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Biomedical subjects

Paul E Marik

Publications and source records attributed to Paul E Marik.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Clinical review: the management of hypertensive crises.

Hypertension is an extremely common clinical problem, affecting approximately 50 million people in the USA and approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Approximately 1% of these patients will develop acute elevations in blood pressure at some point in their lifetime. A number of terms have been applied to severe hypertension, including hypertensive crises, emergencies, and urgencies. By definition, acute elevations in blood pressure that are associated with end-organ damage are called hypertensive crises. Immediate reduction in blood pressure is required only in patients with acute end-organ damage. This article reviews current concepts, and common misconceptions and pitfalls in the diagnosis and management of patients with acutely elevated blood pressure.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Gastric versus post-pyloric feeding: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to evaluate the impact of gastric versus post-pyloric feeding on the incidence of pneumonia, caloric intake, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and mortality in critically ill and injured ICU patients. METHOD: Data sources were Medline, Embase, Healthstar, citation review of relevant primary and review articles, personal files, and contact with expert informants. From 122 articles screened, nine were identified as prospective randomized controlled trials (including a total of 522 patients) that compared gastric with post-pyloric feeding, and were included for data extraction. Descriptive and outcomes data were extracted from the papers by the two reviewers independently. Main outcome measures were the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia, average caloric goal achieved, average daily caloric intake, time to the initiation of tube feeds, time to goal, ICU LOS, and mortality. The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. RESULTS: Only medical, neurosurgical and trauma patents were enrolled in the studies analyzed. There were no significant differences in the incidence of pneumonia, percentage of caloric goal achieved, mean total caloric intake, ICU LOS, or mortality between gastric and post-pyloric feeding groups. The time to initiation of enteral nutrition was significantly less in those patients randomized to gastric feeding. However, time to reach caloric goal did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: In this meta-analysis we were unable to demonstrate a clinical benefit from post-pyloric versus gastric tube feeding in a mixed group of critically ill patients, including medical, neurosurgical, and trauma ICU patients. The incidences of pneumonia, ICU LOS, and mortality were similar between groups. Because of the delay in achieving post-pyloric intubation, gastric feeding was initiated significantly sooner than was post-pyloric feeding. The present study, while providing the best current evidence regarding routes of enteral nutrition, is limited by the small total sample size.

Critical Care↗
PubMed2003

Elevated serum levels of the type I and type II receptors for tumor necrosis factor-alpha as predictive factors for ARF in patients with septic shock.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF), a common and serious complication in patients with septic shock, has high mortality. Recent data suggest that proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to sepsis-associated ARF. METHODS: To examine the role of proinflammatory cytokines, we evaluated 537 patients enrolled in the placebo arm of the Norasept II study, of whom 112 patients (20%) developed ARF. RESULTS: By univariate analysis, the following factors were significantly associated with the development of ARF: male sex, younger age, increased heart rate, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, oliguria, increased blood urea nitrogen level, increased serum creatinine (Scr) level, decreased arterial pH, and increased serum potassium level. Although there were no statistically significant differences in serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or interleukin-6 between patients with and without ARF, elevated serum levels of the two soluble TNF-alpha receptors (S-TNF-RI and S-TNF-RII) were strongly associated with the development of ARF (S-TNF-RI, 25 +/- 16 versus 18 +/- 13 ng/mL; P = 0.00006; S-TNF-RII, 25 +/- 21 versus 18 +/- 17 ng/mL; P = 0.0007). Using forward stepwise regression analysis, elevated S-TNF-R level remained an independent predictor for ARF, even when we limited our analysis to patients with Scr levels of 1.4 mg/dL or less (< or =124 micromol/L) at study entry, suggesting that decreased renal clearance of S-TNF-R alone cannot account for this association. Elevated S-TNF-R level also was an independent predictor of mortality among patients developing ARF. CONCLUSION: S-TNF-R level is an independent predictor for the development of ARF and mortality. We speculate that elevated S-TNF-R levels may reflect a more intense inflammatory response.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2003

Adrenal insufficiency during septic shock.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a baseline (random) cortisol concentration <25 microg/dL in patients with septic shock was a better discriminator of adrenal insufficiency than the standard (250 microg) and the low-dose (1 microg) corticotropin stimulation tests as assessed by the hemodynamic response to steroid replacement. SETTING: Intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Fifty-nine patients with septic shock. Their mean age was 57 +/- 16.7 yrs; 29 were male. INTERVENTIONS: A baseline cortisol concentration was obtained. Patients then received an intravenous injection of 1 microg of corticotropin (low-dose test) followed 60 mins later by an injection of 249 microg of corticotropin (high-dose test). Cortisol concentrations were obtained 30 and 60 mins after low- and high-dose corticotropin. All patients were administered hydrocortisone (100 mg every 8 hrs) for the first 24 hrs while awaiting results of cortisol assessment. Patients were considered steroid responsive if the pressor agent could be discontinued within 24 hrs of the first dose of hydrocortisone. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of patients died. Twenty-two percent of patients met the diagnostic criteria of adrenal insufficiency by the low-dose test and 8% by the high-dose test. However, 61% of patients met the criteria of adrenal insufficiency when we used a baseline cortisol concentration of <25 microg/dL. Twenty-two patients (37%) were steroid responsive; the baseline serum cortisol was 14.1 +/- 5.2 microg/dL in the steroid-responsive patients compared with 33.3 +/- 18 microg/dL in the steroid-nonresponsive patients (p <.0001). Ninety-five percent of steroid-responsive patients had a baseline cortisol concentration <25 microg/dL. Fifty-four percent of steroid responders had a diagnostic low-dose test and 22% a diagnostic high-dose test. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a stress cortisol concentration of 23.7 microg/dL was the most accurate diagnostic threshold for determination of the hemodynamic response to glucocorticoid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenal insufficiency is common in patients with septic shock, the incidence depending largely on the diagnostic test and criteria used to make the diagnosis. There is clearly no absolute serum cortisol concentration that distinguishes an adequate from an insufficient adrenal response. However, we believe that a random cortisol concentration of <25 microg/dL in a highly stressed patient is a useful diagnostic threshold for the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency.

Adrenal Cortex Function Tests↗
PubMed2003

Sublingual capnometry versus traditional markers of tissue oxygenation in critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of sublingual PCO2 (P(SL)CO2), lactate concentration, and mixed venous oxygen saturation (S(MV)O2) in hemodynamically unstable intensive care patients and, additionally, to compare the temporal changes of these variables in response to treatment. SETTING: Medical/surgical intensive care unit. SUBJECTS: Fifty-four patients, mean age 58 +/- 8 yrs. INTERVENTIONS: Oxyhemodynamic variables, arterial lactate concentration, and P(SL)CO2 were recorded in unselected sequential intensive care patients undergoing pulmonary artery catheterization. A data set was obtained immediately after insertion of the pulmonary artery catheter and repeated 4 and 8 hrs later. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-one patients had severe sepsis or septic shock. Twenty-seven (50%) patients died. The initial P(SL)CO2_PaCO2 gradient (P(SL)CO2-diff) and the initial P(SL)CO2 were highly predictive of outcome (p =.0004 and p =.004, respectively); however, there was no difference in the arterial lactate concentration and S(MV)O2 between the survivors and nonsurvivors. The P(SL)CO2-diff had the best receiver operator characteristic characteristics (area under the curve, 0.75), with a P(SL)CO2-diff >25 mm Hg being the best discriminator of outcome. With treatment, the P(SL)CO2-diff decreased in both survivors and nonsurvivors; however, the lactate and S(MV)O2 remained relatively unchanged during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The baseline P(SL)CO2-diff and P(SL)CO2 were better predictors of outcome than traditional markers of tissue hypoxia and were more responsive to therapeutic interventions. The P(SL)CO2-diff and/or P(SL)CO2 may prove to be a useful marker for goal-directed therapy and for assessing the response to clinical interventions aimed at improving tissue oxygenation.

APACHE↗
PubMed2003

Aspiration pneumonia and dysphagia in the elderly.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly, and the leading cause of death among residents of nursing homes. Oropharyngeal aspiration is an important etiologic factor leading to pneumonia in the elderly. The incidence of cerebrovascular and degenerative neurologic diseases increase with aging, and these disorders are associated with dysphagia and an impaired cough reflex with the increased likelihood of oropharyngeal aspiration. Elderly patients with clinical signs suggestive of dysphagia and/or who have CAP should be referred for a swallow evaluation. Patients with dysphagia require a multidisciplinary approach to swallowing management. This may include swallow therapy, dietary modification, aggressive oral care, and consideration for treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

The management of acute severe asthma.

Asthma is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with over two million Emergency Department (ED) visits each year. Airway inflammation is recognized as a major component in the pathophysiology of asthma. The classic presentation of asthma is that of wheezing, cough, and dyspnea, however, the severity of airflow limitation correlates poorly with clinical signs. Forced exhaled volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) are direct reflections of the severity of airflow obstruction and are the standard measures used in the ED to assess the severity of airflow obstruction and the response to therapy. Beta2-adrenergic bronchodilators, ipratropium bromide, and corticosteroids form the cornerstone of therapy. Inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifying drugs, and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation should be considered in patients with severe disease and in those who have responded poorly to standard therapy. Mechanical ventilation is usually well tolerated and may be lifesaving in patients with refractory asthma. Precautions are required to prevent dynamic hyperinflation during assisted ventilation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

Adrenal insufficiency in critically ill patients with human immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVE: The adrenal gland is the endocrine organ most commonly involved in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is important to recognize patients with adrenal insufficiency, because this disorder may be fatal if untreated. The incidence of adrenal insufficiency in critically ill HIV-infected patients is unclear, partly because different criteria are used to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. To help clarify the incidence of adrenal insufficiency in HIV-infected critically ill patients, we compared the incidence based on the stress cortisol concentration, low-dose corticotropin stimulation test, and high-dose corticotropin stimulation test. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight critically ill patients with HIV, mean age 43 +/- 9 years; 20 were male; 54% died. INTERVENTIONS: We performed a 1-microg (low-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone; LD-ACTH) and 249 microg (high-dose; HD-ACTH) corticotropin stimulation test in HIV-infected critically ill patients not receiving corticosteroids. According to results of the stress serum cortisol concentration and LD-ACTH and HD-ACTH tests, patients were classified as having adrenal insufficiency or as normal. The results of newly revised diagnostic criteria for adrenal insufficiency (i.e., stress cortisol concentration and cortisol response to LD-ACTH <25 microg/dL) were compared with the traditional criteria (i.e., stress cortisol level and response to HD-ACTH <18 microg/dL). In addition, the associations between adrenal insufficiency and the CD4 count, human cytomegalovirus antigenemia, and other risk factors for adrenal insufficiency were determined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: When we used a stress cortisol concentration <18 microg/dL as the sole diagnostic threshold for diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency, 50% (14 of 28) of patients had adrenal insufficiency. The incidence was 75% (21 of 28) when we used a diagnostic threshold of <25 microg/dL for the stress cortisol concentration. When we used both the stress cortisol concentration and LD-ACTH test with a diagnostic cortisol threshold concentration <18 microg/dL, 21% (six of 28) had adrenal insufficiency. The incidence was 46% (13 of 28) when we used a cortisol diagnostic threshold concentration of <25 microg/dL. When we used both the stress cortisol concentration and the HD-ACTH stimulation test with a diagnostic cortisol threshold of <18 microg/dL, 7% (two of 28) had adrenal insufficiency. The incidence of adrenal insufficiency was 21% (six of 28) with a cortisol diagnostic threshold value of <25 microg/dL. Human cytomegalovirus antigenemia was the only variable assessed that was associated with adrenal insufficiency. CONCLUSION: There is a high incidence of adrenal insufficiency in critically ill HIV-infected patients that varies with the criteria used to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. The LD-ACTH stimulation test is more sensitive than the high-dose test for diagnosing adrenal insufficiency in this population. Because of the high incidence of inadequate adrenal function, all critically ill HIV-infected patients should undergo an evaluation for adrenal insufficiency with the stress cortisol concentration and LD-ACTH stimulation tests.

Adrenal Gland Diseases↗