The Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress
The Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress was held from Feb. 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla., and attracted more than 5,500 participants from around the world, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, respiratory therapists, students, and other health care practitioners. The conference highlighted recent advances in critical care medicine, with presentations and abstracts mainly focusing on the management of critically ill patients.
In one study, Bill Beninati, M.D., of the Intermountain LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, and colleagues found that telecritical care program implementation within a community hospital setting was clinically beneficial.
"The new team established by adding Intermountain TeleCritical Care to the bedside team in our community hospitals allowed more complex patients to be managed close to home, and to do so with a lower risk of dying during the hospitalization," Beninati said. "There are many reasons why a small community would wish to care for intensive care unit patients in their local community hospital, but they have found it to be impractical to staff their hospital with critical care physicians. These communities can consider partnering with a telecritical care program."
Abstract No. 42
In another study, Kimia Honarmand, of the University of Toronto, and colleagues found that in the resuscitation of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest, the higher the adherence to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines in general, the better the chances of the patient surviving the cardiac arrest and the higher their chances of surviving to hospital discharge (or surviving to transfer to a peripheral hospital).
"While more research is needed to establish the benefits of specific interventions currently included in the ACLS algorithms, our results suggest that adhering to the guidelines as a whole to the extent possible might improve outcomes, not only in terms of surviving the cardiac arrest (achieving return of spontaneous circulation) but also in terms of longer-term survival " Honarmand said. "The results show that a higher degree of adherence to guidelines can improve patient outcomes. This is very clinically relevant. This supports the emphasis on ACLS guidelines in training and education of health care practitioners. Ensuring that the resuscitation team is knowledgeable and familiar with ACLS guidelines and ensuring regular practice and ongoing training may improve guideline adherence and therefore outcomes."
Abstract No. 13
As part of the Cool Kids Trial, Elizabeth Meinert, M.D., of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and colleagues found that starting nutritional support shortly after traumatic brain injury (TBI) was associated with decreased mortality and favorable outcomes. Specifically, as part of the analysis, the investigators found that children never receiving nutritional support were at a higher risk of mortality and unfavorable outcomes.
"While this provides a rationale to initiate nutritional support early after TBI, definitive studies that control for important covariates (severity of injury, clinical site, calories delivered, parenteral/enteral routes, and other factors) are needed to provide conclusive evidence on the optimization of the timing of nutritional support after severe TBI in children," the authors write in the study abstract.
Abstract No. 17
SCCM: Peri-Op Statins Don't Cut Risk of AKI in Cardiac Surgery
TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Among adults undergoing cardiac surgery, perioperative atorvastatin does not reduce the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research was published to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress, held from Feb 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla.
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SCCM: Circulating Histones for Most With Thrombocytopenia
MONDAY, Feb. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Most patients with thrombocytopenia have circulating histones, according to a research letter published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress, held from Feb 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla.
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SCCM: New Definitions, Criteria Developed for Sepsis
MONDAY, Feb. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- New definitions and criteria for sepsis and septic shock have been published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress, held from Feb 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla.
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SCCM: Prevalence of ARDS 10.4 Percent in ICU Admissions
MONDAY, Feb. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The period prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is 10.4 percent in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress, held from Feb 20 to 24 in Orlando, Fla.
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