Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Mar 1992
Comparative StudyContinuous measurement of cardiac output by the Fick principle: clinical validation in intensive care.
To compare continuous measurement of cardiac output by the Fick principle with the thermodilution cardiac output technique in hemodynamically unstable patients. ⋯ Continuous measurement of cardiac output by the Fick principle offers a convenient, reproducible method for hemodynamic monitoring of unstable patients. The variation between the two tested thermodilution techniques is likely to reflect relatively rapid dynamic variation of cardiac output, which is filtered in the 1-min average of cardiac output obtained by the continuous Fick technique.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 1992
Early prediction of successful weaning during pressure support ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
The aim of this study was to examine variables for early prediction of successful weaning in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during pressure support ventilation weaning. ⋯ This study confirms that conventional weaning criteria are often inadequate in predicting successful weaning of COPD patients, while airway occlusion pressure at 0.1 sec during the first phase of pressure support ventilation weaning can represent a good weaning predictor.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 1992
Case ReportsInfluence of political power, medical provincialism, and economic incentives on the rationing of surgical intensive care unit beds.
To determine factors influencing rationing decisions in a surgical ICU during a temporary nursing shortage when two to six of the unit's 16 beds were closed. ⋯ Surgical attending physicians rarely used other open inhouse ICU beds when surgical ICU beds were unavailable. Political power, medical provincialism, and income maximization overrode medical suitability in the provision of critical care services.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 1992
Frequency of chronic lung disease in infants with severe respiratory failure treated with high-frequency ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
To assess the frequency of chronic lung disease and factors associated with its development in term infants with severe respiratory failure who receive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, or high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ⋯ The frequency of chronic lung disease in ECMO candidates is clinically important. Factors associated with chronic lung disease in ECMO candidates are: the presence of lung hypoplasia, delayed referral, and the need for ECMO to support gas exchange.