Other bulletins in this series include:

Breast Surgery

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Commissioners must do more to prioritise care for people at the end of life

Commissioners must do more to prioritise care for people at the end of life. BMJ 2011; 343:d4567. [news item]

Stoker, P.

http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4567.full

Healthcare commissioners should prioritise the care of patients who are nearing the end of life to avoid “unnecessary emergency hospital admissions,” says a new report.

Effects of discontinuing or continuing ongoing statin therapy in severe sepsis and septic shock

Effects of discontinuing or continuing ongoing statin therapy in severe sepsis and septic shock: a retrospective cohort study. Critical care, vol. 15(4), July 2011.

Dessap, AM, et al.

http://ccforum.com/content/15/4/R171

Recent publications suggest potential benefits from statins as a preventive or adjuvant therapy in sepsis. Whether ongoing statin therapy should be continued or discontinued in patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) for sepsis is open to question.

Management and outcome of mechanically ventilated neurologic patients

Management and outcome of mechanically ventilated neurologic patients. Critical care medicine, vol. 39(6), June 2011, p.1482-1492.

Pelosi, P., et al.

http://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/Abstract/2011/06000/Management_and_outcome_of_mechanically_ventilated.36.aspx

To describe and compare characteristics, ventilatory practices, and associated outcomes among mechanically ventilated patients with different types of brain injury and between neurologic and nonneurologic patients.

Important questions asked by family members of intensive care unit patients

Important questions asked by family members of intensive care unit patients. Critical care medicine, vol. 39(6), June 2011, p. 1365-1371.

Peigne, V., et al.

http://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/Abstract/2011/06000/Important_questions_asked_by_family_members_of.19.aspx


Relatives often lack important information about intensive care unit patients. High-quality information is crucial to help relatives overcome the often considerable situational stress and to acquire the ability to participate in the decision-making process, most notably regarding the appropriate level of care. We aimed to develop a list of questions important for relatives of patients in the intensive care unit.