[Renal replacement therapy in Intensive Care Units in Catalonia (Spain)]. / Utilización de las terapias de depuración extracorpórea en los Servicios de Medicina Intensiva de Cataluña (España).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the indications, settings and techniques used in renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter observational study was carried out. SETTING: Intensive Care Units. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to ICUs during the two-month study period in 2011 who required RRT. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Patient demographic characteristics, baseline clinical data, RRT technique and materials used. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were analyzed. RRT was started within the first 24hours after ICU admission in 17 of the 33 patients (52%). At the start of RRT, 18% of the patients (n=6) presented grade R on the RIFLE acute kidney injury (AKI) scale. The most common disorder associated with AKI was multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (64%; n=21). At the start of RRT, most patients (76%; n=25) presented hemodynamic instability, while the remaining 24% (n=8) were considered hemodynamically stable. The most common RRT technique in hemodynamically stable patients was continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (63%; n=5). CRRT was the technique of choice in all 25 of the hemodynamically unstable patients (100%). Anticoagulation was used in 55% (n=18) of the patients. In most cases (61%, n=20), RRT was administered through the right femoral vein. In 84% (n=28) of the patients, the ultrafiltration effluent flow rate was ≤ 35ml/kg/h. CONCLUSIONS: The ICU physicians in this study followed current RRT guidelines. CRRT was preferred over intermittent renal replacement therapy, regardless of patient hemodynamic status.

[Pressure support ventilation and proportional assist ventilation during weaning from mechanical ventilation]. / Ventilación con presión de soporte y ventilación proporcional asistida durante la retirada de la ventilación mecánica.

OBJECTIVES: To compare tolerance, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and clinical outcomes during weaning from MV in patients subjected to either pressure support ventilation (PSV) or proportional assist ventilation (PAV). DESIGN: A prospective, observational study was carried out. SETTING: Intensive Care Unit. PATIENTS: A total of 40 consecutive subjects were allocated to either the PSV or the PAV group until each group contained 20 patients. Patients were included in the study when they met the criteria to begin weaning and the attending physician decided to initiate the weaning process. The physician selected the modality and set the ventilatory parameters. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Demographic data, respiratory mechanics, ventilatory parameters, duration of MV, and clinical outcomes (reintubation, tracheostomy, mortality). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. No significant differences were observed between the PSV and PAV groups in terms of the total duration of MV (10 [5-18] vs. 9 [7-19] days; P=.85), reintubation (5 [31%] vs. 3 [19%]; P=.69), or mortality (4 [20%] vs. 5 [25%] deaths; P=1). Eight patients (40%) in the PSV group and 6 patients (30%) in the PAV group (P=.74) required a return to volume assist-control ventilation due to clinical deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerance, duration of MV and clinical outcomes during weaning from mechanical ventilation were similar in PSV and PAV.

Glucocorticoids in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by local inflammation and an intense systemic inflammatory reaction. Glucocorticoid administration has been suggested due to their anti-inflammatory properties. However, results from the initial studies of glucocorticoids in ARDS, which evaluated high-dose and short-term treatments, were negative. More recent studies have evaluated the effect of lower doses of glucocorticoids administered over longer periods, but the results thus far have been inconclusive.

Le syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë (SDRA) est caractérisé par une inflammation locale et une réaction inflammatoire systémique intense. L'administration de glucocorticoïdes a été proposée en raison de leurs propriétés anti-inflammatoires. Cependant, les résultats des premières études concernant la prescription des glucocorticoïdes dans le SDRA, qui ont évalué de hautes doses avec des traitements de court terme, ont été négatifs. Des études plus récentes ont évalué des doses plus basses administrées sur des périodes plus longues, mais les résultats ont aussi été peu concluants.