Limitation of Non-Beneficial Interventions and their Impact on the Intensive Care Unit Costs.

Introduction: Using a plan to limit non-beneficial life support interventions has significantly reduced harm and loss of dignity for patients at the end of life. The association of these limitations with patients' clinical characteristics and health care costs in the intensive care unit (ICU) needs further scientific evidence.

Aim Of The Study: To explore decisions to limit non-beneficial life support interventions, their correlation with patients' clinical data, and their effect on the cost of care in the ICU.

Ultrasonographic assessment of diaphragmatic contraction and relaxation properties: correlations of diaphragmatic displacement with oesophageal and transdiaphragmatic pressure.

Unlabelled: Transdiaphragmatic (Pdi) and oesophageal pressures (Pes) are useful in understanding the pathophysiology of the respiratory system. They provide insight into respiratory drive, intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure, diaphragmatic fatigue and weaning failure.

Background: The use of Pdi and Pes in clinical practice is restricted due to the invasiveness of the technique and the cumbersome equipment needed.

De-escalation of antimicrobial therapy in ICU settings with high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria: a multicentre prospective observational cohort study in patients with sepsis or septic shock.

Background: De-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy, a key component of antibiotic stewardship, is considered difficult in ICUs with high rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and the impact of antimicrobial de-escalation in ICUs with high rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: Multicentre, prospective, observational study in septic patients with documented infections.

Lopinavir/ritonavir as a third agent in the antiviral regimen for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Corona Virus Disease (CoVID-19) is an emerging public health problem rapidly spread globally. New treatment options for patients with severe symptoms and ways of reducing transmission in the community are taken into consideration. A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Infectious Diseases of Alexandroupolis (Greece) including 16 patients with CoVID-19.

Heart Rate Variability: A Potential Tool for Monitoring Immunomodulatory Effects of Parenteral Fish Oil Feeding in Patients With Sepsis.

Fish oil, rich in the very-long chain omega (ω)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has been found to have immunomodulatory effects in different groups of critically ill patients. In addition, its parenteral administration seems to attenuate the inflammatory response within 2 to 3 days. The activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway has been suggested to mediate such immunoregulatory effects.

Melatonin and cortisol exhibit different circadian rhythm profiles during septic shock depending on timing of onset: a prospective observational study.

Background: Septic shock has been found to disrupt circadian rhythms. Moreover, timing of onset has been associated with different circadian profiles in experimental studies.

Results: In this prospective study, we enrolled 26 patients divided into two groups: Group A (N = 15) included subjects who had septic shock at the time of ICU admission and Group B (N = 11) included patients who developed septic shock during ICU admission.

Resting Energy Expenditure in Critically Ill Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Background: Data on energy requirements of patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) are scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the resting energy expenditure (REE) in critically ill patients with SICH and to compare it with the predicted basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Methods: In 30 nonseptic patients with SICH, the REE was measured during the 10 first posthemorrhage days with the use of indirect calorimetry (IC).