Micu

Nutmeg intoxication is an uncommon precipitant of hyperactive delirium with severe agitation (HDSA) with anticholinergic properties that require a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. We present a case of a young adult who presented to the emergency department (ED) with HDSA. The patient was intubated and transferred to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) due to increasing safety threats unresponsive to multimodal de-escalation. He ultimately self-extubated, reported excessive nutmeg ingestion, and was discharged home after a short period of observation...

OBJECTIVES: Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CT-PA) is associated with significant cost, contrast, and radiation exposure. Clinical decision rules (CDRs) reduce the need for diagnostic imaging; however, their utility in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) remains unknown. We explored the diagnostic yield and complications associated with CT-PA (radiation exposure and contrast-induced acute kidney injury [AKI]) while investigating the efficacy of CDRs to reduce unnecessary testing...

Plant metabolism is constantly changing and requires input signals for efficient regulation. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) couples organellar and cytoplasmic calcium oscillations leading to oxidative metabolism regulation in a vast array of species. In Arabidopsis thaliana , genetic deletion of AtMICU leads to altered mitochondrial calcium handling and ultrastructure. Here we aimed to further assess the consequences upon genetic deletion of AtMICU. Our results confirm that AtMICU safeguards intracellular calcium transport associated with carbohydrate, amino acid, and phytol metabolism modifications...

The development of respiratory medicine has evolved from the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis in 1950 s to the care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and corpulmonale disease in 1970 s. In the past 20 years, it has further advanced into the integration of pulmonary medicine (PM) and critical care (CC), becoming a dominant form of global disciplines in respiratory medicine. The subspecialty training system of pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) is a decisive measure to ensure the standardized development of respiratory medicine, and medical intensive care unit (MICU) is the most important clinical practice field for respiratory medicine in China, which plays a crucial role in promoting the substantial construction of the critical care medical system within the PCCM subspecialty, thus contributing to the development of the discipline...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 infection was rapidly spreading almost all over the world, and the first case was confirmed on 27th January 2020 by a foreign tourist in Sri Lanka. The first Sri Lankan citizen with COVID-19 was confirmed on 11th March 2020. Soon after the confirmation of the disease, long days of lockdown were imposed in almost all parts of the world, including Sri Lanka, to control the spread of the disease.  Objectives: To determine the demographic characteristics such as age, sex, number of patients, and disease pattern among non-COVID-19 patients admitted to the medical units during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare these characteristics with the data before the lockdown...

OBJECTIVES: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant source of hospital admissions and mortality. Atypical organisms are implicated in up to 40% of cases of CAP diagnoses. We studied the difference in outcomes of severe CAP patients treated with doxycycline versus azithromycin in addition to β-lactam therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study from March 2020 to July 2022 in a medical ICU (MICU) of an academic quaternary medical center...

BACKGROUND: Critical illness is a stressful time for patients and their support networks. Although patient-directed educational material to improve the understanding of critical illness exists, both patients and staff members are often unaware of these resources or how to find them. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the American Thoracic Society's (ATS) "Managing the Intensive Care Unity (ICU) Experience: A Proactive Guide for Patients and Families", an ICU orientation pamphlet, on nurses' perceptions of the availability and effectiveness of patient and family educational resources...

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the periodontal status of a group of Romanian systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and to investigate the relationships between periodontitis and SSc subtypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study included patients diagnosed with limited SSc (lcSSc) and diffuse SSc (dcSSc). Demographic data were collected from medical records. Each participant underwent a full-mouth periodontal examination including Bleeding on Probing (BoP) index, Oral Hygiene (OH) index, Probing Depth (PD), Gingival Recession (GR), and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL)...

Background and Objectives: Chronic critical illness (CCI) is a syndrome characterized by persistent organ dysfunction that requires critical care therapy for ≥14 days. Sepsis and respiratory failure constitute the two primary causes of CCI. A better understanding of this patient population and their clinical course may help to risk-stratify them early during hospitalization. Our objective was to identify whether the source of sepsis (medical versus surgical) affected clinical trajectory and prognosis in patients developing CCI...

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSI) are one of the most severe healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units (ICU). However, there are few studies on pneumonia-related BSI (PRBSI) in the ICU. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic characteristics of patients with PRBSI in the ICU and to provide a clinical basis for early clinical identification. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from patients with bacterial BSI in a single-center ICU between January 1, 2017, and August 31, 2020...

Transfer notes (TNs) standardize handoffs from one inpatient unit to another to optimize patient safety. They are especially important when patients are downgraded from high acuity settings such as intensive care units (ICU). Despite this, there is a paucity of evidence around safe transfers. The study objective was to assess the impact of a quality improvement initiative on the completion rate and quality of TNs. A retrospective chart review of TNs was conducted at a single academic center in Baltimore, MD...

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a leading infection in ICU settings. This study aims to evaluate the patient and catheter-related factors contributing to the urinary tract infection as well as implementing the preventive measures ultimately curbing down the burden of healthcare-associated infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a hospital-based observational study conducted in Department of Microbiology, from October 2020 to September 2021...

It is known that a number of parts that operate in liquid media, such as the propellers of motorboats and pleasure river vessels, as well as the rotors of household pumps and the radiators and pumps in the cooling system of motor vehicles are made, as a rule, of aluminum-based alloy. Research during maintenance leads to the conclusion that, in certain operating conditions, due to the turbulent character of the flow, with pressure drops to below the vaporization level, it inevitably reaches the threshold of cavitation, which manifests itself through its effects, especially through erosion...

Background Critically ill patients are at greater risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The use of maintenance bundles helps to reduce this risk but also generates a rapid accumulation of complex data that is difficult to aggregate and subsequently act upon. Objectives We hypothesized that a digital display summarizing nursing documentation of invasive catheters (including central venous access devices, arterial catheters, and urinary catheters) would improve invasive device maintenance care and documentation...

Patients with thrombocytopenia may report easy bruising, abnormal bleeding, and fatigue. Drug-induced thrombocytopenia has been reported with a variety of medications, most commonly heparin products, sulphonamides, carbamazepine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, and chemotherapy. We present the case of a 58-year-old female with severe thrombocytopenia attributed to a calcium channel blocker (CCB) overdose, a very rare cause of thrombocytopenia. We discuss the diagnostic work-up and management in the intensive care unit and perform a literature review...

The objective of this study was to evaluate emotions of depression and anxiety in psoriatic patients that due to insufficient response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibition (TNF-α), underwent a treatment switch from TNF-α to interleukin 17 inhibition using brodalumab. The Self-rated Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to assess depression and anxiety. A total of 20 patients with psoriasis were enrolled in the study. They were monitored for a period of 3 months following the transition to brodalumab treatment...

BACKGROUND: Teaching hospitals are fast-paced health care environments where clinical supervisors constantly balance teaching and patient care. Although hospital-based clinicians in acute care settings regularly teach trainees, views regarding their teaching roles and how this relates to professional satisfaction are less well studied. We explored perspectives of physicians who teach trainees in medical intensive care units (MICUs), to understand whether their engagement in teaching has any impact on professional (job) satisfaction...

BACKGROUND: A serious problem in cirrhosis is acute renal injury. The study aimed to examine the urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) as a diagnostic and prognostic marker of acute kidney injury (AKI) in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out over a period of 1 year. A total of 490 patients suffering from cirrhosis who visited an indoor hospital were screened, and after the exclusion, a total of 90 subjects admitted to the medicine intensive care unit (MICU) fulfilling inclusion criteria were enrolled...

BACKGROUND: Septic shock medical treatment relies on a bundle of care including antibiotic therapy and hemodynamic optimisation. Hemodynamic optimisation consists of fluid expansion and norepinephrine administration aiming to optimise cardiac output to reach a mean arterial pressure of 65mmHg. In the prehospital setting, direct cardiac output assessment is difficult because of the lack of invasive and non-invasive devices. This study aims to assess the relationship between 30-day mortality and (i) initial pulse pressure (iPP) as (ii) pulse pressure variation (dPP) during the prehospital stage among patients cared for SS by a prehospital mobile intensive care unit (MICU)...

BACKGROUND: An alarming number of COVID-19 patients, especially in severe cases, have developed acute kidney injury (AKI). AIM: The study aimed to assess the frequency, risk factors, and impact of AKI on mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS: The study was a retrospective observational study conducted in the MICU. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for AKI and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period, 465 consecutive COVID-19 patients were admitted to the MICU...