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Acute hyperglycaemia has been associated with complications, prolonged intensive care unit and hospital stay, and increased mortality. We made an inventory of the prevalence and prognostic value of hyperglycae...
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)-induced lung derecruitment can be assessed by a pressure–volume (P–V) curve method or by lung computed tomography (CT). However, only the first method can be used at the...
Numerous primary studies and several review papers have highlighted delayed physical and psychological recovery for survivors of critical illness, often beyond 6 months after discharge. This randomized control...
Intensive care unit (ICU) patients often suffer from subcutaneous oedema, due to administration of large fluid volumes and the underlying pathophysiological condition. It is unknown whether the presence of sub...
Our goal was to describe the epidemiology, clinical profiles, outcomes, and factors that might predict progression of critically ill patients to chronically critically ill (CCI) patients, a still poorly charac...
Septic renal failure is often seen in the intensive care unit but its pathogenesis is only partly understood. This study, performed in a normotensive rat model of endotoxemia, tests the hypotheses that endotox...
This paper describes the case mix, outcome and activity for admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
This article is part of a Supplement: Volume 10 Supplement 2
Protein C, because of its central role in hemostasis, plays an integral role in the host response to infection. Protein C depletion, resulting from increased consumption, degradation, and/or decreased synthesi...
Remifentanil is an opioid with a unique pharmacokinetic profile. Its organ-independent elimination and short context-sensitive half time of 3 to 4 minutes lead to a highly predictable offset of action. We test...
This study sought to assess whether the use of thoraco-pelvic supports during prone positioning in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) improves, deteriorates or leave...
Ventilation according to the open lung concept (OLC) consists of recruitment maneuvers, followed by low tidal volume and high positive end-expiratory pressure, aiming at minimizing atelectasis. The minimizatio...
Apoptosis is of pivotal importance in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Depending on the cell type involved and the time point of the disease process, apoptosis may be linked to either a good or a bad outcome. Work ...
Two international multicentre randomised controlled trials of drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DrotAA), the Recombinant Human Activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation of Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) and Administration...
Little is known about mortality rates following general surgical procedures in the United Kingdom. Deaths are most common in the 'high-risk' surgical population consisting mainly of older patients, with coexis...
Perhaps it is not surprising that in the critical care environment, where lives are frequently on the line, off-label use of certain drugs is relatively common. In general, there are two camps of opinion on th...
It is possible that taking a static pressure-volume (PV) measurement could durably affect oxygenation and thus interfere with early evaluation of a therapeutic intervention delivered just after that measuremen...
Intoxications with carbachol, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist are rare. We report an interesting case investigating a (near) fatal poisoning.
In the current issue of Critical Care, Friesenecker and colleagues present a well-designed comparative study on the microvascular effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and norepinephrine (NE) in a physiological, ...
In this commentary, recent papers covering pandemic influenza, acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiovascular issues are discussed.
Which particular arterial catheter site is associated with a higher risk of infection remains controversial. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of 1996 and the latest guidelines of 2002 ...
Our objectives were to determine the causes of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in elderly patients and to assess the accuracy of the initial diagnosis by the emergency physician, and that of the prognosis.
Cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass produces a generalized systemic inflammatory response, resulting in increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Under these circumstances, a typical pattern of...
Hyperinsulinaemia/euglycaemia therapy (HIET) consists of the infusion of high-dose regular insulin (usually 0.5 to 1 IU/kg per hour) combined with glucose to maintain euglycaemia. HIET has been proposed as an ...
In various diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, sepsis or myocardial infarction, elevated levels of circulating DNA can be measured. However, its predictive value is under debate. Circulating DNA in p...
The purpose of the present study was to measure the incidence and outcome of septic patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) with criteria for early goal-directed therapy (EGDT).
Antibiotic de-escalation, which consists of the initial institution of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics followed by antibiotic streamlining driven by microbiological documentation, is thought to provide maxi...
The potential role of Helicobacter pylori in acute stress ulcer in patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of H. pylori infection in ICU pat...
The role of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) is controversial. We sought to assess the outcome of ALI that was initially treated with NIPPV and to ...
Based on the central role of the triggering of monocytes for the initiation of the septic cascade, it was investigated whether apoptosis of blood monocytes in septic patients is connected to their final outcome.
This study was designed to examine differences in the arteriolar vasoconstrictive response between arginine vasopressin (AVP) and norepinephrine (NE) on the microcirculatory level in the hamster window chamber...
The lack of a standard definition for acute kidney injury has resulted in a large variation in the reported incidence and associated mortality. RIFLE, a newly developed international consensus classification f...
Preventing perioperative tissue oxygen debt contributes to a better postoperative recovery. Whether the beneficial effects of fluids and inotropes during optimization of the oxygen delivery index (DO2I) in high-r...
Several studies have indicated that early identification and treatment of patients with severe sepsis using standard supportive care improves outcomes. Earlier treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) (Drot...
Nosocomial pneumonia is the most important infectious complication in patients admitted to intensive care units. Kinetic bed therapy may reduce the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated ...
The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) as a rescue therapy in catecholamine-refractory septic and non-septic shock in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with acut...
Continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (CPAP) and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) are accepted treatments in acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (ACPE). However, it remains unclear whe...
Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is usually studied as a single entity, without distinguishing between ischaemic, nephrotoxic and mixed aetiologies. In the present study we evaluated the characteristics and outcom...
The best modality, for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is currently uncertain and it is poorly understood how transport of different solutes, whether convective or diffusive, changes over time.
Manifestations of sepsis are sensitive but are poorly specific of infection. Our aim was to assess the value of daily measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP), temperature and white cell count (WCC) in the ear...
Traditionally, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been treated either with double drug therapy or with monotherapy. Double drug therapy has been used to increase spectrum, for possible synergy, and to d...
The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired infection on hospital mortality.
Blood pressure measurements frequently guide management in critical care. Direct readings, commonly from a major artery, are considered to be the gold standard. Because arterial cannulation is associated with ...
Critical Care