title: [Importance of prevention of acute mucosal lesions in patients in intensive care units].
abstract: At least three-quarters of critically ill patients develop mucosal lesion as a direct consequence of stress within the first 24 hours following the admission to intensive care unit. These mucosal lesions occur as superficial or deep mucosal lesions which can lead to massive gastrointestinal bleeding and it can put at risk the life of critically ill patient. There are multiple risk factors for the occurence of mucosal lesion such as: respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, sepsis, hypotension, bums, severe trauma, neurotrauma, ileus, coagulopathy, renal and hepatic failure, myocardial infarction etc. The incidence of silent (ocult) bleeding in critically ill patients is almost 100%, but only about 5% of patients have clinically apparent (overt) hemorrhage and 1-2% have clinically significant bleeding which requires blood transfusions. In patients who are at the greatest risk of developing mucosal lesion, prophylactic treatment ought to be started immediately in order to achieve pH4 with adequate perfusion and coagulation. Today several groups of medications are used for the prevention of mucosal gastrointestinal lesion and they include: antacids, sucralfate, hisamine-2 receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Jedinica intenzivne nege, Urgentni centar, KCS, Beograd.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Popović
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016638:Critical Illness; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents