Annals of intensive care
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Annals of intensive care · Dec 2016
Sepsis-3 definitions predict ICU mortality in a low-middle-income country.
Sepsis-3 definitions were published recently and validated only in high-income countries. The aim of this study was to assess the new criteria's accuracy in stratifying mortality as compared to its predecessor (Sepsis-2) in a Brazilian public intensive care unit (ICU) and to investigate whether the addition of lactate values would improve stratification. ⋯ In a Brazilian ICU, the new Sepsis-3 definitions were accurate in stratifying mortality and were superior to the previous definitions. We also observed that the new definitions' accuracy improved progressively with severity. Serum lactate improved accuracy for values higher than 4 mmol/L in the no-dysfunction and septic shock groups.
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Annals of intensive care · Dec 2016
Predictors of posttraumatic stress and quality of life in family members of chronically critically ill patients after intensive care.
Prolonged mechanical ventilation for acute medical conditions increases the risk of chronic critical illness (CCI). Close family members are confronted with the life-threatening condition of the CCI patients and are prone to develop posttraumatic stress disorder affecting their health-related quality of life (HRQL). Main aim of the present study was to investigate patient- and family-related risk factors for posttraumatic stress and decreased HRQL in family members of CCI patients. ⋯ Posttraumatic stress and HRQL should be routinely assessed in family members of CCI patients at regular intervals starting early at ICU. Preventive family-centered interventions are needed to improve posttraumatic stress and HRQL in both patients and their family members.
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Annals of intensive care · Dec 2016
Teamwork enables high level of early mobilization in critically ill patients.
Early mobilization in critically ill patients has been shown to prevent bed-rest-associated morbidity. Reported reasons for not mobilizing patients, thereby excluding or delaying such intervention, are diverse and comprise safety considerations for high-risk critically ill patients with multiple organ support systems. This study sought to demonstrate that early mobilization performed within the first 24 h of ICU admission proves to be feasible and well tolerated in the vast majority of critically ill patients. ⋯ Mobilization within the first 24 h of ICU admission is achievable in the majority of critical ill patients, in spite of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor administration, or renal replacement therapy.
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Annals of intensive care · Dec 2016
The use of computerized echocardiographic simulation improves the learning curve for transesophageal hemodynamic assessment in critically ill patients.
Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a computerized echocardiographic simulator on the learning curve for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) hemodynamic assessment of ventilated patients in the ICU. ⋯ Inclusion of echocardiographic simulator sessions in a standardized curriculum may improve the learning curve for hemodynamic evaluation of ventilated ICU patients.
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Annals of intensive care · Dec 2016
Predictors of haemodynamic instability during the changeover of norepinephrine infusion pumps.
Changeovers of norepinephrine infusion pumps (CNIPs) frequently lead to haemodynamic instability. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for haemodynamic instability associated with CNIP, independent of the method used to perform the relay. ⋯ Changes in the norepinephrine concentration during CNIPs lead to a high risk of haemodynamic instability, while the clinical severity of patients, as well as the doses of norepinephrine, was not.