Intensive care medicine
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Leukocytes have a fundamental role in innate and adaptive immunity, wound healing, tumour surveillance and in tissue remodelling. It is their function in the inflammatory response however that is of most interest to us in the intensive care setting. Over the last three decades we have gained significant insights into leukocyte activation, recruitment and mediator secretion and the contribution of these agents to both the onset and resolution of sepsis and inflammation. ⋯ This review will focus on two new facets of the innate immune system, the Toll family of proteins as the signal transduction element for endotoxin, and the antimicrobial peptides. These exemplify potential damaging and protective response elements but importantly neither are restricted to leukocytes. The capacity of cells and tissues other than the leukocytes to participate and even lead in the inflammatory responses will also be explored.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 2000
The diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia using non-bronchoscopic, non-directed lung lavages.
(1)To assess the diagnostic utility of quantitative cultures of non-bronchoscopic lung lavage (NBL) in ventilator-associated pneumonia and evaluate the role of the Bacterial Index; (2) To assess the predictive value of NBL surveillance quantitative cultures in ventilated patients; (3) To evaluate the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) system in ventilated patients. ⋯ NBL is a simple, safe, cheap, readily-available method of diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia with comparable diagnostic accuracy to bronchoscopic techniques. Quantitation of respiratory tract cultures can exclude pneumonia in patients with equivocal clinical signs. The diagnostic threshold should vary depending on the length of ventilation, likelihood of pneumonia and antibiotic administration. The Bacterial Index is a flawed mathematical device that has no contributory role in pneumonia diagnosis. The CPIS has some diagnostic role in selected cohorts of ventilated patients.
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To determine short- and long-term outcomes of infants with severe hypothermia (< or = 28 degrees C) treated in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). ⋯ Severe infantile hypothermia is a serious condition. When treating patients in a modern PICU, morbidity and mortality are mainly related to the presence or absence of an associated septicemia. Infants without septicemia may have normal growth and development.
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To describe measurements of global oxygenation parameters, markers of splanchnic hypoperfusion and those of metabolic activity related to cellular energy production among critically ill children with septic shock. ⋯ In this study, trends in serum bicarbonate and lactate somewhat characterized the recovery of children with septic shock. Based on our data, it is unclear how other markers may have been used to modify therapy.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 2000
Study of paediatric intensive care units in Spain. Spanish Society of Paediatric Intensive Care.
To describe the organisation of paediatric intensive care units in Spain and the medical assistance provided during 1996. ⋯ In Spain, paediatric intensive care is principally performed by specialised paediatricians. Although the general results for 1996 are similar to those of other European countries, efficiency studies are necessary to plan and re-organise the paediatric intensive care units in Spain.