Articles: intensive-care-units.
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To evaluate the effects of reorganizing physician resources in a medical intensive care unit (MICU), we studied the impact of these changes in patients with septic shock. Patients were compared during two consecutive 12-month periods: (1) an interval in which faculty without critical care medicine (CCM) training supervised the MICU (before CCM, n = 100) and (2) following staffing with physicians formally trained in CCM (after CCM, n = 112). Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores were utilized to compare severity of illness and were similar for each group (29 +/- 11 before CCM vs 28 +/- 10 after CCM). ⋯ There was no significant difference in the frequency of use of mechanical ventilation (83% vs 87%), although pulmonary artery catheters (48% vs 64%) and arterial catheters (24% vs 73%) were employed more frequently after CCM. The number of subspecialty consultations and MICU and hospital length of stay were similar for both intervals. We conclude that the implementation of dedicated staffing by CCM physicians in a university hospital MICU was associated with a favorable impact on patients with septic shock.
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Case Reports
Auditory evoked responses in the management of acutely brain-injured children and adults.
In recent years, the role of auditory evoked responses (AERs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting has expanded dramatically for both pediatric and adult brain-injured patient populations. AERs have unique value in early identification and evaluation of peripheral auditory dysfunction that can result directly from head trauma or as a consequence of intensive medical therapy (such as prolonged intubation and ototoxic drugs). ⋯ The rationale for monitoring neurologic status with AERs in this setting is presented and supported with original group data. Important points are illustrated with selected case reports.
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Financial information on 131 patients and drug-related information on 176 patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) were prospectively collected. The average stay was nearly five days and patients received 8.6 drugs per day for a total average exposure of 12.2 different drugs. Antibiotics and analgesics were used in over 90 percent of patients. ⋯ Patients receiving systemic antifungals, triple antibiotics, catecholamines, and total parenteral nutrition had high hospital and pharmacy costs. This study suggests that ICU patients are costly to hospitals and that drug use is expensive. We suggest that increased pharmacy involvement in the care of ICU patients may help curtail escalating drug costs in these patients.