Intensive Care (intensive + care)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Intensive Care

  • neonatal intensive care
  • paediatric intensive care

  • Terms modified by Intensive Care

  • intensive care admission
  • intensive care management
  • intensive care medicine
  • intensive care nurse
  • intensive care patient
  • intensive care setting
  • intensive care stay
  • intensive care treatment
  • intensive care unit
  • intensive care unit admission
  • intensive care unit nurse
  • intensive care unit setting
  • intensive care unit stay

  • Selected Abstracts


    ACQUIRED HEMOPHILIA IN OLDER PEOPLE: A POOR PROGNOSIS DESPITE INTENSIVE CARE

    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2007
    Olivier Lambotte MD
    First page of article [source]


    THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF ANAESTHESIOLOGY THE EUROPEAN DIPLOMA IN ANAESTHESIOLOGY AND INTENSIVE CARE

    ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2001
    Article first published online: 18 JUL 200
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Textbook of Intensive Care edited by D.R. Goldhill and P.S. Withington Arnold, London, 2001, 912 pages, £45,·,00, ISBN 0 412 60130 3 (paperback), £95,·,00, ISBN 0 412 81400 5 (hardback).

    JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2001
    Judy A. Criner
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Current Practice, Demographics, and Trends of Critical Care Trained Emergency Physicians in the United States

    ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010
    Julie A. Mayglothling MD
    Abstract Objectives:, Critical care medicine (CCM) is of growing interest among emergency physicians (EPs), but the number of CCM-trained EPs and their postfellowship practice is unknown. This study's purpose was to conduct a descriptive census survey of EPs who have completed or are currently in a CCM fellowship. Methods:, The authors created a Web-based survey, and requests to participate were sent to EPs who have completed or are currently in a CCM fellowship. Responses were collected over a 12-month period. Physicians were located via multiple whom electronic mailing lists, including the Emergency Medicine Section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Critical Care Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association. The authors also contacted CCM fellowship coordinators and used informal networking. Data were collected on emergency medicine (EM) and other residency training; discipline, duration, and year of CCM fellowship; current practice setting; and board certification status, including the European Diploma in Intensive Care (EDIC). Results:, A total of 104 physicians completed the survey (97% response rate), of whom 73 had completed fellowship at the time of participation, and 31 of whom were in fellowship training. Of those who completed fellowship, 36/73 (49%) practice both EM and CCM, and 45/73 (62%) practice in academic institutions. Multiple disciplines of fellowship were represented: multidisciplinary (39), surgical (28), internal medicine (16), anesthesia (14), and other (4). Together, the CCM fellowships at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and the University of Pittsburgh have trained 42% of all EM-CCM physicians, with 38 other institutions training from one to four fellows each. The number of EPs completing CCM fellowships has risen: from 1974 to 1989, 12 EPs; from 1990 to 1999, 15 EPs; and from 2000 to 2007, 43 EPs. Conclusions:, Emergency physicians are entering CCM fellowships in increasing numbers. Almost half of these EPs practice both EM and CCM. ACADAEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:325,329 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine [source]


    Textbook of Intensive Care

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2000
    P. S. Withington (Eds)., Textbook of Intensive Care by D. R. Goldhill
    [source]


    Recognition and management of critical illness by midwives: implications for service provision

    JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2007
    ENB 100, PGDipHE, SUZANNE BENCH RGN
    Aim, The aim of this study was to explore midwives' recognition and management of critical illness in obstetric women in order to inform service provision. Background, Critical illness is not confined to Intensive Care. Limited published work was located examining factors affecting critical care provision by midwives. Methods, A multi-method design incorporating a paper and pencil simulation (n = 11) and in-depth interviewing (n = 5) was conducted with midwives from a large London National Health Service Trust. This study details and discusses the findings. Results, Findings indicated that frequency and type of critical illness experience impact upon midwives' critical care knowledge and skills. Midwives, especially those who were more junior, expressed anxiety regarding this aspect of practice, and considered the support of senior midwives, medical and nursing staff as crucial to effective client management. Conclusion, This study has yielded important insights into midwives' management of critical illness. Possible mechanisms to enhance the quality of service provision, and midwife support in this area are highlighted. [source]


    Publishing Scandinavian PhD dissertation abstracts in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care

    ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2006
    J. F. Lundberg
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Pharmacology for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (3rd edition)

    ANAESTHESIA, Issue 3 2009
    S. Bratanow ST1 Anaesthesia
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Recent Advances in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 24

    ANAESTHESIA, Issue 5 2008
    Kevin Patrick
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Evidence-Based Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

    ANAESTHESIA, Issue 4 2007
    P. Erasmus
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Manual of Neonatal Surgical Intensive Care

    ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 4 2004
    John M. Hutson FRACS
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Deprivation, ethnicity and prematurity in infant respiratory failure in PICU in the UK

    ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010
    DR O'Donnell
    Abstract Aim:, To describe the epidemiology of infants admitted to Paediatric Intensive Care (PIC) with acute respiratory failure including bronchiolitis. Methods:, Data from all consecutive admissions from 2004 to 2007 in all 29 designated Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in England and Wales were collected. Admission rates, risk-adjusted mortality, length of stay, ventilation status, preterm birth, deprivation and ethnicity were studied. Results:, A total of 4641 infants under 1 year of age had an unplanned admission to PIC with acute respiratory failure (ARF), an admission rate of 1.80 per 1000 infants per year. There was a reduced rate of admission with bronchiolitis in South Asian children admitted to PICU, which is not explained by case-mix. Children born preterm had a higher rate of admission and longer stay, but a similar low mortality. Risk-adjusted mortality was higher in South Asian infants and the highest in those with ARF (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.20,2.57) compared with the rest of the PICU population. Conclusion:, Acute respiratory failure in infants causes most of the seasonal variation in unplanned admission to intensive care. Socioeconomic deprivation and prematurity are additional risk factors for admission. Fewer South Asian infants are admitted to PICU with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis, but risk-adjusted mortality is higher in South Asian infants overall. [source]


    Intensive care in the very old: are we prepared?

    ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2007
    H. Flaatten
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Health care assistants' role, function and development: results of a national survey

    NURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 4 2003
    The British Association of Critical Care NursesArticle first published online: 31 JUL 200
    Summary ,,Intensive care has developed as a speciality since the 1950s; during this time there have been major technological advances in health care provision leading to a rapid expansion of all areas of critical care ,,The ongoing problem of recruiting appropriately qualified nurses has affected staffing levels in many units and continues to be a national problem. For many, the answer lies in employing health care assistants to support the work of registered nurses ,,A key aim of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses is to promote the art and science of critical care nursing by providing representation for its members, by responding to political and professional change and by producing and publishing position statements ,,A primary component of the work surrounding the development of this second position statement was the gathering of contemporary information in relation to the role of health care assistants within critical care units throughout the UK, through a survey of 645 critical care units within the UK ,,At present the impact upon the role of the critical care nurse is not fully understood, with research in this area suggesting that although there is a role for the health care assistant in the critical care environment, this should only be undertaken with a full analysis of this impact upon the work of the registered nurse [source]


    Position statement on the role of health care assistants who are involved in direct patient care activities within critical care areas

    NURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 1 2003
    The British Association of Critical Care Nurses
    Summary ,Intensive care has developed as a speciality since the 1950s, and during this time, there have been major technological advances in health care provision, leading to a rapid expansion of all areas of critical care ,The ongoing problem in recruiting qualified nurses in general has affected, and continues to be a problem for, all aspects of critical care areas ,During the past decade, nursing practice has evolved, as qualified nurses have expanded their own scope of practice to develop a more responsive approach to the complex care needs of the critically ill patient ,The aim of this paper is to present the British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) position statement on the role of health care assistants involved in direct patient care activities, and to address some of the key work used to inform the development of the position statement [source]


    Recent advances in the management and prophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus infection

    ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2001
    A Greenough
    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of morbidity, particularly in prematurely born infants who have had chronic lung disease. Current therapy is essentially supportive. Overall, the results of randomized trials do not support the use of bronchodilators, corticosteroids or Ribavirin. Nitric oxide and exogenous surfactant may improve the respiratory status of those infants who require ventilatory support. Nosocomial infection can be reduced by appropriate handwashing. There is no safe and effective vaccine for use in infants. Immunoprophylaxis reduces hospitalization and requirement for intensive care. Palivizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is preferred to RSV immune globulin as the immunoprophylactic agent. Immunoprophylaxis should be reserved for infants at highest risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection, if this strategy is to be used most cost-effectively. [source]


    Patterns of motor disability in very preterm children

    DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 4 2002
    Melanie Bracewell
    Abstract Motor development in very preterm children differs in several important ways from that of children born at full term. Variability is common, although the anatomic and physiologic bases for that variability are often poorly understood. Motor patterns over the first postnatal year may depend on behaviours learned during often long periods of neonatal intensive care. The normal pattern of development may be modified by disturbances of brain function caused both by the interruption of normal brain maturation ex-utero and the superimposition of focal brain injuries following very preterm birth. Abnormal patterns of development over the first year may evolve into clear neuromotor patterns of cerebral palsy or resolve, as "transient dystonias." Cerebral palsy is associated with identified patterns of brain injury secondary to ischaemic or haemorrhagic lesions, perhaps modified by activation of inflammatory cytokines. Cerebral palsy rates have not fallen as might be expected over the past 10 years as survival has improved, perhaps because of increasing survival at low gestations, which is associated with the highest prevalence of cerebral palsy. Children who escape cerebral palsy are also at risk of motor impairments during the school years. The relationship of these impairments to perinatal factors or to neurological progress over the first postnatal year is debated. Neuromotor abnormalities are the most frequent of the "hidden disabilities" among ex-preterm children and are thus frequently associated with poorer cognitive ability and attention deficit disorders. Interventions to prevent cerebral palsy or to reduce these late disabilities in very preterm children are needed. MRDD Research Reviews 2002;8:241,248. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Cervical spinal cord injury following cephalic presentation and delivery by Caesarean section

    DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2001
    C Morgan MD MRCP MRCPCH
    We describe a term infant with an acute spinal cord injury following emergency Caesarean section. Foetal movements were normal on the day that the mother was admitted for postterm induction of labour. Caesarean section was performed because of foetal distress and failure to progress during labour. The initial clinical picture suggested acute birth asphyxia. The presence of a high cervical spine injury became more obvious as the clinical picture evolved over the next 7 days. A discontinuity of the cervical spinal cord at C4,5 was confirmed on MRI. Spontaneous respiration failed to develop and intensive care was withdrawn on day 15. No evidence of trauma, or a vascular, neurological, or congenital anomaly of the cervical spinal cord was found at post mortem. The absence of a similar case following cephalic presentation and Caesarean section made bereavement couselling of the parents especially difficult. [source]


    Hand-Held Echocardiogram Does Not Aid in Triaging Chest Pain Patients from the Emergency Department

    ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2009
    Mayank Kansal M.D.
    Background: Accurate triage of emergency department (ED) patients presenting with chest pain is a primary goal of the ED physician. In addition to standard clinical history and examination, a hand-held echocardiogram (HHE) may aid the emergency physician in making correct decisions. We tested the hypothesis that an HHE performed and interpreted by a cardiology fellow could help risk-stratify patients presenting to the ED with chest pain. Methods: ED physicians evaluated 36 patients presenting with cardiovascular symptoms. Patients were then dispositioned to either an intensive care bed, a monitored bed, an unmonitored bed, or home. Following disposition, an HHE was performed and interpreted by a cardiology fellow to evaluate for cardiac function and pathology. The outcomes evaluated (1) a change in the level of care and (2) additional testing ordered as a result of the HHE. Results: The HHE showed wall motion abnormalities in 31% (11 out of 36) of the studies, but the level of care did not change after HHE for any patients who presented with chest pain to the ED. No additional laboratory or imaging tests were ordered for any patients based on the results of the HHE. Eighty-six percent (31 out of 36) of the studies were of adequate quality for interpretation, and 32 out of 36 (89%) interpretations correlated with an attending overread. Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of abnormal wall motion in this population, hand-held echocardiography performed in this ED setting did not aid in the risk stratification process of chest pain patients. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 26, July 2009) [source]


    27 years of croup: An update highlighting the effectiveness of 0.15 mg/kg of dexamethasone

    EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 4 2009
    Milana Dobrovoljac
    Abstract Objective: To update an earlier observational study (1980,1995) documenting dramatic improvements in the management of croup with the mandatory use of a single oral dose of dexamethasone and to ascertain whether a reduction from a dose of 0.6 to 0.15 mg/kg in 1995 maintained these improved outcomes over the next 11 years. Methods: We evaluated retrospectively the experience of children with croup in Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, the only tertiary paediatric hospital in Western Australia, over the subsequent 11 year period from 1996 to 2006 inclusive. Data were updated from ED, general hospital and the intensive care unit records to show the numbers of children presenting to the hospital, admitted, transferred to intensive care and intubated. We also recorded the length of hospital stay and representation rate of all cases within 7 days. Results: The dramatic improvements in outcomes for croup, including reduced admission rates, length of stay, transfers to the intensive care unit, intensive care unit days and number of intubations as reported in our earlier paper, were maintained using 0.15 mg/kg dexamethasone. Admission rates for croup have fallen from 30% in the early 1990s to less than 15% in recent years, whereas the representation rate has risen slightly. Conclusion: The improved outcomes for children with croup presenting to our paediatric ED have been maintained with a reduced, single oral dose of 0.15 mg/kg of dexamethasone. [source]


    Community-based, Prospective, Controlled Study of Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome of 179 Pregnancies in Women with Epilepsy

    EPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2006
    Katriina Viinikainen
    Summary:,Purpose: This study evaluated obstetric and neonatal outcome in a community-based cohort of women with active epilepsy (WWAE) compared with the general pregnant population receiving modern obstetric care. Methods: We reviewed the total population who gave birth between January 1989 and October 2000 at Kuopio University Hospital. Obstetric, demographic, and epilepsy data were collected prospectively from 179 singleton pregnancies of women with epilepsy and from 24,778 singleton pregnancies of unaffected controls. The obstetric data from the pregnancy register was supplemented with detailed neurologic data retrieved from the medical records. The data retrieved were comprehensive because of a follow-up strategy according to a predecided protocol. Results: During pregnancy, the seizure frequency was unchanged, or the change was for the better in the majority (83%) of the patients. We found no significant differences between WWAE and controls in the incidence of preeclampsia, preterm labor, or in the rates of caesarean sections, perinatal mortality, or low birth weight. However, the rate of small-for-gestational-age infants was significantly higher, and the head circumference was significantly smaller in WWAE. Apgar score at 1 min was lower in children of WWAE, and the need for care in the neonatal ward and neonatal intensive care were increased as compared with controls. The frequency of major malformations was 4.8% (,0.6,10.2%; 95% confidence interval) in the 127 children of WWAE. Conclusions: Pregnancy course is uncomplicated and neonatal outcome is good in the majority of cases when a predecided protocol is used for the follow-up of WWAE in antenatal and neurologic care. Long-term follow-up of the neurologic and cognitive development of the children of WWAE is still needed. [source]


    Acute cardiorespiratory collapse from heparin: a consequence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
    Martha P. Mims
    Abstract: Background:, Heparin has rarely been reported to cause acute cardiorespiratory reactions or collapse. Some reports relate this to underlying heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Objective:, To confirm and increase awareness of acute life-threatening cardiopulmonary events when patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia are re-exposed to heparin. Design:, Retrospective observational case series. Patients/setting:, Four cardiovascular surgery patients were identified in two adjacent large urban hospitals over a 2-yr-period who experienced eight episodes of cardiorespiratory collapse immediately following heparin administration. All had underlying heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Results:, Intravenous boluses of unfractionated heparin were given to four patients with known or previously unrecognized heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Two patients experienced severe respiratory distress within 15 min for which they required endotracheal intubation. Two other patients experienced cardiac arrest or a lethal arrhythmia within minutes of receiving intravenous heparin. Serologic tests for heparin-induced antibodies were positive in all patients. In three cases, the platelet count was normal or near normal but fell dramatically (71%) immediately following the heparin bolus. Three cases had prior diagnoses of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, but health care workers administered heparin either unaware of the diagnosis or ignorant of its significance. No patients died, but all required some form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and subsequent intensive care. Conclusions:, Heparin administration to patients with heparin-induced antibodies can result in life-threatening pulmonary or cardiac events. Appreciation of this phenomenon can unmask cases of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and strengthens the mandate to avoid any heparin exposure in affected patients. Recognition is crucial to avoiding disastrous outcomes. [source]


    Incident Monitoring in Emergency Departments An Australian Model

    ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2000
    FIFEM, John Vinen FACEM
    Abstract. The specialty-based study of incidents, adverse events, and errors in medicine has largely occurred in anesthesia and to a lesser extent in intensive care and psychiatry. Few studies have specifically addressed the problem in emergency medicine (EM). Because of the significant risks, the resulting adverse outcome, and the high degree of preventability of errors occurring in the emergency department (ED), it is essential that an incident monitoring system be part of the ED's risk management program. The combination of time pressure, uncertainty, complexity, and workload means the ED is a high-risk environment. The delivery of high-quality emergency care is dependent on having an effective patient processing system in place and, because EM is a "systems-dependent" specialty, the environment lends itself to improvements to the system (re-engineering) to improve the safety of the environment given that the majority of errors in the ED are probably the result of failures of the system. This paper describes an existing incident monitoring system that has recently been adopted by six EDs in Australia. It was developed as a result of a similar successful program in anesthesia, and funded by the Federal Department of Health of Australia. Incorporating incident monitoring and analysis to identify causative factors of incidents and the subsequent implementation of corrective strategies as part of the ED risk management program may result in improvement in the quality of care through a reduction in the frequency of incidents. [source]


    Pharmacological treatment of sepsis

    FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
    Armand R.J. Girbes
    Abstract The incidence of sepsis, the combination of a systemic inflammatory response syndrome and documented infection, is as high as up to 95 cases per 100,000 people per year. The understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis has much increased over the last 20 years. However, sepsis combined with shock is still associated with a high mortality rate varying from 35 to 55%. Causative treatment, source control and antibiotics started as soon as possible, are the cornerstone of therapy in combination with symptomatic treatment in the ICU. The pharmacological interventions, including fluid resuscitation, vasoactive drugs and adjunctive drugs such as steroids, activated protein C are discussed. The possible beneficial role of strict glucose control is also addressed. Since many drug intervention studies were negative, lessons should be learned from earlier experiences for future trials. Source control and level of intensive care should be eliminated as confounders. [source]


    Molecular mechanisms underlying inflammatory lung diseases in the elderly: Development of a novel therapeutic strategy for acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis,

    GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2005
    Takahide Nagase
    In the elderly, inflammatory lung diseases, including acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis, are significant in terms of both mortality and difficulty in management. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute lung injury and the mortality rate for ARDS ranges from 40 to 70% despite intensive care. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal disorder of the lung parenchyma. No useful drugs are currently available to treat IPF. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these lung diseases are little understood and the development of a novel therapeutic strategy is urgently needed. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and metabolites of arachidonic acid, i.e. eicosanoids, are lipid mediators that have various biological effects. A key enzyme for the production of these inflammatory mediators, including eicosanoids and PAF, is phospholipase A2. In particular, cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) is especially important. The purpose of this article is to report novel findings regarding the role of PAF and cPLA2 in lung inflammatory diseases, especially, acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. To address this question, we used mutant mice, i.e. PAFR transgenic mice, PAFR gene-disrupted mice and cPLA2 gene-disrupted mice. We have shown that PAF and eicosanoids, downstream mediators of cPLA2, may be involved in the pathogenesis of ARDS and IPF, which are important diseases in the elderly. Although there exist extreme differences in clinical features between ARDS and IPF, both diseases are fatal disorders for which no useful drugs are currently available. On the basis of recent reports using mutant mice, cPLA2 might be a potential target to intervene in the development of pulmonary fibrosis and acute lung injury in the elderly. [source]


    Health care ethics: lessons from intensive care

    HEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 2 2006
    Sophie Hill
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    End-of-life decision-making in intensive care: the case for an international standard or a standard of care?

    INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008
    S. C. Townsend
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    The medical emergency team: does it really make a difference?

    INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2003
    M. Cretikos
    Abstract Hospital systems are failing the critically ill. This has been well documented in many countries around the world, with detailed reports of suboptimal care prior to intensive care and high rates of serious adverse events, including death. These events are potentially preventable, but insufficient attention has been directed towards developing solutions to these important problems to date. The medical emergency team (MET) is a system approach that promotes early and appropriate inter­vention in the care of critically ill hospital patients. The benefits of the MET in terms of absolute in-patient ­mortality and cardiac arrest rates are not yet well-defined, although preliminary studies are promising. The MET does provide a potentially beneficial impact on many other aspects of patient care. These benefits include: (i) facilitating an integrated and coordinated approach to patient care across the hospital, (ii) increasing awareness of at-risk patients, (iii) encouraging early referral of seriously ill patients to clinicians with expertise in critical care and (iv) providing a foundation for quality initiatives for hospital-wide care of the seriously ill. The MET also empowers nursing staff and junior medical staff to call for immediate assistance in cases where they are seriously concerned about a patient, but may not have the experience, knowledge, confidence or skills necessary to manage them appropriately. (Intern Med J 2003; 33: 511,514) [source]


    Shaping the future of Scandinavian anaesthesiology: a position paper by the SSAI

    ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2010
    E. SØREIDE
    Traditionally, Scandinavian anaesthesiologists have had a very broad scope of practice, involving intensive care, pain and emergency medicine. European changes in the different medical fields and the constant reorganising of health care may alter this. Therefore, the Board of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (SSAI) decided to produce a Position Paper on the future of the speciality in Scandinavia. The training in the various Scandinavian countries is very similar and provides a stable foundation for the speciality. The Scandinavian practice in anaesthesia and intensive care is based on a team model where the anaesthesiologists work together with highly educated nurses and should remain like this. However, SSAI thinks that the role of the anaesthesiologists as perioperative physicians is not fully developed. There is an obvious need and desire for further training of specialists. The SSAI advanced educational programmes for specialists should be expanded and include formal assessment leading to a particular medical competency as defined by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). In this way, Scandinavian anaesthesiologists will remain leaders in perioperative, intensive care, pain and critical emergency medicine. [source]


    Real-time signal processing by adaptive repeated median filters

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 5 2010
    K. Schettlinger
    Abstract In intensive care, a basic goal is to extract the signals from very noisy time series in real time. We propose a robust online filter with an adaptive window width, which yields a smooth representation of the denoised data in stable periods and which is also able to trace typical patterns such as level shifts or trend changes with small time delay. Several versions of this method are evaluated and compared with a simulation study and on real data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]