Current opinion in critical care
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The perioperative care of obese patients can often be challenging, as the presence of comorbidities is common in this patient population. In this article, we present recent data on perioperative complications of obese patients and discuss relevant details for daily practice, including drug dosing, airway management, and mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Intensive care physicians who treat obese patients need to be trained in the management of the difficult airway. The application of PEEP and the use of recruitment maneuvers may lead to improved intraoperative oxygenation, but current data do not allow recommending the use of high PEEP combined with lung recruitment maneuvers in this population.
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Although low vitamin D levels have been shown to be a risk factor for adverse outcomes in critical care, it is not clear to date if supplementation can alter such outcomes in all ICU patients. The focus of vitamin D research now is on interventional trials to identify a critically ill patient subset who may benefit from high-dose vitamin D supplementation. ⋯ Vitamin D supplementation may represent a personalized and targeted therapy for critical illness. Vitamin D regulates over 1000 genes in the human genome, and the mechanism of action is influenced by gene polymorphisms and epigenetics. The study of the metabolomics, transcriptomics and epigenetics of vitamin D status and supplementation holds promise generating insights into critical illness outcomes.
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The purpose of this review is to describe established and emerging mechanisms of gut injury and dysfunction in trauma, describe emerging strategies to improve gut dysfunction, detail the effect of trauma on the gut microbiome, and describe the gut-brain connection in traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Despite resuscitation, gut dysfunction promotes distant organ injury. In addition, postresuscitation nosocomial and iatrogenic 'hits' exaggerate the immune response, contributing to MODS. This was a provocative concept, suggesting infectious and noninfectious causes of inflammation may trigger, heighten, and perpetuate an inflammatory response culminating in MODS and death. Emerging evidence suggests posttraumatic injury mechanisms, such as intestinal mucosal disruption and shifting of the gut microbiome to a pathobiome. In addition, traumatic brain injury activates the gut-brain axis and increases intestinal permeability.
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The review focuses on the use of parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition in critically ill patients to optimize the nutrition care throughout the ICU stay. The key message is: you have the choice! ⋯ Parenteral nutrition is a powerful tool to optimize nutrition care of critically ill patients to improve clinical outcome, if prescribed according to the individual needs of the patients. After 3-4 days of attempt to feed enterally, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition can be used alternatively or combined, as long as the target is reached with special attention to avoid hypercaloric feeding.
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After major progress in the 1980s of burn resuscitation resulting, the last years' research has focused on modulation of metabolic response and optimization of substrate utilization. The persisting variability of clinical practice is confirmed and results in difficult comparisons between burn centers. ⋯ Major burn patients differ from other critically ill patients by the magnitude and duration of their inflammatory and metabolic responses, their energy and substrate requirements. Pieces of the metabolic puzzle finally seem to fit together.