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Observational Study
Association of inferior vena cava diameter ratio measured on computed tomography scans with the outcome of patients with septic shock.
The collapsibility and diameter of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are known to predict the volume state in critically ill patients. However, no study has examined the prognostic value of the IVC diameter ratio measured on computed tomography (CT) in patients with septic shock. A retrospective observational study was conducted on adult septic shock patients visiting the emergency department at a university hospital in Korea. ⋯ A cut-off IVC diameter ratio of ≥1.31 cm had 75% sensitivity and 42% specificity for predicting in-hospital mortality. The IVC diameter ratio measured on CT may to be helpful in predicting the prognosis of septic shock patients. However, due to its low diagnostic performance and sensitivity, further research is warranted.
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Critically ill patients who depend on intensive care for more than a few days reveal profound erosion of lean body mass, which is thought to contribute to high morbidity and mortality. Despite a shortfall of evidence that supplemental feeding actually alters clinical outcome of these life-threatening disease states, this observation evoked an almost universal, albeit often inappropriate, use of nutritional support (NS) in the critically ill, administered via the parenteral or the enteral route. Lack of knowledge and overenthusiasm subsequently resulted in complications associated with both parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN), which led to the standing controversy over which should be preferred. ⋯ In addition, tight blood glucose control with insulin is advised in fed critically ill patients because overall metabolic control appears to surpass any outcome benefit attributed to the route of feeding. Recently, various special nutritional formulas have been suggested to prevent or treat multiorgan failure in the critically ill, among other pathways via modulation of immune function. Although special nutritional formulas may be promising in a variety of clinical settings, based on currently available data, these cannot be recommended for routine use in critically ill patients.
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The Journal of urology · Jan 1995
Clinical TrialIntraoperative irrigation with bupivacaine for analgesia after orchiopexy and herniorrhaphy in children.
Effective postoperative analgesia is important, especially in pediatric surgery. The efficacy of intraoperative surgical wound irrigation with bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia was investigated in 90 children undergoing elective inguinoscrotal surgery. ⋯ Bupivacaine irrigation was simple and complication-free. We believe that the irrigation of surgical wounds with bupivacaine should be a routine procedure in elective inguinoscrotal surgery in children.
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Robotic surgery rates, typified by the use of the da Vinci Surgical System, have increased in recent years. However, robotic surgery is mostly performed in large hospitals and has not been fully implemented in small hospitals. Therefore, we aimed to verify the feasibility of robotic surgery in small hospitals and verify the number of cases in which perioperative preparation for robotic surgery is stable by creating a learning curve in small hospitals. ⋯ There were no significant differences in the incidence of severe complications (25% [5/20] vs 5% [1/20], P = .184). In the small hospital group, phase I of the draping learning curve was completed in 4 cases, while phase I of the docking learning curve was completed in 7 cases. Robotic surgery is feasible for small hospitals, and the preoperative preparation time required for robotic surgery stabilizes relatively early.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2019
Physician and Patient Characteristics Associated With More Intensive End-of-Life Care.
Although patient and physician characteristics are thought to be predictive of discretionary interventions at the end of life (EoL), few studies have data on both parties. ⋯ Patient treatment preferences and physician attitudes are independently associated with higher levels of treatment intensity before death. Greater research, clinical, and policy attention to patient treatment preferences and physician comfort with medical paternalism might lead to improvements in care of patients with advanced disease.