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Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) often receive sedation for prolonged periods. In order to better understand the impact of sub-optimal sedation practice on outcomes, we performed a systematic review, in...
In the previous issue of Critical Care, Meybohm and colleagues provide evidence to support hypothermia as a kind of therapeutic option for patients suffering cardiac arrest. Although anesthetics had been used to ...
Transfusion is a common treatment in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Studies in adults suggest that prolonged storage of red blood cell units is associated with worse clinical outcome. No prospective s...
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are reported by 11-23% of cardiac arrest survivors. Several theories concerning the mechanisms of NDEs exist - including physical, psychological, and transcendental reasons - but ...
This article is part of a Supplement: Volume 14 Supplement 1
This article is part of a Supplement: Volume 14 Supplement 1
The appropriate strategy for trauma-induced coagulopathy management is under debate. We report the treatment of major trauma using mainly coagulation factor concentrates.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a diffuse cerebral dysfunction induced by the immuno-inflammatory response to infection. Elevated levels of the brain-specific S100B protein are present in many septic...
It has been proposed that doses of amikacin of >15 mg/kg should be used in conditions associated with an increased volume of distribution (Vd), such as severe sepsis and septic shock. The primary aim of this stud...
Evidence-based recommendations are needed to guide the acute management of the bleeding trauma patient, which when implemented may improve patient outcomes.
Biguanide poisoning is associated with lactic acidosis. The exact mechanism of biguanide-induced lactic acidosis is not well understood. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Protti and colleagues demonstrated ...
Cefepime has been associated with a greater risk of mortality than other beta-lactams in patients treated for severe sepsis. Hypotheses for this failure include possible hidden side-effects (for example, neuro...
The pathophysiology of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is not entirely clear. One of the possible underlying mechanisms is the alteration of the cerebral microvascular function induced by the systemic i...
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have various roles in inflammatory states. They seem to be able to modulate endothelial barriers and regulate the activity of chemokines and cytokines. The timely development o...
Many mechanically ventilated elderly patients in Israel are treated outside of intensive care units (ICUs). The decision as to whether these patients should be treated in ICUs is reached without clear guidelin...
Many approaches have been examined to try to predict patient outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It has been shown that plasma DNA could predict mortality in critically ill patients but no data are av...
General illness severity scores are widely used in the ICU to predict outcome, characterize disease severity and degree of organ dysfunction, and assess resource use. In this article we review the most commonl...
Three recent articles have shown the potential use of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. While this technique appears promising, significant additional work ...
Severe acute kidney injury (AKI) can be treated with either continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) or intermittent renal replacement therapy (IRRT). Limited evidence from existing studies does not support...
Mechanical ventilation (MV) can injure the lungs and contribute to an overwhelming inflammatory response, leading to acute renal failure (ARF). We previously showed that poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) poly...
Diastolic dysfunction as demonstrated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), particularly E/e' (peak early diastolic transmitral/peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity) is common in critical illness. In septic...
Pulmonary edema (PED) is a severe complication after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). PED is often treated with diuretics and a reduction in fluid intake, but this may cause intravascular volume deple...
Discrepancies of 5-24% between superior vena cava oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) have been reported in patients with severe heart failure. Thenar muscle tissue oxygenation (St...
Selection of the optimal positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to avoid ventilator-induced lung injury in patients under mechanical ventilation is still a matter of debate. Many methods are available, but no...
The nature of mankind is a concern for those in need. Disasters, both natural and manmade, have been with us since the beginning of recorded history but media coverage of them is a relatively new phenomenon. W...
During the past decade, there have been an increasing number of studies investigating the precise role of T regulatory cells in human disease. First recognized for their ability to prevent autoimmunity, T regu...
Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are predisposed to thromboembolism. Routine prophylactic anticoagulation is widely recommended. Low-molecular-weight heparins, such as enoxaparin, are increasingly used becau...
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the ICU is associated with poorer prognosis. Hydroxyethylstarch (HES) solutions are fluid resuscitation colloids frequently used in the ICU with controversial nephrotoxic adverse e...
Mechanical ventilation (MV) with high tidal volumes may induce or aggravate lung injury in critical ill patients. We compared the effects of a protective versus a conventional ventilatory strategy, on systemic...
Benzodiazepines and α2 adrenoceptor agonists exert opposing effects on innate immunity and mortality in animal models of infection. We hypothesized that sedation with dexmedetomidine (an α2 adrenoceptor agonist),...
The Article selection to this article has been published in Critical Care 2011 15:402
The primary aim was to measure the amount of nutrients required, prescribed and actually administered in critically ill patients. Secondary aims were to assess adherence to clinical practice guidelines, and in...
The objectives were to characterize alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) in pigs with normal lungs and to analyze the effect of immediate application of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).
Infections produce severe respiratory muscle weakness, which contributes to the development of respiratory failure. An effective, safe therapy to prevent respiratory muscle dysfunction in infected patients has...
There is an increasing interest in biphasic positive airway pressure with spontaneous breathing (BIPAP+SBmean), which is a combination of time-cycled controlled breaths at two levels of continuous positive airway...
Severe infection and sepsis are common causes of morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis in critically ill patients is important to reduce these complications. The present study was conducted to determine the...
There are few data related to the effects of different sources of infection on outcome. We used the Sepsis Occurrence in Acutely ill Patients (SOAP) database to investigate differences in the impact of respira...
The aims of our study were to evaluate the impact of increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) on central nervous system (CNS) cytokines (Interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor), lactate and perfusion pressure...
Sedative and analgesic medications are routinely used in mechanically ventilated patients. The aim of this review is to discus epidemiologic data that suggest a relationship between infection and sedation, to ...
Since the inception of blood banking, refinements in laboratory processes have allowed for progressively longer storage times of red blood cells. Whilst advantageous for the logistics of stock management, the ...
The rapid economic growth in parts of the developing world is being accompanied by an expansion of critical care. Hurdles to expansion include lack of critical care training for healthcare workers. This is cou...
Goal-directed therapy (GDT) can be a vague term, meaning different things to different people and, depending on the clinical environment, sometimes even different things to the same person. It can refer to per...
Lipid emulsions based on soybean oil have been an integral part of parenteral nutrition supplying n-6 fatty acids, with possible negative effects in critically ill patients. Newer lipid emulsions supply less n...
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