Cannulation of the internal jugular vein: is postprocedural chest radiography always necessary?

Objectives: To determine whether clinical features can be used in a decision rule to prospectively identify a subgroup of internal jugular catheter placements that are correctly positioned and free from mechanical complications, thus obviating the need for routine postprocedural chest radiographs in selected patients.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital.

Validation of continuous thermodilution cardiac output in critically ill patients with analysis of systematic errors.

Purpose: Bolus thermodilution cardiac output (BCO) measurements are affected by variations in injectate volume, rate, and temperature. These variations are eliminated when CO is measured by a continuous automated thermal technique (CCO). Further, CCO eliminates the need for fluid boluses, reduces contamination risk, requires no operator, and provides a continuous CO trend.

Effects of L-NMMA and fluid loading on TNF-induced cardiovascular dysfunction in dogs.

We investigated the effects of N(omega)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and fluid loading on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced cardiovascular dysfunction in awake dogs. L-NMMA (40 mg x kg(-1) given intravenously over a period of 10 min, and followed by dosing at 40 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1) for 6 h) and TNF (20 or 45 microg x kg(-1) given intravenously for 20 min), given alone or in combination, significantly decreased stroke volume, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, and left-ventricular (LV) function plots over a period of 6 h. Of note was that the cardiac-depressant effects of TNF and L-NMMA given together were significantly less than additive.

Septic shock.

Although our understanding of molecular events in septic shock is growing exponentially, bedside management has changed only incrementally over the last 20 years. In pediatric and adult patients alike, treatment continues to be largely supportive. Morbidity and mortality, though gradually improving, continue to be high.