Journal of intensive care medicine
-
J Intensive Care Med · Jan 2009
Controlled Clinical TrialDiagnostic efficacy and prognostic value of serum procalcitonin concentration in patients with suspected sepsis.
Procalcitonin is released in response to bacterial infection and it is not released in Inflammatory and viral diseases. ⋯ The diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin was higher than C-reactive protein and complement proteins. Procalcitonin in combination with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment was useful to diagnose infection. C-reactive protein, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, age, and gender showed to be helpful to improve the prediction of mortality risk, but not procalcitonin.
-
J Intensive Care Med · Jan 2009
The impact of a simple, low-cost oral care protocol on ventilator-associated pneumonia rates in a surgical intensive care unit.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a simple low-cost oral care protocol on ventilator-associated pneumonia rates in a surgical intensive care unit. ⋯ The implementation of a simple, low-cost oral care protocol in the surgical intensive care unit led to a significantly decreased risk of acquiring ventilator-associated pneumonia.
-
J Intensive Care Med · Nov 2008
Case ReportsManagement of the obstetric patient with status asthmaticus.
Status asthmaticus requiring mechanical ventilation is an uncommon, life-threatening disorder in obstetric patients. The unique physiologic changes of pregnancy, impact of the fetus on the maternal condition, and concerns for fetal and maternal health and survival are particular concerns in critical illness. ⋯ There is abundant literature on the management of asthma during pregnancy; however the literature is very limited in those with status asthmaticus who require intensive care unit admission. We report our intensive care unit experience in the management of status asthmaticus in 5 pregnant patients and review the literature on management of status asthmaticus during pregnancy.
-
As of August 2007, 96 900 people are awaiting organ transplantation in the United States, while only 28 930 transplants were performed in 2006. With such a large gap between organ need and organ availability, it is inevitable that many will die while awaiting transplantation. ⋯ The use of these standardized and aggressive donor management protocols has been shown to increase the number of transplanted organs and prevent the number of donors lost due to medical failures. A protocol-driven approach by a dedicated organ donor management team should be considered a key component of any program designed to bridge the gap between organ supply and demand.