Intensive care medicine experimental
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Intensive Care Med Exp · Oct 2017
ReviewAssessment of immune organ dysfunction in critical illness: utility of innate immune response markers.
In critically ill patients, organ dysfunctions are routinely assessed, monitored, and treated. Mounting data show that substantial critical illness-induced changes in the immune system can be observed in most ICU patients and that not only "hyper-inflammation" but also persistence of an anti-inflammatory phenotype (as in sepsis-associated immunosuppression) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Despite common perception, changes in functional immunity cannot be adequately assessed by routine inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, or numerical analysis of leukocyte (sub)-counts. ⋯ Monocytic HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) controls the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity and may serve as a "global" biomarker of injury-associated immunosuppression, and its decreased expression is associated with adverse clinical outcomes (e.g., secondary infection risk, mortality). Importantly, recent data demonstrate that injury-associated immunosuppression can be reversed-opening up new therapeutic avenues in affected patients. Here we discuss the potential scientific and clinical value of assessment of functional immunity with a focus on monocytes/macrophages and review the current state of knowledge and potential perspectives for affected critically ill patients.
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Intensive Care Med Exp · Sep 2017
An extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) device operating at hemodialysis blood flow rates.
Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) systems have gained clinical appeal as supplemental therapy in the treatment of acute and chronic respiratory injuries with low tidal volume or non-invasive ventilation. We have developed an ultra-low-flow ECCO2R device (ULFED) capable of operating at blood flows comparable to renal hemodialysis (250 mL/min). Comparable operating conditions allow use of minimally invasive dialysis cannulation strategies with potential for direct integration to existing dialysis circuitry. ⋯ In vitro performance suggests a new ultra-low-flow extracorporeal CO2 removal device could be utilized for safe and effective CO2 removal at hemodialysis flow rates using simplified and minimally invasive connection strategies.
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Intensive Care Med Exp · Aug 2017
Whole blood microRNA markers are associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can play important roles in inflammation and infection, which are common manifestations of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We assessed if whole blood miRNAs were potential diagnostic biomarkers for human ARDS. ⋯ miR-181a and miR-92a are risk biomarkers for ARDS, whereas miR-424 is a protective biomarker. Addition of these miRNAs to LIPS can improve the risk estimate for ARDS.
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Intensive Care Med Exp · Aug 2017
Automated bedside flow cytometer for mHLA-DR expression measurement: a comparison study with reference protocol.
In various ICU conditions, measurement of diminished expression of human leukocyte antigen-DR on circulating monocytes (mHLA-DR) by flow cytometry appears to be a reliable marker of acquired immunosuppression. Low mHLA-DR is associated with an increased risk of nosocomial infections and mortality. Nevertheless, its use remains somewhat limited and has not been adopted in common medical practice. The main drawback of mHLA-DR measurement is likely related to the use of flow cytometry that is not accessible everywhere on a 24/7 basis. Recently, the Accellix system, a fully automated table top cytometer, was developed for use at bedside or emergency labs. ⋯ This fully automated table top cytometer appears to be a suitable tool for ICU patient monitoring and on-going clinical trials as there is no sample preparation and no need for specific skills in flow cytometry. Upon validation in a larger cohort study to reinforce reliability, Accellix could represent a major step to make flow cytometry accessible to clinicians by placing the instrument inside intensive care units or emergency laboratories.
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Intensive Care Med Exp · Dec 2016
ReviewThe 30-year evolution of airway pressure release ventilation (APRV).
Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) was first described in 1987 and defined as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) with a brief release while allowing the patient to spontaneously breathe throughout the respiratory cycle. The current understanding of the optimal strategy to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury is to "open the lung and keep it open". APRV should be ideal for this strategy with the prolonged CPAP duration recruiting the lung and the minimal release duration preventing lung collapse. ⋯ Multiple studies demonstrated that P-APRV stabilizes alveoli and reduces the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in clinically relevant animal models and in trauma patients. In conclusion, over the 30 years since the mode's inception there have been no strict criteria in defining a mechanical breath as being APRV. P-APRV has shown great promise as a highly lung-protective ventilation strategy.