Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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The protective effect of glutamine, as a pharmacological agent against lung injury, has been reported in experimental sepsis; however, its efficacy at improving oxygenation and lung mechanics, attenuating diaphragm and distal organ injury has to be better elucidated. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a single early intravenous dose of glutamine was associated not only with the improvement of lung morpho-function, but also the reduction of the inflammatory process and epithelial cell apoptosis in kidney, liver, and intestine villi. ⋯ In an experimental model of abdominal sepsis, a single intravenous dose of glutamine administered after sepsis induction may modulate the inflammatory process reducing not only the risk of lung injury, but also distal organ impairment. These results suggest that intravenous glutamine may be a potentially beneficial therapy for abdominal sepsis.
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The need to achieve adequate tissue oxygen delivery early in patients with septic shock is well established. However, it is less well recognized that tissue hypoperfusion can exist despite normalization of systemic hemodynamics. Efforts to resuscitate septic patients until adequate tissue perfusion has been achieved can potentially improve outcome. ⋯ The intensive care unit length of stay and 28-day mortality did not differ between groups, but more patients in the cardiac index group were in the target range, both at baseline and after resuscitation, as compared with the gastric mucosal pH group. In contrast to cardiac index, gastric mucosal pH at baseline and at 24 and 48 hours predicted mortality. Whether other targets for the chosen variables, or different and--in particular--earlier resuscitation efforts would have favored one group cannot be concluded from the data provided.
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Up to 17% of hospital admissions are complicated by serious adverse events unrelated to the patients presenting medical condition. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) review patients during early phase of deterioration to reduce patient morbidity and mortality. However, reports of the efficacy of these teams are varied. ⋯ If the RRT dose is too low then it is unlikely to improve patient outcomes. Increasing RRT dose appears to be associated with reduction in cardiac arrests. The majority of studies reporting improved patient outcome in association with the introduction of an RRT involve a MET, suggesting that inclusion of a physician in the team is an important determinant of its effectiveness.
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Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infective etiologies, has a high mortality rate that is linked both to excess cytokine activity and apoptosis of critical immune cells. Dexmedetomidine has recently been shown to improve outcome in a septic cohort of patients when compared to patients randomized to a benzodiazepine-based sedative regimen. We sought to compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and midazolam, at equi-sedative doses, on inflammation and apoptosis in an animal model of severe sepsis. ⋯ Sedation with midazolam and dexmedetomidine both improve outcome in polymicrobial severely septic rats. Possible benefits conveyed by one sedative regimen over another may become evident over a more prolonged time-course as both IL-6 and apoptosis were reduced by dexmedetomidine but not midazolam. Further studies are required to evaluate this hypothesis.
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Liver dysfunction is a common feature of severe sepsis and is associated with a poor outcome. Both liver perfusion and hepatic inflammatory response in sepsis might be affected by sympathetic nerve activity. However, the effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA), which is associated with regional sympathetic block, on septic liver injury are unknown. Therefore, we investigated hepatic microcirculation and inflammatory response during TEA in septic rats. ⋯ This study demonstrates that TEA reverses sepsis-induced alterations in hepatic perfusion and ameliorates hepatic leukocyte recruitment in sepsis.