Systemic Venous Air Emboli After Emergent Hyperbaric Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

BACKGROUND A venous air embolism is a rare condition but could have a disastrous effect on vital organs. It usually occurs due to iatrogenic sources, such as central venous catheter insertion, neurosurgery, and other invasive procedures. In most cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the best treatment for those conditions.

Changes in Emergency Department Case Severity and Length of Stay before and after COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea.

Severe patients visited regional emergency centers more frequently during the COVID-19 period, and disposition status warranting admission to the intensive care unit or resulting in death was more common during the COVID-19 period. This study was conducted to compare the characteristics and severity of patients, and emergency department length of stay before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Subjects were 75,409 patients who visited the regional emergency medical center from 1 February 2019 to 19 January 2020 and from 1 February 2020 to 19 January 2021.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Its Associated Factors among Emergency Medicine Residents in South Korea: A Nationwide Survey.

Objective: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in emergency medicine (EM) residents is associated with patient safety. However, studies regarding EDS in EM residents are limited. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of EDS and its associated factors among EM residents.

Innovative screening tests for COVID-19 in South Korea.

Recently, the number of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases has increased remarkably in South Korea, so the triage clinics and emergency departments (ED) are expected to be overcrowded with patients with presumed infection. As of March 21st, there was a total of 8,799 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 102 related deaths in South Korea that was one of the top countries with high incidence rates [1]. This sharp increase in infection is associated with 1) outbreaks in individual provinces, 2) deployment of rapid and aggressive screening tests, 3) dedicated healthcare staffs for virus screening tests, 4) quarantine inspection data transparency and accurate data reporting, and 5) public health lessons from previous Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreaks.

Incidence, risk factors and outcome associations of intra-abdominal hypertension in critically ill patients.

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) are significantly associated with morbidity and mortality. We performed a prospective observational study and applied recently published consensus criteria to measure and describe the incidence of IAH and ACS, identify risk factors for their development and define their association with outcomes. We studied 100 consecutive patients admitted to our general intensive care unit.

A pilot study of the epidemiology and associations of pulse pressure variation among non-cardiac surgery critically ill patients.

Background: A pulse pressure variation (PPV) ≥ 13% of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is an accepted marker of a fluid-responsive state. However, there is no study of its epidemiology and associations among non-cardiac critically ill patients.

Objectives: To conduct a pilot study of the epidemiology and associations of a PPV ≥ 13% among non-cardiac critically ill patients.

The biochemical effects of restricting chloride-rich fluids in intensive care.

Objective: To determine the biochemical effects of restricting the use of chloride-rich intravenous fluids in critically ill patients.

Design: Prospective, open-label, before-and-after study.

Setting: University-affiliated intensive care unit.

A pilot study of the epidemiology and associations of pulse pressure variation in cardiac surgery patients.

Background: Pulse pressure variation (PPV) is an accepted measure of intravascular filling. It can now be estimated automatically. However, there is limited knowledge of the epidemiology and associations of such estimates in cardiac surgery patients.

Circuit start during continuous renal replacement therapy in vasopressor-dependent patients: the impact of a slow blood flow protocol.

Background And Aims: In vasopressor-dependent patients, we evaluated the impact of a slow blood flow protocol on hypotension when starting continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

Methods: Retrospective observational study in tertiary ICU of a slow blood flow protocol at the start of CRRT circuits.

Results: 205 circuits in 52 patients were studied.

Insertion side, body position and circuit life during continuous renal replacement therapy with femoral vein access.

Introduction: Choice of insertion side and patient position during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with femoral vein vascular access may affect circuit life. We investigated if there is an association between choice of insertion side and body position and its changes and circuit life during CRRT with femoral vein access.

Methods: We studied 50 patients receiving CRRT via femoral vein access with a sequential retrospective study in a tertiary intensive care unit.

Premature circuit clotting due to likely mechanical failure during continuous renal replacement therapy.

Objective: Failure of extracorporeal circuit (EC) function during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) appears most likely due to progressive circuit clotting or, in some cases, most likely due to mechanical problems that affect flow. We aimed to study the incidence of such likely mechanical circuit failure (MCF).

Design And Setting: Retrospective observational study in an adult ICU of a tertiary hospital.