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    Background: The number of elderly patients admitted to the intensive care unit is constantly growing. However, a decision regarding intensive care in these populations remains a challenge. Aim: To identify factors that influences the decision of elderly patients and their families about whether to initiate intensive care in case of an acute event. Design/participants: Medical records of patients (>80 years), who were admitted to general wards and referred for intensive care, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who received intensive care were compared with those not agreeing to the initiation of intensive care. Results: Among the 125 patients, 45 agreed to receiving intensive care. Baseline characteristics at the time of intensive care unit referral were similar between the intensive care and non-intensive care groups. Only one patient had advance directives before the intensive care unit referral. Lower economic status (odds ratio = 0.27, 95% confidence interval = 0.08–0.94) and cognitive impairment (odds ratio = 0.20, 95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.56) were found associated with a lower likelihood of agreeing to intensive care, while a large number of participants involved in the decision-making process were associated with a higher likelihood of intensive care unit use (odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.08–3.09). Mean duration of hospital stay was longer for the intensive care group as compared with the non-intensive care group (28.8 days and 19.8 days, respectively, p = 0.03). However, there was no significant difference in the survival rate. Conclusion: The initiation of intensive care in elderly patients was influenced not only by medical conditions but also by the patient’s economic status and the number of family members involved in the decision-making process.
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    ENWEndNote BIBJabRef, Mendeley RISPapers, Reference Manager, RefWorks, Zotero AMA Zante B, Happ S, Haltmeier T, Schefold J. Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit. Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy. 2017;49(3). APA Zante, B., Happ, S., Haltmeier, T., & Schefold, J. (2017). Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit. Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy, 49(3). Chicago Zante, Bjoern, Sebastian Happ, Tobias Haltmeier, and Joerg C. Schefold. 2017. "Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit". Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy 49 (3). Harvard Zante, B., Happ, S., Haltmeier, T., and Schefold, J. (2017). Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit. Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy, 49(3). MLA Zante, Bjoern et al. "Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit." Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy, vol. 49, no. 3, 2017. Vancouver Zante B, Happ S, Haltmeier T, Schefold J. Aerosplenism in the intensive care unit. Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy. 2017;49(3).
    Citations (1)
    The most recent edition of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation provides a prediction of intensive care unit length of stay in addition to the probability of hospital mortality. Intensive care length of stay is an important determinant of intensive care costs and may be an important indicator of quality of care. Data were collected from 22 Scottish intensive care units over a 2‐year period to allow comparison of actual intensive care unit length of stay with that predicted by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III system. Correlation between actual and predicted stay for individual patients was poor. However, performance of the model for patients, grouped either by predicted length of stay or by intensive care unit, indicated that the model stratified patient groups appropriately while demonstrating a consistent bias. Length of stay in Scottish intensive care units was found to be consistently lower than that predicted by a model which is based on intensive care practice in the USA. Variations in severity of illness in intensive care unit populations cannot readily explain differences in intensive care unit length of stay. The availability of a model capable of predicting length of intensive care stay, based on data reflecting practice in the UK, would compliment current methods of assessing effectiveness of intensive care.
    To assess variations in case-mix-adjusted hospital and intensive care unit length of stay and to examine the relationship between intensive care unit and hospital stay.Retrospective cohort study.Sixty-nine intensive and cardiac care units in 23 U.S. hospitals during 2002 to 2008.Intensive care unit admissions (202,300) who met inclusion criteria.None.We obtained hospital and intensive care unit characteristics and patient demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and physiologic variables, mortality, and lengths of stay. We developed and validated a model to assess case-mix-adjusted hospital stay and modified and updated a previously validated model to assess adjusted intensive care unit stay. We used these models to compare observed and expected hospital and intensive care unit stay for each patient by calculating the observed minus expected length of stay. Mean observed intensive care unit stay was 4.33 days and mean predicted intensive care unit stay was 4.09 days (5.9-hr difference); mean observed hospital stay was 9.93 days and mean predicted hospital stay was 9.52 days (9.7-hr difference). Observed minus expected intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were significantly shorter (p < .01) at one intensive care unit and significantly longer (p < .01) at nine intensive care units. There was a correlation between hospital and intensive care unit observed minus expected length of stay across individuals (R2 = .40), which was much stronger across units (R2 = .76).Case-mix-adjusted benchmarks for hospital and intensive care unit stays reveal substantial differences in unit efficiency. Hospital and intensive care unit stays are strongly correlated at the patient and unit level, suggesting that there are causal factors common to both.
    Case mix index
    The purpose of the study was to reveal the predictors of more than 24-hour intensive care unit stay for patients activated early (up to 5 hours) after surgery under extracorporeal circulation and to explore the possibilities of predicting the prolongation of postoperative intensive care in the clinical situation under examination. The protocols of anesthetic maintenance, early activation, and postoperative intensive care were analyzed in 83 patients (50 males and 33 females) aged 31 to 82 years, who had been operated on under extracorporeal circulation for various cardiosurgical diseases. The multiple regression analysis showed that the significant predictors of more prolonged intensive care after early activation were the level of arterial lactatemia (p = 0.0021), the dosages of adrenaline and/or noradrenaline (p = 0.0048), age (p = 0.0051), and female sex (p = 0.0142). It was shown that the multiple regression analysis could approximately predict the duration of intensive care after early activation. The predicted and actual durations of intensive care in patients with an intensive care unit stay length of more than 24 hours coincided in 52% of cases. In patients with an intensive care unit stay length of less than 24 hours, the estimated and actual durations of intensive care were in agreement in 92% of cases. It is concluded that it is expedient to take into account the results of the performed analysis in choosing the optimum postoperative management policy in cardiosurgical patients who are to undergo early activation.
    Extracorporeal circulation
    Extracorporeal
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    To review current concepts in the diagnosis of adrenocortical disease in the critically ill patient.A review of articles reported on adrenocortical insufficiency in the acutely ill patient.The contribution of adrenal insufficiency to the morbidity of critically ill patients is currently under renewed scrutiny. The debate continues about the role of steroids in sepsis and essentially the question remains unanswered. Central to this debate is the issue of whether adrenal insufficiency is common in the critically ill patient. What is incontrovertible is that adrenocortical function is essential for host survival during critical illness, but what constitutes adrenocortical insufficiency in critically ill patients is not clear. Absolute adrenocortical insufficiency (diagnosed by very low plasma cortisol concentrations) is uncommon in the intensive care population. The diagnosis of relative adrenocortical insufficiency (elevated basal plasma cortisol with a subnormal increase in plasma concentrations following an ACTH stimulus) continues to generate debate. The controversy surrounding the role of steroids in sepsis and the confusion over the criteria for diagnosing adrenal insufficiency in the critically ill are reviewed.We suggest that the following caveats be borne in mind when diagnosing adrenal insufficiency in the critically ill patient. Firstly, the gold standard for the diagnosis has not been established. Secondly, caution must be exercised when interpreting a single plasma cortisol value. In the event of a single result indicating adrenal hypofunction, we suggest repeating the measurements after a 6 to 12 hour interval. The clinician must also be aware of variations in cortisol concentrations induced by the assay. Thirdly, the clinician must be aware of the potential limitations of the conventional high dose corticotrophin test. We also suggest that plasma free cortisol is more relevant than total plasma cortisol in the assessment of adrenal function in critical illness and that the low dose corticotrophin test is more sensitive than the conventional high dose test. These areas should be the subject of further investigations.
    Adrenocortical Insufficiency
    Adrenal function
    Citations (21)