Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1995
ReviewMultiple organ dysfunction score: a reliable descriptor of a complex clinical outcome.
To develop an objective scale to measure the severity of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome as an outcome in critical illness. ⋯ This multiple organ dysfunction score, constructed using simple physiologic measures of dysfunction in six organ systems, mirrors organ dysfunction as the intensivist sees it and correlates strongly with the ultimate risk of ICU mortality and hospital mortality. The variable, delta Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score, reflects organ dysfunction developing during the ICU stay, which therefore is potentially amenable to therapeutic manipulation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1995
Comparative StudyMonitoring of tissue oxygenation in shock: an experimental study in pigs.
To evaluate different methods and markers for assessing adequacy of tissue oxygenation in shock. ⋯ Many conventional markers of tissue hypoxia are useful when assessing general hypoperfusion, whereas intestinal intramucosal pH is the only reliable and clinically useful indicator of inadequate regional intestinal tissue oxygenation.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1995
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEffect of heparin on whole blood activated partial thromboplastin time using a portable, whole blood coagulation monitor.
To evaluate the responsiveness of whole blood activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) to varying heparin doses in vitro and to examine the ex vivo relationship of whole blood aPTT to plasma heparin concentration. ⋯ Heparin responsiveness of whole blood aPTT, measured with a portable whole blood coagulation monitor, is similar to that of conventional laboratory aPTT over a clinically relevant range of heparin concentrations in vitro and ex vivo. On-site whole blood aPTT measurements should be useful in clinical situations requiring rapid aPTT results.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1995
ReviewA model for technology assessment as applied to closed loop infusion systems. Technology Assessment Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
To test a model for the assessment of critical care technology on closed loop infusion control, a technology that is in its early stages of development and testing on human subjects. ⋯ Closed loop infusion systems may have a role in critical care practice. However, for most applications, further development is required to move this technology from the innovation phase to the point where it can be evaluated so that its role in critical car practice can be defined. Each application of closed loop infusion systems must be independently validated by appropriately designed research studies. Users should be provided with the clinical parameters driving each closed loop system so that they can ensure that it agrees with their opinion of acceptable medical practice. Clinical researchers and leaders in industry should collaborate to perform the scientifically valid, outcome-based research that is necessary to evaluate the effect of this new technology. The original model we developed for technology assessment required the addition of several more questions to produce a complete analysis of an emerging technology. An emerging technology should be systematically assessed (using a model such as the model developed by the Society of Critical Care Medicine), before its introduction into clinical practice in order to provide a focus for human outcome validation trials and to minimize the possibility of widespread use of an unproven technology.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 1995
Comparative Study Clinical TrialPredictors of between-method differences in cardiac output measurement using thoracic electrical bioimpedance and thermodilution.
To evaluate the usefulness of transthoracic electrical bioimpedance in trending changes in cardiac output after cardiac surgery, and to identify predictors of differences between cardiac output measured by thermodilution and transthoracic electrical bioimpedance methods. ⋯ While mean postoperative cardiac output measurements did not differ by method over time, agreement between transthoracic electrical bioimpedance and thermodilution methods was poor in the immediate postoperative period, with precision calculations indicative of clinically significant differences. Increased systemic vascular resistance index and decreased MAP were predictive of larger between-method differences.