Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Airway mucus is a highly specialised secretory fluid which functions as a physical and immunological barrier to pathogens whilst lubricating the airways and humifying atmospheric air. Dysfunction is common during critical illness and is characterised by changes in production rate, chemical composition, physical properties, and inflammatory phenotype. Mucociliary clearance, which is determined in part by mucus characteristics and in part by ciliary function, is also dysfunctional in critical illness via disease related and iatrogenic mechanisms. ⋯ Mucolytic therapies are designed to decrease viscosity, improve expectoration/suctioning, and thereby promote mucus removal. Mucolytics, including hypertonic saline, dornase alfa/rhDNase, nebulised heparin, carbocisteine/N-Acetyl cysteine, are commonly used in critically ill patients. This review summarises the physiology and pathophysiology of mucus and the existing evidence for the use of mucolytics in critically ill patients and speculates on journey to individualised mucolytic therapy.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Liberal versus restrictive transfusion strategies in subarachnoid hemorrhage: a secondary analysis of the TRAIN study.
The optimal hemoglobin (Hb) threshold to trigger red blood cell transfusions (RBCT) in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients is unclear. This study evaluated the impact of liberal versus restrictive transfusion strategies on neurological outcome in patients with SAH. ⋯ A liberal transfusion strategy was not associated with a lower incidence of unfavorable outcome after SAH when compared to a restrictive strategy. However, in a multivariable analysis adjusted for confounders randomization to the liberal group was associated with lower risk of unfavorable outcome. The occurrence of cerebral ischemia was significantly lower in the liberal transfusion strategy group.
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Observational Study
Time to positivity as a predictor of catheter-related bacteremia and mortality in adults with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection.
Time to positivity (TTP) and differential TTP (DTP) emerge as diagnostic and prognostic tools for bloodstream infections (BSI) though specific cut-off values need to be determined for each pathogen. Pseudomonas aeruginosa BSI (PAE-BSI) is of critical concern, particularly in immunocompromised patients, due to high mortality rates. Catheter-related infections are a common cause, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for effective management (source-control). ⋯ These findings advocate for the routine use of TTP over DTP as a diagnostic tool to guide timely interventions such as catheter removal, thereby potentially improving patient outcomes in PAE-BSI. Moreover, lower TTP have also prognostic implications in both catheter-related and non-catheter-related infections.