Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2009
The impact of time to tracheostomy on mechanical ventilation duration, length of stay, and mortality in intensive care unit patients.
This study examined the potential effects of time to tracheostomy on mechanical ventilation duration, intensive care unit (ICU), and hospital length of stay (LOS), and ICU and hospital mortality. ⋯ Time to tracheostomy was independently associated with increased mechanical ventilation duration, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS, but was not associated with increased mortality. Performing tracheostomy earlier in the course of ICU stay may have an effect on ICU resources and could entail significant cost-savings without adversely affecting patient mortality.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2009
Influence of mild therapeutic hypothermia on the inflammatory response after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
Although animal studies document conflicting data on the influence of hypothermia on cytokine release in various settings, no data exist if hypothermia affects the inflammatory response after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. ⋯ In this observational study, hypothermia influenced the inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and lead to a higher rate of bacterial colonization without altering ultimate neurologic recovery.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2009
Reliability of intensive care unit admitting and comorbid diagnoses, race, elements of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and predicted probability of mortality in an electronic intensive care unit database.
Although reliability of severity of illness and predicted probability of hospital mortality have been assessed, interrater reliability of the abstraction of primary and other intensive care unit (ICU) admitting diagnoses and underlying comorbidities has not been studied. ⋯ Reliability for ICU diagnoses and elements of the APACHE II score is related to the objectivity of primary data in the medical charts.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2009
Effects of inhalational bronchodilator treatment during noninvasive ventilation in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.
To study the effects of withdrawing noninvasive ventilation (NIV) used during acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for the delivery of aerosolized medications on physiologic parameters and dyspnea sensation. ⋯ Short-term cessation of NIV for nebulization treatment did not result in distress, discomfort, or physiologic instabilities. The only detectable changes were increase in SBP and HR, probably due to the systemic adrenergic effects of salbutamol.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2009
Outcome of patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to a specialty liver intensive care unit in India.
The study aimed to describe the clinical outcome of patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and to compare the performance of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) in predicting mortality. ⋯ Presence of ARF and need for mechanical ventilation are associated with high mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to the ICU. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and SOFA are good prognostic models in predicting 30-day mortality and do not differ in performance.