Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2021
Observational StudyAssessment of Electrical Impedance Tomography to Set Optimal Positive End-Expiratory Pressure for Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation-Treated Patients.
Patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have many risk factors for pulmonary complications in addition to their heart failure. Optimal positive end-expiratory pressure is unknown in these patients. The aim was to evaluate the ability of electrical impedance tomography to help the physician to select the optimal positive end-expiratory pressure in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treated and mechanically ventilated patients during a positive end-expiratory pressure trial. ⋯ Our results support that electrical impedance tomography appears predictive to define optimal positive end-expiratory pressure on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, aided by echocardiography to optimize hemodynamic assessment and management.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2021
The Lived Experience of ICU Clinicians During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak: A Qualitative Study.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, frontline healthcare professionals were asked to reorganize the provision of critical care in unprecedented ways. Our aim was to gain insight into the lived experience of clinicians who worked in ICUs during the surge. ⋯ Among ICU clinicians, there was a sense of total professional engagement during the surge. Caring for critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients was fraught with challenges and generated a strong feeling of responsibility, as clinicians felt they had to compensate for the absence of family members. Rethinking policies about family visits and safeguarding positive relationships among colleagues are two important priorities for future healthcare crises.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2021
Efficacy of Serum Angiotensin II Levels in Prognosis of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.
We aimed to determine serum angiotensin II levels in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection and to investigate the effect of these levels on the prognosis of the disease. ⋯ The serum angiotensin II levels decrease significantly in patients with coronavirus disease 2019, and this decrease is correlated with lung damage.