Articles: critical-illness.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and serious complication in critically ill patients. Currently, no effective therapy to prevent or treat AKI is available. This review highlights recently published developments on pharmacological treatments that aim to prevent AKI or to alleviate the severity of AKI in critical ill patients. ⋯ The discovery of reno-protective therapies is hampered by the timely detection and recognition of the overriding mechanism of AKI. Nevertheless, several compounds are under investigation, which hold promise for a future treatment.
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Delirium in critical ill patients is a complex and common neurological syndrome in the intensive care unit (ICU) that is caused by a range of structural or functional abnormalities. ICU Delirium is associated with reduced compliance, prolonged hospital stays, greater use or delayed withdrawal of sedatives, higher rates and durations of mechanical ventilation, and higher rates of mortality. The aetiology and pathogenesis of ICU delirium are unclear, and the lack of better prediction, prevention, and treatment measures leads to a non-standardized control of delirium. By searching the relevant literature, we aim in this narrative review to describe progress in the pathogenesis, predictive biomarkers, diagnosis, and treatment of ICU delirium.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly encountered in critical care medicine as is intravenous fluid therapy. It is accepted that there is interplay between fluid use and AKI, both potentially positive and negative. An understanding of the physiological rationale for fluid is important to help clinicians when considering fluid therapy in patients with, or at risk for AKI; this includes understanding choice of fluid, method of monitoring, administration and clinical sequelae. ⋯ This review assesses the physiological rationale for fluid use in ICU cohorts with AKI of various types, as well as a systematic approach for choice of fluid therapy using a number of different variables, which aims to help guide clinicians in managing fluid use and fluid balance in critically ill patients with AKI.
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Acute pancreatitis (AP) represents one of the most common reasons for hospital admission and intensive care treatment in internal medicine. The incidence of AP is increasing, posing significant financial burden on healthcare systems due to the necessity for frequent medical interventions. Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a potentially life-threatening condition with substantial morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Furthermore, the review explores interventions for local and vascular complications of SAP, with particular attention to the indications, timing and selection between endoscopic (both endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)), percutaneous and surgical approaches. Similarly, the management of biliary AP due to obstructive gallstones, including the imaging, timing of ERCP and cholecystectomy, are discussed. By integrating new evidence with relevant guidance for everyday clinical practice, this review aims to enhance the interdisciplinary approach essential for improving outcomes in SAP management.
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The level of inflammation alters drug pharmacokinetics (PK) in critically ill patients. This might compromise treatment efficacy. Understanding the specific effects of inflammation, measured by biomarkers, on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion is might help in optimizing dosing strategies. ⋯ Inflammatory biomarkers can offer valuable information regarding altered PK in critically ill patients. Our findings emphasize the need to consider inflammation-driven PK variability when individualizing drug therapy in this setting, at the same time research is limited to certain drugs and needs further research, also including pharmacodynamics.