Critical Care Alert – October 1, 2017
October 1, 2017
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Intensive Care Enteral Nutrition in 2017
Enteral nutrition, defined as any method of feeding that uses the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (including oral feeding), usually refers to the delivery of nourishment to the GI tract through a tube. Nutrition is of utmost importance for patients suffering from a critical illness, and EN is a mainstay of nutrition in the ICU. Malnutrition and nutritional risk are common in patients admitted to the ICU. The presence of critical illness causes the body to enter a catabolic state, putting patients at risk of development or worsening of malnutrition. The Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition have published and revised joint guidelines to offer evidence-based recommendations for how best to feed critically ill patients.
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Spontaneous Breathing Trials and Occam’s Razor
Different ventilator modes used for a spontaneous breathing trial affected a patient’s work of breathing (WOB) variously and differed regarding WOB measured after extubation. The clinical relevance of these differences is uncertain.
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Angiotensin II Raises Blood Pressure in Patients with Vasodilatory Shock
Infusion of recombinant angiotensin II improved blood pressure control in patients with vasodilatory shock already receiving conventional vasopressors.