Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2003
Biography Historical ArticleThe first intensive care unit in the world: Copenhagen 1953.
After an extensive survey of the medical literature we present compelling evidence that the first intensive care unit was established at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen in December 1953. The pioneer was the Danish anaesthetist Bjørn Ibsen. The many factors that interacted favourably in Copenhagen to promote the idea of intensive care therapy, half a century ago, are also described.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2003
Prevalence and predictive value of ionized hypocalcemia among critically ill patients.
Ionized hypocalcemia is common among critically ill patients, and it has been shown to correlate with increased mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance and independence of ionized calcium (Ca2+) in prediction of all-cause day-30 mortality among critically ill adult patients. ⋯ Ionized hypocalcemia is common among critically ill adults and it is associated with increased mortality. Although non-survivors and survivors differ significantly in admission Ca2+, hypocalcemia is not independently associated with day-30 mortality.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2003
Positioning internal jugular venous catheters using the right third intercostal space in children.
Central venous catheters are used for pressure measurement, and drug and fluid therapy in children. Several reports have described serious complications related to catheter positioning. We evaluated the possibility of using the right third intercostal space as an anatomic landmark for determining the optimal insertion depth of a central venous catheter from the right internal jugular vein. ⋯ Using the right third intercostal space as an anatomic landmark allows positioning of the catheter tip in the SVC near to but not in the RA in children.