Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Comparative Study Clinical TrialHistamine 2 receptor antagonists vs intravenous proton pump inhibitors in a pediatric intensive care unit: a comparison of gastric pH.
The aim of this study was to assess gastric pH in critically ill pediatric patients receiving intravenous stress ulcer medication. ⋯ Many critically ill pediatric patients receiving stress ulcer prophylaxis have a trough or peak gastric pH more acidic than 4.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
Modeling in-hospital patient survival during the first 28 days after intensive care unit admission: a prognostic model for clinical trials in general critically ill patients.
The objective of the study was to develop a model for estimating patient 28-day in-hospital mortality using 2 different statistical approaches. ⋯ Both statistical methods can be used to model the 28-day in-hospital mortality better than the SAPS 3 admission model. However, because the logistic regression approach is specifically designed to forecast 28-day mortality, and given the high uncertainty associated with the assumption of the proportionality of risks in the Cox model, the logistic regression approach proved to be superior.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
The importance of differentiating between elective and emergency postoperative critical care patients.
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the importance of separately analyzing data on elective and emergency surgery patients admitted postoperatively to intensive and intermediate care units. ⋯ Substantial differences between elective and emergency surgery patients have important implications when conducting and reporting research on the nature, extent, and outcome of postoperative ICU care.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2008
The role of transport intervals in outcomes for critically ill patients who are transferred to referral centers.
The aim of this study was to determine the association between transport intervals (including time from call to arrival of transport team at the sending hospital, time spent by the transport team in the sending hospital, and transport time between the sending and receiving hospital) and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay and hospital mortality at the receiving hospital. ⋯ Transport intervals are independently associated with ICU/CCU and hospital lengths of stay at the receiving hospital for critically ill adults transferred to referral centers.
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The aim of sedation is to provide comfort and minimize anxiety. However, adverse effects are noteworthy, and the optimal end point of sedation in intensive care unit patients is still debated. We analyzed if a level 2 on the Ramsay Scale (ie, awake, cooperative, oriented, tranquil patient) is suitable for an invasive therapeutic approach. ⋯ In a population of severe intensive care unit patients, conscious sedation was achieved in almost half of the days spent on ventilation. The positive implications (eg, on length of weaning and cost of sedation) of a conservative sedation strategy may be highly relevant.