[Intensive care admissions due to severe maternal morbidity].

Background: Maternal morbidity is a quality of care indicator. The frequency of severe maternal morbidity that requires an intensive care management has increased, due to an increase in maternal age.

Aim: To describe the severe and acute maternal morbidity spectrum that requires an intensive care management in a University Hospital.

[Ministry of Health Intensive Care Medicine Commission: proposals for the development of the discipline].

Intensive care medicine in Chile is still in its dawn. It has experienced a progressive growth in the last decade, but continues to be weak. Although investments in the discipline have increased fivefold, there is still a severe deficiency of intensive care specialists.

[Fiberoptic bronchoscopy assisted percutaneous tracheostomy: report of 100 patients].

Background: Development of percutaneous techniques for tracheostomy have facilitated its implementation in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Aim: To evaluate the safety of performing percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) using the Ciaglia Blue Rhino technique with fiberoptic bronchoscopy assistance in patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Patients And Methods: Prospective evaluation of 100 consecutive patients aged 62+/-16 years (38 women) subjected to percutaneous tracheostomy.

[Severe lactic acidosis caused by propofol infusion: report of one case].

Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is a rare but potentially lethal complications. This disorder is triggered under unknown circumstances by a propofol infusion of more than 5 mg/kg/h for more than 48 h. PRIS is characterized by a multiorgan failure and rhabdomyolysis and is induced by a disturbance in mitochondrial long chain fatty acid oxidation.