Reducing Mortality in Critically Ill Patients

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vi

   PDF

2. Decision Making in the Democracy-based Medicine Era: The Consensus Conference Process

   • Massimiliano Greco, Marialuisa Azzolini, Giacomo Monti

   Pages 1-6

3. Interventions that Reduce Mortality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

      PDF

   2. Noninvasive Ventilation

      • Luca Cabrini, Margherita Pintaudi, Nicola Villari, Dario Winterton

      Pages 9-21

   3. Lung-Protective Ventilation and Mortality in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

      • Antonio Pisano, Teresa P. Iovino, Roberta Maj

      Pages 23-29

   4. Prone Positioning to Reduce Mortality in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

      • Antonio Pisano, Luigi Verniero, Federico Masserini

      Pages 31-38

   5. Tranexamic Acid in Trauma Patients

      • Annalisa Volpi, Silvia Grossi, Roberta Mazzani

      Pages 39-45

   6. Albumin Use in Liver Cirrhosis

      • Łukasz J. Krzych

      Pages 47-52

   7. Daily Interruption of Sedatives to Improve Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients

      • Christopher G. Hughes, Pratik P. Pandharipande, Timothy D. Girard

      Pages 53-59

4. Interventions that Increase Mortality

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 61-61

      PDF

   2. Tight Glycemic Control

      • Cosimo Chelazzi, Zaccaria Ricci, Stefano Romagnoli

      Pages 63-71

   3. Hydroxyethyl Starch in Critically Ill Patients

      • Rasmus B. Müller, Nicolai Haase, Anders Perner

      Pages 73-78

   4. Growth Hormone in the Critically Ill

      • Nigel R. Webster

      Pages 79-82

   5. Diaspirin Cross-Linked Hemoglobin and Blood Substitutes

      • Stefano Romagnoli, Giovanni Zagli, Zaccaria Ricci

      Pages 83-91

   6. Supranormal Elevation of Systemic Oxygen Delivery in Critically Ill Patients

      • Kate C. Tatham, C. Stephanie Cattlin, Michelle A. Hayes

      Pages 93-101

   7. Does β2-Agonist Use Improve Survival in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

      • Vasileios Zochios

      Pages 103-109

   8. High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation

      • Laura Pasin, Pasquale Nardelli, Alessandro Belletti

      Pages 111-115

   9. Glutamine Supplementation in Critically Ill Patients

      • Laura Pasin, Pasquale Nardelli, Desiderio Piras

      Pages 117-122

5. Updates

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 123-123

      PDF

   2. Reducing Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Update

      • Marta Mucchetti, Livia Manfredini, Evgeny Fominskiy

      Pages 125-132

This book describes the techniques, strategies, and drugs that have been demonstrated by multicenter randomized trials to influence survival in critically ill patients, defined as those who have acute failure of at least one organ, due to either a pathological condition or a medical intervention, and require intensive care treatment. Each chapter focuses on a specific procedure, device, or drug. The scope is accordingly wide, with coverage of topics as diverse as noninvasive mechanical ventilation, protective ventilation, prone positioning, intravenous salbutamol in ARDS, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest, daily interruption of sedatives, tranexamic acid, diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin, albumin, growth hormone, glutamine supplementation, tight glucose control, supranormal oxygen delivery, and hydroxyethyl starch in sepsis. The topic selection was made using a democracy-based approach in which hundreds of specialists from dozens of countries expressed, via the web, whether they agreed with these topics and whether they used the techniques in their daily clinical practice. The clear text is supported by "how to do" sections and "key point" boxes that provide easily accessible practical information. The book will be of interest for a wide variety of specialists, including intensivists, emergency doctors, and anesthesiologists.

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Democratic-based medicine
• Emergency medicine
• Intensive care
• Sepsis / septic shock
• Survival

“This summarized literature will continue to serve as a solid foundation and useful reference upon which to build in future. Specialists from areas of medicine that care for patients with critical illness will enjoy this book, especially those working in the intensive care unit. Experienced physicians will be comfortable with much of the subject matter and familiar with the landmark trails. … provides useful clinical summaries and practical application points that even physicians well versed in the literature will appreciate.” (Carmen Hrymak, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Journal canadien d'anesthésie, October, 2015)

“This is essentially a monograph of 15 evidence-based interventions that affect mortality in critical care patients. The book is the result of what the authors describe as a democracy-based consensus conference. It uses evidence-based medicine techniques to discuss seven interventions that reduce mortality and eight interventions that increase mortality. … The audience is critical care practitioners regardless of training background. The book also will be of value to medical students, residents, and fellows.” (Jeremy Scott Juern, Doody's Book Reviews, September, 2015)

• Department of Anesthesia and Intensive care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientifi c Institute, Milan, Italy

  Giovanni Landoni

• Department of Anesthesia and Intensive care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

  Marta Mucchetti

• San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy

  Alberto Zangrillo

• Department of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia

  Rinaldo Bellomo

Policies and ethics