Proposal of standardization of every step of angiographic procedure in bleeding patients from pelvic trauma.

Trauma accounts for a third of the deaths in Western countries, exceeded only by cardiovascular disease and cancer. The high risk of massive bleeding, which depends not only on the type of fractures, but also on the severity of any associated parenchymal injuries, makes pelvic fractures one of the most life-threatening skeletal injuries, with a high mortality rate. Therefore, pelvic trauma represents an important condition to correctly and early recognize, manage, and treat.

COVID-19-Related Pericarditis with Pericardial Clotting as a Hallmark: Two Cases and a Review.

The prevalence of pericardial effusion and its clinical significance is not well understood in COVID-19 patients. We report two cases of COVID-19-related pericardial effusion complicated by intrapericardial clot formation. The final outcome was favorable, but intrapericardial clot remained mostly unchanged at 6-month follow-up.

Estimated oxygen extraction versus dynamic parameters of fluid-responsiveness for perioperative hemodynamic optimization of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

Background: Goal directed therapy (GDT) is able to improve mortality and reduce complications in selected high-risk patients undergoing major surgery. The aim of this study is to compare two different strategies of perioperative hemodynamic optimization: one based on optimization of preload using dynamic parameters of fluid-responsiveness and the other one based on estimated oxygen extraction rate (OER) as target of hemodynamic manipulation.

Methods: This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Light sedation with dexmedetomidine: a practical approach for the intensivist in different ICU patients.

Light sedation, corresponding to a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale between 0 and -1 is a priority of modern critical care practice. Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective, central, α2-adrenoceptor agonist, is increasingly administered in the intensive care units (ICUs) as an effective drug to induce light sedation, analgesia and a quasi-physiological sleep in critically ill patients. Although in general dexmedetomidine is well tolerated, side effects as bradycardia, hypertension, and hypotension may occur.

Plasma free hemoglobin and microcirculatory response to fresh or old blood transfusions in sepsis.

Background: Free hemoglobin (fHb) may induce vasoconstriction by scavenging nitric oxide. It may increase in older blood units due to storage lesions. This study evaluated whether old red blood cell transfusion increases plasma fHb in sepsis and how the microvascular response may be affected.

Recombinant activated protein C treatment improves tissue perfusion and oxygenation in septic patients measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Introduction: The purpose was to test the hypothesis that muscle perfusion, oxygenation, and microvascular reactivity would improve in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock during treatment with recombinant activated protein C (rh-aPC) (n = 11) and to explore whether these parameters are related to macrohemodynamic indices, metabolic status or Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. Patients with contraindications to rh-aPC were used as a control group (n = 5).

Materials And Methods: Patients were sedated, intubated, mechanically ventilated, and hemodynamically monitored with the PiCCO system.

The impact of a clinical information system in an intensive care unit.

Purpose: Although clinical information systems (CISs) have been available and implemented in many Intensive care Units (ICUs) for more than a decade, there is little objective evidence of their impact on the quality of care and staff perceptions. This study was performed to compare time spent charting with pen and paper patient data versus time spent with the new electronic CIS and to evaluate staff perceptions of a CIS in an ICU.

Materials And Methods: Time spent every day was calculated for each patient, for 7 days, for recording on the paper vital signs and physician therapeutic orders and time spent for computing fluid balance and scores.

Risk assessment of patients with hematologic malignancies who develop fever accompanied by pulmonary infiltrates: a historical cohort study.

Background: The mortality rate associated with fever accompanied by pulmonary infiltrates after chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies remains higher than the corresponding rate associated with febrile neutropenia without pulmonary infiltrates. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on the factors that predict outcome for patients with lung infiltrates. The purpose of the current study was to construct a risk model for clinical use by assessing the factors that affect outcome for patients with fever and pulmonary infiltrates.

Noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure delivered by helmet in hematological malignancy patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of early administration of noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) delivered by the helmet vs. face mask to treat hematological malignancy patients with fever, pulmonary infiltrates, and hypoxemic acute respiratory failure.

Design And Setting: Prospective clinical study with historical matched controls in the hematology department of a university hospital.