Articles: critical-illness.
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Oxygen consumption is physiologically dependent on DO2 below the critical DO2. Thus, patients in overt shock have physiologic dependence of VO2 on DO2. The first priority of prevention and reversal of tissue hypoxia is to balance oxygen demand and oxygen supply. ⋯ Finally, we suggest that intensivists continue to assess DO2 and VO2 carefully. Global assessment of VO2 and DO2 appears inadequate to detect occult tissue hypoxia in most critically ill patients. However, research focused on regional assessment such as gastric tonometer measurement of gastric mucosal PCO2 and pH provides opportunity for safe, convenient detection of occult tissue hypoxia in critically ill patients.
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Intensive care medicine · Oct 1996
Validation of a quality of life questionnaire for critically ill patients.
Development and validation of quality of life questionnaire for critical care patients. ⋯ Questionnaire meets objectives recommended for critical care use, and fulfills essential requirements of validity and reproducibility when applied to critically ill patients.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1996
Bedside sonographic-guided versus blind nasoenteric feeding tube placement in critically ill patients.
To compare a blind manual bedside method for placing feeding tubes into the small bowel vs. a sonographic bedside technique in critically ill patients. ⋯ The sonographic bedside technique for placing feeding tubes into the small bowel in critically III patients has a success rate of 84.6% (confidence interval 71% to 98%) after the failure of the blind bedside manual method, proving that the former is significantly more successful. This sonographic technique facilitates the insertion of the tubes in patients who cannot be moved and in those patients with severe impairment of the peristaltic activity of the stomach.