Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Combining quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment with plasma lactate concentration is comparable to standard Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score in predicting mortality of patients with and without suspected infection.
We sought to determine whether quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score can be used to predict mortality of patients without suspected infection. ⋯ The qSOFA score had a modest ability to predict mortality of both septic and nonseptic patients; combining qSOFA with plasma lactate had a predictive ability comparable to the standard SOFA score.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Observational StudyPlasma adrenomedullin in critically ill patients with sepsis after major surgery: A pilot study.
Adrenomedullin is released by different tissues in hypoxia, oxidative stress, and inflammation and is found in general and medical patients and, recently, in sepsis patients in emergency departments. The aim of this study was to evaluate biologically active adrenomedullin that mirrors directly the active peptide levels in plasma of surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis. ⋯ This is the first study investigating adrenomedullin in patients with sepsis following major surgery. Higher adrenomedullin on admission is associated with increased vasopressor need and mortality after 90 days. Thus, adrenomedullin may be a useful additional parameter in surgical patients with sepsis.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Psychometric assessment of the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit questionnaire in the United Kingdom.
To establish the psychometric properties of the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit 24-item (FS-ICU-24) questionnaire in the United Kingdom. ⋯ The Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit 24-item questionnaire demonstrated good psychometric properties in the United Kingdom setting. Construct validity could be improved by use of 3 domains and some scope for further improvement was identified.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2017
Development of an intensive care unit resource assessment survey for the care of critically ill patients in resource-limited settings.
Capacity to provide critical care in resource-limited settings is poorly understood because of lack of data about resources available to manage critically ill patients. Our objective was to develop a survey to address this issue. ⋯ A reliable cross-sectional survey of available resources to manage critically ill patients can be feasibly administered to health care providers in resource-limited settings. The survey will inform future research focusing on access to critical care where it is poorly described but urgently needed.
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Readmission rate is frequently proposed as a quality indicator because it is related to both patient outcome and organizational efficiency. Currently available studies are not clear about modifiable factors as tools to reduce readmission rate. ⋯ Readmission can be predicted with moderate precision and independent variables associated with readmission are age, severity of disease, type of admission, infection, immunodeficiency and last day noradrenaline use. The latter factor is the only one that can be modified and therefore readmission rate does not meet the criteria to be used as a useful quality indicator.