Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2022
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyCatabolism in Critical Illness: A Reanalysis of the REducing Deaths due to OXidative Stress (REDOXS) Trial.
Ongoing risk of death and poor functional outcomes are important consequences of prolonged critical illness. Characterizing the catabolic phenotype of prolonged critical illness could illuminate biological processes and inform strategies to attenuate catabolism. We aimed to examine if urea-to-creatinine ratio, a catabolic signature of prolonged critical illness, was associated with mortality after the first week of ICU stay. ⋯ The catabolic phenotype measured by increased urea-to-creatinine ratio is associated with increased risk of death during prolonged ICU stay and signals the deleterious effects of glutamine administration in the REDOXS study. Urea-to-creatinine ratio is a promising catabolic signature and potential interventional target.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2022
Observational StudyEtiology, Treatments, and Outcomes of Patients With Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia in a Large U.S. Sample.
Compare the clinical practice and outcomes in severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) patients to those in non-sCAP patients using guideline-defined criteria for sCAP. ⋯ sCAP patients had worse outcomes and twice the rate of culture positivity. S. aureus and S. pneumoniae were the most common organisms in respiratory and blood specimens, respectively. Although only recommended for sCAP patients, nearly all pneumonia patients received blood cultures, a quarter of nonsevere patients received sputum cultures, and treatment with broad-spectrum agents was widespread, indicating fertile ground for antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship programs.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2022
Multicenter StudyThe Use and Duration of Preintubation Respiratory Support Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Immunocompromised Children With Acute Respiratory Failure.
To determine the association between preintubation respiratory support and outcomes in patients with acute respiratory failure and to determine the impact of immunocompromised (IC) diagnoses on outcomes after adjustment for illness severity. ⋯ In IC pediatric patients, preintubation exposure to HFNC and/or NIPPV is associated with increased odds of PICU mortality, independent of illness severity. Longer duration of exposure to HFNC/NIPPV prior to IMV is associated with increased mortality in HCT patients.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2022
Multicenter StudyHerpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis With Initial Negative Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Cerebrospinal Fluid: Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Clinical Impact.
To describe the prevalence, associated factors, and clinical impact of an initial negative herpes simplex virus (HSV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in critically ill patients with PCR-proven HSV encephalitis. ⋯ In severe herpes simplex encephalitis, initial negative CSF HSV PCR occurred in 4% of cases and was independently associated with worse neurologic outcome at hospital discharge. In these patients, a systematic multimodal diagnostic approach including early brain MRI and EEG will help clinicians avoid delayed acyclovir initiation or early inappropriate discontinuation.