Outcome of Critically Ill Patients With Influenza Infection: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality in adults, and numerous patients require intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is clearly described in this context, but other clinical presentations exist that need to be assessed for incidence and outcome. The primary goal of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients admitted in ICU for influenza, their clinical presentation, and the 3-month mortality rate.

Patient-ventilator synchrony in Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) and Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV): a prospective observational study.

Background: Weaning from mechanical ventilation is associated with the presence of asynchronies between the patient and the ventilator. The main objective of the present study was to demonstrate a decrease in the total number of patient-ventilator asynchronies in invasively ventilated patients for whom difficulty in weaning is expected by comparing neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) and pressure support ventilation (PSV) ventilatory modes.

Methods: We performed a prospective, non-randomized, non-interventional, single-center study.

Estimation of glomerular filtration rate to adjust vancomycin dosage in critically ill patients: superiority of the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation?

The purpose of this study was to determine the best estimate of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to adjust vancomycin (VAN) dosage in critically ill patients. Seventy-eight adult intensive care unit patients received a 15 mg/kg loading dose of VAN plus a 30 mg/kg/day continuous infusion. Steady-state concentration was measured 48 hours later and the dose was adjusted to obtain a target concentration ranging from 20 to 25 mg/l.

Pharmacodynamics of cisatracurium in the intensive care unit: an observational study.

Background: Data from previous studies indicate that optimal conditions for intubation are met 120 seconds after administration of 0.15 mg.kg-1 cisatracurium (ED95 × 3) following the induction of anesthesia.

Ceftazidime dosage regimen in intensive care unit patients: from a population pharmacokinetic approach to clinical practice via Monte Carlo simulations.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: The large variability in drug pharmacokinetic disposition has already been described in ICU patients leading to important variations in drugs concentrations. The usual recommended dosage of ceftazidime is not adapted for all ICU situations and ceftazidime should be monitored closely. New recommendations have to be given for some specific cases.