Tag: study
Chasing Mortality Endpoints is a Fool’s Errand
"There is no mortality benefit for that." How many times have you heard that? The implication is usually the same: that intervention is a waste of time. A smart, evidence-based clinician wouldn't bother with it. But, what... read more
Effect of Early Sustained Prophylactic Hypothermia on Neurologic Outcomes Among Patients With Severe TBI
Among patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), early prophylactic hypothermia compared with normothermia did not improve neurologic outcomes at 6 months. These findings do not support the use of early prophylactic... read more
Effect of Cricoid Pressure Compared With a Sham Procedure in the Rapid Sequence Induction of Anesthesia
This large randomized clinical trial performed in patients undergoing anesthesia with RSI failed to demonstrate the noninferiority of the sham procedure in preventing pulmonary aspiration. Further studies are required in... read more
Antipsychotic Drugs Don’t Ease ICU Delirium Or Dementia
Powerful drugs that have been used for decades to treat delirium are ineffective for that purpose, according to a study published online Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol... read more
Initial Trophic vs Full Enteral Feeding in Patients With Acute Lung Injury
In patients with acute lung injury, compared with full enteral feeding, a strategy of initial trophic enteral feeding for up to 6 days did not improve ventilator-free days, 60-day mortality, or infectious complications but... read more
Decontamination Strategies and Bloodstream Infections With Antibiotic-Resistant Microorganisms in Ventilated Patients
In this cluster randomized multicenter study in 13 European ICUs, decontamination strategies with either antibiotics (SDD or SOD) or CHX mouthwash were not associated with reductions in ICU-acquired BSI with MDRGNB, nor mortality,... read more
Decontamination of Oral or Digestive Tract for Patients in the ICU
The study by Wittekamp and colleagues in this issue of JAMA evaluating strategies for decontamination of mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) fills an important gap in the evidence regarding these... read more
Rudeness in Medical Settings Could Kill Patients
A recent study paints a grim picture of what rudeness does to doctors and nurses performance. The study, "The Impact of Rudeness on Medical Team Performance: A Randomized Trial," which was published in the September... read more
Policies That Limit Emergency Department Visits and Reimbursements Undermine the Emergency Care System
Emergency department (ED) visit rates in the United States have been rising over the past 2 decades, outpacing population growth.1 These visits are portrayed in the lay press as unnecessary visits that must be reduced or... read more
Effect of Targeted Polymyxin B Haemoperfusion on 28-Day Mortality in Patients With Septic Shock and Elevated Endotoxin Level
In adult patients with septic shock and high circulating endotoxin activity, does the use of polymyxin B hemoperfusion therapy significantly decrease 28-day mortality? Among patients with septic shock and high endotoxin activity,... read more
An Incurable Disease Is On The Rise In California, And Scientists Say Climate Change Could Cause It To Spread To Much Of The Western US
A fungus that thrives in dry soil and warm weather has caused a record number of infections in California. Experts fear climate change will cause it to spread across the western US. Valley fever, a fungal disease that infects... read more
Stronger evidence for vitamin C use in sepsis treatment
A new meta-analysis reveals a positive correlation between incorporating vitamin C in the treatment of sepsis and favorable patient outcomes. Results of the meta-analysis showed a marked reduction in mortality and duration... read more
Clinical Trial Testing Vitamin and Steroid Combination in Sepsis Patients Underway at Emory
A new clinical trial at Emory University and 45 other sites around the U.S. will test a combination of vitamins and steroids in patients diagnosed with sepsis. Sepsis is caused by the body's overwhelming and life-threatening... read more
Comparing Percutaneous to Open Access for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Pediatric Respiratory Failure
The proportion of pediatric patients undergoing percutaneous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation is increasing. Mechanical and physiologic complications occur with both methods of cannulation, but percutaneous... read more
Communicating with Conscious and Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Patients
Ventilator-dependent patients in the ICU often experience difficulties with one of the most basic human functions, namely communication, due to intubation. Although various assistive communication tools exist, these are infrequently... read more
Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to predict blood culture results in ICU patients
Biomarkers represent an essential tool for identification of patients developing infection and to determine their clinical severity. Procalcitonin (PCT) levels appeared to be correlated with the development of severe bacterial... read more
Meet the trillions of viruses that make up your virome
If you think you don’t have viruses, think again. It may be hard to fathom, but the human body is occupied by large collections of microorganisms, commonly referred to as our microbiome, that have evolved with us since... read more
Alcohol Withdrawal: One Order to Sedate Them All
This is a retrospective cohort study describing 86 admissions to the ICU for alcohol withdrawal between 2011-2015. 86% were treated with benzodiazepines before ICU admission, usually on the general ward. The average dose... read more
Triiodothyronine Replacement in Critically Ill Adults with Non-thyroidal Illness Syndrome
This study suggests that with triiodothyronine (T3) supplementation there was evidence of serum free T3 normalization without evidence of associated harms. A definitive trial is needed to evaluate clinical effectiveness.... read more
Early PREdiction of Sepsis Using Leukocyte Surface Biomarkers
From a large panel of leukocyte biomarkers, immunosuppression biomarkers were associated with subsequent sepsis in ED patients with suspected acute infection. Between January 2014 and February 2016, we recruited 272, 59 and... read more
Organ and Tissue Donation Education for Critical Care Residents
Qualitative data corroborated that residents need more exposure to clinical cases, especially regarding DCD donors. A standardized education curriculum would be beneficial for all residents within the ICU. Developing a better... read more
Abnormal Environmental Light Exposure in the ICU Environment
Patients' environmental light exposure in the intensive care unit is consistently low and follows a diurnal pattern. No effect of nighttime light exposure was observed on melatonin secretion. Inadequate daytime light exposure... read more
