Crit Care Resusc
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To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) findings during endoscopic placement of postpyloric feeding tubes in intensive care patients. ⋯ Endoscopic placement of postpyloric feeding tubes resulted in the identification of a significant number of patients with previously undiagnosed UGI abnormalities.
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Multicenter Study
Enteral nutrition in Australian and New Zealand intensive care units: a point-prevalence study of prescription practices.
Enteral nutrition (EN) is widely accepted as the preferred method for providing nutrition therapy to critically ill patients. However, optimal energy goals and the best way to achieve those goals are ill defined. ⋯ 1 kcal/mL and energy-dense formulations are administered with about equal frequency in Australian and New Zealand ICUs. This finding supports future research into the evaluation of optimal nutritional delivery amounts using EN formulations with differing energy concentrations.
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We established an adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service for cardiorespiratory support in April 2009. Complex therapies may show a learning curve and volume-outcome relationship. ⋯ Satisfactory outcomes were achieved using an ICU-based multidisciplinary approach with a broadly based education strategy with additional clinical perfusionist support to manage the learning curve.
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To evaluate the uptake of an emergency department early warning system (ED EWS) for recognition of, and response to, clinical deterioration. ⋯ The ED EWS resulted in at least two formal reports of clinical deterioration in ED patients per day, indicating reasonable uptake by clinicians. A greater understanding of clinical deterioration in ED patients is warranted to inform an evidence-based approach to recognition of, and response to, clinical deterioration in ED patients.