Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyProportional assist ventilation with load-adjustable gain factors in critically ill patients: comparison with pressure support.
It is not known if proportional assist ventilation with load-adjustable gain factors (PAV+) may be used as a mode of support in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of sustained use of PAV+ in critically ill patients and compare it with pressure support ventilation (PS). ⋯ PAV+ may be used as a useful mode of support in critically ill patients. Compared to PS, PAV+ increases the probability of remaining on spontaneous breathing, while it considerably reduces the incidence of patient-ventilator asynchronies.
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Intensive care medicine · Nov 2008
Multicenter StudySafety and efficacy of ultrasound assistance during internal jugular vein cannulation in neurosurgical infants.
Ultrasound guidance (USG) for internal jugular cannulation is the best solution in difficult settings where paediatric patients are involved. This is an outcome study on efficacy and complications of the USG for the internal jugular vein (IJV) cannulation in neurosurgical infants as well as an ultrasound study of anatomical findings of the IJVs in infants. ⋯ We considered ultrasound guidance as the first choice in infants because it can enhance IJV cannulation success, safety, and allows one to measure relationships and diameter of the IJV and optimise the central line positioning.
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Intensive care medicine · Nov 2008
Comparative StudyAssessing sedation in critically ill children by bispectral index, auditory-evoked potentials and clinical scales.
To evaluate the correlation and agreement between the bispectral index (BIS), middle latency auditory-evoked potential index (AEP index), Ramsay scale (RS) and COMFORT scale (CS) for evaluation of the level of sedation in critically ill children. ⋯ There is a moderate-to-good correlation and agreement of BIS and AEP index with the clinical scales in critically ill children without neuromuscular blockade. BIS and AEP index could be useful to evaluate the level of sedation in critically ill children with and without neuromuscular blockade.
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Intensive care medicine · Nov 2008
Prognostic value of midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide in ventilator-associated pneumonia.
This study aimed to investigate the correlation of midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) with severity of septic status in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the usefulness of MR-proANP for mortality prediction in VAP. ⋯ Our data demonstrated that MR-proANP levels increase progressively with the severity of sepsis and are independent predictors of mortality in VAP.