Current opinion in critical care
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Present an outline of acute liver failure, from its definition to its management in critical care, updated with findings of selected newer research. ⋯ Medical treatment of patients with acute liver failure is now associated with significantly improved survival. Better prognostication and selection for emergency liver transplant may further improve care for these patients.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2022
ReviewChest imaging in patients with acute respiratory failure because of coronavirus disease 2019.
This review aims to explore the different imaging modalities, such as chest radiography (CXR), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, PET/CT scan, and MRI to describe the main features for the evaluation of the chest in COVID-19 patients with ARDS. ⋯ CT is the technique with higher sensitivity and definition for studying chest in COVID-19 patients. LUS or bedside CXR are critical in patients requiring close and repeated monitoring. Moreover, LUS and CXR reduce the radiation burden and the risk of infection compared with CT. PET/CT and MRI, especially in ARDS patients, are not usually used for diagnostic or follow-up purposes.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2022
ReviewNoninvasive respiratory support for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19.
Noninvasive respiratory support has been widely applied during the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide a narrative review on the benefits and possible harms of noninvasive respiratory support for COVID-19 respiratory failure. ⋯ Noninvasive respiratory support and awake prone position are tools possibly capable of averting endotracheal intubation in COVID-19 patients; carefully monitoring during any treatment is warranted to avoid delays in endotracheal intubation, especially in patients with PaO2/FiO2 < 200 mmHg.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2022
ReviewProtective ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome related to COVID-19: always, sometimes or never?
To review current evidence on the pathophysiology of COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and on the implementation of lung protective ventilation. ⋯ According to the present evidence, a lung protective strategy based on low tidal volume and plateau pressures is indicated in COVID-19-ARDS as in ARDS from other causes; however, there are still uncertainties on the appropriate levels of PEEP.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Feb 2022
ReviewPhenotyping in acute respiratory distress syndrome: state of the art and clinical implications.
Decades of research in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have led to few interventions that impact clinical outcomes. The pandemic of patients with ARDS due to the novel SARS-CoV-2 infection has stressed the need for more effective therapies in ARDS. Phenotyping may enable successful trials and precision therapeutics in this patient population. ⋯ Although much progress has been made in ARDS phenotyping, implementation of precision medicine practices will depend on conducting phenotype-aware trials using rapid point of care assays or machine learning algorithms. Omics studies will enhance our understanding of biologic determinants of clinical outcomes in ARDS sub-phenotypes. Whether biologic ARDS sub-phenotypes are specific to this syndrome or rather more broadly identify endotypes of critical illness remains to be determined.