Articles: critical-illness.
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Approximately 20% to 30% of patients admitted to an intensive care unit have sepsis. While fluid therapy typically begins in the emergency department, intravenous fluids in the intensive care unit are an essential component of therapy for sepsis. ⋯ Fluids are an important component of treating patients who are critically ill with sepsis. Although optimal fluid management in patients with sepsis remains uncertain, clinicians should consider the risks and benefits of fluid administration in each phase of critical illness, avoid use of hydroxyethyl starch, and facilitate fluid removal for patients recovering from acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Incidence and Mortality Trends in Critically Ill Children: A Korean Population-Based Study.
Monitoring mortality trends can help design ways to improve survival, but observation of national mortality trends in critically ill children is lacking for the Korean population. ⋯ Mortality among critically ill children improved during the study period, and the improving trend was prominent in children with high treatment requirements. Varying mortality trends, according to ICU organizations, highlight that advances in medical knowledge should be supported structurally.
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Critical illness results in subjective financial distress for families, but little is known about objective caregiver finances after a child's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) hospitalization. Using statewide commercial insurance claims linked to cross-sectional commercial credit data, we identified caregivers of children with PICU hospitalizations in January-June 2020 and January-June 2021. Credit data included delinquent debt, debt in collections (medical and non-medical), low credit score (< 660), and a composite of any debt or poor credit and were measured in January 2021 for all caregivers. ⋯ Overall, 39.5% and 36.5% of post-PICU and comparator caregivers, respectively, had delinquent debt, debt in collections or poor credit. Many caregivers of critically ill children have financial debt or poor credit during hospitalization and post-discharge. However, caregivers may be at higher risk for poor financial status following their child's critical illness.
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Although many critically ill patients require inter-facility transport for definitive or specialized therapy, the medical equipment required to enhance transport safety remains unclear. This review was performed to summarize the evidence regarding devices used to improve the safety and survival in patients requiring such transport. ⋯ Studies on devices needed for inter-facility transport of critically ill patients are scarce, but some devices may be beneficial.