Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2019
Performance and short-term outcomes of three different transcatheter aortic valve replacement devices in patients with aortic stenosis: A single-center experience.
Data on whether different transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) devices and delivery approaches can achieve equally favorable outcomes when performed by a single heart team are scarce. We sought to compare the performance and short-term outcomes of three different TAVR devices-self-expanding Medtronic CoreValve (MCV), mechanically expanded Lotus valve, and balloon-expandable Edwards SAPIEN XT (SXT)-for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in a single large-volume center in Taiwan. ⋯ TAVR using MCV, Lotus, or SXT was associated with similar 30- and 180-day clinical outcomes. The presence of periprocedural complications was one of the main determinants of short-term adverse outcomes.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2019
Comparative StudyPhosphorylated Hexa-Acyl Disaccharides Augment Host Resistance Against Common Nosocomial Pathogens.
To determine whether synthetic phosphorylated hexa-acyl disaccharides provide antimicrobial protection in clinically relevant models of bacterial infection. ⋯ Phosphorylated hexa-acyl disaccharides significantly augment resistance against clinically relevant Gram-negative and Gram-positive infections via enhanced leukocyte recruitment, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst functions of innate leukocytes. Improved antimicrobial protection persists for up to 10 days and is partially mediated through toll-like receptor 4.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2019
Hepatic pathology in patients after Fontan operation: A computed tomography imaging study.
Hepatic dysfunction is an important long-term complication in Fontan patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hepatic computed tomography (CT) findings after Fontan surgery and identify their association with clinical parameters. ⋯ Abnormal hepatic parenchymal enhancement detected through CT is common in Fontan patients. Regular liver function test in conjunction with imaging studies may be considered when following up Fontan patients.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2019
Platelet-lymphocyte and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios: Predictive factors of response and toxicity for docetaxel-combined induction chemotherapy in advanced head and neck cancers.
Although the effect of induction chemotherapy (IC) is still controversial in cancers of the oral cavity, the oropharynx, and the sinonasal tract, it is still used in some inoperable cases and for organ preservation in laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancers. Taxane has played a greater role and produces a better overall response but a higher rate of acute toxicity. We investigated the response and risk of IC with docetaxel-combined regimens in advanced head and neck cancers. ⋯ A pretreatment PLR <8.5 could predict better overall response, and a pretreatment NLR ≥3.5 could predict more severe acute toxicity after docetaxel-combined ICs. Through a simple hematological examination, we could try to identify a better response of tumor regression and anticipate potentially harmful side effects after ICs.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2019
Effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation combined with volume guarantee on preterm infants with hypoxic respiratory failure.
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of volume guarantee (VG) on high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) compared with HFOV alone in preterm infants with hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF). ⋯ In this study, the preterm infants with HRF ventilated using HFOV combined with VG had a reduced combined outcome of death or BPD and hypercarbia compared with those who received HFOV alone.