Current opinion in critical care
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To summarize new pathophysiologic insights and recent advances in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage. ⋯ Prospective controlled studies are needed to develop novel medical and surgical therapies for ICH.
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This review will give an overview of current trends in diagnosis, treatment, and pathogenesis of ascites and intraabdominal infection in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic critically ill patients. ⋯ Emerging pathophysiological concepts have modified the conventional view of hydrostatic and Starling forces in the evolution of ascites. Current data indicate that the dynamic sequence of bacterial translocation, mesenteric inflammation, splanchnic vasodilatation and intrahepatic vasoconstriction determines occurrence, severity, and outcome of ascites and intraabdominal infection.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2004
ReviewEpidemiology of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are diseases with a significant influence in the public health. A better knowledge of their epidemiology could help to improve the outcome of these diseases. ⋯ The epidemiology of ALI and ARDS has some issues to improve, such as the accuracy of the clinical criteria of ALI/ARDS. Future research must to include study of genetic polymorphisms of the mediators involve in the development of ALI/ARDS. Studies to define better the population at risk are necessary to estimate better their true incidence.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2004
ReviewSurfactant therapy for acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Currently, three phase III surfactant replacement trials for acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndromes (ARDS) patients are underway. Although the efficacy of surfactant replacement therapy will first have to be proved in these phase III trials, recent reports indicate some enticing possibilities for the future of surfactant therapy. ⋯ If surfactant therapy fulfills the promises expected from the ongoing phase III trials, future surfactant preparations may even enhance therapy efficacy and restore the altered endogenous surfactant pool as soon as possible.