Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisClinical Outcomes, Predictors, and Prevalence of Anterior Pituitary Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.
To assess the clinical outcomes, predictors, and prevalence of anterior pituitary disorders following traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Approximately one third of traumatic brain injury patients have persistent anterior pituitary disorder. Older age, traumatic brain injury severity, and skull fractures predict anterior pituitary disorders, which in turn may be associated with higher ICU mortality. Further high-quality studies are warranted to better define the burden of anterior pituitary disorders and to identify high-risk patients.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisAssessment of Limb Muscle Strength in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review.
To determine the reliability of volitional and nonvolitional limb muscle strength assessment in critically ill patients and to provide guidelines for the implementation of limb muscle strength assessment this population. ⋯ Voluntary muscle strength measurement has proven reliable in critically ill patients provided that strict guidelines on adequacy and standardized test procedures and positions are followed.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisPlasma Biomarkers for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Numerous studies have focused on biomarkers for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Although several biomarkers have been identified, their relative performance is unclear. We aim to provide a quantitative overview of plasma-derived biomarkers associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis or mortality. ⋯ This meta-analysis provides a unique ranking of plasma biomarkers according to their strength of association with acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis or acute respiratory distress syndrome mortality. The relative performance of biomarkers among studies shown in this ranking may help to improve acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis and outcome prediction.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2014
Review Meta Analysis Comparative StudyTwo Decades of Mortality Trends Among Patients With Severe Sepsis: A Comparative Meta-Analysis.
Trends in severe sepsis mortality derived from administrative data may be biased by changing International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, coding practices. We sought to determine temporal trends in severe sepsis mortality using clinical trial data that does not rely on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modifications coding and compare mortality trends in trial data with those observed from administrative data. ⋯ Since 1991, patients with severe sepsis enrolled in usual care arms of multicenter randomized trials have experienced decreasing mortality. The mortality trends identified in clinical trial participants appear similar to those identified using administrative data and support the use of administrative data to monitor mortality trends in patients with severe sepsis.