Intensive care medicine
-
Intensive care medicine · Jul 1994
Can bacteremia be predicted in surgical intensive care unit patients?
To determine which clinical features are associated with bacteremia in a SICU. To determine if infections are identified prior to bacteremia via culturing of other body fluids. To determine if antibiotic regimens are changed after the results of the blood culture were obtained. ⋯ A better screen for obtaining blood cultures in this SICU was not identified. If antibiotics are begun empirically before the results of blood cultures are known, the results of other body fluid cultures can be used to guide therapy initially. However, the data obtained from positive blood cultures was often helpful in changing empirical therapy. Therefore, blood cultures remain important diagnostic tools.
-
Intensive care medicine · Jul 1994
Clinical TrialInfluence of continuous haemofiltration-related hypothermia on haemodynamic variables and gas exchange in septic patients.
To investigate the influence of continuous haemofiltration (CHF) on haemodynamics, gas exchange and core temperature in critically ill septic patients with acute renal failure. ⋯ 1) Continuous haemofiltration does not cause significant alternations in haemodynamic variables. 2) Hypothermia frequently occurs in patients undergoing continuous haemofiltration with high ultrafiltration rates. These hypothermic patients show a reduction in VO2 leading to an increase in PvO2 and PaO2. This mild hypothermia in these circumstances has no evident deleterious effects.
-
Intensive care medicine · Jul 1994
Case ReportsThe use of the laryngeal mask airway to facilitate the insertion of a percutaneous tracheostomy.
We report the use of the laryngeal mask airway to facilitate the insertion of a percutaneous tracheostomy (Ciaglia kit) in two patients. This method has not been reported previously. We believe that in selected patients the technique described increases the ease of placement of a percutaneous tracheostomy.