Current opinion in critical care
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Hyperglycemia is common during perioperative management of surgical and critically ill patients. There is extensive ongoing study of detrimental effects associated with hyperglycemia, with several remaining unanswered questions. This review discusses recent literature on tight glucose control with insulin therapy and its effects in prevention and management of infection. ⋯ Hyperglycemia impairs the cellular immune system, stimulates inflammatory cytokines, and affects the microcirculation, thus increasing risk for infection and preventing normal wound healing. Additional investigation is needed to define appropriate patient populations and to develop effective treatment strategies for preventing perioperative morbidity.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Aug 2007
ReviewIndications and practical use of replacement dose of corticosteroids in critical illness.
Ongoing and severe systemic inflammation affecting critically ill patients may cause adrenal insufficiency and steroid resistance in target cells. As the appropriate diagnosis of this clinical entity remains a challenge, indication and practical use of corticosteroid replacement therapy in the critically ill is generally directed by clinical symptoms and features. ⋯ Corticosteroid replacement therapy may improve morbidity and mortality in specific target groups of critically ill patients. The appropriate target groups remain to be refined. To demonstrate this, additional studies are required on endocrine disorder in critical illness and corticosteroid replacement therapy.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Aug 2007
ReviewIndication and practical use of intensive insulin therapy in the critically ill.
Two large randomized studies demonstrated that maintenance of normoglycemia with intensive insulin therapy for at least a few days decreases morbidity and mortality of critically ill patients. This review gives an overview of the benefits associated with this therapy and highlights the importance of achieving optimal blood glucose levels. It discusses the indications for this therapy and the fear for potential harm. ⋯ Maintaining strict normoglycemia by the use of intensive insulin therapy improves outcome of critically ill patients.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Aug 2007
ReviewDiagnosis and management of blunt abdominal solid organ injury.
Nonoperative management of solid organ injuries has become the standard of care for over 25 years. Benefits of this practice include reduced operative complications, reduced transfusions, lower infectious morbidity, and shorter length of stay. Patients eligible for this management practice include those who are hemodynamically stable and who do not have associated injuries that require celiotomy. Operative interventions need to occur expeditiously in hemodynamically unstable patients with hepatic and splenic injuries. ⋯ Nonoperative management of solid organ injuries continues to have high success rates in the appropriate patient population. Minimally invasive adjuncts have a definite role in management of this patient population. Pancreatic trauma remains an operative injury. Surgeons must, however, temper the enthusiasm for nonoperative management of patients with solid organ injury, and exclude from this management scheme patients who would best be treated with surgery.
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The aim of this article is to outline developments in the three cornerstones of treatment of intra-abdominal infections during critical illness: source control; antimicrobial therapy; and mitigation of deranged immune and coagulation responses. ⋯ Because randomized controlled trials of intra-abdominal infections involve critically ill patients infrequently, only limited evidence-based recommendations regarding the management of these patients may be drawn. Therapy should focus above all else on timely obtainment of adequate source control, in conjunction with judicious use of antimicrobial therapy dictated by individual patient risk factors for infection with multidrug resistant pathogens.