Articles: brain.
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Multicenter Study
Embedded Clinical Decision Support in Electronic Health Record Decreases Use of High Cost Imaging in the Emergency Department: EmbED study.
The objective was to evaluate the impact of evidence-based clinical decision support tools integrated directly into provider workflow in the electronic health record on utilization of computed tomography (CT) brain, C-spine, and pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ Embedded clinical decision support is associated with decreased overall utilization of high-cost imaging, especially among higher utilizers. It also affected low utilizers, increasing their usage consistent with improved adherence to guidelines, but this effect did not offset the overall decreased utilization for CT brain or CT C-spine. Thus, integrating clinical decision support into the provider workflow promotes usage of validated tools across providers, which can standardize the delivery of care and improve compliance with evidence-based guidelines.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2017
Multicenter StudyNeuron-Specific Enolase Predicts Poor Outcome After Cardiac Arrest and Targeted Temperature Management: A Multicenter Study on 1,053 Patients.
Outcome prediction after cardiac arrest is important to decide on continuation or withdrawal of intensive care. Neuron-specific enolase is an easily available, observer-independent prognostic biomarker. Recent studies have yielded conflicting results on its prognostic value after targeted temperature management. ⋯ High neuron-specific enolase serum concentrations reliably predicted poor outcome at ICU discharge. Prediction accuracy differed and was better for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than for in-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Our "in-the-field" data indicate 90 μg/L as a threshold associated with almost no false positives at acceptable sensitivity. Confounders of neuron-specific enolase elevation should be actively considered: neuron-specific enolase-producing tumors, acute brain diseases, and hemolysis. We strongly recommend routine hemolysis quantification. Neuron-specific enolase serum concentrations less than or equal to 17 μg/L argue against hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy incompatible with reawakening.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Safety and efficacy of multipotent adult progenitor cells in acute ischaemic stroke (MASTERS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.
Multipotent adult progenitor cells are a bone marrow-derived, allogeneic, cell therapy product that modulates the immune system, and represents a promising therapy for acute stroke. We aimed to identify the highest, well-tolerated, and safest single dose of multipotent adult progenitor cells, and if they were efficacious as a treatment for stroke recovery. ⋯ Athersys Inc.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Causes and Characteristics of Death in Intensive Care Units: A Prospective Multicenter Study.
Different modes of death are described in selected populations, but few data report the characteristics of death in a general intensive care unit population. This study analyzed the causes and characteristics of death of critically ill patients and compared anticipated death patients to unexpected death counterparts. ⋯ In a general intensive care unit population, the majority of patients present with at least one organ failure at the time of death. Anticipated and unexpected deaths represent two different modes of dying and exhibit profiles reflecting the different pathophysiologic underlying mechanisms.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Emergency Department triage of traumatic head injury using brain electrical activity biomarkers: a multisite prospective observational validation trial.
A brain electrical activity biomarker for identifying traumatic brain injury (TBI) in emergency department (ED) patients presenting with high Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) after sustaining a head injury has shown promise for objective, rapid triage. The main objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of an automated classification algorithm to determine the likelihood of being computed tomography (CT) positive, in high-functioning TBI patients in the acute state. ⋯ Using an EEG-based biomarker high accuracy of predicting the likelihood of being CT+ was obtained, with high NPV and sensitivity to any traumatic bleeding and to hematomas. Specificity was significantly higher than standard CT decision rules. The short time to acquire results and the ease of use in the ED environment suggests that EEG-based classifier algorithms have potential to impact triage and clinical management of head-injured patients.