Are small hospitals with small intensive care units able to treat patients with severe sepsis?
Treatment of surgical patients with severe sepsis in small ICUs was associated with increased mortality. Because of the relatively small sample size, further studies are needed to confirm or refute this association.
In obese children and adolescents, high morning ACTH and cortisol levels are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. High ACTH levels are associated with high triglyceride levels and hyperglycemia, while high cortisol is associated with hypertension and high LDL-cholesterol. These specific relationships suggest complex mechanisms through which the HPA axis may contribute to metabolic impairments in obesity, and merit further investigations.