia is a pharmacogenetic disorder typically triggered by potent inhalation anesthetics and/or the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine in malignant hyperthermia-susceptible individuals. Since lymphocytes express the same Ca channel mutation found in malignant hyperthermia-susceptible muscle, we investigated agonist-induced adenosine formation in lymphocytes as an index of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-release-induced adenosine 5'-triphosphate turnover as a potential minimally invasive functional malignant hyperthermia assay. ⋯ Both 4-chloro-m-cresol and halothane caused adenosine accumulation in blood lymphocytes. Adenosine accumulation was markedly increased in malignant hyperthermia-susceptible lymphocytes compared with controls reflecting higher than normal adenosine 5'-triphosphate degradation in the malignant hyperthermia-susceptible cells. Although 4-chloro-m-cresol receiver-operating characteristic curves revealed that adenosine accumulation could readily distinguish between normal and malignant hyperthermia-susceptible lymphocytes, independent confirmation is required with a substantially larger number of enrolled subjects to correctly appreciate the clinical utility of the novel lymphocyte-adenosine protocol for malignant hyperthermia testing.