Peripheral oxygen saturation levels as a guide to avoid hyperoxia: an observational study.

Background: As iatrogenic hyperoxia has been related to adverse outcomes in critically ill patients, guidelines advise to titrate oxygen to physiological levels. In the prehospital setting where partial arterial oxygen (PaO) values are often not readily available, titration of oxygen is based on peripheral oxygen saturations (SpO2). In this study we aimed to investigate the efficacy of SpO guided oxygen titration in the prevention of hyperoxia.

Association between oxidized nucleobases and mitochondrial DNA damage with long-term mortality in patients with sepsis.

Background: Sepsis not only leads to short-term mortality during hospitalization, but is also associated with increased mortality during long-term follow-up after hospital discharge. Metabolic stress during sepsis may cause oxidative damage to both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and RNA, which could affect long-term health and life span. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association of sepsis with oxidized nucleobases and (mt)DNA damage and long-term all-cause mortality in septic patients.

Pain score, desire for pain treatment and effect on pain satisfaction in the emergency department: a prospective, observational study.

Background: Pain management in the Emergency Department has often been described as inadequate, despite proven benefits of pain treatment protocols. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of our current pain protocol on pain score and patient satisfaction whilst taking the patients' wishes for analgesia into account.

Methods: We conducted a 10-day prospective observational study in the Emergency Department.

Orthostatic blood pressure measurements are often overlooked during the initial evaluation of syncope in the emergency department.

The renewed 2018 syncope guidelines published by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) reiterate that the initial evaluation of syncope should include history taking, physical examination, an electrocardiogram, and orthostatic blood pressure measurements (OBPM). However, the importance of evaluating for orthostatic hypotension (OH) often remains underappreciated in clinical practice. In this study, we examine the initial evaluation of syncope on an ED.

Times are A-Changin': self-poisoning and ICU admissions in the northern part of the Netherlands.

Introduction: We noticed that fewer patients with self-poisoning were transferred from the ED to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) than previously. To objectify this, we evaluated ED and ICU admissions in two time periods.

Methods: The number of admissions was collected during 1994-1998 and 2010-2014.