Articles: outcome.
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Journal of physiotherapy · Jan 2011
CommentSurgery with disc prosthesis may produce better outcomes than multidisciplinary rehabilitation for patients with chronic low back pain.
Hellum C et al (2011) Surgery with disc prosthesis versus rehabilitation in patients with low back pain and degenerative disc: two year follow-up of randomised study. BMJ 342: d2786 doi:10.1136/bmj.d2786. [Prepared by Margreth Grotle and Kåre Birger Hagen, CAP Editors.] ⋯ Surgery with disc prosthesis produced significantly greater improvement in variables measuring physical disability and pain, but the difference in ODI between groups did not exceed the pre-specified minimally important difference of 10 points, so it is unclear whether the observed changes were clinically meaningful.
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J Emerg Trauma Shock · Jan 2011
Determinants of mortality in trauma patients following massive blood transfusion.
This study was designed to find out the factors influencing mortality in trauma patients receiving massive blood transfusion (MBT). ⋯ Overall mortality among the MBT patients was comparable with the studies in the literature. Mortality is not affected by the amount of packed red cells given in the first 12 h and the total number of packed red cells transfused. Prospective studies are required to further validate the determinants of mortality and establish guidelines for MBT.
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Annals of intensive care · Jan 2011
Intensive care of the cancer patient: recent achievements and remaining challenges.
A few decades have passed since intensive care unit (ICU) beds have been available for critically ill patients with cancer. Although the initial reports showed dismal prognosis, recent data suggest that an increased number of patients with solid and hematological malignancies benefit from intensive care support, with dramatically decreased mortality rates. Advances in the management of the underlying malignancies and support of organ dysfunctions have led to survival gains in patients with life-threatening complications from the malignancy itself, as well as infectious and toxic adverse effects related to the oncological treatments. ⋯ Since the recent data do not clearly support the benefit of ICU support to unselected critically ill allogeneic BMT recipients, more outcome research is needed in this subgroup. Because of the overall increased survival that has been reported in critically ill patients with cancer, we outline an easy-to-use and evidence-based ICU admission triage criteria that may help avoid depriving life support to patients with cancer who can benefit. Lastly, we propose a research agenda to address unanswered questions.
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Journal of physiotherapy · Jan 2011
CommentUsing titrated oxygen instead of high flow oxygen during an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) saves lives.
In patients with a suspected acute exacerbation of COPD, does titrated oxygen in the pre-hospital setting change mortality, length of hospital stay and blood gas measurements? ⋯ In patients with a suspected acute exacerbation of COPD, using titrated oxygen to maintain SpO(2) between 88% and 92% reduced the risk of mortality by 58%. Physiotherapists working in acute care should strive to ensure that these patients are not treated with high-flow oxygen.
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Scales DC, Dainty K, Hales B, Pinto R, Fowler RA, Adhikari NK, Zwarenstein M: A multifaceted intervention for quality improvement in a network of intensive care units: a cluster randomized trial. JAMA 2011, 305:363-72. ⋯ In a collaborative network of community ICUs, a multi-faceted quality improvement intervention improved adoption of care practices.