Critical care medicine
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To study sequential changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, heart rate power spectra, and plasma catecholamine concentrations in patients with acute brain injury and correlate these variables with the severity of neurologic dysfunction and patient outcome. ⋯ Our results imply that autonomic nervous system control of heart rate is disrupted in proportion to the degree of neurologic insult in children after acute brain injury. Thus, heart rate power spectral analysis and plasma catecholamine concentrations may prove to be useful adjuncts in determining severity of neurologic injury and prognosis for recovery in children suffering from brain injury. In addition, these techniques may aid in the determination of brain death.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1996
Evaluation of lung function after intratracheal perfluorocarbon administration in healthy animals.
To investigate the effects of partial liquid ventilation (i.e., mechanical ventilation in combination with intratracheal administration of perfluorocarbon) on lung function, with particular attention to the integrity of the alveolocapillary membrane in healthy adult animals. ⋯ These findings suggest that partial liquid ventilation with perfluorocarbons lowers pulmonary gas exchange in healthy animals, and the increased pulmonary clearance of 99mTc-DTPA after 3 hrs of this type of ventilatory support may reflect minimal reversible changes in the lung surfactant system.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialLorazepam and midazolam in the intensive care unit: a randomized, prospective, multicenter study of hemodynamics, oxygen transport, efficacy, and cost.
To evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy, impact on hemodynamic and oxygen transport variables, safety profiles, and cost efficiency of sedation and anxiolysis with lorazepam vs. continuous infusion of midazolam in critically ill, intensive care unit patients. ⋯ Sedation and anxiolysis with lorazepam and midazolam in critically ill patients is safe and clinically effective. Hemodynamic and oxygen transport variables are similarly affected by both drugs. The dose of midazolam required for sedation is much larger than the dose of lorazepam required for sedation, and midazolam is therefore less cost-efficient.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of pentoxifylline on circulating cytokine concentrations and hemodynamics in patients with septic shock: results from a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
To determine whether a continuous intravenous infusion of pentoxifylline, a methylxanthine derivative, alters the serum cytokine concentrations and/or hemodynamic measurements in patients with septic shock. ⋯ Pentoxifylline is able to decrease serum TNF but not IL-6 or IL-8 serum concentrations during septic shock. Pentoxifylline was well tolerated by all eight patients with no adverse effect. Further studies are needed to determine if pentoxifylline's ability to lower circulating TNF concentration without altering hemodynamics will improve outcome in septic shock.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialInhaled nitric oxide in children with severe lung disease: results of acute and prolonged therapy with two concentrations.
To evaluate the acute effects of 11 and 60 parts per million (ppm) inhaled nitric oxide on the pulmonary vascular resistance and systemic oxygenation of children with severe lung disease, and to compare the outcome of prolonged therapy with approximately 10 and 40 ppm inhaled nitric oxide. ⋯ Pulmonary vascular resistance and systemic oxygenation are acutely improved to a similar extent by 11 and 60 ppm inhaled nitric oxide, and concentrations in excess of 10 ppm are probably not needed for prolonged therapy of children with severe lung disease.