Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2013
Review Comparative StudyThe use of neuromuscular blocking agents in the ICU: where are we now?
Intensivists use neuromuscular blocking agents for a variety of clinical conditions, including for emergency intubation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, status asthmaticus, elevated intracranial pressure, elevated intra-abdominal pressure, and therapeutic hypothermia after ventricular fibrillation-associated cardiac arrest. The continued creation and use of evidence-based guidelines and protocols could ensure that neuromuscular blocking agents are used and monitored appropriately. A collaborative multidisciplinary approach coupled with constant review of the pharmacology, dosing, drug interactions, and monitoring techniques may reduce the adverse events associated with the use of neuromuscular blocking agents.
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Critical care medicine · May 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyRenal perfusion assessment by renal Doppler during fluid challenge in sepsis.
To assess renal resistive index variations in response to fluid challenge. ⋯ Systemic hemodynamic changes induced by fluid challenge do not translate into resistive index variations in patients without acute kidney injury, with transient acute kidney injury, or with persistent acute kidney injury.
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Critical care medicine · May 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMortality after hospital discharge in ICU patients.
To assess the mortality risk of ICU patients after hospital discharge and compare it to mortality of the general Dutch population. ⋯ In-hospital mortality underestimates the true mortality of ICU patients as the mortality in the first months after hospital discharge is substantial. Most ICU patients still have an increased mortality risk in the subsequent years after hospital discharge compared with the general Dutch population. The mortality after hospital discharge differs widely between ICU subgroups. Future studies should focus on the analysis of mortality after hospital discharge that is attributable to the former ICU admission.