Systemic capillary leak syndrome: is methylene blue the silver bullet?

Background. Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disorder characterized by unexplained, recurrent episodes of transient, abrupt increase in endothelial permeability, leading to severe hypotension, generalized edema, and hemoconcentration. Case Report.

Intensive care of patients requiring open abdomen treatment: a case-series analysis.

Background: This retrospective overview examines the management of patients with temporary open abdomen (OA).

Methods: The clinical characteristics and intensive care treatment of 34 consecutive patients with OA (1996-2012) were reviewed.

Results: Average age was 61 years, SAPS II score 43, SOFA 8.

Early enteral immunonutrition vs. parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients without severe sepsis: a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: We compared early parenteral nutrition (PN) and early enteral immunonutrition (iEN) in critically ill patients, distinguishing those with and without severe sepsis or septic shock (SS) on admission to intensive care units (ICUs).

Design And Setting: Multicenter, randomized, unblinded clinical trial in 33 Italian general ICUs.

Patients And Participants: The study included 326 patients, 287 of whom did not have SS on ICU admission.

Early enteral immunonutrition in patients with severe sepsis: results of an interim analysis of a randomized multicentre clinical trial.

Objective: To compare the mortality of critically ill patients given either enteral feeding with an immune-enhancing formula or parenteral nutrition (PN). We report the results of a planned interim analysis on patients with severe sepsis which was undertaken earlier than planned once a meta-analysis suggested excess mortality in patients with severe sepsis given enteral immunonutrition.

Design: Randomised multicentre unblinded controlled clinical trial.

Description of trends in the course of illness of critically ill patients. Markers of intensive care organization and performance.

Objective: To identify objective trends of the course of illness that might be used as benchmarks in the auditing of the organization/performance of Intensive Care Units (ICU).

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Patients And Setting: A group of 12,615 patients and 55,464 patient-days prospectively collected in 89 ICUs of 12 European countries.

[Respiratory failure caused by myopathy in severe sepsis].

Objective: To describe a generalized myopathic disorder occurred in the convalescence phase of illness of a critically ill patient.

Setting: Neurological Intensive Care Unit.

Patient: A 43-year-old man with acute leukoencephalopathy and severe sepsis complicated by sustained and prolonged cardiovascular, respiratory and renal failure.