Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jan 2024
Meta AnalysisDiagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin in Bacterial Infections of the CNS: An Updated Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression.
To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) procalcitonin for diagnosing CNS bacterial infections. ⋯ In children and critical post-neurosurgical patients, CSF procalcitonin gains superior sensitivity and specificity compared with serum procalcitonin. Overall, CSF procalcitonin appears to have a higher pooled positive likelihood ratio compared with serum procalcitonin.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2024
Meta AnalysisDo We Need to Administer Fludrocortisone in Addition to Hydrocortisone in Adult Patients With Septic Shock? An Updated Systematic Review With Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and an Observational Study With Target Trial Emulation.
This systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of hydrocortisone combined with fludrocortisone or hydrocortisone alone, compared with placebo in adult patients with septic shock. ⋯ In adults with septic shock, hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone improved short-term survival with minimal adverse events compared with hydrocortisone alone or placebo. However, these findings are not definitive due to the limited certainty of evidence and wide NNT range. Additional large-scale, placebo-controlled RCTs are needed to provide conclusive evidence.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialSodium Bicarbonate for Metabolic Acidosis in the ICU: Results of a Pilot Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial.
To identify the best population, design of the intervention, and to assess between-group biochemical separation, in preparation for a future phase III trial. ⋯ The findings confirm the feasibility of a larger phase III sodium bicarbonate trial; eligibility criteria may require modification to facilitate recruitment.
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Critical care medicine · Mar 2024
Meta AnalysisLeft-Ventricular Unloading With Impella During Refractory Cardiac Arrest Treated With Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is the implementation of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) during refractory cardiac arrest. The role of left-ventricular (LV) unloading with Impella in addition to VA-ECMO ("ECMELLA") remains unclear during ECPR. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize patients with ECPR receiving LV unloading and to compare in-hospital mortality between ECMELLA and VA-ECMO during ECPR. ⋯ ECMELLA support was predominantly used in patients with acute myocardial infarction and VA-ECMO for pulmonary embolism. ECMELLA support during ECPR might be associated with improved survival and neurologic outcome despite higher complication rates. However, indications and frequency of ECMELLA support varied strongly between institutions. Further scientific evidence is urgently required to elaborate standardized guidelines for the use of LV unloading during ECPR.