American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
Multicenter StudyPredicting Survival after ECMO for Severe Acute Respiratory Failure: the Respiratory ECMO Survival Prediction (RESP)-Score.
Increasing use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory failure may increase resource requirements and hospital costs. Better prediction of survival in these patients may improve resource use, allow risk-adjusted comparison of center-specific outcomes, and help clinicians to target patients most likely to benefit from ECMO. ⋯ The RESP score is a relevant and validated tool to predict survival for patients receiving ECMO for respiratory failure.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
ReviewMonitoring Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease Using Computed Tomography: Radiation Risk into Perspective.
Computed tomography (CT) is a sensitive technique to monitor structural changes related to cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. It detects structural pulmonary abnormalities such as bronchiectasis and trapped air, at an early stage, before they become apparent with other diagnostic tests. Clinical decisions may be influenced by knowledge of these abnormalities. ⋯ We conclude that the risk related to routine usage of CT in clinical care is small. In addition, a life-limiting disease, such as CF, lowers the risk of radiation-induced cancer. Nonetheless, the use of CT should always be justified and the radiation dose should be kept as low as reasonably achievable.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyPropofol is Associated with Favorable Outcomes Compared to Benzodiazepines in Ventilated ICU Patients.
Mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients are frequently managed using a continuous-infusion sedative. Although recent guidelines suggest avoiding benzodiazepines for sedation, this class of drugs is still widely used. There are limited data comparing sedative agents in terms of clinical outcomes in an ICU setting. ⋯ In this large, propensity-matched ICU population, patients treated with propofol had a reduced risk of mortality and had both an increased likelihood of earlier ICU discharge and earlier discontinuation of mechanical ventilation.