Current opinion in critical care
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The optimal use of antimicrobials is necessary to slow resistance development and improve patient outcomes. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a bundle of interventions aimed at promoting the responsible use of antiinfectives. The ICU is an important field of activity for AMS because of high rates of antimicrobial use, high prevalence of resistant pathogens and complex pharmacology. This review discusses aims and interventions of AMS with special emphasis on the ICU. ⋯ AMS in the ICU is effective and safe. Intensivists should be actively involved in AMS-programs and propagate responsible use of antimicrobials.
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Sepsis guidelines and quality measures set aggressive deadlines for administering antibiotics to patients with possible sepsis or septic shock. However, the diagnosis of sepsis is often uncertain, particularly upon initial presentation, and pressure to treat more rapidly may harm some patients by exposing them to unnecessary or inappropriate broad-spectrum antibiotics. ⋯ Clinicians are advised to tailor the urgency of antibiotics to their certainty of infection and patients' severity of illness. Immediate antibiotics are warranted for patients with possible septic shock or high likelihood of infection. Antibiotics can safely be withheld to allow for more investigation, however, in most patients with less severe illnesses if the diagnosis of infection is uncertain.
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To summarize improvements and innovations in healthcare delivery which could be implemented to improve the recovery experience after critical illness for adult survivors and their families. ⋯ Future research could focus on exploring safety outcomes as primary endpoints and finding ways to develop and test implementation strategies to improve the recovery after critical illness.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2022
ReviewCritical care management of meningitis and encephalitis: an update.
Meningitis and encephalitis represent severe neurological syndromes associated with encephalopathy, seizures, focal deficits, and neurological sequelae in survivors. We update on the critical care management of adult patients with severe meningitis and encephalitis. ⋯ Our review highlights the importance of an early multimodal approach for diagnosing severe meningitis and encephalitis. Randomized clinical trials are needed to identify pharmacological interventions that may improve patients' outcomes.