Código ético de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Crítica y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC) / Code of ethics of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care, Critical and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC)

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The importance of clinical factors in parenteral nutrition-associated hypertriglyceridemia.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to establish the relevance of several clinical factors associated with parenteral nutrition (PN) hypertriglyceridemia and to construct a predictive model for this complication. METHOD: This multicenter study included all patients with initial serum triglyceridemia <3 mmol and receiving a minimum of 7 days' PN therapy. The study ended for each patient when hypertriglyceridemia developed or PN was terminated. Two multivariate models were constructed, one to study the clinical factors and the second to predict plasma triglyceridemia. A total of 22 clinical factors studied as independent variables were included in the multiple-step regression models only when they showed a P-value over 0.1. Statistical significance was determined by the confidence interval of the odds ratio (OR) and the partial regression coefficient (b). RESULTS: The study included 260 patients from 14 hospitals. Lipid administration was 0.83+/-0.37 g/kg/day. Among the total, 68 patients (26.2%) showed hypertriglyceridemia. Variables included in both models were serum glucose (OR, 2.63; b, 0.06), renal failure (OR, 10.56; b, 1.70), corticoid administration >0.5 mg/kg (OR, 7.98; b, 0.97), pancreatitis (OR, 4.38; b, 0.64), sepsis (OR, 4.48; b, 0.24), lipids infused (OR, 3.03; b, 0.24) and heparin administration >3 mg/kg/day (OR, 0.11; b, -1.21). CONCLUSION: Although the rate of lipid infusion was low, certain clinical factors modified triglyceridemia. Nevertheless, relatively fast plasma clearance of lipids infused indicates that a reduction in lipid supply could be a quick, effective measure for controlling hypertriglyceridemia. Thus, careful monitoring of patients with clinical factors predicting risk in the model studied, with adjustment of lipid perfusion rates accordingly, is suggested to avoid hypertriglyceridemia.

An immune-enhancing enteral diet reduces mortality rate and episodes of bacteremia in septic intensive care unit patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether early enteral feeding in a septic intensive care unit (ICU) population, using a formula supplemented with arginine, mRNA, and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (Impact), improves clinical outcomes, when compared with a common use, high protein enteral feed without these nutrients. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, multicentered trial. SETTING: ICUs of six hospitals in Spain. PATIENTS: One hundred eighty-one septic patients (122 males, 59 females) presenting for enteral nutrition in an ICU. INTERVENTIONS: Septic ICU patients with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores of > or =10 received either an enteral feed enriched with arginine, mRNA, and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (Impact), or a common use, high protein control feed (Precitene Hiperproteico). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One hundred seventy-six (89 Impact patients, 87 control subjects) were eligible for intention-to-treat analysis. The mortality rate was reduced for the treatment group compared with the control group (17 of 89 vs. 28 of 87; p < .05). Bacteremias were reduced in the treatment group (7 of 89 vs. 19 of 87; p = .01) as well as the number of patients with more than one nosocomial infection (5 of 89 vs. 17 of 87; p = .01). The benefit in mortality rate for the treatment group was more pronounced for patients with APACHE II scores between 10 and 15 (1 of 26 vs. 8 of 29; p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Immune-enhancing enteral nutrition resulted in a significant reduction in the mortality rate and infection rate in septic patients admitted to the ICU. These reductions were greater for patients with less severe illness.

Adult respiratory distress syndrome caused by acute systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 34-year-old man, previously diagnosed as having an idiopathic diffuse glomerulonephritis, developed an acute, fulminating pulmonary disease which fulfilled clinical, radiological and physiological criteria for ARDS. He also fulfilled criteria for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus. High-dose corticosteroid therapy, artificial respiration and hemodialysis were instituted and were followed by marked clinical, radiological and physiological improvement, returning to normal 15 days after admission. We discuss here the role of immune complexes in the pathogenesis of acute pulmonary vasculitis of lupus erythematosus and suggest a role of corticosteroid pulse therapy in treating ARDS of this etiology.