An evaluation of the Charlson co-morbidity score for predicting sepsis after elective major surgery.

Background And Aims: Severe sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following major surgery. The Charlson co-morbidity score (CCS) has been shown to be associated with severe sepsis following major surgery for cancer. This prospective observational study investigated the effect of patient factors (CCS, gender, age and malignancy) and intraoperative factors (duration of surgery and allogeneic blood transfusion) on the incidence of sepsis after elective major surgery, and the impact of patient co-morbidities on length of stay in critical care.

Surface electrostimulation of acupuncture points for sedation of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit--a pilot study.

Background: This is a pilot study to investigate the effects of electrostimulation of acupuncture points on sedation and the dose of sedatives in the Intensive Care Unit.

Methods: Electrostimulation of acupuncture points was performed on 12 critically ill patients requiring sedation for mechanical ventilation. Electrostimulation was applied by point surface electrodes at LI4, ST36, HT7 and LR3 points for 20 minutes every hour for 12 hours using dense dispersed mode with a current frequency of 10-100 Hz and maximum intensity of 10 mA.