Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Critically ill patients frequently develop anemia due to several factors. Iron-withholding mechanisms caused by inflammation contribute to this anemia. The iron metabolism imbalances described or reported in all intensive care studies are similar to the values observed in anemia of inflammation. ⋯ Since there is a lack of evidence to support either oral or intravenous iron administration in intensive care patients, further studies are necessary to determine the efficacy and safety of iron supplementation in conjunction with recombinant human erythropoietin in critically ill patients. We review the mechanisms leading to iron sequestration in the presence of inflammation. The present article also reviews the literature describing the iron status in critically ill patients and explores the role of iron supplementation in this setting.
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Extubation failure is an outcome of increasing importance but nearly all studies have been conducted in academic settings. The article by Seymour and colleagues demonstrates that extubation failure is an outcome to be avoided in the community hospital setting as well. ⋯ The predictors focus on detecting upper airway obstruction, inadequate cough, excess respiratory secretions, and abnormal mental status. Systematic application of these predictors has the potential to improve outcome.
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Infection is an important complication in cancer patients, which frequently leads to or prolongs hospitalization, and can also lead to acute organ dysfunction (severe sepsis) and eventually death. While cancer patients are known to be at higher risk for infection and subsequent complications, there is no national estimate of the magnitude of this problem. Our objective was to identify cancer patients with severe sepsis and to project these numbers to national levels. ⋯ Severe sepsis is a common, deadly, and costly complication in cancer patients.
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Despite the integral role played by tracheostomy in the management of trauma patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), its timing remains subject to considerable practice variation. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of early tracheostomy on the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, and outcomes in trauma ICU patients. ⋯ Early tracheostomy in trauma ICU patients is associated with shorter duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU LOS, without affecting ICU or hospital outcome. Adopting a standardized strategy of early tracheostomy in appropriately selected patients may help in reducing unnecessary resource utilization.
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Anaemia is a common problem in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units. Many factors can be involved in its development, including rapid alterations of iron metabolism. ⋯ With the inflammatory process, iron distribution is disturbed, with decreased serum iron levels and increased iron stores. Little information is available on the precise role of alterations of iron metabolism in the development of iron anaemia in critically ill patients.