Intensive Care in Elderly Patients - Consideration of Age-Related Organ Dysfunction and Vulnerability

The physiology of aging must be understood first in order to detect pathophysiological deviations early on and to interact accordingly. To date, there exist no guidelines or recommendations, nor randomized controlled trials in the field of geriatric intensive care. The mortality of elderly ICU patients is not determined solely by age, but by the age-physiological decrease of the functional reserves and the age-related vulnerability factors

COVID-19 #StayAtHome Restrictions and Deep Vein Thrombosis: Case Report

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered countermeasures like #StayAtHome initiatives, which have changed the whole world. Despite the success of such initiatives in limiting the spread of COVID-19 to #FlattenTheCurve, physicians are now confronted with the adverse effects of the current restrictive pandemic management strategies and social distancing measures. Objective: We aim to draw attention to the particular importance and magnitude of what may be the adverse effects of COVID-19-related policies. Methods: We herein report a case of an otherwise healthy 84-year-old woman with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) due to COVID-19-related directives. #StayAtHome policies and consequential social isolation have diminished our patient's social life and reduced her healthy movement behaviors. The patient spent long hours in a seated position while focusing on the intensive flow of media information regarding the pandemic. Results: Reduced mobility due to preventive social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic was the only identified cause of the DVT. Conclusions: While evaluating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and governmentally implemented containment measures, including social isolation and mobility reduction, adverse events should be considered. Digital approaches might play a crucial role in supporting public health

Stability and ultimate behaviour of prestressed stayed beam-columns

The instability of beam-columns with crossarms and externally prestressed cable stays is studied analytically, where the combination of bending and compression is assumed to be derived from the system self-weight acting orthogonally to the applied axial load. Three principal zones of behaviour are identified with two of these each having two sub-zones that relate the critical buckling load to the initial prestressing force applied to the stay cables. The ultimate load-carrying capacity of the beam-columns is evaluated by conducting nonlinear finite element analysis within the commercial package ABAQUS. Results show that the analytically derived critical buckling loads generally provide safe predictions of the ultimate loads due to significant post-buckling strength. It is found that releasing the geometric double symmetry of the system can make for a significantly more efficient structure due to the effect of pre-cambering against the self-weight. The strength and efficiency of stayed beam-column systems opens up a range of potential applications, including lighter alternatives to conventional props to support wide excavations, which currently utilize very heavy steelwork