Search Tag: critically ill patients
Stable/Unstable? Cardiovascular Dynamics in Critically Ill Patients
2019 09 Aug
There is currently doubt over the terms stable and unstable regarding cardiovascular dynamics in critically ill patients. Labelling a patient as haemodynamically stable or unstable can have different connotations depending on the practising physician. The term stable is originally defined as the condition of the patient being unchanged for a substantial... Read more
Clinical Examination for Prediction of Mortality in Critically Ill Patients
2019 03 Aug
Patients admitted to the ICU have a high mortality rate. Even those who survive the stay tend to suffer from long-term morbidity and reduced quality of life. Critically ill patients frequently present with low blood pressure, oliguria, and skin mottling. These are the signs that usually guide treatment. Most critical care guidelines on the management... Read more
Respiratory physiotherapy in critically ill patients
2019 30 May
Respiratory pathologies are among the most common causes of admission to critical care. Respiratory physiotherapy represents a fundamental part of the standard practice in ICU. The following review provides a practical and feasible description of the main physiotherapeutic tools and strategies that can be applied to critically ill patients.... Read more
Sedation with dexmedetomidine in critically ill patients
2019 30 May
Dexmedetomidine is used to sedate patients while maintaining a certain degree of sustainability. The use of dexmedetomidine is known to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and delirium among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, its use as the sole sedative agent in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation has not been studied... Read more
Sedation in ICU patients - need for standardised protocols
2019 23 Apr
A Johns Hopkins-led study on sedation practices in critically ill patients in a resource-limited setting finds that deep sedation, agitation, and benzodiazepines were independently associated with worse clinical outcomes. The study's main objective was to determine the relationship between sedation status and 90-day mortality. Study results... Read more
Clinical use of beta-lactam antibiotics in critically ill patients
2018 03 Oct
Antimicrobials, specifically beta-lactam antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the management of critically ill patients. However, pathophysiological factors in these patients can often lead to altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of beta-lactams. While choosing the most appropriate antimicrobial is critical, determining... Read more
Corticosteroid use associated with ICU-acquired weakness
2018 13 Aug
There is a significant association between corticosteroid use and intensive care unit-acquired weakness, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thus, exposure to corticosteroids should be limited, or the administration time should be shortened in clinical practice to reduce the risk of ICU-acquired weakness in adult patients,... Read more
From multiple organ support therapy to extracorporeal organ support in critically ill patients
2018 16 Mar
The complex nature of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) requires an integrated supportive therapy. Native organs have a continuous crosstalk and have in common in most cases an altered composition of the blood circulating and perfusing them. In this article we describe the concept of extracorporeal organ support (ECOS) for the treatment... Read more
Sedative prevents delirium in ICU patients
2018 06 Mar
Results of a randomised, placebo-controlled trial showed that a low dose of the sedative dexmedetomidine given at night may prevent delirium in critically ill patients. In this study of 100 ICU patients, half of them were randomly assigned to receive intravenous dexmedetomidine; the other half were given the placebo. The trial published online in... Read more