Internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint: is there still a place for ultrasound?

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of articular sounds, standardized clinical examination, and standardized articular ultrasound in the detection of internal derangements of the temporomandibular joint.

Study Design: Forty patients and 20 asymptomatic volunteers underwent a standardized interview, physical examination, and static and dynamic articular ultrasound. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated using magnetic resonance as the reference test.

Safety and efficacy of a fully closed-loop control ventilation (IntelliVent-ASV®) in sedated ICU patients with acute respiratory failure: a prospective randomized crossover study.

Purpose: IntelliVent-ASV(®) is a development of adaptive support ventilation (ASV) that automatically adjusts ventilation and oxygenation parameters. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of IntelliVent-ASV(®) in sedated intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute respiratory failure.

Methods: This prospective randomized crossover comparative study was conducted in a 12-bed ICU in a general hospital.

Optimal duration of a sustained inflation recruitment maneuver in ARDS patients.

Purpose: To measure the dynamics of recruitment and the hemodynamic status during a sustained inflation recruitment maneuver (RM) in order to determine the optimal duration of RM in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in a 12-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a general hospital. A 40 cmH(2)O sustained inflation RM maintained for 30 s was performed in 50 sedated ventilated patients within the first 24 h of meeting ARDS criteria.

Recruitability of the lung estimated by the pressure volume curve hysteresis in ARDS patients.

Objective: To assess the hysteresis of the pressure-volume curve (PV curve) as to estimate, easily and at the bedside, the recruitability of the lung in ARDS patients.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Twelve medico-surgical ICU beds of a general hospital.

Automatic selection of breathing pattern using adaptive support ventilation.

Objective: In a cohort of mechanically ventilated patients to compare the automatic tidal volume (VT)-respiratory rate (RR) combination generated by adaptive support ventilation (ASV) for various lung conditions.

Design And Setting: Prospective observational cohort study in the 11-bed medicosurgical ICU of a general hospital.

Patients: 243 patients receiving 1327 days of invasive ventilation on ASV.

A randomized trial of catheter change and short course of antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria in catheterized ICU patients.

Objective: To determine the effect on the occurrence of urosepsis of a treatment with a short course of antibiotics and indwelling urethral catheter replacement in clinically asymptomatic intensive care unit (ICU) patients with a positive urine culture occurring at least 48 h after catheterization.

Methods: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted in the medico-surgical ICU of a tertiary care centre. Sixty patients hospitalized in the ICU with an indwelling urethral catheter for longer than 48 h developing an asymptomatic positive urine culture were randomized to receive either a 3-day course of antibiotics associated with the replacement of the indwelling urethral catheter 4 h after first antibiotic administration or no antibiotics, no catheter replacement (standard of care).

Rational use of antibiotics in the intensive care unit: impact on microbial resistance and costs.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an intensive care unit (ICU) antibiotic-use policy on the microbial resistance in nosocomial infections and costs.

Design: Comparative study before and after policy implementation.

Settings: An eleven-bed ICU in a general hospital.