Search Tag: critically ill patients
2025 06 May
Enteral nutrition delivers essential nutrients to treat or prevent disease-related malnutrition in critically ill patients. This malnutrition, influenced by poor intake and inflammation, can impact the effectiveness of nutrition therapy. Evidence from recent randomised trials in both critically ill and non-critically ill patients has shaped current...Read more
2024 12 Nov
Critical illness often disrupts gut function, metabolism, and immune function, leading to malnutrition. Enteral nutrition (EN) is preferred for critically ill patients, but up to 75% face feeding intolerance, resulting in poor nutrient delivery and GI symptoms. Dietary fibre (DF) has health benefits, including supporting gut integrity and immune responses,...Read more
2024 01 Oct
Early mobilisation within 72 hours of ICU admission mitigates risks including reduced functionality and cognitive decline in critically ill patients, improving outcomes such as mobility and quality of life. Overcoming barriers through flexible staffing, protocols, and personalised care strategies is essential to humanising critical care in daily...Read more
2024 17 Jul
A review article by researchers from Uppsala University and the University of Gothenburg, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, underscores that up to half of hospitalised patients and those in healthcare facilities suffer from malnutrition. This has significant implications, including unnecessary suffering, decreased quality of life,...Read more
2024 09 Jul
Approximately 500,000 Americans die annually following admission to an ICU, often lacking decision-making capacity due to advanced illness or medications. Clinicians rely on surrogate decision-makers for care decisions, but communication breakdowns are common, making the process emotionally difficult for surrogates. This often leads to patients...Read more
2024 30 May
In acute critical illness, catabolism leads to muscle wasting, weakness, and difficulty in weaning from ventilation. Low intake of protein, energy, and micronutrients can worsen catabolism, leading to infections, delayed recovery, and increased mortality. Traditionally, it was believed that nutrition could counteract catabolism and improve outcomes....Read more
2024 22 May
Acetaminophen (paracetamol) has several pharmacological effects that are potentially beneficial in sepsis, including analgesia, antipyresis, and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition. Observational studies and small clinical trials suggest acetaminophen improves survival and kidney function in sepsis patients with elevated cell-free haemoglobin. However,...Read more
2024 17 May
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Among patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), severe untreated pain is associated with an increase in mortality, length of hospital stays and worsening in everyday quality of life after hospital discharge. Pain in critically ill patients is more difficult to monitor...Read more
2024 25 Apr
The treatment of critically ill and perioperative patients often involves targeting blood pressure as a cornerstone of haemodynamic management. Current guidelines suggest maintaining high blood pressure targets for these patients based on observational studies linking hypotensive events to adverse outcomes. However, these recommendations are not based...Read more
2024 12 Mar
Haemoadsorption may represent the new frontier in extracorporeal blood purification. Haemoadsorption has demonstrated effective extraction of a variety of toxins and drugs during episodes of sepsis, acute kidney injury or intoxication. Selective haemoadsorption can be performed by endotoxin-binding polymyxin B functionalised polystyrene fibres....Read more
2023 30 Nov
In the ICU, providing better care with less is the holy grail. This mnemonic tries to resume a list of the key interventions for human, evidence-based and patient-centred care. Background In 2005, Prof Jean-Louis Vincent introduced the mnemonic "FAST HUG," advocating for a comprehensive approach to patient care encompassing seven...Read more
2023 22 Aug
In December 2017, angiotensin II (ATII) intravenous infusion gained approval in the U.S. for treating septic or other distributive shock in adults. This approval was based on results from a phase II clinical trial which showed higher mean arterial pressure in septic shock patients on norepinephrine, who were randomly assigned to titrated ATII compared...Read more
2023 26 May
While intravenous fluids have traditionally been a routine treatment for most critically ill patients, many severe pathologies now suggest a preference for conservative fluid therapy over liberal fluid administration. Introduction Intravenous fluid resuscitation began in 1832 during the cholera pandemic, improving intravascular volume...Read more
2023 06 Feb
The international critical care nutrition guidelines recommend a wide range of protein doses that are based on low-quality evidence. The impact of high-dose protein in critically ill patients is unknown. A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that a higher dose of protein improves clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. This was an...Read more
2022 18 Oct
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard announced the NHS will be able to diagnose and save the lives of thousands of severely ill children and babies with a world-first national genetic testing service. The service is based in Exeter, England, and launched as part of the NHS Genomics Strategy. The service builds on the NHS’s Long-Term Plan to...Read more
2022 14 Oct
Infections occur frequently in critically ill patients in the ICU. They may be the reason for admission and could also be due to immunosuppression associated with critical illness. Antibiotics are essential tools for treating both common and complex infections. It is recommended that antibiotics should be administered as soon as possible once an infection...Read more
2022 14 Oct
An overview of the clinical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of landiolol for the treatment of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter with heart failure and effective heart rate control during arrhythmias. Supraventricular arrhythmias (SVTs) are common in post-operative and cardiac ICUs. SVTs increase the risk of death...Read more
2022 14 Oct
An overview of the clinical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of landiolol for the treatment of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter with heart failure and effective heart rate control during arrhythmias. Supraventricular arrhythmias (SVTs) are common in post-operative and cardiac ICUs. SVTs increase the risk of death...Read more
2022 25 Aug
ICU patients are often too ill to make decisions for themselves and need family members or surrogates to make medical decisions on their behalf. Surrogates may have to use substituted judgment when the critically ill patient has left no advanced directives. In such a situation, the surrogate may have to make decisions by considering what the patient...Read more
2022 25 Jul
Sleep in adult patients in the ICU is severely disturbed and typically short, light and fragmented. In addition, interventions in the ICU such as sedation, ventilation and illness can alter sleep characteristics. Some of the most common causes of sleep disruption include environmental factors such as noise and light; physiologic factors, such as pain,...Read more
2022 09 Jun
Find Nova Biomedical On Social Media Webinar Dates: Thursday, June 9th, 2:00 PM ET Thursday, June 23rd, 2:00 PM ET Read more
2022 25 May
A Practical Approach for Intensivists A practical approach to analgesia, sedation and neuromuscular blockade of critically ill patients and a discussion on potential benefits, adverse effects and current professional international recommendations. Introduction Patients hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are naturally prone to...Read more
2022 28 Apr
Speakers Thomas Metkus, MD Divisions of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Medicine and Surgery Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Dennis Begos, MD, FACS, FACRS Medical Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs...Read more
2022 21 Mar
The number of elderly and multimorbid patients admitted to the ICU continues to increase. These patients are at a high risk of dying and are likely to suffer from poor long-term outcomes such as functional and cognitive impairment, psychological distress and 6-month mortality. In addition, these patients have complex palliative care needs and could...Read more
2022 17 Feb
Adverse events (AEs) are common among critically ill patients. Evidence about the nature, preventability and predictability of AEs can be used to reinvest in efforts to reduce them and improve patient safety in ICUs. Case Mr. A, a previously well 70-year-old male was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with respiratory...Read more
2022 17 Feb
Speakers Rolando Claure-Del Granado, MD, FASN Director, AKI/CRRT Program Hospital Obrero, Cochabamba, Bolivia Dennis Begos, MD, FACS, FACRS Medical Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs Nova Biomedical Read more
2021 23 Nov
The complexity of glucose testing, the limitations of point-of-care blood glucose monitoring systems and the need for accuracy and reliability to ensure optimised patient outcomes. C ritically ill patients are not found just in intensive care units, but throughout the hospital: emergency departments, post-anaesthesia care units,...Read more