Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in the intensive care unit: post hoc analysis of a randomized, controlled trial comparing micafungin and liposomal amphotericin B.
Invasive candidiasis and candidemia are life-threatening nosocomial infections in intensive care patients. ⋯ Overall, ICU subjects had lower treatment success rates than non-ICU subjects for both liposomal amphotericin B and micafungin. Multivariate regression after controlling for potential confounding factors suggested the APACHE II score remained a potential explanatory factor associated with treatment success, mortality at day 8, and mortality at day 30.
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Metformin is commonly used in diabetes mellitus type 2, with lactic acidosis being a rare but potentially fatal complication of this therapy. The management of metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is controversial. Treatment may include supportive care, activated charcoal, bicarbonate infusion, hemodialysis, or continuous venovenous hemofiltration. ⋯ The mortality rate of patients who received dialysis was similar to that of patients who were not dialyzed. However, it was the more acutely and chronically ill patients who actually received dialysis. This suggests that hemodialysis was beneficial in preventing a higher mortality rate in those who required renal replacement therapy.
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Multicenter Study
Early drotrecogin alpha (activated) administration in severe sepsis is associated with lower mortality: a retrospective analysis of the Canadian ENHANCE cohort.
Early multimodal treatment of severe sepsis, including the use of drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DrotAA) when indicated, is considered essential for optimum outcome. However, predicting which infected patients will progress to severe sepsis and the need for aggressive intervention continues to be problematic. We therefore wished to explore whether there were any potential early markers that might predict improved survival in response to early use of DrotAA in patients with severe sepsis. In particular, in the dynamic setting of severe sepsis, we postulated that changes in markers reflecting evolving rather than baseline clinical status might guide therapy. ⋯ These findings suggest that when indicated, treatment with DrotAA should be initiated as soon as possible, regardless of age.
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Multicenter Study
Occurrence and adverse effect on outcome of hyperlactatemia in the critically ill.
Hyperlactatemia is frequent in critically ill patients and is often used as a marker of adverse outcome. However, studies to date have focused on selected intensive care unit (ICU) populations. We sought to determine the occurrence and relation of hyperlactatemia with ICU mortality in all patients admitted to four ICUs in a large regional critical care system. ⋯ Hyperlactatemia is common among the critically ill and predicts risk for death.
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Original research contributions published in Critical Care in 2008 in the fields of respirology and critical care medicine are summarized. Eighteen articles were grouped into the following categories: acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation, mechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury, and tracheotomy decannulation and non-invasive ventilation.