Current opinion in critical care
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Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem in ICUs worldwide. As numbers of published results from national/international surveillance studies rise rapidly, the amount of new information may be overwhelming. Therefore, we reviewed recent trends in antibiotic resistance in ICUs across Europe in the past 18 months. ⋯ As the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in ICUs is rapidly changing toward more frequently occurring epidemics and endemicity of multi and panresistant Gram-negative pathogens, better infection control and improved diagnostics will become even more important than before.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2011
ReviewGuided transfer of critically ill patients: where patients are transferred can be an informed choice.
Given increasingly scarce healthcare resources and highly differentiated hospitals, with growing demand for critical care, interhospital transfer is an essential part of the care of many patients. The purpose of this review is to examine the extent to which hospital quality is considered when transferring critically ill patients, and to examine the potential benefits to patients of a strategy that incorporates objective quality data into referral patterns. ⋯ Although hospitals often transfer patients, there may be substantial room for improvement in transfer patterns. Guiding transfers on the basis of objective quality information may offer substantial benefits to patients, and could be incorporated into quality improvement initiatives.
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In this study we present a concise review of the evolving management of traumatic injury to the pancreas, including diagnostic approaches and options for operative and nonoperative intervention. ⋯ Nonoperative management of solid organ injuries is the recommended treatment in hemodynamically stable patients. This strategy is now being successfully applied to pancreatic injuries in specific situations. However, the mainstays of pancreatic injury remain the same. The identification of pancreatic duct injury is the top priority. Management includes distal resection, debridement, and closed suction drainage of pancreatic injuries.
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In the past 3 years substantial progress has been made in the field of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for critically ill patients. ⋯ Wide variations in clinical practice still require RRT for critically ill patients to be optimized. The ideal prescription does not exist; however, continuous hemofiltration at a dose of 30 ml/kg/h meets many requirements of optimal care. In order to shed some light in the issue of RRT timing, furthermore, in the near future a standardized and clinically relevant definition of 'early' RRT should be provided. Great expectations currently rely on the utilization of acute kidney injury severity classifications and on new biomarkers of renal function.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2011
ReviewRemote care by telemedicine in the ICU: many models of care can be effective.
Telemedicine, by the use of audiovisual technologies, is increasingly being used to assist in patient care by ICUs unable to be staffed by consultant intensivists. This review discusses the recent evaluation of these services and their potential role in managing intensive care patients. ⋯ Clear benefits of ICU-telemedicine systems remain unclear but at least the systems appear safe. Formal reviews of the impacts and contribution of ICU telemedicine to processes of care, the effects on unit staffing, hospital organization, and the healthcare region are needed. However, ICU-telemedicine is available and being embraced by some, especially to deal with the tyranny of distance.