Generating Consensus on Good Practices in the Care of Portuguese Internal Medicine Patients Facing Imminent Death: A Delphi Study.

Context: Modern medicine aims to ensure a world in which all people experience a good end of life as an integral part of their life journey. A good end-of-life experience means dying with dignity and receiving the best healthcare based on scientific evidence.

Objective: This study aims to reach a consensus about the contents of a comprehensive instrument based on the 10/40 Model of the International Collaborative for the Best Care for the Dying Person for evaluating inpatients facing imminent death in Portuguese internal medicine wards and a proposal for anticipatory medication for symptom control in inpatient and home care settings.

[SYSVENT: Proof of Concept Study of a Prototype to Ventilate Critical Care Patients].

Introduction: The new coronavirus pandemic has led to scarcity of invasive ventilation resources in hospitals in several countries. In this context, the Portuguese Medical Association invited intensive care physicians who, in collaboration with SYSADVANCE S.A.

C-reactive protein, an early marker of community-acquired sepsis resolution: a multi-center prospective observational study.

Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be a valuable marker in the diagnosis of infection and in monitoring its response to antibiotics. Our objective was to evaluate serial CRP measurements after prescription of antibiotics to describe the clinical course of Community-Acquired Sepsis admitted to intensive care units (ICU).

Methods: During a 12-month period a multi-center, prospective, observational study was conducted, segregating adults with Community-Acquired Sepsis.

Adrenergic support in septic shock: a critical review.

The definition of septic shock includes sepsis-induced hypotension despite adequate fluid resuscitation, along with the presence of organ perfusion abnormalities, and ultimately cell dysfunction. To restore adequate organ perfusion and cell homeostasis, cardiac output should be restored with volume infusion plus vasopressor agents as indicated. Appropriate arterial pressure for each individual patient and proper arterial oxygen content are key elements to restoring perfusion.

Reducing mortality in severe sepsis with the implementation of a core 6-hour bundle: results from the Portuguese community-acquired sepsis study (SACiUCI study).

Introduction: To evaluate the impact of compliance with a core version of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 6-hour bundle on 28 days mortality.

Methods: Cohort, multi-centre, prospective study on community-acquired sepsis (CAS).

Results: Seventeen intensive care units (ICU) entered the study.

Influence of vasopressor agent in septic shock mortality. Results from the Portuguese Community-Acquired Sepsis Study (SACiUCI study).

Objective: Guidelines for the adrenergic support of septic shock are controversial. In patients with community-acquired septic shock, we assessed the impact of the choice of vasopressor support on mortality.

Design: Cohort, multiple center, observational study.

A case-control study on risk factors for early-onset respiratory tract infection in patients admitted in ICU.

Background: Respiratory tract infections are common in intensive care units (ICU), with incidences reported from 10 to 65%, and case fatality rates over 20% in pneumonia. This study was designed to identify risk factors for the development of an early onset respiratory tract infection (ERI) and to review the microbiological profile and the effectiveness of first intention antibiotic therapy.

Methods: Case-control, retrospective clinical study of the patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of our hospital, a teaching and tertiary care facility, from January to September 2000 who had a respiratory tract infection diagnosed in the first 5 days of hospital stay.