Genetic polymorphisms of innate and adaptive immunity as predictors of outcome in critically ill patients.

Sepsis and septic shock frequently cause the admission or complicate the clinical course of critically ill patients admitted in the intensive care units (ICU). Genetic variations disrupting the immune sensing of infectious organisms, could affect the ability of the immune system to respond to infection, and may influence both the genetic predisposition to infection and the diversity of the clinical presentation of sepsis. The aim of this study was to uncover possible associations between common functional immune gene polymorphisms (of both innate and adaptive immunity) and ICU-acquired sepsis and mortality.

Glycated hemoglobin at admission in the intensive care unit: clinical implications and prognostic relevance.

Objective: This study investigated the clinical significance of HbA1c levels on admission in the intensive care unit (ICU) as a prognostic marker for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients.

Patients-methods: This prospective observational study included consecutive patients admitted in an 8-bed multidisciplinary ICU. Patients were prospectively followed from ICU admission until ICU outcome (death/discharge).

Impact of red blood cells transfusion on ICU-acquired bloodstream infections: a case-control study.

Our study investigated the impact of packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusion on the occurrence of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in patients admitted in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU), further assessing potential associations with particular BSI types. A nested matched (1:1) case-control design was implemented. Sex, age, admission category, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score II (plus Injury Severity Score in trauma patients) were used for matching.

End-of-life decisions in Greek intensive care units: a multicenter cohort study.

Introduction: Intensive care may prolong the dying process in patients who have been unresponsive to the treatment already provided. Limitation of life-sustaining therapy, by either withholding or withdrawing support, is an ethically acceptable and common worldwide practice. The purpose of the present study was to examine the frequency, types, and rationale of limiting life support in Greek intensive care units (ICUs), the clinical and demographic parameters associated with it, and the participation of relatives in decision making.