Current opinion in critical care
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2014
ReviewSepsis-induced acute kidney injury revisited: pathophysiology, prevention and future therapies.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Sepsis is the most common cause of AKI. Considerable evidence now suggests that the pathogenic mechanisms of sepsis-induced AKI are different from those seen in other causes of AKI. This review focuses on the recent advances in this area and discusses possible therapeutic interventions that might derive from these new insights into the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced AKI. ⋯ An understanding of the pathologic mechanisms of sepsis-induced AKI emphasizes the important role of maladaptive responses to the septic insult. Preventive and therapeutic measures should be based on counteracting these maladaptive responses of tubular epithelial cells, inflammation, and microvascular dysfunction.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2014
ReviewFluid resuscitation and vasopressors in severe trauma patients.
To discuss the fluid resuscitation and the vasopressor support in severe trauma patients. ⋯ Fluid resuscitation is the first-line therapy to restore intravascular volume and to prevent cardiac arrest. Thus, fluid resuscitation before bleeding control must be limited to the bare minimum to maintain arterial pressure to minimize dilution of coagulation factors and complications of over fluid resuscitation. However, a strategy of low fluid resuscitation needs to be handled in a flexible way and to be balanced considering the severity of the hemorrhage and the transport time. A target systolic arterial pressure of 80-90 mmHg is recommended until the control of hemorrhage in trauma patients without brain injury. In addition to fluid resuscitation, early vasopressor support may be required to restore arterial pressure and prevent excessive fluid resuscitation. It is crucial to find the best alchemy between fluid resuscitation and vasopressors, to consider hemodynamic monitoring and to establish trauma resuscitative protocols.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2014
ReviewDefault options in the ICU: widely used but insufficiently understood.
Default options dramatically influence the behavior of decision makers and may serve as effective decision support tools in the ICU. Their use in medicine has increased in an effort to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and harness the potential of healthcare technology. ⋯ Defaults in the ICU may help or harm patients and clinical efficiency depending on their format and use. When constructing and encountering defaults, providers should be aware of their powerful and complex influences on decision making. Additional evaluations of the appropriate creation of healthcare defaults and their resulting intended and unintended consequences are needed.
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Sepsis has a high morbidity, with a mortality rate of over 50% in the septic shock patient. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign and the recent evidence since its publication. The guidelines reflect literature from the past 5 years to optimize outcomes in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. ⋯ Severe sepsis remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The International Surviving Sepsis Guidelines provide a framework for early recognition and treatment of this condition, with the goal of an improved outcome and mortality in severe sepsis. The recent evidence suggests that early identification, adequate volume resuscitation, and assessment of adequate circulation may be the key elements to decrease morbidity from severe sepsis and septic shock.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Dec 2014
ReviewDiagnosis of acute kidney injury: Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria and beyond.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common. Clear criteria and accurate diagnostic tools are essential to diagnose AKI early and correctly. The aims of this review are to outline some of the pitfalls of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) classification and to describe other traditional and novel tools to diagnose AKI. ⋯ Knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of traditional diagnostic tests is essential to make the correct diagnosis of AKI. New tests and technical innovations offer the prospect of diagnosing AKI earlier and more accurately.