Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Apr 2018
ReviewNutrition in the ICU: new trends versus old-fashioned standard enteral feeding?
The narrative review aims to summarize the relevant studies from the last 2 years and provide contextual information to understand findings. ⋯ Studies from the last 2 years will have marked impact on future nutritional support strategies and practice guidelines for critical care nutrition as they challenge several old-fashioned concepts.
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End-of-life (EOL) care can be stressful for clinicians as well as patients and their relatives. Decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining therapy vary widely depending on culture, beliefs and organizational norms. The following review will describe the current understanding of the problem and give an overview over interventional studies. ⋯ EOL care is associated with negative outcomes for ICU clinicians and relatives, but strength of evidence for interventions is weak because we lack understanding of associated factors like work conditions, organizational issues or individual attitudes. In order to develop complex interventions that can successfully mitigate stress related to EOL care, more research is necessary, which takes into account all potential determinants.
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Trauma is the most common cause of pediatric mortality. Much of the research that led to life-saving interventions in adults, however, has not been replicated in the pediatric population. Children have important physiologic and anatomic differences from adults, which impact hemostasis and transfusion. Hemorrhage is a leading cause of death in trauma, and children have important differences in their coagulation profiles. Transfusion strategies, including the massive transfusion protocol and use of antifibrinolytics, are still controversial. In addition to the blood that is lost from the injury itself, trauma leads to inflammation and to a dysfunction in hemostasis, causing coagulopathy. ⋯ This article explores new research from the past year in pediatric trauma, starting with the physiologic differences in pediatric red blood cells and coagulation profiles. We also looked at the dramatic change in thinking over the past decade in the tolerable level of anemia in critically ill pediatric patients, as well as scales for determining the need for massive transfusion and exploring if the concepts of damage control resuscitation apply to children. Other strategies, such as avoiding hypothermia, and the selective administration of antifibriniolytics, are important in pediatric trauma as well. Future research that is pediatric focused is needed for the optimal care of our youngest patients.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Apr 2018
ReviewRecent evidence on early mobilization in critical-Ill patients.
To examine the benefits of early mobilization and summarize the results of most recent clinical studies examining early mobilization in critically ill patients followed by a presentation of recent developments in the field. ⋯ Early mobilization is well tolerated and feasible, resulting in improved outcomes in surgical and medical ICU patients. Implementation of early mobilization can be challenging and may need a cultural change anchored in an interprofessional approach and integrated in a patient-centered bundle. Scoring systems should be integrated to define daily goals and used to verify patients' achievements or identify barriers immediately.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Apr 2018
ReviewBlood transfusion management in the severely bleeding military patient.
Hemorrhage remains the primary cause of preventable death on the battlefield and in civilian trauma. Hemorrhage control is multifactorial and starts with point-of-injury care. Surgical hemorrhage control and time from injury to surgery is paramount; however, interventions in the prehospital environment and perioperative period affect outcomes. The purpose of this review is to understand concepts and strategies for successful management of the bleeding military patient. Understanding the life-threatening nature of coagulopathy of trauma and implementing strategies aimed at full spectrum hemorrhage management from point of injury to postoperative care will result in improved outcomes in patients with life-threatening bleeding. ⋯ Lessons learned in the treatment of combat casualties will likely continue to have positive impact and influence and the management of hemorrhage in the civilian trauma setting.