Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Randomized trial evaluating serial protein C levels in severe sepsis patients treated with variable doses of drotrecogin alfa (activated).
Serial alterations in protein C levels appear to correlate with disease severity in patients with severe sepsis, and it may be possible to tailor severe sepsis therapy with the use of this biomarker. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose and duration of drotrecogin alfa (activated) treatment using serial measurements of protein C compared to standard therapy in patients with severe sepsis. ⋯ The study met its primary objective of increased protein C levels in patients receiving alternative therapy demonstrating that variable doses and/or duration of drotrecogin alfa (activated) can improve protein C levels, and also provides valuable information for incorporation into potential future studies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Intensive care diaries reduce new onset post traumatic stress disorder following critical illness: a randomised, controlled trial.
Patients recovering from critical illness have been shown to be at risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). This study was to evaluate whether a prospectively collected diary of a patient's intensive care unit (ICU) stay when used during convalescence following critical illness will reduce the development of new onset PTSD. ⋯ The provision of an ICU diary is effective in aiding psychological recovery and reducing the incidence of new PTSD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of intravenous ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in critically ill and non-critically ill adults.
Hospitalized patients are often unable to ingest or tolerate oral antipyretics and recently an aqueous formulation of intravenous (IV) ibuprofen was approved by the US-FDA for the reduction of fever in adults. ⋯ All doses of IV ibuprofen tested reduced fever at four hours and throughout the first 24 hours of dosing. The 400 mg dose was effective in lowering temperature to normal and maintaining this over the first 24 hours of dosing. IV ibuprofen was effective in reducing fevers in critically ill and non-critically ill groups. Following 24 hours of administration of IV ibuprofen, no clinically significant differences in any safety parameter including renal function or bleeding occurred through the 28-day follow-up period.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Delirium epidemiology in critical care (DECCA): an international study.
Delirium is a frequent source of morbidity in intensive care units (ICUs). Most data on its epidemiology is from single-center studies. Our aim was to conduct a multicenter study to evaluate the epidemiology of delirium in the ICU. ⋯ In this 1-day international study, delirium was frequent and associated with increased mortality and ICU LOS. The main modifiable risk factors associated with the diagnosis of delirium were the use of invasive devices and sedatives (midazolam).
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Differences in organ dysfunctions between neonates and older children: a prospective, observational, multicenter study.
The multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a major cause of death for patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction (PELOD) score has been validated in order to describe and quantify the severity of organ dysfunction (OD). There are several physiological differences between neonates and older children. The objective of the study was to determine whether there are differences in incidence of ODs and mortality rate between full-term neonates (age <28 days) and older children. ⋯ Our data demonstrate that incidence of MODS and mortality rate are higher among neonates compared to older children. Neurological, cardiovascular, and hepatic dysfunctions were the only significant contributors to neonatal mortality. Stratification for neonates versus older children might be useful in clinical trials where MODS is considered as an outcome measure.