Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Editorial Comment
Insulin, intracerebral glucose and bedside biochemical monitoring utilizing microdialysis.
Following subarachnoid hemorrhage, hyperglycemia is strongly associated with complications and with impaired neurological recovery. Targeted insulin therapy for glycemic control might, on the contrary, have harmful effects by causing too low cerebral glucose levels. The study published by Schlenk and colleagues in the previous issue of Critical Care shows that insulin caused a significant decrease in the interstitial cerebral glucose concentration although the blood glucose level remained unaffected. Since several studies utilizing various analytical techniques have shown that cerebral blood flow and cerebral glucose uptake and metabolism are insulin-independent processes, the observation remains unexplained.
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Using recruitment manoeuvres in acute lung injury remains a controversial issue because no convincing outcome data support their general use, although many physiological studies have demonstrated beneficial effects on lung compliance, end-expiratory lung volume and gas exchange. One of the reasons why physiologically meaningful observations do not translate into clear clinical benefit could be the heterogeneity of the studied patient population. ⋯ We do not currently have any simple tool that may readily be applied at the bedside to assess the recruitment potential in an individual patient, which would be a sine qua non for identifying a homogeneous population in a recruitment study. Therefore, the method presented by Jacob Koefeld-Nielsen and colleagues in the previous issue of Critical Care provides us with a simple method that could be used at the bedside to assess recruitment potential before the manoeuvre is applied.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Expression of cell surface receptors and oxidative metabolism modulation in the clinical continuum of sepsis.
Infection control depends on adequate microbe recognition and cell activation, yet inflammatory response may lead to organ dysfunction in sepsis. The aims of this study were to evaluate cell activation in the context of sepsis and its correlation with organ dysfunction. ⋯ Surface receptors expression on neutrophils may be modulated across the continuum of sepsis, and enhanced or decreased expression may be found depending on the receptor considered. ROS generation is upregulated both in neutrophils and monocytes in septic patients, and it is differently modulated depending on the stage of the disease and the stimuli used.
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Review Meta Analysis
Small-volume resuscitation with hyperoncotic albumin: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.
Small-volume resuscitation can rapidly correct hypovolemia. Hyperoncotic albumin solutions, long in clinical use, are suitable for small-volume resuscitation; however, their clinical benefits remain uncertain. ⋯ In some clinical indications, randomized trial evidence has suggested certain benefits of hyperoncotic albumin such as reductions in morbidity, renal impairment and edema. However, further clinical trials are needed, particularly in surgery, trauma and sepsis.
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The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of corticosteroids on the outcomes of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). ⋯ According to the GRADE system, available studies do not support the recommendation of corticosteroids as a standard of care for patients with severe CAP. Further randomized controlled trials with this aim should enroll a larger number of severely ill patients. However, in patients needing corticosteroids, it may be reasonable to conclude that corticosteroid administration is safe in patients with severe infections receiving antimicrobial therapy.