[Epidemiology of catheter-related infections in intensive care unit].

Catheter-related infections remain an important cause of nosocomial infection in the ICU. They include colonization of the device, exit-site infection and catheter-related bloodstream infection with or without bacteraemia. Data from clinical studies and surveillance networks should be compared cautiously due to important methodological differences and wide variations of device-utilization ratio between units or countries.

Does ICU-acquired paresis lengthen weaning from mechanical ventilation?

Objective: To determine whether ICU-acquired paresis (ICUAP) is an independent risk factor of prolonged weaning.

Design: Second study of a prospective cohort of 95 patients who were enrolled in an incidence and risk factor study of ICUAP.

Setting: Three medical and two surgical ICUs in four hospitals.

Paresis acquired in the intensive care unit: a prospective multicenter study.

Context: Although electrophysiologic and histologic neuromuscular abnormalities are common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, the clinical incidence of ICU-acquired neuromuscular disorders in patients recovering from severe illness remains unknown.

Objectives: To assess the clinical incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of ICU-acquired paresis (ICUAP) during recovery from critical illness in the ICU and to determine the electrophysiologic and histologic patterns in patients with ICUAP.

Design: Prospective cohort study conducted from March 1999 to June 2000.

[Grmek, the "thunderbolt", "thunder-clapp" (as testimony)].

The paper details how the author (who was a young physician) met, ...

Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute ischemic stroke: survival and outcome at one year.

Objective: To assess the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke who require mechanical ventilation and to determine early factors influencing mortality.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Medical intensive care unit with a cerebrovascular emergency unit in a university-affiliated hospital.

[An unknown cause of prolonged fever: apropos of 6 cases of chronic aortic dissection].

Purpose: Aortic arch dissection may be sometimes misdiagnosed due to the lack of mild to moderate chest pain. Definite diagnosis is often made while dissection has already occurred more than 15 days ago, being thereafter considered as chronic. Aortic dissection may then present as a prolonged febrile illness with fever and/or inflammation as main symptoms, with little or no pain.