Does patient volume affect clinical outcomes in adult intensive care units?

Purpose: This systematic review assessed if outcomes in adult intensive care units (ICUs) are related to hospital and ICU patient volume.

Methods: A systematic search strategy was used to identify studies reporting on volume-outcome relationship in adult ICU patients till November 2010. Inclusion of articles was established through a predetermined protocol.

Increased blood volume following resolution of acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (APO) occurs due to an increase in pulmonary microvascular pressure and massive transvascular fluid filtration into the lungs, causing respiratory insufficiency.

Objective: To determine whether fluid sequestration in the lungs effectively leads to contraction of the circulating blood volume, leading to relative hypovolaemia, and whether resolution of APO and fluid shift to the vascular compartment restores the circulating volume.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in the intensive care unit of a university teaching hospital, April - September 2007.