Introduction: noninvasive mechanical ventilation is a technique with a fan interface - patient through a nasal or facial mask. This reduces the morbidity associated with conventional mechanical ventilation associated with endotracheal intubation and sedation of the patient relaxation. Objectives: To assess morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), in the General Intensive Care Unit (GICU) of Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) from June 2007 to May 2008. Material and method: We obtained data from the GICU files from June 2007 to May 2008. We recorded physiological values when beginning and finishing NIMV and we defined success and failure when using NIMV. Results: During the one-year study, 30 patients required NIMV, their average age was 49.7± 2 years, and 63.3 per cent were women. When NIMV was started, APACHE II sc...

Introduction: noninvasive mechanical ventilation is a technique with a fan interface - patient through a nasal or facial mask. This reduces the morbidity associated with conventional mechanical ventilation associated with endotracheal intubation and sedation of the patient relaxation. Objectives: To assess morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), in the General Intensive Care Unit (GICU) of Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) from June 2007 to May 2008. Material and method: We obtained data from the GICU files from June 2007 to May 2008. We recorded physiological values when beginning and finishing NIMV and we defined success and failure when using NIMV. Results: During the one-year study, 30 patients required NIMV, their average age was 49.7± 2 years, and 63.3 per cent were women. When NIMV was started, APACHE II sc...

Introduction: Shoshin Beriberi is a disease generated by thiamine deficiency and is characterized by acute fulminant cardiac dysfunction (1). Objective: To highlight cardiogenic shock and hyperlactacidemia in a patient with shoshin beriberi in an intensive care unit of a general hospital. Material and method: The information was taken from the electronic medical history of the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Cayetano Heredia National Hospital (HNCH) and from laboratory and image records. Case: 22-year-old female patient, with a history of anorexia nervosa, multisystem tuberculosis (TBC); with abdominal pain, vomiting, oral intolerance, prolonged fasting, received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) without thiamine intake and with hospitalization for 40 days on the general floor; Admission to the ICU in cardiogenic shock and hyperlactacidemia with serum lactate 13.8 mmol/L. With sepsis rul...