Current opinion in critical care
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2024
ReviewWhat's new in whole blood resuscitation? In the trauma bay and beyond.
Transfusion therapy commonly supports patient care during life-threatening injury and critical illness. Herein we examine the recent resurgence of whole blood (WB) resuscitation for patients in hemorrhagic shock following trauma and other causes of severe bleeding. ⋯ Whole blood may be transfused as FWB or LTOWB to support a hemostatic approach to hemorrhagic shock management. Although the bulk of WB resuscitation literature has appropriately focused on hemorrhagic shock following injury, extension to other etiologies of severe hemorrhage will benefit from focused inquiry to address cost, efficacy, approach, and patient-centered outcomes.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2024
ReviewEffective approaches to address noncompressible torso hemorrhage.
Noncompressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH) is now considered as the major cause of preventable death after both severe military and civilian trauma. Around 20% of all trauma patients still die from uncontrolled exsanguination along with rapidly evolving hemostatic failure. This review highlights the most recent advances in the field and provides an outline for future research directions. ⋯ The concepts for the early management of NCTH have substantially evolved over the last decade. The development of new devices and techniques combined with early intervention of hemostatic failure have contributed to more successful resuscitations. Future research needs to refine and validate their potential clinical application.
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This article summarizes recent developments in the application of telemedicine, specifically tele-critical care (TCC), toward enhancing patient care during various types of emergencies and patient rescue scenarios when there are limited resources in terms of staff expertise (i.e., knowledge, skills, and abilities), staffing numbers, space, and supplies due to patient location (e.g., a non-ICU bed, the emergency department, a rural hospital) or patient volume as in pandemic surges. ⋯ In this review, we summarize numerous examples of innovative care delivery systems that have utilized telemedicine, focusing on 'mobile' TCC technology solutions to effectively deliver the best care to the patient regardless of patient location. We emphasize how a 'paradigm of better' can enhance the entirety of the healthcare system.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2024
ReviewAntimicrobial stewardship and molecular diagnostics: a symbiotic approach to combating resistance in the ED and ICU.
This review aims to evaluate the incorporation of rapid molecular diagnostics (RMD) in antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in the management of patients in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU), highlighting a shift from conventional microbiological diagnostic tests to RMD strategies to optimize antimicrobial use and improve patient outcomes. ⋯ RMD hold great value in simplifying patient management and mitigating antimicrobial exposure, particularly in settings with high levels of antimicrobial resistance where the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials is high. While the impact on the use of antimicrobials is significant, the impact on patient outcomes is not yet clear. Successful integration of RMD in clinical decision making in the ED and ICU requires a team approach and continued education, and its use should be adapted to the local epidemiology and infrastructure.