Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Review Meta Analysis
Utility and safety of draining pleural effusions in mechanically ventilated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pleural effusions are frequently drained in mechanically ventilated patients but the benefits and risks of this procedure are not well established. ⋯ Drainage of pleural effusions in mechanically ventilated patients appears to improve oxygenation and is safe. We found no data to either support or refute claims of beneficial effects on clinically important outcomes such as duration of ventilation or length of stay.
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Multicenter Study
Pandemic and post-pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection in critically ill patients.
There is a vast amount of information published regarding the impact of 2009 pandemic Influenza A (pH1N1) virus infection. However, a comparison of risk factors and outcome during the 2010-2011 post-pandemic period has not been described. ⋯ Patients from the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period had an unexpectedly higher mortality rate and showed a trend towards affecting a more vulnerable population, in keeping with more typical seasonal viral infection.
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Review Meta Analysis
Invasive ventilation modes in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of the present study was to critically review the existing body of evidence on ventilation modes for infants and children up to the age of 18 years. ⋯ The literature provides scarce data for the best ventilation mode in critically ill children beyond the newborn period. There is no evidence, however, that high-frequency ventilation reduced mortality and LOV. Longer-term outcome measures such as pulmonary function, neurocognitive development, and cost-effectiveness should be considered in future studies.