Background Sepsis occurs when an infection is complicated by organ failures as defined by
a sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score of two or higher. Sepsis may be …

Refractory shock is a lethal manifestation of cardiovascular failure defined by an inadequate
hemodynamic response to high doses of vasopressor medications. Approximately 7% of …

Adrenal insufficiency is the clinical manifestation of deficient production or action of
glucocorticoids, with or without deficiency also in mineralocorticoids and adrenal androgens …

Bacterial infections are very frequent in advanced cirrhosis and become the first cause of
death of these patients. Despite numerous experimental data and significant advances in …

Since its first description, the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been
acknowledged to be a major clinical problem in respiratory medicine. From July 2015 to July …

Context The benefit of corticosteroids in severe sepsis and septic shock remains
controversial. Objective We examined the benefits and risks of corticosteroid treatment in …

Most vertebrates can synthesize vitamin C with synthesis increasing during stress. Humans,
however, have lost the ability to synthesize vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important anti-oxidant …

Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of morbidity and
mortality. Corticosteroids may be a beneficial adjunct in the treatment of bacterial …

Background Critically ill patients often require emergency intubation. The use of etomidate
as the sedative agent in this context has been challenged because it might cause a …

Recent years have seen significant advances in our understanding of the development and
function of the adrenal gland together with further insights into the physiologic and …