Current opinion in critical care
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2016
ReviewEmergence of antimicrobial resistance among Acinetobacter species: a global threat.
Bacteria within the genus Acinetobacter [principally Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC)] are Gram-negative coccobacilli that may cause serious nosocomial infections (particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia and infections of the bloodstream, urinary tract, and wounds) as well as community-acquired infections (often skin/soft tissue infections in the context of trauma). Within the past two decades, Acinetobacter spp. have been responsible for an increasing number of infections in intensive care units (ICUs) globally. Treatment of Acinetobacter infections is difficult, as Acinetobacter spp. are intrinsically resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, and have a remarkable ability to acquire new resistance determinants via multiple mechanisms. ⋯ Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to control infections due to ABC. Strategies to curtail environmental colonization with MDR-ABD will require aggressive infection control efforts and cohorting of infected patients. Thoughtful antibiotic strategies are essential to limit the consequences and spread of MDR-ABC. Optimal therapy will likely require combination antimicrobial therapy of existing antibiotics as well as development of novel antibiotic classes.
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It has recently become evident that administration of intravenous fluids following initial resuscitation has a greater probability of producing tissue edema and hypoxemia than of increasing oxygen delivery. Therefore, it is essential to have a rational approach to assess the adequacy of volume resuscitation. Here we review passive leg raising (PLR) and respiratory variation in hemodynamics to assess fluid responsiveness. ⋯ The best predictor of fluid response for hypotensive patients not on vasopressors is a properly conducted passive leg raise maneuver. For more severely ill patients who are apneic, mechanically ventilated and on vasopressors, point of care echocardiography is the best choice. Increases in vena caval diameter induced by controlled positive pressure breaths are insensitive to arrhythmias and can be performed with relatively brief training. Most challenging are patients who are awake and on vasopressors; we suggest that the best method to discriminate fluid responders is PLR measuring changes in cardiac output.
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Critical illness includes a wide range of conditions from sepsis to high-risk surgery. All these diseases are characterized by reduced tissue oxygenation. Macrohemodynamic parameters may be corrected by fluids and/or vasoactive compounds; however, the microcirculation and its tissues may be damaged and remain hypoperfused. An evaluation of microcirculation may enable more physiologically based approaches for understanding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of critically ill patients. ⋯ Critical illness is usually accompanied by abnormalities in microcirculation and tissue hypoxia. Direct monitoring of sublingual microcirculation using hand-held microscopy may provide a more physiological approach. Evaluating the coherence between macrocirculation and microcirculation in response to therapy seems to be essential in evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2016
ReviewCommunity-acquired pneumonia: still a major burden of disease.
Describe recent studies that may impact on the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). ⋯ Although questions remain, particularly with regard to prediction of outcome, recent studies of CAP, both clinical and experimental, have contributed novel insights into disease pathogenesis that may enable improvement of current treatment strategies.