Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
-
Resistance rates are increasing among several problematic Gram-negative pathogens that are often responsible for serious nosocomial infections, including Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and (because of their production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase) Enterobacteriaceae. The presence of multiresistant strains of these organisms has been associated with prolonged hospital stays, higher health care costs, and increased mortality, particularly when initial antibiotic therapy does not provide coverage of the causative pathogen. ⋯ Taken together, these observations underscore the importance of a 'hit hard and hit fast' approach to treating serious nosocomial infections, particularly when it is suspected that multiresistant pathogens are responsible. They also point to the need for a multidisciplinary effort to combat resistance, which should include improved antimicrobial stewardship, increased resources for infection control, and development of new antimicrobial agents with activity against multiresistant Gram-negative pathogens.
-
With the easy availability of thyroid hormone assays, thyroid disorders are now recognised even in a subclinical state. However, patients are still seen with advanced manifestations of the disease, particularly in developing countries. This observational study analysed the predictors of outcome in patients with myxoedema coma and tested the validity of different modules to define morbidity and mortality in these patients. ⋯ L-Thyroxine treatment defaulters had more severe manifestations compared with de novo subjects. Outcome was not influenced by either aetiology or route of administration of L-thyroxine, and SOFA score was the best outcome predictor model.
-
Multicenter Study
Impact of invasive fungal infection on outcomes of severe sepsis: a multicenter matched cohort study in critically ill surgical patients.
Fungal infection is increasingly common in critical illness with severe sepsis, but the influence of invasive fungal infection (IFI) on severe sepsis is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact that IFI has on the outcomes of critically ill surgical patients with severe sepsis in China by means of matched cohort analysis; we also evaluated the epidemiologic characteristics of IFI in this population. ⋯ IFI is frequent in patients with severe sepsis in surgical ICUs and is associated with excess risk for hospital mortality, longer ICU and hospital stays, and greater consumption of medical resources.
-
Comparative Study
Inflammatory and transcriptional roles of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in ventilator-induced lung injury.
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) participates in inflammation by cellular necrosis and the nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-kappaB)-dependent transcription. The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of PARP in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) in normal mice lung. ⋯ Overactivation of PARP plays an important role in the inflammatory and transcriptional pathogenesis of VILI, and PARP inhibition has potentially beneficial effects on the prevention and treatment of VILI.
-
Small-volume resuscitation of critically ill patients with hyperoncotic albumin offers a number of theoretical advantages, such as increasing intravascular volume in excess of the volume of fluid administered and reducing interstitial edema. Whilst iso-oncotic albumin has been shown to be equi-effective to isotonic saline for the resuscitation of critically ill patients without associated traumatic brain injury, the efficacy of hyperoncotic albumin for resuscitation has not been evaluated in large-scale randomized-controlled trials. ⋯ There is marginal qualitative evidence of improvements in surrogate outcomes in disparate patient populations, but no evidence of any survival benefit associated with resuscitation with hyperoncotic albumin. Given the lack of evidence and clinical uncertainty about the efficacy of hyperoncotic albumin, a large-scale randomized-controlled trial is required to determine its role in the acute resuscitation of hypovolemic or hypoalbuminemic critically ill patients.