Crit Care Resusc
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Using geotagged Twitter data in Victoria, we created a mobility index and studied the changes during the staged restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We describe preliminary evidence that geotagged Twitter data may be used to provide real-time population mobility data and information on the impact of restrictions on such mobility.
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Albumin is the most abundant and perhaps most important protein in human blood. Research has identified many of albumin's possible roles in modulating acid-base balance, modifying inflammation, maintaining vascular endothelial integrity, and binding endogenous and exogenous compounds. Albumin plays a key role in the homeostasis of vascular endothelium, offering protection from inflammation and damage to the glycocalyx. ⋯ It transports, delivers and clears drugs, plus it helps with uptake, storage and disposal of potentially harmful biological products. The biological effects of albumin in critical illness are incompletely understood, but may enhance its clinical role beyond use as an intravenous fluid. In this article, we summarise the evidence surrounding albumin's biological and physiological effects beyond its use for plasma volume expansion, and explore potential mechanistic effects of albumin as a disease modifier in patients with critical illness.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cytokine and lipid metabolome effects of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid in critically ill patients with systemic inflammation: a pilot, feasibility, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a dysregulated response that contributes to critical illness. Adjunctive acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) treatment may offer beneficial effects by increasing the synthesis of specialised proresolving mediators (a subset of polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived lipid mediators). ⋯ In ICU patients with SIRS, low-dose ASA did not significantly alter serum IL-6 concentrations, but it did affect plasma concentrations of certain lipid mediators. The ability to measure lipid mediators in clinical samples and to monitor the effect of ASA on their levels unlocks a potential area of biological investigation in critical care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The cost-effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroids for patients with septic shock.
To determine whether hydrocortisone is a cost-effective treatment for patients with septic shock. ⋯ Adjunctive hydrocortisone did not significantly affect longer term mortality, health-related quality of life, health care resource use or costs, and is unlikely to be cost-effective.
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Observational Study
Successful implementation of a short message service (SMS) as intensive care to family communication tool.
Regularly informing families of the condition of their relative can be difficult. Text messaging via mobile telephones may achieve such communication effectively. ⋯ We successfully instituted real-time SMS updates. All surveyed participants agreed that these messages were reassuring, informative and easy to follow and that they would recommend the SMS service to other families.