Medicina intensiva
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Review
Role of normothermic perfusión with ECMO in donation after controlled cardiac death in Spain.
Spain has become one of the most active countries in donation after controlled cardiac death, using normothermic abdominal perfusion with ECMO in more than 50% of all donors - a situation contributed to by the creation of mobile teams to support hospitals lacking this technology. The donation process must be respectful of the wishes and values of the patients and their relatives, especially if there is pre mortem manipulation, and the absence of cerebral perfusion should be guaranteed. ⋯ In addition, the procedure is compatible with surgical rapid recovery in hypothermia when there is also lung donation. The future lies in the consolidation of cardiac donation by extending normothermic perfusion to the thoracic cavity.
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Monitoring is a crucial part of the care of the critically ill patient. It detects organ dysfunction and provides guidance on the therapeutic approach. Intensivists closely monitor the function of various organ systems, and the brain is no exception. ⋯ The diagnostic effectiveness of non-convulsive status epilepticus as a cause of unexplained consciousness disorder has increased the use of continuous EEG monitoring in the neurocritical care setting. However, non-convulsive status epilepticus is not the only indication for the assessment of cerebral cortical activity. This study summarizes the indications, usage and methodology of continuous EEG monitoring in the intensive care unit, with the aim of allowing practitioners to become familiarized the technique.