Survey of the use of catecholamines by French physicians.

Objective: The objective of the study was to perform a descriptive approach of the current use of catecholamines by French physicians.

Design: A questionnaire of 12 questions with 4 items established by a group of French intensivists.

Population: French physicians from 433 departments working in the following practicing areas: intensive care unit (ICU), emergency department, and pre-hospital setting.

Safety of sedation with ketamine in severe head injury patients: comparison with sufentanil.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the safety concerning cerebral hemodynamics of ketamine and sufentanil used for sedation of severe head injury patients, both drugs being used in combination with midazolam.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Setting: Intensive care unit in a trauma center.

Positive inotropic stimulation.

Adrenergic receptors transduce signals through the G proteins to regulate cardiac function. The catecholamines, via alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) stimulation, may play a role in the development of heart failure. Norepinephrine and isoproterenol can induce cardiac myocyte apoptosis.