Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Lack of effect of glutamine administration to boost the innate immune system response in trauma patients in the intensive care unit.
The use of glutamine as a dietary supplement is associated with a reduced risk of infection. We hypothesized that the underlying mechanism could be an increase in the expression and/or functionality of Toll-like receptors (TLR), key receptors sensing infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether glutamine supplementation alters the expression and functionality of TLR2 and TLR4 in circulating monocytes of trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ In trauma patients in the intensive care unit, TPN supplemented with glutamine does not improve the expression or the functionality of TLRs in peripheral blood monocytes.
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The aim of the present multicenter study was to assess long term (36 months) health related quality of life in patients after critical illness, compare ICU survivors health related quality of life to that of the general population and examine the impact of pre-existing disease and factors related to ICU care on health related quality of life. ⋯ A large proportion of the reduction in the health related quality of life after being in the ICU is attributable to pre-existing disease. The importance of the effect of pre-existing disease is further supported by the small, long term increment in the health related quality of life after treatment in the ICU. The reliability of the conclusions is supported by the size of the study populations and the long follow-up period.
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Comparative Study
Host adaptive immunity deficiency in severe pandemic influenza.
Pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza causes severe lower respiratory complications in rare cases. The association between host immune responses and clinical outcome in severe cases is unknown. ⋯ Our findings suggest an impaired development of adaptive immunity in the most severe cases of pandemic influenza, leading to an unremitting cycle of viral replication and innate cytokine-chemokine release. Interruption of this deleterious cycle may improve disease outcome.
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Several prognostic markers have been identified for patients admitted with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Most of the markers are based on clinical risk scores. Unlike hypercapnic respiratory failure, acidosis is not an adverse predictor in these patients. Hemodynamic variables that assess pathophysiological mechanisms may be more helpful to guide appropriate management.
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Neuron specific enolase (NSE) has been proven effective in predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest with a current cut off recommendation of 33 microg/l. However, most of the corresponding studies were conducted before the introduction of mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH). Therefore we conducted a study investigating the association between NSE and neurological outcome in patients treated with MTH. ⋯ Recommended cutoff levels for NSE 72 hours after ROSC do not reliably predict poor neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients treated with MTH. Prospective multicentre trials are required to re-evaluate NSE cutoff values for the prediction of neurological outcome in patients treated with MTH.