Critical care medicine
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Gradual, almost imperceptible transitions occur between localized infection, generalized infection, systemic manifestations of the sepsis syndrome, septic shock, and death. The aim of this study was to describe the sequential pattern of hemodynamic and oxygen transport patterns of survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock, so as to differentiate primary from secondary and tertiary events, to evaluate possible physiologic mechanisms, and to provide a template to relate the appearance of biochemical mediators to the sequence of physiologic events. ⋯ Increased cardiac index and DO2 represent compensations for circulatory deficiencies that limit body metabolism, as reflected by inadequate VO2. Survivors have higher cardiac index, DO2, and VO2 values than those values of both the nonsurvivors and normal values. These data suggest that therapy should be directed toward increasing cardiac index to > 5.5 L/min/m2, DO2 to > 1000 mL/min/m2, and VO2 to > 190 mL/min/m2 as therapeutic goals; these supranormal values were empirically determined by the patterns of the survivors. Further studies to describe temporal relationships of biochemical mediators of these physiologic patterns are needed.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 1993
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPrognostic value of the dobutamine test in patients with sepsis syndrome and normal lactate values: a prospective, multicenter study.
To determine the oxygen supply (DO2) and uptake (VO2) responses to a 60-min dobutamine infusion in critically ill septic patients without circulatory shock and with normal blood lactate concentrations. Also, to determine whether these responses would predict outcome. ⋯ Most of these septic patients without shock or hyperlactatemia responded to dobutamine infusion in one of two ways: with little increase in DO2 and no increase in VO2, or with significant increases in both DO2 and VO2. The latter response is typical of healthy volunteers given dobutamine. Because of the calorigenic effect of dobutamine, our results imply nothing about the presence or absence of oxygen supply limitation. Still, patients who had increases in DO2 and VO2 had a much higher survival rate than patients who did not. We speculate that the inability of some patients to respond to dobutamine and the associated higher mortality rate may be related to beta-adrenoreceptor dysfunction.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 1993
Prognostic and clinical relevance of pupillary responses, intracranial pressure monitoring, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in comatose patients with acute supratentorial mass lesions.
To test the hypothesis that the clinical condition and outcome in patients with acute supratentorial mass lesions can be assessed by determination of pupillary abnormalities, measurement of intracranial pressure, and results of brainstem auditory evoked potentials. ⋯ Pupillary abnormalities may serve as a reliable parameter, which may even be superior to brainstem auditory evoked potential testing and intracranial pressure monitoring for prediction of outcome in comatose individuals with supratentorial mass lesions. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials can be used to support the clinical relevance of abnormal pupillary status and increased intracranial pressure but are of no prognostic value. Increased intracranial pressure is associated with abnormalities in pupillary status and brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Examination for pupillary abnormalities in combination with intracranial pressure monitoring and brainstem auditory evoked potential testing seems to be a useful strategy in managing patients with supratentorial mass lesions in critical care units.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 1993
Comparative StudyRelationship of burn-induced lung lipid peroxidation on the degree of injury after smoke inhalation and a body burn.
We compared the effect of a modest smoke inhalation injury, a burn injury alone, and a smoke inhalation injury plus a body burn, on the degree of lung oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation and lung injury. ⋯ We conclude that alveolar capillary permeability is not increased early after a moderate smoke injury or smoke injury with burn. Lipid peroxidation is not increased in large airway or lung parenchyma with early after-smoke exposure. The addition of a burn significantly increases lung parenchymal lipid peroxidation, but the oxidant changes do not correspond with the degree of early lung dysfunction.