Intensive care medicine
-
Intensive care medicine · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyDe-escalation versus continuation of empirical antimicrobial treatment in severe sepsis: a multicenter non-blinded randomized noninferiority trial.
In patients with severe sepsis, no randomized clinical trial has tested the concept of de-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy. This study aimed to compare the de-escalation strategy with the continuation of an appropriate empirical treatment in those patients. ⋯ As compared to the continuation of the empirical antimicrobial treatment, a strategy based on de-escalation of antibiotics resulted in prolonged duration of ICU stay. However, it did not affect the mortality rate.
-
Intensive care medicine · Oct 2014
Validation of the KDIGO acute kidney injury criteria in a pediatric critical care population.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs commonly in critically ill children and has been associated with increased mortality of up to 50 %. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI working group has proposed a standardized definition of AKI. Utilizing routinely available clinical data, we evaluated the KDIGO AKI criteria and the relationship of AKI with relevant outcomes in a single center tertiary pediatric intensive care (PICU) and cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) population. ⋯ Using the KDIGO criteria to define AKI, we observed a high prevalence of AKI among critically ill children. Worsening stages of AKI were associated with increased ICU LOS, and AKI was independently associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and increased mortality. The KDIGO criteria describe clinically relevant AKI in a broad pediatric critical care population.
-
Intensive care medicine · Oct 2014
ReviewSurvival in solid cancer patients following intensive care unit admission.
One in seven patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) has a cancer diagnosis but evidence on their expected outcomes after admission has not been synthesised. ⋯ Several factors have been associated with poor survival in ICU cancer patients; however, primary research is still needed to describe outcomes in cancer patients with sufficient case mix and treatment details to be of prognostic value to clinicians.