Tag: research
5-Year Trends of Critical Care Practice and Outcomes
According to researchers in the U.S., analyses of patients, practices, and outcomes from a large geographically dispersed sample of adult ICUs revealed trends of increasing age and acuity, higher rates of adherence to best... read more
An Alternative Consent Process for Minimal Risk Research in the ICU
Seeking consent for minimal risk research in the ICU poses challenges, especially when the research is time-sensitive. Our aim was to determine the extent to which ICU patients or surrogates support a deferred consent process... read more
NIH Herpesvirus Study Leads to Discovery of Potential Broad-Spectrum Antiviral
Scientists studying how regulated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection unexpectedly found that inhibiting EZH2/1 suppressed viral infection. The research group, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases... read more
Increased ICU Costs for Opioid Overdoses
ICU costs for treating opioid overdose patients increased 58% in a seven-year span, and annual deaths almost doubled, according to a study that included 162 academic hospitals. ICU admissions increased 34% over the study... read more
COPD Patients Who Live Alone are Less Active
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who live with a spouse, partner, or other caregiver are more active than patients who live alone, and are also more likely to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation... read more
Most ICU Patients Underfed
A large international multicentre cohort study shows that most of the patients are underfed during their ICU stay. In their findings published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, researchers say most of the patients in intensive... read more
SOFA Effective Pediatric Version
An age-adjusted version of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score for sepsis has been found to be at least as good, if not better than, other pediatric organ dysfunction scores at predicting in-hospital mortality.... read more
Can Electronic Alerts Help Identify Sepsis in Sick Children?
A two-step electronic alert system successfully reduced missed sepsis diagnoses in children by 76 percent. The new pediatric protocol, which incorporates the use of vital signs, risk factors, and a clinician's judgment,... read more
This Startup Could Revolutionize How We Fight Infectious Diseases
Karius Test has raised $50 million to develop a novel technology that can detect more than 1,000 infectious diseases, without requiring the usual trial-and-error tests. The test is expensive at $2,000, and is meant for use... read more
Delirium in Advanced Cancer Patients Worsens Survival
Patients with advanced cancer who arrived at the ED with delirium had increased rates of hospitalization and ICU admissions, as well as shorter survival rates, according to a study published in The Oncologist. Many patients... read more
Improving Long-Term Outcomes Research for ARF
Alison Turnbull, DVM, MPH, PhD discusses the heterogeneity in outcome measures in our field and the need for a Core Outcome Measurement Set (COMS) to standardize reporting of important outcomes. As part of the consensus process,... read more
Examining Mechanical Chest Compressions
Mechanical chest compression (CC) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with AutoPulse or LUCAS devices has not improved survival from cardiac arrest. Cohort studies suggest risk of excess damage. Therefore, Koster et... read more
The Science and Art of Pediatric Critical Care Nutrition
Malnutrition is prevalent in the pediatric ICU population, and is associated with worse outcomes. Nutrition support teams, dedicated dietitians, and educational programs facilitate surveillance for existing malnutrition and... read more
Doctors frustrated that electronic records steal time from patients
Researchers asked doctors licensed to practice in Rhode Island the question: How does using an EHR affect your interaction with patients? They got an earful. Most who responded complained that electronic records undermined... read more
Patients with postoperative delirium more likely to suffer dementia
Delirium is common in elderly hospitalized patients, affecting an estimated 14 - 56% of patients. It frequently manifests as a sudden change in behavior, with patients suffering acute confusion, inattention, disorganized... read more
When Evidence Says No, but Doctors Say Yes
Long after research contradicts common medical practices, patients continue to demand them and physicians continue to deliver. The result is an epidemic of unnecessary and unhelpful treatments.... read more
How to Beat Burnout
Burnout takes a toll on physicians, their patients, and their practices. Short visits, complicated patients, lack of control, electronic health record stress, and poor work-home balance can lead to physicians leaving practices... read more
Targeted Temperature Management and Neurologic Outcome After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
In this randomized clinical trial enrolling 355 adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, there was no significant difference in favorable neurologic outcome at 6 months for those treated for 48 hours (69%) vs 24 hours... read more
Enhancing the Usability of Systematic Reviews by Improving the Consideration and Description of Interventions
The importance of adequate intervention descriptions in minimizing research waste and improving research usability and reproducibility has gained attention in the past few years. Nearly all focus to date has been on intervention... read more
Web-based ICU Communication Improves Patient Experience and Outcomes
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have developed a web-based program that uses team communication and engagement to improve patient experience and outcomes. The study enrolled 1,075 ICU patients and provided... read more
In Treating Sepsis, Questions About Timing and Mandates
The question of whether Rory's Regulations save lives isn’t asked or answered in the recent study. Sepsis deaths were already decreasing in the United States before the mandate, and determining its contribution to... read more
Are We Creating Survivors or Victims in Critical Care?
Delivering targeted nutrition to improve outcomes. Over the last 10 years, we are proud of the fact we have finally begun to reduce in-hospital mortality following severe sepsis in some countries worldwide. Further, mortality... read more
