BACKGROUND To evaluate the performance of the WHO criteria for defining maternal near miss and identifying deaths among cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) admitted for intensive care. METHOD Between October 2002 and September 2007, 673 women with SMM were admitted, and among them 18 died. Variables used for the definition of maternal near miss according to WHO criteria and for the SOFA ...

BACKGROUND With the easy availability of thyroid hormone assays, thyroid disorders are now recognised even in a subclinical state. However, patients are still seen with advanced manifestations of the disease, particularly in developing countries. This observational study analysed the predictors of outcome in patients with myxoedema coma and tested the validity of different modules to define mor...

BACKGROUND Studies have illustrated that the breakdown of tight junction (TJ) contributed to an increase in vascular permeability in response to stimulation of inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, the release of TJ-associated proteins into the circulation was observed in many diseases. The present study was designed to investigate whether plasma levels of TJ-associated proteins could serve as ...

To the Editor: The study by Grissom et al1 demonstrated a high correlation of the Modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (MSOFA) with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) to predict mortality in patients with critical illnesses. The accompanying editorial by Rubinson et al2 cautioned readers not to rely solely on the SOFA or MSOFA score to prioritize patients during a mass criti...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to compare the discriminant function of multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) components in predicting the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality and neurologic outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS A descriptive-analytic study was conducted at a level I trauma center. Data were collected from patients with severe traum...

BACKGROUND Identification of postoperative patients at high risk of dying early after intensive care unit (ICU) admission through a fast and readily available parameter may help in determining therapeutic interventions or further diagnostic procedures that could have an impact on patients' outcome. The aim of our study was to assess the utility of procalcitonin (PCT) and other readily available...

OBJECTIVES: The relation of procalcitonin (PCT) plasma concentrations compared with C-reactive protein (CRP) was analyzed in patients with different severity of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and systemic inflammation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PCT, CRP, the sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, the Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and s...

OBJECTIVE Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium. The condition is commonly associated with rapid disease progression and often results in profound shock. Impaired renal function is the result of impairment in end-organ perfusion and is highly prevalent among critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and identify the rela...

According to the new sepsis definitions, septic shock is defined as a subset of sepsis in which the underlying circulatory and cellular/metabolic abnormalities are profound enough to substantially increase mortality. We evaluated the predictive efficacy of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in critically ill patients with septic shock undergoing pulse indicator contour continu...

BACKGROUND The objective was to study the level of monocyte-human leukocyte antigen-DR (mHLA-DR), an immune function-related biomarker, at 24 h after admission, to predict the outcomes of subjects with severe pneumonia. METHODS Subjects with severe community-acquired pneumonia (n = 102) were included in the study. Blood samples were collected from each subject 24 h after admission. Data regar...