Ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle: reconstruction for best care.

The ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) bundle is a focus of many health care institutions. Many hospitals are conducting process-improvement projects in an attempt to improve VAP rates by implementing the bundle. However, this bundle is controversial in the literature, because the evidence supporting the VAP interventions is weak.

Effects of vasopressin in septic shock.

Septic shock continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the intensive care unit today. The confluence of many factors contributes to the deterioration of patients' condition in septic shock. Increased levels of nitric oxide, in part, mediate the cardiovascular effects of septic shock.