Multiple organ failure (MOF) is a common cause of death in intensive care unit (ICU) patients [1]. But what are the mechanisms underlying the development of MOF? Why, when we can support many of the individual organs, e.g., the kidneys with extracorporeal renal support, the lungs with mechanical ventilation, etc., do we all too often end up withholding/withdrawing these life-supporting therapie...

In elderly populations, frailty is associated with higher mortality risk. Although many frailty scores (FS) have been proposed, no single score is considered the gold standard. We aimed to evaluate the agreement between a wide range of FS in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Through a literature search, we identified 35 FS that could be calculated in ELSA wave 2 (2004-2005). We e...

AIM As a primary cause of death not only in Western countries but also in the People's Republic of China, sepsis is diagnosed as abnormal organ functions as a result of a disordered response to a severe infection. This study was designed to assess the effect of small-dose levosimendan without a loading dose on mortality rates and organ functions in Chinese elderly patients with sepsis. METHOD...

Abstract Objective Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients presenting with sepsis remain a challenge. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends 30 mL/kg fluid bolus in these patients, but recent studies suggest an association between large volume crystalloid resuscitation and increased mortality. optimal amount of pre-operative prior to source control intra-abdominal is unknown. This study aims...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). DESIGN Retrospective study of diagnostic validation. Setting. An obstetric intensive care unit (ICU) in Brazil. Population. 673 women with SMM. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES mortality and SOFA score. Methods. Organ failure was evaluated according to maximum score fo...

Background The quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) alone has a poor sensitivity for predicting mortality in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections, and plasma lactate levels have been shown to have a strong association with mortality in critically ill patients. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the performance of qSOFA with a score derived from a combination of ...

INTRODUCTION Use of corticosteroids for adrenal supplementation and attenuation of the inflammatory and immune response is widespread in acute critical illness. The study hypothesis was that exposure to corticosteroids influences the mortality and morbidity in acute critical illness. METHODS This case-control retrospective study was performed in a single multidisciplinary intensive care unit ...

INTRODUCTION Outcomes following bacterial meningitis are significantly improved by adjunctive treatment with corticosteroids. However, little is known about the levels and significance of intrathecal endogenous cortisol. The aim of this study was to assess cortisol as a biological and diagnostic marker in patients with bacterial meningitis. METHODS Forty-seven consecutive patients with bacter...

BACKGROUND The current consensus definition of septic shock requires hypotension after adequate fluid challenge or vasopressor requirement. Some patients with septic shock present with hypotension and hyperlactatemia greater than 2 mmol/L (tissue dysoxic shock), whereas others have hypotension alone with normal lactate (vasoplegic shock). OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine...