Acta Clin Belg
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Review
Severe influenza A(H1N1)2009 infection: a single centre experience and review of the literature.
The first influenza pandemic of the 21st century started in April 2009 with an outbreak of swine origin influenza A(H1NI)2009 in Mexico and the United States. While generally a mild disease affecting mostly school-aged children and young adults, most attention went to severe cases of pneumonia in young previously healthy individuals or individuals belonging to a risk group. In this article we review the literature on the presentation and management of severe cases of influenza A(H1N1)2009 in the intensive care unit (ICU), and describe our own experience in a tertiary referral centre with ECMO facilities. ⋯ The value of the use of corticosteroids is under discussion. Despite advances in management strategies, mortality and morbidity in these severe cases remains high. In the first influenza season after the pandemic, winter 2010/2011, influenza A(H1N1)2009 is the major influenza A strain in Europe, resulting in reports with increased mortality and morbidity compared to pre-pandemic seasonal influenza. "Continuing vigilance for severe influenza in patients not belonging to the classical influenza risk group might still be warranted for the upcoming influenza season".
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Shock is a life-threatening condition, resulting from different causes, and leading to tissue hypoperfusion. Symptomatic therapy associates fluids and vasoactive agents. Vasopressor and inotropic adrenergic agents remain the most commonly used to correct hypotension and/or to increase cardiac output. ⋯ Dopamine and norepinephrine have been the most extensively studied. These trials raised major concerns on the use of dopamine, which was associated with tachycardia and increased arrhythmic events, and may be associated with an increased risk of death especially in the subgroup of patients with cardiogenic shock. The place of epinephrine is not well defined, this agent is associated with tachycardia, increased incidence of arrhythmic events, and undesired metabolic effects.
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Review
Sepsis and septic shock: pathophysiological and cardiovascular background as basis for therapy.
Sepsis and septic shock are common causes for admission to intensive care units. The morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high despite the advanced treatments. ⋯ Further studies are needed to distinguish the importance of these various mechanisms. We recommend that further investigational work should focus on the recovery of the mitochondria-related bio-energetic shut down as the mitochondria could play a key role in the understanding of apoptosis and protective measures. Understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis and septic shock will inevitably lead to a more accurate treatment of these still too often fatal syndromes.
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A multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation program has become an important part of the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It can improve both exercise tolerance and health related quality of life in these patients. Exercise training has to be included for the program to be successful. ⋯ Artificial ventilatory assistance could improve exercise tolerance and hence help severe COPD patients to achieve a higher level of training. It could help to unload and assist the overburdened ventilatory muscles and give a possibility for higher levels of exercise intensity. In this review article we will discuss the effectiveness and feasibility of training with ventilatory aids.