Pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, and peripartum cardiomyopathy are critically important causes of ARF, and the onset pattern may be useful in making the differential diagnosis.
While bacterial infections, especially due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, are critically important, viral causes are also associated with a substantial proportion of ALRI [ 3- 7].
This observation was consistent with our previous indirect observation that glutathione depletion is not critically important in causing cell death because we were previously able to afford complete protection by the α-tocotrienol form of natural vitamin E under conditions where glutamate-induced glutathione loss remained unaffected (6).
And while urgent action is needed across the world, particularly in the developed nations, the four largest developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively known as the BRICs – are critically important to the cause.
Despite enormous advances in our understanding of the genetic basis, it is humbling that exposure to tobacco smoke remains a critically important, major, preventable cause of CHD [1].
Sinusitis, complication of the head injury in critically ill patients, is an important cause of sepsis and may well be difficult to be diagnosed.
In summary, sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients, and VAP is an important cause of sepsis in the ICU.
The centre's work on child nutrition is critically important, since malnutrition is a major underlying cause of infant deaths in Sierra Leone.
Venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) is an important cause of morbimortality of critically ill patients, whom frequently have several VTD risk factors but lack the appropriate preventive measures.
A similar phenomenon is seen in sepsis as a response to infection, and is still an important cause of death in critically ill patients.
