Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Observational Study
Net ultrafiltration intensity and mortality in critically ill patients with fluid overload.
Although net ultrafiltration (UFNET) is frequently used for treatment of fluid overload in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury, the optimal intensity of UFNET is unclear. Among critically ill patients with fluid overload receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT), we examined the association between UFNET intensity and risk-adjusted 1-year mortality. ⋯ Among critically ill patients with ≥ 5% fluid overload and receiving RRT, UFNET intensity > 25 ml/kg/day compared with ≤ 20 ml/kg/day was associated with lower 1-year risk-adjusted mortality. Whether tolerating intensive UFNET is just a marker for recovery or a mediator requires further research.
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Sepsis is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. The majority of sepsis cases and deaths are estimated to occur in low and middle-income countries. ⋯ We review these challenges and propose strategies to overcome them. These strategies include strengthening health systems, accurately identifying and quantifying sepsis cases, conducting inclusive research, establishing data-driven and context-specific management guidelines, promoting creative clinical interventions, and advocacy.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Risk factors and outcomes for airway failure versus non-airway failure in the intensive care unit: a multicenter observational study of 1514 extubation procedures.
Patients liberated from invasive mechanical ventilation are at risk of extubation failure, including inability to breathe without a tracheal tube (airway failure) or without mechanical ventilation (non-airway failure). We sought to identify respective risk factors for airway failure and non-airway failure following extubation. ⋯ Specific risk factors have been identified, allowing us to distinguish between risk of airway failure and non-airway failure. The two conditions will be managed differently, both for prevention and curative strategies.
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The open lung approach (OLA) reportedly has lung-protective effects against acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recently, lowering of the driving pressure (ΔP), rather than improvement in lung aeration per se, has come to be considered as the primary lung-protective mechanism of OLA. However, the driving pressure-independent protective effects of OLA have never been evaluated in experimental studies. We here evaluated whether OLA shows protective effects against experimental ARDS even when the ΔP is not lowered. ⋯ OLA shows protective effects against experimental ARDS, even when the ΔP is not decreased. In addition to reducing ΔP, maintaining lung aeration seems to be important for lung protection in ARDS.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Endotracheal tube-mounted camera-assisted intubation versus conventional intubation in intensive care: a prospective, randomised trial (VivaITN).
For critically ill patients, effective airway management with a high first-attempt success rate for endotracheal intubation is essential to prevent hypoxic complications during securing of the airway. Video guidance may improve first-attempt success rate over direct laryngoscopy (DL). ⋯ In this pilot study, no advantage was shown for the VST. The VST should be examined further to identify patient groups that could benefit from intubation with the VST, that is, patients with difficult airway conditions.