Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Oct 2014
Donation After Circulatory Death: A National Survey of Current Practice in England 2012.
In recent years, England has seen renewed interest in donation after circulatory death. Many national and local initiatives have been implemented to encourage and support donation after circulatory death. To assess whether practice is in line with published guidance, we conducted a national survey with regard to current donation after circulatory death practices, local guidelines, and views on the need to further develop a national standardized protocol for donation after circulatory death. ⋯ Our survey revealed varying approaches and views toward donation after circulatory death across England. A greater than expected percentage use premortem cannulation, heparinization, and phentolamine despite current guidance in England to the contrary. The majority of institutions practicing donation after circulatory death with protocols in place favor the development of national guidelines, particularly with respect to organ optimization. We believe that such a protocol would help to address potential barriers to donation after circulatory death, which may lead to increased donation rates and improved outcomes.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyA Multicenter Study of the Point Prevalence of Drug-Induced Hypotension in the ICU.
To determine the point prevalence of drug-induced hypotension episodes in critically ill patients, to assess the episodes resulting from error, and to describe how episodes are treated. ⋯ Many hypotensive episodes in the ICU are drug related and require treatment. A substantial portion of these episodes result from errors and are therefore preventable. This presents opportunities to improve prescribing including optimizing drug dosing to avoid possible patient harm from drug-induced hypotension.