Articles: function.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyHow to target temperature after cardiac arrest: insights from a randomized clinical trial.
Implementation of treatments able to improve survival and neurological recovery of cardiac arrest (CA) survivors is a major clinical challenge. More than ten years ago, two pivotal trials showed that application of therapeutic hypothermia (TH, 32-34 °C) to patients resuscitated from an out-of-hospital CA (OHCA) with an initial shockable rhythm significantly ameliorated their outcome. Since then, TH has been used also for non-shockable rhythms and for in-hospital CA to some extent, even if the quality of evidence supporting TH in such situations remained very low. ⋯ This is the largest study evaluating the effects of two different strategies of temperature management after CA. Some important concerns have been raised on the real benefit of keeping CA patients at 33 °C and major changes in clinical practice are expected. We discussed herein the main differences with previous randomized trials and tried to identify possible explanations for these findings.
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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. · May 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyPathway From Central Obesity to Childhood Asthma: Physical Fitness and Sedentary Time Are Leading Factors.
Available prospective studies of obesity and asthma have used only body mass index (BMI) as an indicator for adiposity; studies using detailed obesity measures are lacking, and the role of physical fitness level and sedentary time remains unexplored in the link between obesity and asthma. ⋯ Central obesity measures should be incorporated in childhood asthma risk predictions. Children are encouraged to increase their physical fitness levels and reduce their sedentary time to prevent central obesity-related asthma.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyInhaled Colistin in Patients with Bronchiectasis and Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection.
Chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with an increased exacerbation frequency, a more rapid decline in lung function, and increased mortality in patients with bronchiectasis. ⋯ Although the primary endpoint was not reached, this study shows that inhaled colistin is a safe and effective treatment in adherent patients with bronchiectasis and chronic P. aeruginosa infection. Clinical trial registered with http://www.isrctn.org/ (ISRCTN49790596).
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2014
Multicenter StudyPolymorphisms in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Increase Susceptibility to Intra-Abdominal Candida Infection in High-Risk Surgical ICU Patients*
To evaluate the influence of genetic polymorphisms on the susceptibility to Candida colonization and intra-abdominal candidiasis, a blood culture-negative life-threatening infection in high-risk surgical ICU patients. ⋯ We report a strong association between the promoter rs1800629 single-nucleotide polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-α and an increased susceptibility to intra-abdominal candidiasis in a homogenous prospective cohort of high-risk surgical ICU patients. This finding highlights the relevance of the tumor necrosis factor-α functional polymorphism in immune response to fungal pathogens. Immunogenetic profiling in patients at clinical high risk followed by targeted antifungal interventions may improve the prevention or preemptive management of this life-threatening infection.