Stress hyperglycemia ratio as an important predictive indicator for severe disturbance of consciousness and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with cerebral infarction: a retrospective study using the MIMIC-IV database.

Background: Stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) has been linked to prognosis of cerebrovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the association between SHR and severe disturbance of consciousness (DC) and mortality among patients with cerebral infarction remains explored. This study seeks to assess the predictive potential of SHR for severe DC and mortality among patients with cerebral infarction.

Effect of external infusion connection devices replacement frequency on catheter related bloodstream infection.

Timely and effective rescue of critically ill children no longer solely relies on advanced medical technology; vascular access plays a pivotal role. Best practice recommendations for nursing in vascular access are critical for ICU patients. However, clear guidelines for the maintenance of external infusion connection devices remain lacking.

Longitudinal Assessment of Pulmonary Involvement and Prognosis in Different Subtypes of COVID-19 Patients After One Year Using Low-Dose CT: A Prospective Observational Study.

Rationale And Objectives: Severe COVID-19 typically results in pulmonary sequelae. However, current research lacks clarity on the differences in these sequelae among various clinical subtypes. This study aimed to evaluate the changing lung imaging features and predictive factors in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in northern China over a 12-month follow-up period after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022.

Associations between Intensive care unit acquired weakness with post-extubation dysphagia and other clinical outcomes- a cohort study in critically ill respiratory patients.

Background: Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is a complication characterized by decreased muscle mass and impairments in strength and physical function and is associated with poor quality of life and worse clinical outcomes. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the prevalence of ICU-AW, and secondary objectives were to assess risk factors and analyze the associations with clinical outcomes.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of patients on mechanical ventilation (MV).

Effects of routine postural repositioning on the distribution of lung ventilation and perfusion in mechanically ventilated patients.

Objectives: To analyse the effects on respiratory function, lung volume and the regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion of routine postural repositioning in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients.

Methods: Prospective descriptive physiological study. We evaluated gas-exchange, lung mechanics, and Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) determined end-expiratory lung impedance and regional ventilation and perfusion distribution in five body positions: supine-baseline (S1); first lateralisation at 30° (L1); second supine position (S2), second contralateral lateralisation (L2) and third final supine position (S3).

Risk stratification for violent behavior in critically ill patients: Current assessment tools.

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) presents challenges in intensive care units (ICUs) calling for reliable prediction of violence. This narrative review aimed to identify and evaluate risk assessment tools from acute care settings which are or might be used to predict violent behavior in adult ICU patients focusing on their performance and clinical utility.

Methods: A screening of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar was conducted to identify risk scores used in the acute care setting such as emergency departments, hospitals and ICUs.

Development of a comprehensive food glycomic database and its application: Associations between dietary carbohydrates and insulin resistance.

Carbohydrates are an integral part of a healthy diet. The molecular compositions of carbohydrates encompass a very broad range of unique structures with many being ill-defined. This vast structural complexity is distilled into vague categories such as total carbohydrates, sugars, starches, and soluble/insoluble fibers.

Point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of hepatic gas gangrene.

Hepatic gas gangrene (HGG) is a rare but life-threatening condition typically caused by anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, though Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species have also been implicated. Traditionally diagnosed via computed tomography (CT), point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a valuable tool in critical care settings for its non-invasive, bedside utility. We report the case of a 51-year-old female with choledochal syndrome secondary to cholangiocarcinoma who developed HGG following left extended hepatectomy and biliary reconstruction.

Effect of hemoperfusion in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a case series from a single-center hospital in Indonesia.

Introduction: Hemoperfusion (HP), a blood filtration method targeting the removal of toxins and inflammatory elements, was investigated in this study. The objective was to present the observations in four individuals with confirmed COVID-19 who underwent several rounds of HP utilizing the HA330 cartridge at a hospital in Indonesia.

Case Studies: We report four cases of COVID-19 patients who underwent HP.

Predicting early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness in septic patients using critical ultrasound and biological markers.

Objective: Early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is crucial for improving the outcomes of critically ill patients. Hence, this study was designed to identify predisposing factors for ICUAW and establish a predictive model for the early diagnosis of ICUAW.

Methods: This prospective observational multicenter study included septic patients from the comprehensive ICUs of West China Hospital of Sichuan University and 10 other hospitals between September and November 2023.

[Expert consensus on visualized tele-round and quality control management based on the improvement of clinical practice ability].

Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor's professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China.

Physical compatibility of insulin aspart, lidocaine, alprostadil and vancomycin with individualised two-in-one parenteral nutrition used in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Objectives: Critically ill newborn infants often require simultaneous administration of multiple intravenous (IV) solutions through the same catheter lumen, making compatibility of these solutions crucial in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This study aimed to investigate the physical compatibility of insulin aspart, lidocaine, alprostadil and vancomycin with individualised two-in-one parenteral nutrition (PN).

Methods: The study was conducted at the hospital pharmacy's drug compounding facility of the University Medical Centre Utrecht.

Epidemiology and impact of travellers' diarrhoea differs during UK military training exercises in Kenya and Oman.

Background: Gastrointestinal illnesses are common during military training and operational deployments. We compared the incidence and burden of travellers' diarrhoea (TD) reported by British service personnel (SP) during recent training exercises in Kenya and Oman.

Methods: SP completed a validated anonymous questionnaire regarding clinical features of any diarrhoeal illness, associated risk factors and impact on work capability after 6-week training exercises in 2018 in Kenya and 2018-2019 in Oman.

Impact of mechanical ventilation on severe acute kidney injury in critically ill patients with and without COVID-19 - a multicentre propensity matched analysis.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its complications often require renal replacement therapy (RRT). Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and infections are considered risk factors for the occurrence of AKI.

Endocan as a marker of endotheliitis in COVID-19 patients: modulation by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, arterial hypertension and previous treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors.

Background And Aims: Endocan has been scarcely explored in COVID-19, especially regarding its modulation by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO), hypertension or previous renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors treatment. We compared endocan and other endotheliitis markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and assessed their modulation by VV-ECMO, hypertension and previous RAAS inhibitors treatment.

Material And Methods: Serum endocan, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin were measured in "severe" (n = 27), "critically ill" (n = 17) and "critically ill on VV-ECMO" (n = 17) COVID-19 patients at admission, days 3-4, 5-8 and weekly thereafter, and in controls (n = 23) at a single time point.

Neurotropic Tick-Borne Flavivirus in Alpine Chamois (), Austria, 2017, Italy, 2023.

The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species , family ) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species. Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois () with encephalitis and attached ticks, present over a wide area in the Alps. Cases were detected in 2017 in Salzburg, Austria, and 2023 in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy.

COVID-19 and HIV: Clinical Outcomes and Inflammatory Markers in a Cohort from a Reference Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Background: Severe COVID-19 presents a variety of clinical manifestations associated with inflammatory profiles. People living with HIV (PLWH) could face a higher risk of hospitalization and mortality from COVID-19, depending on their immunosuppression levels. This study describes inflammatory markers in COVID-19 clinical outcomes with and without HIV infection.

Vitamin K1 Administration Increases the Level of Circulating Carboxylated Osteocalcin in Critically Ill Patients.

Background/objectives: Vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) all commonly possess specially modified γ-carboxyglutamic acid residues created in a vitamin K-dependent manner. Several liver-derived coagulation factors are well characterised VKDPs. However, much less is known about extrahepatic VKDPs, which are more diverse in their molecular structures and functions, and some of which have been implicated in inflammatory disorders.

An Assessment of Intermittent and Continuous Enteral Feeding in Critically Ill Children.

Background: The inability to ensure adequate nutrition for patients, and failure to provide adequate calorie and protein intake, result in malnutrition, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. The present study assesses the two approaches to enteral nutrition-intermittent and continuous enteral feeding-in critically ill pediatric patients in Türkiye to determine the superiority of one method over the other.

Methods: Included in this multicenter prospective study were patients receiving enteral nutrition via a tube who were followed up over a 3-month period.

The Role of Light Irradiation and Dendrimer Generation in Directing Electrostatic Self-Assembly.

pH-responsive polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are used as well-defined building blocks to design light-switchable nano-assemblies in solution. The complex interplay between the photoresponsive di-anionic azo dye Acid Yellow 38 (AY38) and the cationic PAMAM dendrimers of different generations is presented in this study. Electrostatic self-assembly involving secondary dipole-dipole interactions provides well-defined assemblies within a broad size range (10 nm-1 μm) with various shapes.

GPS Phase Integer Ambiguity Resolution Based on Eliminating Coordinate Parameters and Ant Colony Algorithm.

Correctly fixing the integer ambiguity of GNSS is the key to realizing the application of GNSS high-precision positioning. When solving the float solution of ambiguity based on the double-difference model epoch by epoch, the common method for resolving the integer ambiguity needs to solve the coordinate parameter information, due to the influence of limited GNSS phase data observations. This type of method will lead to an increase in the ill-posedness of the double-difference solution equation, so that the fixed success rate of the integer ambiguity is not high.

Safety and Outcomes of Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

: Patients with hematologic malignancy (HM) often experience high rates of thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopathy, anemia, leukopenia, and coagulopathy, which can significantly increase the risk of procedural and postoperative complications. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in critically ill patients with HM. : This retrospective cohort study included patients with HM who underwent PDT between 2012 and 2023 at a tertiary academic center.

Assessing the Impact of the Prone Position on Acute Kidney Injury.

: Prone positioning is a standard intervention in managing patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and is known to improve oxygenation. However, its effects on other organs, particularly the kidneys, are less well understood. This study aimed to assess the association between prone positioning and the development of acute kidney injury (AKI), specifically in overweight and obese patients.