656 www.ccmjournal.org March 2014 • Volume 42 • Number 3 Objective: To determine validity and reliability of the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium, a rapid observational screening tool. Design: Double-blinded assessments were performed with the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium completed by nursing staff in the PICU. These ratings were compared with an assessment by consultation l...

The search for more effective therapies and techniques directed toward shock and resuscitation continues to be the subject of extensive research in the critical care literature. One area of intense focus is the hypothesis that nonsurvivors with poor oxygen delivery can be converted to survivors if their oxygen delivery variables are maximized. Based on recent controlled clinical trials, this re...

Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are the most commonly used drugs for hyperlipidemia and for reduction in the risk of incidence of cardiovascular and stroke events .Recent data suggest that their effects go well beyond lipid lowering seen with long term use and may include acute inflammatory activity, anticoagulation, immunomodulation and promotion of changes...

Many hospitalized patients with cancer are malnourished. Some become critically ill and experience delayed wound healing, loss of muscle strength, and reduced infection fighting ability as a consequence of the loss of nutritional reserves. Complications of critical illness may cause interruption in normal gastrointestinal function and result in shock, sepsis, hypochlorhydria, systemic inflammat...

Health care costs represent a large percentage of the gross domestic product all over the world. According to the National Health Statistics Group, health care expenditure in the United States accounted for as much as 14% of the gross national product in 1992 and it is projected to reach 30% by 2030. The intensive care unit (ICU) represents the hallmark of highly competent modern hospitals, off...

The use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is relatively infrequent in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). However, “off-label” IVIG prescriptions for different conditions are highly prevalent. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the use of IVIG in patients admitted to ICUs, emphasizing non-infectious diseases and complications: hypogammaglobulinemia of ...

Resuscitative ultrasonography provides rapid, repeatable, and multisystem assessment to guide diagnosis and management of critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED). Cardiac ultrasonography offers new anatomic and hemodynamic information, previously unavailable in an ED setting, whereas other applications match or exceed the speed and utility of existing tests such as chest radiog...

CCMTutorials.com is a comprehensive, interactive website that introduces the reader to the field of critical care medicine. It includes both information in lecture format and clinical scenarios covering a variety of conditions that are commonly encountered in intensive care units. The website has six main subjects (introduction, problem oriented approach, respiratory failure, shock, renal failu...

Faber P, Siervo M: Nutrition in Critical Care. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2014, 250pp, ISBN: 978-1107-99901-7. This interesting book represents a real challenge, giving the opportunity for various physicians to prescribe the most appropriate nutritional support in critically ill patients. The participation of 44 experts from a wide range of medical and paramedical subspecialities (ph...

Coanda Effect in Mechanical ventilators: Named after Henri Marie Coanda (June 7, 1886 – November 25, 1972) was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer and the patent holder of the modern jet aircraft. The secret of the fluidic flip is a phenomenon known as the Coanda effect. This is a relatively new discovery previously applied in the fields of aerodynamics and jet engine design. When a jet o...