Pharmacotherapy
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To compare the outcomes of reduced-dose argatroban therapy in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with those of non-ICU patients. ⋯ Both ICU and non-ICU patients require less than the manufacturer-recommended initial dosage of argatroban. However, ICU patients appear to be at an increased risk for bleeding and thrombotic events despite their attainment of therapeutic aPTTs.
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To determine clinical and microbiologic success in patients receiving adjunctive aerosolized antibiotics for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). ⋯ Treatment with adjunctive aerosolized antibiotics was associated with a good response rate in critically ill trauma patients with VAP due to nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. It is noteworthy that episodes of VAP that followed intravenous therapy failure and/or that were due to multidrug-resistant organisms responded well.