This retrospective review indicates that an earlier initiation of CRRT, based on pre-CRRT BUN, may improve the rate of survival of trauma patients who develop ARF.

To evaluate the effects of reorganizing physician resources in a medical intensive care unit (MICU), we studied the impact of these changes in patients with septic shock. Patients were compared during two consecutive 12-month periods: (1) an interval in which faculty without critical care medicine (CCM) training supervised the MICU (before CCM, n = 100) and (2) following staffing with physicians formally trained in CCM (after CCM, n = 112). Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores were utilized to compare severity of illness and were similar for each group (29 +/- 11 before CCM vs 28 +/- 10 after CCM). However, mortality was significantly lower during the post-CCM interval (74% vs 57%, respectively). There was no significant difference in the frequency of use of mechanical ventilation (83% vs 87%), although pulmonary artery catheters (48% vs 64%) and arterial catheters (24% vs 73%) were employed more frequently after CCM. The number of subspecialty consultations and MICU and hospital length of stay were similar for both intervals. We conclude that the implementation of dedicated staffing by CCM physicians in a university hospital MICU was associated with a favorable impact on patients with septic shock.

Although the use of ketamine in critically ill mechanically ventilated adult trauma patients was associated with decreased opioid use, it was also associated with increased use of dexmedetomidine and ziprasidone to achieve and maintain sedation. Further examination of clinical outcomes associated with these differences in drug use in a larger population of trauma patients is warranted before routine use of ketamine for analgesia and sedation can be recommended.

When a mobile intensive care unit is properly staffed and equipped and patient stabilization is performed before transfer, severely ill patients with respiratory failure can be transferred safely. For patients with respiratory failure, there may be a survival advantage in transfer to regional centers of expertise.