Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 2013
Efficacy of endotoxin adsorption therapy (polymyxin B hemoperfusion) for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus toxic shock syndrome: a case report about five patients.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), which can be life-threatening, is clinically and pathologically characterized by the presence of high fever, skin rash, desquamation, hypotension, and multiple organ failure caused by an enterotoxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we evaluated the effects of endotoxin adsorption therapy (polymyxin B [PMX] hemoperfusion) in critical patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus TSS (MRSA-TSS) who showed no improvement with the conventional therapy. ⋯ Our results showed that PMX hemoperfusion significantly improved the hemodynamics and severity in patients with life-threatening MRSA-TSS.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 2013
Informed consent for tracheostomy procedures in Intensive Care Unit: an Italian national survey.
Critically ill patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), due to their temporary or permanent incompetence, are often not capable to provide informed consent (IC), although required, for not emergency invasive procedures, like elective tracheostomy. By Italian law, a person with partially/temporarily physical/mental impairment needs a legal tutorship appointed by the court (Support Administrator, SA). We performed a national survey in Italy to investigate IC practice for elective tracheostomy procedure in critically ill conscious and unconscious patients in ICU. ⋯ In Italian ICUs, participating to this study, the procedures related to IC for conscious and unconscious critically ill patients requiring surgical or percutaneous tracheostomy are not in line with current legal rules and procedures.