Ultrasound guidance for urgent arterial and venous catheterisation: randomised controlled study.

Background: Haemodynamically unstable patients often require arterial and venous catheter insertion urgently. We hypothesised that ultrasound-guided arterial and venous catheterisation would reduce mechanical complications.

Methods: We performed a prospective RCT, where patients requiring both urgent arterial and venous femoral catheterisation were randomised to either ultrasound-guided or landmark-guided catheterisation.

Proof of concept study of mass cytometry in septic shock patients reveals novel immune alterations.

Innovative single cell technologies such as mass cytometry (CyTOF) widen possibilities to deeply improve characterisation of immune alterations mechanisms in human diseases. So far, CyTOF has not been used in sepsis - a condition characterized by complex immune disorders. Here, we evaluated feasibility of CyTOF analysis in patients with septic shock.

Change in cardiac output during Trendelenburg maneuver is a reliable predictor of fluid responsiveness in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in the prone position under protective ventilation.

Background: Predicting fluid responsiveness may help to avoid unnecessary fluid administration during acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the following methods to predict fluid responsiveness in ARDS patients under protective ventilation in the prone position: cardiac index variation during a Trendelenburg maneuver, cardiac index variation during an end-expiratory occlusion test, and both pulse pressure variation and change in pulse pressure variation from baseline during a tidal volume challenge by increasing tidal volume (VT) to 8 ml.kg.

Prevalence and risk factors of hypotension associated with preload-dependence during intermittent hemodialysis in critically ill patients.

Background: Hypotension is a frequent complication of intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) performed in intensive care units (ICUs). Passive leg raising (PLR) combined with continuous measurement of cardiac output is highly reliable to identify preload dependence, and may provide new insights into the mechanisms involved in IHD-related hypotension. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence and risk factors of preload dependence-related hypotension during IHD in the ICU.