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Supraventricular Dysrhythmias in the Critically Ill: Diagnostic and Prognostic Implications

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Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2014

Part of the book series: Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine ((AUICEM,volume 2014))

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Abstract

The systemic inflammatory response to infection or tissue injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for critically ill patients. Systemic inflammation has been associated with the development of refractory tissue hypoperfusion [1], and with the pathogenesis of the impaired vital organ function of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) [2]; progressive cardiovascular dysfunction plays a central role in the pathogenesis of MODS [3]. The cardiovascular dysfunction of sepsis is most commonly described as hypotension and the use of vasoactive therapy [4, 5]. However the spectrum of sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction is extensive (Fig. 1) and incompletely characterized.

The focus of this brief chapter is atrial arrhythmias; however it is instructive to first consider the spectrum of derangements in normal cardiac function that has been described in the critically ill patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Soroka Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    E. Brotfain & M. Klein

  2. Departments of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine, and the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada

    J. C. Marshall

  3. Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    J. C. Marshall

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  1. E. Brotfain
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  2. M. Klein
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  3. J. C. Marshall
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Correspondence to J. C. Marshall .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Erasme Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent Prof.

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Brotfain, E., Klein, M., Marshall, J.C. (2014). Supraventricular Dysrhythmias in the Critically Ill: Diagnostic and Prognostic Implications. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2014. Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, vol 2014. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03746-2_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03746-2_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-03745-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-03746-2

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