Articles: critical-care.
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Intensive care medicine · May 1997
Retracted PublicationDoes continuous heparinization influence platelet function in the intensive care patient?
To study the influence of continuous administration of heparin on platelet function in intensive care patients. ⋯ Continuous administration of heparin with an average dose of approximately 500 U/h did not negatively influence platelet function in the trauma patients. Recovery from reduced platelet function in the sepsis group was not affected by continuous heparinization. Thus, continuous heparinization with this dose appears to be safe with regard to platelet function in the intensive care patient.
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Intensive care medicine · May 1997
Quality of life outcomes after intensive care. Comparison with a community group.
Compare the health related quality of life of intensive care patients with a community sample. ⋯ ICU patients following discharge have worse perceived health and more anxiety than others in the community. Sixty-three per cent of patients had a poorer QOL and functional health than those who returned to full health and those in the community.
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The assembly of the International Space Station in a low earth orbit will soon become a reality. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration envisions inhabited lunar bases and staffed missions to Mars in the future. Increasing numbers of astronauts, construction of high-mass structures, increased extra-vehicular activity, and prolonged if not prohibitive medical evacuation times to earth underscore the need to address requirements for trauma care in nonterrestrial environments. ⋯ With appropriate instrumentation and personnel, the majority of resuscitative and surgical interventions required to stabilize a severely injured astronaut are feasible in a microgravity environment. Onboard limitations in mass, volume, and power that are ever present in any spacecraft design will limit the realistic capabilities of the medical system. Standard proved and tested trauma and operative management protocols will constitute the basis for extra-terrestrial care. Surgeons should familiarize themselves with the microgravity environment and remain active in planning trauma care for the continued exploration of space.
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Critical care medicine · May 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialFunctional magnesium deficiency in critically ill patients identified using a magnesium-loading test.
To determine the feasibility of the magnesium-loading test in the critically ill and to validate serum ionized magnesium assay using the magnesium-loading test as a reference in this same patient population. ⋯ The magnesium-loading test is feasible and appears to be valid based on its performance during the 3-day evaluation. Using the magnesium-loading test as a reference, serum ionized magnesium appears to be an insensitive biochemical marker of functional hypomagnesemia. Larger cohort studies using the magnesium-loading test will help establish the true prevalence of magnesium deficiency and its associated risk factors in critically ill patients.