intensive care
In this last issue of the Netherlands Journal of Critical Care (NJCC) in 2022, Ronald Akkerman and colleagues from the Leiden University Medical Center review the Ebola virus in the series of potential pandemic pathogens.[1] As many among us contemplate the possible impact of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19)…
Abstract Background: In several countries, the advanced practice provider (APP) is positioned as a clinician in an acute care setting. In the Netherlands, physician assistants (PAs), the equivalent of the APP, are increasingly being employed in ICUs. It is unknown to what extent PAs are present in Dutch ICUs, what…
Every year, approximately 65,000 to 75,000 patients are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in the Netherlands.[1] These patients have complex care needs and often comorbidities which require intensive care management. Given the increasing number of patients with complex life-threatening diseases and the ageing population, ICUs continue to expand.[2] To…
During the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the number of patients in need of intensive care was enormous and much higher than the routinely available capacity of ICUs in most countries. Despite increasing the number of ICU beds and despite an almost complete standstill…
Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed healthcare systems all over the world. Many countries have formulated guidelines for a scenario in which ICU triage is needed: when there are more patients requiring ICU beds than there are beds available. In this study, we provide an overview of how the…
Abstract In the aftermath of a cerebrovascular accident, a 66-year-old male patient with a recurrent depressive disorder displayed prolonged stupor, mutism, negativism, immobility, catalepsia and posturing. The abrupt improvement of his symptoms directly after administering oral lorazepam confirmed the diagnosis of catatonia. Subsequent titration of lorazepam reduced the catatonic symptoms,…
Abstract Background: COVID-19 is associated with clinical features that closely resemble acute respiratory distress syndrome and causes hypoxic respiratory failure requiring ventilator support. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of high-dose methylprednisolone on the respiratory condition of COVID-19 patients on the intensive care unit (ICU)…