Search Tag: critically ill patients
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
Augmented renal clearance: the need for guidelines
2018 22 Feb
Renal function in critically ill patients has been routinely assessed with the objective of detecting renal impairment and adjusting drug doses. Although augmented renal clearance (ARC) has also been identified in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, ARC is a less well-studied phenomenon that could lead to faster elimination of drugs. A new systematic... Read more
Managing renal replacement therapy in AKI patients
2018 23 Jan
It is estimated that 22–57% of critically ill patients develop acute kidney injury (AKI) during their hospitalisation. The increasing incidence of AKI has the immediate effect of a growing need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). However, evidence on how to manage RRT in critically ill patients with AKI remains limited because of ambiguous study results... Read more
Cholestatic Alterations in the Critically Ill
2017 05 Sep
Hepatic dysfunction and jaundice are traditionally viewed as late features of sepsis and other critical illnesses. Identifying true cholestatic liver dysfunction is difficult given the lack of specificity of standard laboratory tests, especially in the context of a complex systemic condition as critical illness. However, very high levels of cholestatic... Read more