Growing burden of sepsis-related mortality in northeastern Italy: a multiple causes of death analysis.

Background: Few population-based data are available on mortality due to sepsis. The aim of the study was to estimate sepsis-related mortality rates and to assess the associated comorbidities.

Methods: From multiple causes of death data (MCOD) of the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy), all deaths with sepsis mentioned anywhere in the death certificate were retrieved for the period 2008-2013.

Utilization of small changes in serum creatinine with clinical risk factors to assess the risk of AKI in critically lll adults.

Background And Objectives: Disease biomarkers require appropriate clinical context to be used effectively. Combining clinical risk factors, in addition to small changes in serum creatinine, has been proposed to improve the assessment of AKI. This notion was developed in order to identify the risk of AKI early in a patient's clinical course.

Fluid management in the intensive care unit: bioelectrical impedance vector analysis as a tool to assess hydration status and optimal fluid balance in critically ill patients.

Background: Fluid balance disorders are a relevant risk factor for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Volume assessment in the intensive care unit (ICU) is thus of great importance, but there are currently few methods to obtain an accurate and timely assessment of hydration status. Our aim was to evaluate the hydration status of ICU patients via bioelectric impedance vector analysis (BIVA) and to investigate the relationship between hydration and mortality.

State of the art in the clinical treatment of endotoxic shock.

Sepsis is a major health problem and remains an important cause of death worldwide. The failure to convert advances in our understanding of the biologic features of sepsis into effective new therapies questions the current approach to the development of sepsis drugs, and suggests a need for newer and better clinical trial design. Blood purification for sepsis is a promising therapeutic strategy to improve survival and reduce organ failure in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

Fluid balance and urine volume are independent predictors of mortality in acute kidney injury.

Introduction: In ICUs, both fluid overload and oliguria are common complications associated with increased mortality among critically ill patients, particularly in acute kidney injury (AKI). Although fluid overload is an expected complication of oliguria, it remains unclear whether their effects on mortality are independent of each other. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of both fluid balance and urine volume on outcomes and determine whether they behave as independent predictors of mortality in adult ICU patients with AKI.

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal: the future of lung support lies in the history.

Extracorporeal organ support in patients with dysfunction of vital organs like the kidney, heart, and liver has proven helpful in bridging the patients to recovery or more definitive therapy. Mechanical ventilation in patients with respiratory failure, although indispensable, has been associated with worsening injury to the lungs, termed ventilator-induced lung injury. Application of lung-protective ventilation strategies are limited by inevitable hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis.

B-type natriuretic Peptide in the critically ill with acute kidney injury.

Introduction. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in the intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with poor outcome. Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a biomarker related to myocardial overload, and is elevated in some ICU patients.

Continuous real-time urine output monitoring for early detection of acute kidney injury.

In critically ill patients, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication. In some cases, oliguria may be the only sign verifying this condition. The consensus definitions of RIFLE and AKIN are based on changes in creatinine and urine output and define classes of severity within AKI.

RIFLE-based data collection/management system applied to a prospective cohort multicenter Italian study on the epidemiology of acute kidney injury in the intensive care unit.

The epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been difficult to explore in the past, due to different definitions across various studies. Nevertheless, this is a very important topic today in light of the high morbidity and mortality of critically ill patients presenting renal dysfunction during their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). The case mix has changed over the years, and AKI is a common problem in critically ill patients often requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Volume assessment in mechanically ventilated critical care patients using bioimpedance vectorial analysis, brain natriuretic Peptide, and central venous pressure.

Purpose. Strategies for volume assessment of critically ill patients are limited, yet early goal-directed therapy improves outcomes. Central venous pressure (CVP), Bioimpedance Vectorial Analysis (BIVA), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are potentially useful tools.

The role of advanced oxidation protein products in intensive care unit patients with acute kidney injury.

Introduction: Oxidative stress (OS) is an imbalance between the production of oxidizing chemical species and the antioxidant defense. It is known that OS increases in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Measurement of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) has been found to be a simple tool for monitoring OS.

Polymyxin-B hemoperfusion and endotoxin removal: lessons from a review of the literature.

Sepsis involves a complex interaction between bacterial toxins and the host immune system. Endotoxin, a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis producing proinflammatory cytokines and activating the complement system, and is thus an ideal potential therapeutic target. Direct hemoperfusion using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-F) has been shown to bind and neutralize endotoxin in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Rationale of extracorporeal removal of endotoxin in sepsis: theory, timing and technique.

Several signs and symptoms in sepsis are due to the presence of endotoxin in the circulation. Both in animal and human models, there is an evident immunological response to the endotoxin insult. Furthermore, altered cardiovascular function, lung dysfunction and acute kidney injury are common in sepsis and endotoxemia.

Oliguria, creatinine and other biomarkers of acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) and fluid overload are conditions that require an early diagnosis and a prompt intervention. The recognition of these pathologic conditions is possible in the early stages if specific signs and symptoms are taken into account. Among them, oliguria represents an important sign.

Renal replacement therapy in adult critically ill patients: when to begin and when to stop.

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important therapeutic and supportive measure for acute kidney injury (AKI) in the critical care setting. While RRT is extensively used in clinical practice, there remains uncertainty about the ideal circumstances of when to initiate RRT and for what indications. Many factors, including logistics, resource availability, physician experience and patient-related factors are involved in the decision of when to start and stop RRT for those with AKI.

Extracorporeal CO2 removal--a way to achieve ultraprotective mechanical ventilation and lung support: the missing piece of multiple organ support therapy.

Extracorporeal therapies are able to sustain life through different mechanisms. This approach, called multiple organ support therapy, can in fact obtain blood purification by hemodialysis/hemofiltration to replace kidney function, temperature control, electrolyte and acid-base control to mimic homeostatic regulation of the kidney and circulation, fluid balance control to support the right hydration and cardiac performance, cardiac support removing cardiodepressant substances and equilibrating potassium levels, blood detoxification and liver support by coupled plasma filtration and adsorption or direct adsorption on blood (hemoperfusion), immunomodulation and endothelial support in the presence of sepsis by cutting the peaks of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, and immunoadsorption or adsorption of specific substances such as endotoxin. A missing piece of this group of therapies was the protective lung support.

Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is an early biomarker for acute kidney injury in an adult ICU population.

Purpose: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a useful marker for acute kidney injury (AKI), particularly when the timing of renal insult is known. However, its performance in an adult critical care setting has not been well described. We performed this study to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of plasma NGAL for early detection of AKI and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) in an adult intensive care unit (ICU).

Oxidative stress and 'monocyte reprogramming' in septic patients with acute kidney injury requiring CRRT.

Oxidative stress (OS) and monocyte HLA-DR expression are known to be predictive of mortality in sepsis; nevertheless, limited information exists regarding sepsis with acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of the study was to correlate these markers with outcome in septic patients with AKI requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were measured in 32 patients on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28.

North East Italian Prospective Hospital Renal Outcome Survey on Acute Kidney Injury (NEiPHROS-AKI): targeting the problem with the RIFLE Criteria.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with an enhanced mortality. The Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative group has proposed the RIFLE (Risk-Injury-Failure-Loss-ESRD) classification to standardize the approach to AKI. This study was performed to estimate the AKI incidence in ICU patients in northeastern Italy and describe clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with AKI on the basis of their RIFLE class.

Early isovolaemic haemofiltration in oliguric patients with septic shock.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of early short-term, isovolaemic haemofiltration at 45 ml/kg/h on physiological and clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock.

Design: Retrospective study before and after a change of unit protocol (study period 8 years).

Setting: Intensive care unit of metropolitan hospital.