Pharmacotherapy
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Review Meta Analysis
Re-evaluating the Utility of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in the Critically Ill Patient: A Clinical Scenario-Based Meta-Analysis.
Because recent studies have challenged the efficacy of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in the critically ill patient, our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of SUP with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or histamine2 -receptor antagonists (H2 RAs) against placebo, control, no therapy, or enteral nutrition alone in critically ill adults. ⋯ This meta-analysis demonstrated that SUP use was associated with significant reductions in bleeding but not mortality. SUP should not be abandoned until large randomized trials demonstrate the futility of this intervention.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Evaluation of Prophylactic Heparin Dosage Strategies and Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in the Critically Ill Patient.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs frequently in critically ill patients without heparin prophylaxis. Although heparin prevents VTE, VTEs occur frequently despite prophylaxis. A higher heparin dosage may be more effective for preventing VTE. ⋯ In critically ill patients, prophylactic dosing of heparin 3 times/day versus twice/day was not associated with differences in new VTE or safety outcomes. Several modifiable VTE risk factors were identified.
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Shock syndromes are associated with unacceptably high rates of mortality in critically ill patients despite advances in therapeutic options. Vasodilatory shock is the most common type encountered in the intensive care unit. It is manifested by cardiovascular failure, peripheral vasodilatation, and arterial hypotension leading to tissue hypoperfusion and organ failure. ⋯ The purpose of this article is to review the clinical efficacy and safety data and potential role in therapy for catecholamine-sparing agents in vasodilatory shock. Adjunctive therapeutic options to reduce vasoactive support requirements without compromising arterial pressure include arginine vasopressin and analogs, corticosteroids, midodrine, methylene blue, and angiotensin II. Although concomitant vasopressin and corticosteroids have a more defined role in evidence-based guidelines for managing shock, clinicians may consider other potential catecholamine-sparing agents.
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Multicenter Study
Continuous Infusion Ketamine for Adjunctive Analgosedation in Mechanically Ventilated, Critically Ill Patients.
Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist with emerging evidence assessing its use as a continuous infusion agent to provide concomitant analgesia and sedation. The role of ketamine as adjunctive therapy in mechanically ventilated patients is unclear. This study sought to investigate the impact of adjunctive continuous infusion ketamine on concomitant analgesic and sedative dosing while providing goal comfort in mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ Adjunctive continuous infusion ketamine promotes analgesic and sedative dose-sparing effects in mechanically ventilated patients while improving time spent within goal sedation range. Further prospective research is warranted.
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Optimal blood pressure (BP) management is controversial in neurocritically ill patients due to conflicting concerns of worsening ischemia with decreased BP versus cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure with elevated BP. In addition, high-quality evidence is lacking regarding optimal BP goals in patients with most of these conditions. This review summarizes guideline recommendations and examines the literature for BP management in patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury.