Current opinion in critical care
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The purpose of this article is to review the current status of public access defibrillation and the various utility modalities of early defibrillation. ⋯ Recent advances in the use of public access defibrillation show great potential for optimizing early defibrillation. With new technological solutions, AEDs can be transported to the cardiac arrest location reaching OHCAs in both public and private locations. Furthermore, new technological innovations could potentially identify and automatically alert the emergency medical services in nonwitnessed OHCA previously left untreated.
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Devices for assessing microcirculation at the bedside have been a technological breakthrough in the critical care field. Thanks to this technology, a large body of scientific evidence has highlighted the relevance of microcirculatory disruptions during critical illness. The goal of this review is to analyze the current knowledge concerning microcirculation monitoring, mainly focused on clinically available devices. ⋯ Currently, there are several methods for microcirculatory monitoring. To properly apply and correctly interpret the information they provide, clinicians should know the fundamental principles and the strengths and weaknesses of the clinically available devices.
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Despite improvements over time, cardiac arrest continues to be associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Several methods can be used to achieve airway patency during cardiac arrest, and the optimal strategy continues to be debated. This review will explore and summarize the latest published evidence for airway management during cardiac arrest. ⋯ Observational studies continue to dominate the evidence base relating to cardiac arrest airway management. Cardiac arrest registries enable these observational studies to include many patients; however, the design of such studies introduces considerable bias. Further randomized clinical trials are underway. The current evidence does not indicate a substantial improvement in outcome from any single airway strategy.
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The purpose of this article is to systematically review and critically assess the existing data regarding the use of transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD), by providing a detailed description of technical aspects of TPTD techniques, appraising the use of TPTD-derived parameters in specific clinical settings, and exploring the limits of this technique. ⋯ The TPTD is an invasive but well tolerated, multiparametric, advanced cardiopulmonary monitoring technique, allowing a comprehensive assessment of cardiopulmonary condition. Beyond the CO estimation, TPTD provides several indices that help answering questions that clinicians ask themselves during hemodynamic management. TPTD-guided algorithm obtained by pulse contour analysis may be useful to optimize fluid resuscitation by titrating fluid therapy according to functional hemodynamic monitoring and to define safety criteria to avoid fluid overload by following the changes in the extravascular lung water (EVLW) and pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPI).
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The ANDROMEDA-SHOCK trial positioned capillary refill time (CRT) assessment as a novel resuscitation target for septic shock.The purpose of this article is to summarize pathophysiological determinants of CRT, review new technical developments on peripheral perfusion assessment, and explore recent evidence on the role of CRT monitoring in septic shock and other critical conditions. ⋯ Recent data confirm the relevance of peripheral perfusion assessment in septic shock and other conditions in critically ill patients. Future studies should confirm these findings, and test the potential contribution of technological devices to assess peripheral perfusion.