Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2020
Multicenter StudyImproving medication safety in the Intensive Care by identifying relevant drug-drug interactions - Results of a multicenter Delphi study.
Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may cause adverse outcomes in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Computerized decision support systems (CDSSs) may help prevent DDIs by timely showing relevant warning alerts, but knowledge on which DDIs are clinically relevant in the ICU setting is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify DDIs relevant for the ICU. ⋯ A list of clinically relevant DDIs for the ICU setting was established on a national level. The clinical value of CDSSs for medication safety could be improved by focusing on the identified clinically relevant DDIs, thereby avoiding alert fatigue.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2020
Acute respiratory failure in randomized trials of noninvasive respiratory support: A systematic review of definitions, patient characteristics, and criteria for intubation.
To examine the definitions of acute respiratory failure, the characteristics of recruited patients, and the criteria for intubation used in randomized trials. ⋯ We identified deficiencies in the design and reporting of randomized trials, some of which can be remedied by investigators. We also found that patient characteristics differ by the type of respiratory failure. This knowledge can help clinician identify patients at the right moment to benefit from the tested interventions and investigators in developing criteria for enrollment in future trials.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2020
Observational StudyPharmacogenomic response of low dose haloperidol in critically ill adults with delirium.
To characterize the pharmacogenomic response of low-dose haloperidol for delirium treatment in critically ill adults. ⋯ This pilot study, the first to evaluate the pharmacogenomic response of low-dose haloperidol when used to treat delirium in the ICU, suggests CYP2D6/CYP3A4 metabolizer status does not affect the serum haloperidol concentrations.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2020
A systematic review on the efficacy and safety of chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19.
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a public health emergency of international concern. As of this time, there is no known effective pharmaceutical treatment, although it is much needed for patient contracting the severe form of the disease. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence regarding chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. ⋯ There is rationale, pre-clinical evidence of effectiveness and evidence of safety from long-time clinical use for other indications to justify clinical research on chloroquine in patients with COVID-19. However, clinical use should either adhere to the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered Interventions (MEURI) framework or be ethically approved as a trial as stated by the World Health Organization. Safety data and data from high-quality clinical trials are urgently needed.
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Journal of critical care · Jun 2020
ReviewClinical utility of midodrine and methylene blue as catecholamine-sparing agents in intensive care unit patients with shock.
Shock is common in the intensive care unit, affecting up to one third of patients. Treatment of shock is centered upon managing hypotension and ensuring adequate perfusion via administration of fluids and catecholamine vasopressors. Due to the risks associated with catecholamine vasopressors, interest has grown in using catecholamine-sparing agents such as midodrine and methylene blue. ⋯ Examples of search terms included "midodrine", "methylene blue", "critically ill", "shock", and "catecholamine-sparing." Several studies have evaluated their use in patients with shock and found potential benefits in terms of causing significant elevations in blood pressure and hastening catecholamine vasopressor discontinuation with few adverse effects; however, robust evidence is lacking for these off-label indications. Because of the variety of dosing strategies used and the incongruences between patient populations, it is also challenging to define finite recommendations. This review aims to summarize current evidence for the use of midodrine and methylene blue as catecholamine-sparing agents in critically ill patients with resolving or refractory shock.