Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Multicenter StudyThe role of HIV infection and drug and alcohol dependence in hospital mortality among critically ill patients.
Critical care outcomes among HIV-infected patients have improved because of advances in HIV therapy and general improvements in intensive care unit (ICU) management. There is a high co-occurrence of drug and alcohol dependence among HIV-infected patients, and the independent role of drug and alcohol dependence among patients with and without HIV infection in outcomes of critical illness is unclear. ⋯ Although HIV infection is associated with increased hospital mortality, drug and alcohol dependence is not associated with an increased hospital mortality independent of HIV infection.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving a medical emergency team review for respiratory distress or hypotension.
To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving a medical emergency team (MET) review for the MET syndromes of respiratory distress or hypotension and to assess the effect of delayed MET activation on their outcomes. ⋯ Patients receiving MET calls for respiratory distress or hypotension were elderly and had a mortality greater than 35%. In many cases, MET activation was delayed. This delay was associated with increased mortality.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Reducing pain in patients undergoing cardiac surgery after implementation of a quality improvement postoperative pain treatment program.
The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a quality improvement postoperative pain treatment program after cardiac surgery. ⋯ After algorithm implementation in the SICU, pain intensity at rest decreased and quality of sleep improved.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Families' interactions with physicians in the intensive care unit: the impact on family's satisfaction.
The objective of this study is to correlate the levels of satisfaction of family members, with their perception of the way information was offered and assistance delivered during the patient's stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Family satisfaction and understanding in the ICU may improve if the doctors are more accessible to provide information and the staff strive to better explain the patient's condition.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialEarly decompressive craniectomy for patients with severe traumatic brain injury and refractory intracranial hypertension--a pilot randomized trial.
The aims of this study were to test the feasibility and to assess potential recruitment rates in a pilot study preliminary to a phase III randomized trial of decompressive craniectomy surgery in patients with diffuse traumatic brain injury (TBI) and refractory intracranial hypertension. ⋯ In patients with severe TBI and refractory intracranial hypertension, the frequency of favorable neurologic outcomes (independent living) was low and similar to predicted values (40% favorable). A future multicenter phase III trial involving 18 neurotrauma centers with most sites conservatively recruiting at just 25% of the pilot study rate would require at least 5 years to achieve an estimated 210-patient sample size. Collaboration with neurotrauma centers in countries other than Australia and New Zealand would be required for such a phase III trial to be successful.