Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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We review key research papers in cardiology and intensive care published during 2010 in Critical Care and quote related studies published in other journals if appropriate. Papers were grouped into the following categories: cardiovascular therapies, biomarkers, hemodynamic monitoring, cardiovascular diseases, and microcirculation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Sedation and renal impairment in critically ill patients: a post hoc analysis of a randomized trial.
Not sedating critically ill patients reduces the time patients receive mechanical ventilation, decreases the time in the intensive care department and reduces the total hospital length of stay. We hypothesized that no sedation improves hemodynamic stability, decreases the need for vasoactive drugs, diminishes the need for extra fluids and lowers the risk of acute kidney injury. ⋯ A no sedation strategy to patients undergoing mechanical ventilation increases the urine output and decreases the number of patients with renal impairments.
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Adiponectin is an adipokine first described just over a decade ago. Produced almost exclusively by adipocytes, adiponectin circulates in high concentrations in human plasma. Research into this hormone has revealed it to have insulin-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective roles. ⋯ Whether this is a result of the disease process itself or whether patients with lower levels of this hormone are more susceptible to developing a critical illness is not known. This observation of lower adiponectin levels then raises the possibility of therapeutic options to increase circulating adiponectin levels. The various options for modulation of serum adiponectin (recombinant adiponectin, thiazolidinediones) are discussed.
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To accomplish early enteral feeding in the critically ill patient a new transnasal endoscopic approach to the placement of postpyloric feeding tubes by intensive care physicians was evaluated. ⋯ Fast and reliable transnasal insertion of postpyloric feeding tubes can be accomplished by trained intensive care physicians at the bedside using the presented procedure. This new technique may facilitate early initiation of enteral feeding in intensive care patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Optimization of ventilator setting by flow and pressure waveforms analysis during noninvasive ventilation for acute exacerbations of COPD: a multicentric randomized controlled trial.
The analysis of flow and pressure waveforms generated by ventilators can be useful in the optimization of patient-ventilator interactions, notably in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. To date, however, a real clinical benefit of this approach has not been proven. ⋯ The analysis of the waveforms generated by ventilators has a significant positive effect on physiological and patient-centered outcomes during acute exacerbation of COPD. The acquisition of specific skills in this field should be encouraged.