The relation between the incidence of hypernatremia and mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury
Introduction The study was aimed at verifying whether the occurrence of hypernatremia during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay increases the risk of death in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We performed a retrospective study on a prospectively collected database including all patients consecutively admitted over a 3-year period with a diagnosis of TBI (post-resuscitation Glasgow Coma Score ≤ 8) to a general/neurotrauma ICU of a university hospital, providing critical care services in a catchment area of about 1,200,000 inhabitants. Methods Demographic, clinical, and ICU laboratory data were prospectively collected; serum sodium was assessed an average of three times per …
Inflammation is an amplifier of lung congestion by high lv filling pressure in hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal study
Introduction Since infammation alters vascular permeability, including vascular permeability in the lung, we hypothesized that it can be an amplifer of lung congestion in a category of patients at high risk for pulmonary oedema like end stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. Objective and methods We investigated the efect modifcation by systemic infammation (serum CRP) on the relationship between a surrogate of the flling pressure of the LV [left atrial volume indexed to the body surface area (LAVI)] and lung water in a series of 220 ESKD patients. Lung water was quantifed by the number of ultrasound B lines (US-B) on lung US. Six-hundred and three recordings were performed during a 2-year f…
A randomized multicenter trial on a lung ultrasound-guided treatment strategy in patients on chronic hemodialysis with high cardiovascular risk
Lung congestion is a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients on chronic hemodialysis, and its estimation by ultrasound may be useful to guide ultrafiltration and drug therapy in this population. In an international, multi-center randomized controlled trial (NCT02310061) we investigated whether a lung ultrasound-guided treatment strategy improved a composite end point (all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, decompensated heart failure) vs usual care in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis with high cardiovascular risk. Patient-Reported Outcomes (Depression and the Standard Form 36 Quality of Life Questionnaire, SF36) were assessed as secondary outcome…