Articles: mortality.
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Journal of physiotherapy · Jan 2011
CommentUsing titrated oxygen instead of high flow oxygen during an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) saves lives.
In patients with a suspected acute exacerbation of COPD, does titrated oxygen in the pre-hospital setting change mortality, length of hospital stay and blood gas measurements? ⋯ In patients with a suspected acute exacerbation of COPD, using titrated oxygen to maintain SpO(2) between 88% and 92% reduced the risk of mortality by 58%. Physiotherapists working in acute care should strive to ensure that these patients are not treated with high-flow oxygen.
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Depression of left ventricular (LV) intrinsic contractility is constant in patients with septic shock. Because most parameters of cardiac function are strongly dependent on afterload, especially in this context, the cardiac performance evaluated at the bedside reflects intrinsic contractility, but also the degree of vasoplegia. Recent advances in echocardiography have allowed better characterization of septic cardiomyopathy. ⋯ Unlike classic cardiomyopathy, it is not associated with high filling pressures, for two reasons: improvement in LV compliance and associated right ventricular dysfunction. Although, it is unclear to which extent it affects prognosis, a hyperkinetic state is indicative of a profound and persistent vasoplegia associated with a high mortality rate. Preliminary data suggest that the hemodynamic response to a dobutamine challenge has a prognostic value, but large studies are required to establish whether inotropic drugs should be used to treat this septic cardiac dysfunction.
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Comparative Study
Body configuration as a predictor of mortality: comparison of five anthropometric measures in a 12 year follow-up of the Norwegian HUNT 2 study.
Distribution of body fat is more important than the amount of fat as a prognostic factor for life expectancy. Despite that, body mass index (BMI) still holds its status as the most used indicator of obesity in clinical work. ⋯ Our study adds further knowledge to the evidence that BMI is not the most appropriate measure of obesity in everyday clinical practice. WHR can reliably be measured and is as easy to calculate as BMI and is currently better documented than WHtR. It appears reasonable to recommend WHR as the primary measure of body composition and obesity.
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J Emerg Trauma Shock · Jan 2011
A clinico-epidemiologic study of 892 patients with burn injuries at a tertiary care hospital in Punjab, India.
To analyze the causes, demographic and socio-cultural aspects, and the magnitude of burn injuries prospectively and to evaluate the outcome of treatment of patients admitted to burns ICU of tertiary care hospital. ⋯ Developing country like India need an aggressive public education program so that people become more literate about various etiological factors causing burns and means of preventing them. Also needed are burn care hospitals which are easily accessible and affordable.
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We describe futures of ICU admission, demographic characteristics, treatment and outcome for critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed and suspected infection with the H1N1 virus admitted to the three different critical care departments in Turkey. ⋯ Critical illness from 2009 influenza A(H1N1) in ICU predominantly affects young patients with little major comorbidity and had a high case-fatality rate. NIMV could be used in 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infection-related hypoxemic respiratory failure.