Critical care medicine
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This paper reviews presently available techniques for monitoring the adequacy of tissue oxygenation, emphasizing the practical and theoretical problems that exist with presently used measurements. ⋯ In attempting to develop tools to assess adequate tissue oxygenation, emphasis should be placed on the monitoring of individual tissues that are felt to be highly susceptible to reduced oxygen delivery and key to overall survival. Preliminary data involving measurements of the interstitial pH of the gastrointestinal tract suggest that this measurement may be one approach to pursue.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1993
Comparative StudyPreoperative intensive care unit consultations: accurate and effective.
To determine if a structured preoperative ICU consultation would correctly assign patients to preoperative invasive monitoring, postoperative ICU care, or recovery room care, and to compare morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization among all groups. ⋯ A small number of high-risk patients can be selected for preoperative monitoring on the basis of clinical assessment without increasing ICU stay or hospital bills. A structured preoperative consultation correctly identifies those patients who need monitoring and ICU care, but does not overutilize scarce and expensive ICU beds.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1993
Comparative StudyAdequacy of tissue oxygenation in cardiac surgery: regional measurements.
The aim of the study was to measure visceral and peripheral perfusion and oxygenation during and immediately after cardiac surgery. ⋯ These data suggest that the visceral perfusion of patients is well maintained during cardiopulmonary bypass, while, at the same time, these patients develop hypoperfusion and hypoxia of peripheral tissues. After closing the wounds, gastric intramucosal pH, transcutaneous PO2 index (transcutaneous PO2/PaO2), and other peripheral tissue perfusion variables were at the lowest values, indicating impending residual hypothermia and tissue hypoperfusion after rewarming. During the first few hours in the ICU, both the visceral and peripheral oxygenation and perfusion variables reflected hypoperfusion of tissues coinciding in time with the period most vulnerable for hemodynamic disasters and cardiac arrhythmias.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1993
Association between gastric intramucosal pH and splanchnic endotoxin, antibody to endotoxin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.
To determine the association between gastric intramucosal pH, a minimally invasive marker reflecting the adequacy of oxygen delivery to the gastrointestinal tract, and splanchnic endotoxin, antibody to endotoxin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha concentrations in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. ⋯ These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that impaired gut-barrier function is responsible for endotoxemia occurring during cardiopulmonary bypass. It is unclear whether increased mucosal permeability and mucosal acidosis are causally related phenomena or simply independent markers of damage to gut epithelium.