Metabolic and nutritional support of critically ill patients: consensus and controversies.

The results of recent large-scale clinical trials have led us to review our understanding of the metabolic response to stress and the most appropriate means of managing nutrition in critically ill patients. This review presents an update in this field, identifying and discussing a number of areas for which consensus has been reached and others where controversy remains and presenting areas for future research. We discuss optimal calorie and protein intake, the incidence and management of re-feeding syndrome, the role of gastric residual volume monitoring, the place of supplemental parenteral nutrition when enteral feeding is deemed insufficient, the role of indirect calorimetry, and potential indications for several pharmaconutrients

Clinical validation of the non-invasive cardiac output monitor USCOM-1A in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cardiac output is frequently monitored to maintain and improve cardiac function with the primary goal of adequate tissue perfusion. The pulmonary artery catheter is considered to be the gold standard although several non-invasive devices are being introduced and gaining attention. To evaluate the accuracy of the ultrasonic cardiac output monitor (USCOM)-1A (Pty Ltd, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia), a non-invasive cardiac output device including its capability to differentiate between different shock states in haemodynamically unstable ICU patients was used in this single-centre, prospective, observational study. METHODS: Cardiac output was measured with a pulmonary artery catheter and transcutaneously via a suprasternal approach with the USCOM-1A by continuous-wave Doppler ultrasound in 25 adult patients in a mixed medical and surgical ICU in a major teaching hospital in the Netherlands. RESULTS: A total of 1315 USCOM-1A cardiac output measurements were performed. In order to reduce time-variability, the mean of five consecutive USCOM-1A measurements was calculated. Total 263 values were compared with 263 thermodilution cardiac output measurements performed with a pulmonary artery catheter. Data were analysed for systematic error, precision and correlation. Systematic and random errors were found. On average USCOM-1A values were 12% lower than thermodilution measurements (systematic error), while the random error was 17% (coefficient of variation). The error comprised an inter-operator variability of 3%, an inter-patient variability of 11% and residual variability of 15%. The correlation coefficient of the calculated cardiac index with the USCOM-1A and the pulmonary artery catheter was r = 0.8024 and 0.6438, respectively. Temperature and gender did not influence correlations. The learning curve for USCOM-1A skill acquisition was steep. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between the two techniques was acceptable, although relevant systematic and variable errors were detected. USCOM-1A provided adequate data to distinguish non-invasively different shock types in ICU patients

Nurses' worry or concern and early recognition of deteriorating patients on general wards in acute care hospitals: a systematic review

Contains fulltext : 153532.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)INTRODUCTION: Nurses often recognize deterioration in patients through intuition rather than through routine measurement of vital signs. Adding the 'worry or concern' sign to the Rapid Response System provides opportunities for nurses to act upon their intuitive feelings. Identifying what triggers nurses to be worried or concerned might help to put intuition into words, and potentially empower nurses to act upon their intuitive feelings and obtain medical assistance in an early stage of deterioration. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the signs and symptoms that trigger nurses' worry or concern about a patient's condition. METHODS: We searched the databases PubMed, CINAHL, Psychinfo and Cochrane Library (Clinical Trials) using synonyms related to the three concepts: 'nurses', 'worry/concern' and 'deterioration'. We included studies concerning adult patients on general wards in acute care hospitals. The search was performed from the start of the databases until 14 February 2014. RESULTS: The search resulted in 4,006 records, and 18 studies (five quantitative, nine qualitative and four mixed-methods designs) were included in the review. A total of 37 signs and symptoms reflecting the nature of the criterion worry or concern emerged from the data and were summarized in 10 general indicators. The results showed that worry or concern can be present with or without change in vital signs. CONCLUSIONS: The signs and symptoms we found in the literature reflect the nature of nurses' worry or concern, and nurses may incorporate these signs in their assessment of the patient and their decision to call for assistance. The fact that it is present before changes in vital signs suggests potential for improving care in an early stage of deterioration

Unexpected fatal neurological deterioration after successful cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and therapeutic hypothermia.

A 77-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to pulseless electrical activity. She was treated with mild therapeutic hypothermia to minimise secondary anoxic brain damage. After a 24 h period of therapeutic hypothermia with a temperature of 32.5 degrees C, the patient was rewarmed and sedation discontinued. Neurological evaluation after 24 h revealed a maximum Glasgow Coma Score of E4M4Vt with spontaneous breathing. However the patient developed a fever reaching 39 degrees C for several hours that was unresponsive to conventional cooling methods. In the subsequent 24 h patient developed apnoea, hypotension and bradycardia with deterioration of the coma score. Diabetes insipidus was confirmed. Cerebral CT was performed which showed diffuse brain oedema with herniation and brainstem compression. The patient died within hours. Autopsy showed massive brain swelling and tentorial herniation. Hyperthermia possibly played a pivotal role in the development of this fatal insult to this vulnerable brain after cardiac arrest and therapeutic hypothermia treatment. The acute histopathological alterations in the brain, possibly caused by the deleterious effects of fever after cardiac arrest in human brain, may be considered a new observation

Antiphase light and temperature cycles affect PHYTOCHROME B-controlled ethylene sensitivity and biosynthesis, limiting leaf movement and growth of Arabidopsis.

In the natural environment, days are generally warmer than the night, resulting in a positive day/night temperature difference (+DIF). Plants have adapted to these conditions, and when exposed to antiphase light and temperature cycles (cold photoperiod/warm night [-DIF]), most species exhibit reduced elongation growth. To study the physiological mechanism of how light and temperature cycles affect plant growth, we used infrared imaging to dissect growth dynamics under +DIF and -DIF in the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found that -DIF altered leaf growth patterns, decreasing the amplitude and delaying the phase of leaf movement. Ethylene application restored leaf growth in -DIF conditions, and constitutive ethylene signaling mutants maintain robust leaf movement amplitudes under -DIF, indicating that ethylene signaling becomes limiting under these conditions. In response to -DIF, the phase of ethylene emission advanced 2 h, but total ethylene emission was not reduced. However, expression analysis on members of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase ethylene biosynthesis gene family showed that ACS2 activity is specifically suppressed in the petiole region under -DIF conditions. Indeed, petioles of plants under -DIF had reduced ACC content, and application of ACC to the petiole restored leaf growth patterns. Moreover, acs2 mutants displayed reduced leaf movement under +DIF, similar to wild-type plants under -DIF. In addition, we demonstrate that the photoreceptor PHYTOCHROME B restricts ethylene biosynthesis and constrains the -DIF-induced phase shift in rhythmic growth. Our findings provide a mechanistic insight into how fluctuating temperature cycles regulate plant growth

[Isolated orchidodynia as the initial symptom of aneurysm of the abdominal aorta]

A 67-year-old man presented with isolated pain of the right testicle. He was admitted and treated for epididymitis. His symptoms did not improve and lower abdominal pain developed. After hypotension and severe anaemia (Hb 2.1 mmol/l) had developed, abdominal echography was carried out, revealing a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient underwent surgical repair with an aortic-bifemoral prosthesis and was ultimately discharged without further complications. This is the fourth report in the literature of orchidodynia as referred pain from an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta

[Isolated orchidodynia as the initial symptom of aneurysm of the abdominal aorta],Geïsoleerde orchidodynie als eerste uiting van een aneurysma aortae abdominalis.

Item does not contain fulltextA 67-year-old man presented with isolated pain of the right testicle. He was admitted and treated for epididymitis. His symptoms did not improve and lower abdominal pain developed. After hypotension and severe anaemia (Hb 2.1 mmol/l) had developed, abdominal echography was carried out, revealing a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient underwent surgical repair with an aortic-bifemoral prosthesis and was ultimately discharged without further complications. This is the fourth report in the literature of orchidodynia as referred pain from an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta

Nurses' 'worry' as predictor of deteriorating surgical ward patients: A prospective cohort study of the Dutch-Early-Nurse-Worry-Indicator-Score

Contains fulltext : 171075.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Nurses' 'worry' is used as a calling criterion in many Rapid Response Systems, however it is valued inconsistently. Furthermore, barriers to call the Rapid Response Team can cause delay in escalating care. The literature identifies nine indicators which trigger nurses to worry about a patient's condition. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine the significance of nurses' 'worry' and/or indicators underlying 'worry' to predict unplanned Intensive-Care/High-Dependency-Unit admission or unexpected mortality among surgical ward patients. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTINGS: A 500-bed tertiary University affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Adult, native speaking surgical patients, admitted to three surgical wards (traumatology, vascular- and abdominal/oncological surgery). We excluded patients with a non-ICU policy or with no curative treatment. Mentally incapacitated patients were also excluded. METHODS: We developed a new clinical assessment tool, the Dutch-Early-Nurse-Worry-Indicator-Score (DENWIS) based on signs underlying 'worry'. Nurses systematically scored their 'worry' and the DENWIS once per shift or at any moment of 'worry'. DENWIS measurements were linked to routinely measured vital signs. The composite endpoint was unplanned Intensive-Care/High-Dependency-Unit admission or unexpected mortality. The DENWIS-indicators were included in a univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, subsequently inserting 'worry' and the Early Warning Score into the model. We calculated the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve. RESULTS: In 3522 patients there were 102 (2.9%) patients with unplanned Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit-admissions or unexpected mortality. 'Worry' (0.81) and the DENWIS-model (0.85) had a lower area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve than the Early Warning Score (0.86). Adding 'worry' and the Early Warning Score to the DENWIS-model resulted in higher areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves (0.87 and 0.91, respectively) compared with the Early Warning Score only based on vital signs. CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center study we showed that adding the Early Warning Score based on vital signs to the DENWIS-indicators improves prediction of unplanned Intensive-Care/High-Dependency-Unit admission or unexpected mortality

SWAB-richtlijn voor de behandeling van invasieve schimmelinfecties

Contains fulltext : 89320.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access