Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2017
Hyperlactatemia, Lactate Kinetics and Prediction of Citrate Accumulation in Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy With Regional Citrate Anticoagulation.
Citrate accumulation is a major complication of regional citrate anticoagulation during continuous renal replacement therapy. We studied the prediction of citrate accumulation during continuous veno-venous hemodialysis with regional citrate anticoagulation by initial lactate concentrations and lactate kinetics. ⋯ Risk of citrate accumulation during regional citrate anticoagulation in a well-selected cohort of patients is low even in case of initial severe hyperlactatemia. Lactate kinetics rather than initially elevated lactate concentration should be considered in assessing the risk of citrate accumulation.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2017
Observational StudySuperiority of Serum Cystatin C Over Creatinine in Prediction of Long-Term Prognosis at Discharge From ICU.
Renal outcomes after critical illness are seldom assessed despite strong correlation between chronic kidney disease and survival. Outside hospital, renal dysfunction is more strongly associated with mortality when assessed by serum cystatin C than by creatinine. The relationship between creatinine and longer term mortality might be particularly weak in survivors of critical illness. ⋯ In contrast to creatinine, cystatin C consistently associated with long-term mortality, identifying patients at both high and low risk, and better correlated with follow-up renal function. Conversely, lower creatinine relative to cystatin C appeared to confer adverse prognosis, confounding creatinine interpretation in isolation. Cystatin C warrants further investigation as a more meaningful measure of renal function after critical illness.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2017
Review Meta AnalysisIncorporating Dynamic Assessment of Fluid Responsiveness Into Goal-Directed Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Dynamic tests of fluid responsiveness have been developed and investigated in clinical trials of goal-directed therapy. The impact of this approach on clinically relevant outcomes is unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether fluid therapy guided by dynamic assessment of fluid responsiveness compared with standard care improves clinically relevant outcomes in adults admitted to the ICU. ⋯ In adult patients admitted to intensive care who required acute volume resuscitation, goal-directed therapy guided by assessment of fluid responsiveness appears to be associated with reduced mortality, ICU length of stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation. High-quality clinical trials in both medical and surgical ICU populations are warranted to inform routine care.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2017
Multicenter StudyImpact of Moderate Hyperchloremia on Clinical Outcomes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients Treated With Continuous Infusion Hypertonic Saline: A Pilot Study.
Hyperchloremia has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. While previous research has demonstrated an association between hypertonic saline and hyperchloremia, limited data exist in neurocritical care patients. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of moderate hyperchloremia (chloride ≥ 115 mmol/L) on clinical outcomes in intracerebral hemorrhage patients treated with continuous IV infusion 3% hypertonic saline. ⋯ We observed higher rates of in-hospital mortality in patients who developed moderate hyperchloremia during treatment with continuous IV infusion 3% hypertonic saline, with moderate hyperchloremia independently predicting in-hospital mortality. These results suggest that chloride values should be monitored closely during hypertonic saline treatment as moderate elevations may impact outcomes in intracerebral hemorrhage patients.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2017
Multicenter StudyThe Impact of Mortality on Total Costs Within the ICU.
The high cost of critical care has engendered research into identifying influential factors. However, existing studies have not considered patient vital status at ICU discharge. This study sought to determine the effect of mortality upon the total cost of an ICU stay. ⋯ While the largest drivers of ICU costs at the patient level are day 1 room occupancy and day 1 mechanical ventilation, mortality before unit discharge is associated with substantially higher costs. The increase was most evident for patients with an extended ICU stay who were receiving mechanical ventilation. Studies evaluating costs among ICUs need to take mortality into account.