Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Manual hyperinflation partly prevents reductions of functional residual capacity in cardiac surgical patients--a randomized controlled trial.
Cardiac surgery is associated with post-operative reductions of functional residual capacity (FRC). Manual hyperinflation (MH) aims to prevent airway plugging, and as such could prevent the reduction of FRC after surgery. The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of MH on post-operative FRC of cardiac surgical patients. ⋯ MH partly prevents the reduction of FRC in the first post-operative days after cardiac surgery.
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Anemia is a frequently encountered problem during inflammation. Hepcidin is an interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced key modulator of inflammation-associated anemia. Human sepsis is a prototypical inflammatory syndrome, often complicated by the development of anemia. However, the association between inflammation, hepcidin release and anemia has not been demonstrated in this group of patients. Therefore, we explored the association between hepcidin and sepsis-associated anemia. ⋯ These data suggest that hepcidin-25 may be an important modulator of anemia in septic patients with systemic inflammation.
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It has been proposed that intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness (ICUAW) should be assessed using the sum of manual muscle strength test scores in 12 muscle groups (the sum score). This approach has been tested in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, yet little is known about the feasibility or test characteristics in other critically ill patients. We studied the feasibility and interobserver agreement of this sum score in a mixed cohort of critically ill and injured patients. ⋯ Manual muscle testing (MMT) during critical illness was not possible for most patients because of coma, delirium and/or injury. Among patients who were able to participate in testing, we found that interobserver agreement regarding ICUAW was good, particularly when evaluated after ICU discharge. MMT is insufficient for early detection of ICU-acquired neuromuscular dysfunction in most patients and may be unreliable during critical illness.
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Genetic variability of the pulmonary surfactant proteins A and D may affect clearance of microorganisms and the extent of the inflammatory response. The genes of these collectins (SFTPA1, SFTPA2 and SFTPD) are located in a cluster at 10q21-24. The objective of this study was to evaluate the existence of linkage disequilibrium (LD) among these genes, and the association of variability at these genes with susceptibility and outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We also studied the effect of genetic variability on SP-D serum levels. ⋯ Our study indicates that missense single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes of SFTPA1, SFTPA2 and SFTPD are associated with susceptibility to CAP, and that several haplotypes also influence severity and outcome of CAP.
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Deregulated apoptosis and overshooting neutrophil functions contribute to immune and organ dysfunction in sepsis and multiple organ failure (MOF). In the present study, we determined the role of soluble Fas (sFas) in the regulation of posttraumatic neutrophil extrinsic apoptosis and the development of sepsis. ⋯ Increased sFas in patients with sepsis development impairs neutrophil extrinsic apoptosis and shows a positive correlation with the organ dysfunction scores and PMNE. Therefore, sFas might be a therapeutic target to prevent posttrauma hyperinflammation and sepsis.