Intensive care unit acquired infection and organ failure

Objective To assess the temporal relationship between ICU-acquired infection (IAI) and the prevalence and severity of organ dysfunction or failure (OD/F). Design and setting Observational, single center study in a mixed intensive care unit of a university hospital. Patients We analyzed 1,191 patients hospitalized for more than 2 days during a 2-year observation period: 845 did not acquire IAI, 306 of whom had infection on admission (IOA); 346 did acquire IAI, 125 of whom had IOA. Measurements and results The SOFA score was calculated daily, both SOFAmax, the sum of the worst OD/F during the ICU stay, and SOFApreinf, the sum of the worst OD/F existing before the occurrence of the first IAI. The SAPS II and SOFA score of the first 24 h were significantly higher in patients with than in those without IAI. SOFApreinf of IAI patients was also higher than the SOFAmax of patients without IAI both in patients with (12.1 ± 4.6 vs. 8.9 ± 4.7) and those without IOA (9.2 ± 4.0 vs. 6.7 ± 3.5). SOFApreinf represented 85.7% of the value of SOFAmax in patients with IAI. SOFApreinf increased significantly with the occurrence of sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock during ICU stay. Severe sepsis and septic shock during ICU stay as well as SOFApreinf were part of the factors associated with hospital mortality. Conclusions IAI is significantly associated with hospital mortality; however, its contribution to OD/F is minor. Moreover, severity of IAI seems to be related to previous health status. This article is discussed in the editorial available at: .     

Intensive care unit management of the trauma patient

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this concise review is to provide an overview of some of the most important intensive care unit issues and approaches that are unique to trauma patients as compared with the general intensive care unit population. STUDY SELECTION: Clinical trials in trauma patients focusing on hemorrhage control, issues in resuscitation, staged operative repair of multiple injuries, the diagnosis and therapy of the abdominal compartment syndrome, and the treatment of traumatic brain injury were identified on PubMed. CONCLUSIONS: The intensive care unit care of the trauma patient differs from that of other intensive care unit patients in many ways, one of the most important being the need to continuously integrate operative and nonoperative therapy. Although progress in the care of the injured has been made, death due to uncontrolled bleeding, severe head injury, or the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome remains all too common in this patient population. Furthermore, due to the potential nature of the injuries, the conundrum not infrequently arises that the optimal treatment for one injury or organ system, such as preoperative permissive hypotension in actively bleeding patients, may result in suboptimal or even deleterious therapy in the presence of another injury, such as traumatic brain injury. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: On completion of this article, the reader should be able to:Dr. Deitch has disclosed that he is/was the recipient of grant/research funds from Celgene. Dr. Dayal has disclosed that she has no financial relationships with or interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.Lippincott CME Institute, Inc., has identified and resolved all faculty conflicts of interest regarding this educational activity.Visit the Critical Care Medicine Web site (www.ccmjournal.org) for information on obtaining continuing medical education credit.     

Intensive care unit management of liver-related coagulation disorders

Coagulopathy, one of the cardinal features of advanced liver disease, is related to multiple factors including impaired synthetic function, thrombocytopenia, excessive fibrinolysis, platelet dysfunction, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. In the intensive care unit, management of coagulopathy may require treatment, particularly in the actively bleeding patient or in preparation for invasive procedures. This article reviews the background of coagulopathy in patients with end-stage liver disease and management options and comments on common clinical scenarios.     

Intensive care and anesthetic maintenance in intra-abdominal hypertension

The purpose of this review to show recent advances in the treatment of intraabdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome and to evaluate their clinical implication. To identify relevant publications, the authors have looked through the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for the original papers published since 1980. As search terms, they used "intraabdominal pressure", "intraabdominal hypertension", "abdominal compartment syndrome combined with treatment". The cumulative analysis of recent data indicates that early treatment of intraabdominal hypertension can prevent the development of abdominal compartment syndrome and a need for emergency laparotomy. However, laparotomy and various laparostomic techniques remain the only effective methods in treating intraabdominal hypertension in the presence of the abdominal compartment syndrome. The staf of surgical and general intensive care units should be aware of the prevention and treatment of intraabdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome.     

外科重症监护病房系统化医院感染管理

目的 提高外科重症监护病房医院感染的管理水平,以有效地降低医院感染发病率.方法 通过对1997年1月～2004年12月医院感染监测项目进行比较,评价外科重症监护病房实施系统化管理的效果.结果 外科重症监护病房进行系统化管理后感染率显著降低,消毒灭菌质量监测合格率有不同程度的提高.结论 加强系统化管理是降低外科重症监护病房医院感染率的有效措施.     

外科重症监护病房系统化医院感染管理

目的提高外科重症监护病房医院感染的管理水平,以有效地降低医院感染发病率.方法通过对1997年1月～2004年12月医院感染监测项目进行比较,评价外科重症监护病房实施系统化管理的效果.结果外科重症监护病房进行系统化管理后感染率显著降低,消毒灭菌质量监测合格率有不同程度的提高.结论加强系统化管理是降低外科重症监护病房医院感染率的有效措施.     

外科重症监护病房严重腹腔感染患者预后危险因素分析

目的 探讨影响外科重症监护病房(SICU)严重腹腔感染患者预后的危险因素.方法 回顾性分析2008年1月至2011年4月本院SICU收治的69例严重腹腔感染患者的临床资料,按患者出SICU时的结局分为存活组(42例)和死亡组(27例),采用单因素分析和多因素logistic回归分析筛选和判定与SICU严重腹腔感染患者预后相关的危险因素.结果 单因素分析结果显示,急性生理学与慢性健康状况评分系统Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)评分、腹腔感染灶处理不充分、初始抗菌药物治疗不适当以及合并脓毒性休克是影响SICU严重腹腔感染患者预后的危险因素[存活组分别为(11.76±3.48)分、3例、3例和24例;死亡组分别为(17.12±4.50)分、21例、15例和27例,均P＜0.01];logistic回归分析表明,APACHEⅡ评分＞15分和腹腔感染灶处理不充分是影响预后的独立危险因素,P值分别为0.044和0.018,相对危险度(RR值)分别为6.846和21.319.结论 动态监测APACHEⅡ评分、及时充分处理腹腔感染灶,可以降低SICU严重腹腔感染患者的病死率.     

Intensive care unit outcomes in elderly cancer patients

As the number of elderly patients receiving oncologic therapies increases, the need for better outcome predictors for the critically ill elderly with cancer increases. Physicians should not view age as an indicator of poor ICU outcome, as many elderly patients with cancer will derive the same benefit from intensive care as their younger counterparts. Such a gain can be accomplished without overuse of valuable resources. Similar prognostic factors that are applied to the younger cancer patients should also be applied to the elderly. These parameters, in addition to clinical judgment, can be helpful in deciding who will benefit from ICU care regardless of age. Oncologists and critical care physicians will need to collaborate and change the paradigm of ICU care for the elderly.     

Intensive care unit cultures and end-of-life decision making

PURPOSE: Prior researchers studying end-of-life decision making (EOLDM) in intensive care units (ICUs) often have collected data retrospectively and aggregated data across units. There has been little research, however, about how cultures differ among ICUs. This research was designed to study limitation of treatment decision making in real time and to evaluate similarities and differences in the cultural contexts of 4 ICUs and the relationship of those contexts to EOLDM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnographic field work took place in 4 adult ICUs in a tertiary care hospital. Participants were health care providers (eg, physicians, nurses, and social workers), patients, and their family members. Participant observation and interviews took place 5 days a week for 7 months in each unit. RESULTS: The ICUs were not monolithic. There were similarities, but important differences in EOLDM were identified in formal and informal rules, meaning and uses of technology, physician roles and relationships, processes such as unit rounds, and timing of initiation of EOLDM. CONCLUSIONS: As interventions to improve EOLDM are developed, it will be important to understand how they may interact with unit cultures. Attempting to develop one intervention to be used in all ICUs is unlikely to be successful.