Chest
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Amrinone in cardiac surgical patients with left-ventricular dysfunction. A prospective, randomized placebo-controlled trial.
To evaluate the efficacy of amrinone for facilitating weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). ⋯ Amrinone by itself is an effective agent to facilitate weaning from CPB, and therapy with amrinone reduced the need for individualized titration of epinephrine. Amrinone is as effective as individualized titration of epinephrine (after CPB) to improve cardiac function. Patients in the group receiving amrinone had no greater need for vasoconstricting agents than did patients in the group receiving placebo; however, proactive administration of amrinone before separation from CPB appears to offer no greater benefit to high-risk patients than selective administration of drugs (epinephrine) only to those patients who demonstrate the need for drug support at the time of weaning.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Inhaled furosemide prevents ultrasonically nebulized water bronchoconstriction in children with both atopic and nonatopic asthma.
To determine whether inhaled furosemide can modify the bronchoconstriction induced by ultrasonically nebulized distilled water (UNDW) in children with both atopic and nonatopic asthma, a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was undertaken. The UNDW inhalation challenge was performed in 21 asthmatic children (atopic, 14; nonatopic, 7; mean +/- SEM age, 11.5 +/- 0.5 years), who had a fall in FEV1 of at least 20 percent after distilled water inhalation. ⋯ Inhaled furosemide exerted a protective effect against bronchoconstriction induced by UNDW in children with both atopic and nonatopic asthma (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). These results indicate that the protective action of furosemide against UNDW-induced bronchoconstriction may be independent of its direct inhibitory effect on airway mast cell activation.
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The relative importance of neurologic dysfunction in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients has not been well studied. This study investigates the prevalence of neurologic dysfunction in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients and its influence on preventing the discontinuation of mechanical ventilation and patient outcome. ⋯ There is a high prevalence of neurologic dysfunction in critically ill patients and this problem plays a significant role in preventing the discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. Altered mental status is a major factor necessitating continued mechanical ventilation in combined medical-surgical intensive care units.
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To determine whether measurement of D-dimer, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a cutoff of 300 ng/ml, and a latex agglutination assay with a cutoff of 500 ng/ml, is clinically useful in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ This study demonstrates that an ELISA D-dimer result of less than 300 ng/ml excludes PE but occurs in a small proportion of patients with clinically suspected PE. The latex agglutination assay, using a cutoff of 500 ng/ml, has potential clinical utility in excluding PE in the subgroup of patients with clinically suspected PE and non-high-probability V/Q scans. However, the 95 percent confidence interval on the observed sensitivity of the latex agglutination assay in patients with non-high-probability V/Q scans is wide. Therefore, these promising results should be confirmed in a large clinical trial before the latex agglutination assay is used to make management decisions.
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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) breathing on patients with COPD when they are in respiratory failure during acute episodes of the disease. We studied 15 male patients with COPD who were in acute, unstable condition, without mechanical ventilatory support, before and during 4 h of nasal CPAP. ⋯ Nasal CPAP was generally well tolerated. According to these results, nasal CPAP should be considered as a possibility for treatment in patients with COPD who are in acute respiratory failure, in order to avoid mechanical ventilation.