293 research outputs found
Supplemental material for Development of a Core Outcome Set for research on critically ill obstetric patients: A study protocol
No full textSupplemental material for Development of a Core Outcome Set for research on critically ill obstetric patients: A study protocol by Julien Viau-Lapointe, Rohan D’Souza, Louise Rose and Stephen E Lapinsky in Obstetric Medicine</p
Endotracheal intubation in the ICU
No full textEndotracheal intubation in the ICU is a high-risk procedure, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Up to 40% of cases are associated with marked hypoxemia or hypotension. The ICU patient is physiologically very different from the usual patient who undergoes intubation in the operating room, and different intubation techniques should be considered. The common operating room practice of sedation and neuromuscular blockade to facilitate intubation may carry significant risk in the ICU patient with a marked oxygenation abnormality, particularly when performed by the non-expert. Preoxygenation is largely ineffective in these patients and oxygen desaturation occurs rapidly on induction of anesthesia, limiting the time available to secure the airway. The ICU environment is less favorable for complex airway management than the operating room, given the frequent lack of availability of additional equipment or additional expert staff. ICU intubations are frequently carried out by trainees, with a lesser degree of airway experience. Even in the presence of a non-concerning airway assessment, these patients are optimally managed as a difficult airway, utilizing an awake approach. Endotracheal intubation may be achieved by awake direct laryngoscopy in the sick ICU patient whose level of consciousness may be reduced by sepsis, hypercapnia or hypoxemia. As the patient's spontaneous respiratory efforts are not depressed by the administration of drugs, additional time is available to obtain equipment and expertise in the event of failure to secure the airway. ICU intubation complications should be tracked as part of the ICU quality improvement process
Management of Acute Respiratory Failure in Pregnancy
No full textAbstractRespiratory failure affects up to 1 in 500 pregnancies, more commonly in the postpartum period. The causes of respiratory failure include several pregnancy-specific conditions such as preeclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism, and peripartum cardiomyopathy. Pregnancy may also increase the risk or severity of other conditions, such as asthma, thromboembolism, viral pneumonitis, and gastric acid aspiration. Changes to maternal respiratory physiology and the presence of a fetus may affect the assessment and management of these patients. In addition to identifying pregnancy-specific causes, some differences exist in the management of the pregnant woman with acute respiratory failure. Endotracheal intubation in pregnancy carries a significant risk, due to upper airway edema and rapid oxygen desaturation following apnea. Few studies have addressed prolonged mechanical ventilation management in pregnancy. Optimizing oxygenation is important, but whether permissive hypercapnia is tolerated during pregnancy remains unclear. Delivery of the fetus is often considered but does not always improve maternal respiratory function and should be reserved only for cases where benefit to the fetus is anticipated.</jats:p
Lung physiology at play: Hemoptysis due to underwater hockey
No full textAbstractHemoptysis can be a very concerning symptom, and the workup of a patient with hemoptysis may be expensive and invasive. Over the past decade, there has been increasing recognition of hemoptysis that occurs in highly trained athletes under conditions of extreme physical exertion and is explained by “pulmonary capillary stress failure”. This report highlights the physiological mechanisms of pulmonary capillary stress failure in the highly trained athlete, with emphasis on the predisposition to develop this condition in underwater sports. We describe the case of an otherwise healthy 34 year-old competitive underwater hockey player who reported hemoptysis following particularly strenuous games. We postulate that the hemoptysis was a result of the pulmonary capillary stress failure caused by the cumulative hemodynamic effects of a markedly elevated cardiac output, the increased central blood volume caused by the hydrostatic effects of submersion in water, and the negative intrathoracic pressure produced by voluntary diaphragmatic contractions
Reticuloendothelial ferritin messenger RNA in inflammatory states
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Medicine University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science in MedicineFerritin is an iron storage protein, made up of heavy (H) and light (L) subunits. Ferritin synthesis is regulated at a post transcriptional level by iron, which induces a redistribution of ferritin mRNA from a free cytoplasmic pool to polyribosomes. Inflammatory states influence iron metabolism, causing a decrease in serum iron levels associated with an increase in reticuloendothelial ferritin synthesis and iron storage.IT201
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