Articles: intensive-care-units.
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Intensive care medicine · Jan 2000
Multicenter StudyTiss 76 and Tiss 28: correlation of two therapeutic activity indices on a Spanish multicenter ICU database.
To evaluate the performance of the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 28) on an independent database and to determine its relation to the original Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 76). ⋯ There is a strong correlation between TISS 28 and TISS 76 scores in the PAEEC database and TISS 28 works correctly in our setting.
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Critical care medicine · Jan 2000
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDeath in two Canadian intensive care units: institutional difference and changes over time.
To study and compare the mode of death in two different institutions' intensive care units (ICUs) for the two time periods, 1988 and 1993. ⋯ There has been an increase in withdrawal of life support, in recent years, at both the institutions studied. Differences exist between institutions with respect to end-of-life decisions in the ICU. These differences are likely representative of widely prevalent regional differences and are the result of many factors.
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Critical care medicine · Jan 2000
Survivors of catastrophic illness: outcome after direct transfer from intensive care to extended care facilities.
To describe outcomes of adult survivors of prolonged critical illness after direct transfer to extended care facilities. ⋯ Survivors of catastrophic illness who are so debilitated that they require transfer to an extended care facility have a low likelihood of achieving both survival and functional independence 1 yr after discharge from the ICU. Aggressive cost-conscious strategies to accelerate the transfer of these patients successfully reduced the length of ICU stay and hospital costs, but were associated with a high rate of readmission to tertiary care facilities.
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Critical care medicine · Jan 2000
Accidental removal of endotracheal and nasogastric tubes and intravascular catheters.
To characterize the rates of accidental removal of endotracheal tubes, nasogastric tubes, central venous catheters, and arterial catheters. To assess the efficacy of corrective measures aimed at reducing the accidental removal of these devices. ⋯ The information provided by the rates of accidental removal expressed by patient-days is helpful to compare results obtained in populations with different times of follow-up. Education of medical personnel and limiting upper-extremity access to within 20 cm from any catheter or tube resulted in a significant reduction of patient-related removal of tubes and catheters.
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Transfusion of red blood cells continues to be an important therapy for treatment of anemia in intensive care settings. The critically ill are a population predisposed to the adverse outcomes of anemia and, as such, the risks imposed on them by transfusion therapy is one of great interest. ⋯ The Transfusion Requirements in Critical Care (TRICC) trial clearly established the safety of a restrictive transfusion strategy, suggesting that physicians could easily minimize exposure to allogeneic RBCs by lowering their transfusion threshold. Further research will add to the generalizability of this study as well as explore the possible mechanism to explain why red cell transfusions did not improve outcomes in the critically ill.