Medicina intensiva
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The present study explores the possible factors related to severe cases of pandemic flu. ⋯ As in other studies, abnormal chest X-ray findings upon admission and metabolic disease were related to poor outcomes of 2009 pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) infection in our patients.
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The use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation was evaluated in our series of patients admitted to our ICU with pneumonia due to influenza A virus H1N1, assessing the need for intubation, arterial blood gases and clinical improvement, the development of complications and ICU and hospital stay. ⋯ Based on our results, increased use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation in future epidemics coujld be proposed.
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Clinical Information Systems (CIS) are becoming a useful tool for managing patients and data in the ICU. However, the existing CIS differ in their capabilities and technical requirements. It is therefore essential for intensivists, as the end clients of these applications, to define the suitable minimum specifications required in order to be operative and helpful. ⋯ The requirements were grouped into four sections: technical, functional, safety and data management. All requirements were classified as basic and optional in order to allow the end user to choose among different options according to the existing budget, though ensuring a minimal set of useful characteristics. A chronogram for the installation process was also proposed.