Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · May 2013
Review Meta AnalysisRandomised trials of 6% tetrastarch (hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 or 0.42) for severe sepsis reporting mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis.
To assess the impact of 6% tetrastarch [hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 and 130/0.42] in severe sepsis patients. The primary outcome measure was 90-day mortality. ⋯ In our analysis, 6% tetrastarch as part of initial fluid resuscitation for severe sepsis was associated with harm and, as alternatives exist, in our view should be avoided.
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Intensive care medicine · May 2013
ReviewSonographic evaluation of the diaphragm in critically ill patients. Technique and clinical applications.
The use of ultrasonography has become increasingly popular in the everyday management of critically ill patients. It has been demonstrated to be a safe and handy bedside tool that allows rapid hemodynamic assessment and visualization of the thoracic, abdominal and major vessels structures. More recently, M-mode ultrasonography has been used in the assessment of diaphragm kinetics. ⋯ Ultrasonography can assess the characteristics of diaphragmatic movement such as amplitude, force and velocity of contraction, special patterns of motion and changes in diaphragmatic thickness during inspiration. These sonographic diaphragmatic parameters can provide valuable information in the assessment and follow up of patients with diaphragmatic weakness or paralysis, in terms of patient-ventilator interactions during controlled or assisted modalities of mechanical ventilation, and can potentially help to understand post-operative pulmonary dysfunction or weaning failure from mechanical ventilation. This article reviews the technique and the clinical applications of ultrasonography in the evaluation of diaphragmatic function in ICU patients.