Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
-
Preclinical studies in animals and human clinical trials question whether the endothelial glycocalyx layer is a clinically important permeability barrier. Glycocalyx breakdown products in plasma mostly originate from 99.6-99.8% of the endothelial surface not involved in transendothelial passage of water and proteins. ⋯ Increases in plasma breakdown products in rats did not correlate with vascular permeability. Clinically, three studies in humans show inverse correlations between glycocalyx degradation products and the capillary leakage of albumin and fluid.
-
It is unknown how to titrate positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Guidelines recommend the one-size-fits-all PEEP-FiO2 table. In this retrospective cohort study, an electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-guided PEEP trial was used to titrate PEEP. ⋯ An EIT-guided PEEP trial resulted in a relevant change in PEEP in 63% of patients. These results support the hypothesis that PEEP should be personalized in patients with ARDS.
-
A multidisciplinary group of international physicians involved in the medical nutrition therapy (MNT) of adult critically ill patients met to discuss the value, role, and open questions regarding supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) along with oral or enteral nutrition (EN), particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. This manuscript summarizes the discussions and results to highlight the importance of SPN as part of a comprehensive approach to MNT in critically ill adults and for researchers to generate new evidence based on well-powered randomized controlled trials (RCTs). ⋯ Education is also insufficient. The experts agreed on actions needed to increase evidence quality on SPN use in specific patients at a given time point during acute critical illness or recovery.
-
Many survivors of critical illness face significant physical and psychological disability following discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). They are often malnourished, a condition associated with poor outcomes, and nutrition remains problematic particularly in the early phases of ICU recovery. Yet nutrition rehabilitation, the process of restoring or optimizing nutritional status following illness, is seldom prioritized, possibly because it is an underrecognized and underappreciated area in critical care rehabilitation and research. ⋯ With consideration to themes arising from this review, pragmatic strategies to improve nutrition rehabilitation are explored and directions for future research in the field of post-ICU nutrition recovery and rehabilitation are discussed. Given the interplay between nutrition and physical and psychological health, it is imperative that enhancing the nutritional status of an ICU survivor is considered when developing multidisciplinary rehabilitation strategies. It must also be recognized that dietitians are experts in the field of nutrition and should be included in stakeholder meetings that aim to enhance ICU rehabilitation strategies and improve outcomes for survivors of critical illness.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Administration of vitamin D and its metabolites in critically ill adult patients: an updated systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The clinical significance of vitamin D administration in critically ill patients remains inconclusive. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of vitamin D and its metabolites on major clinical outcomes in critically ill patients, including a subgroup analysis based on vitamin D status and route of vitamin D administration. ⋯ Vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients may reduce mortality. Parenteral administration might be associated with a greater impact on mortality. Heterogeneity and assessed certainty among the studies limits the generalizability of the results.