Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2015
Review Meta AnalysisNoninvasive Ventilation and Survival in Acute Care Settings: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Noninvasive ventilation is increasingly applied to prevent or treat acute respiratory failure, but its benefit on survival is still controversial for many indications. We performed a metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials focused on the effect of noninvasive ventilation on mortality. ⋯ This comprehensive metaanalysis suggests that noninvasive ventilation improves survival in acute care settings. The benefit could be lost in some subgroups of patients if noninvasive ventilation is applied late as a rescue treatment. Whenever noninvasive ventilation is indicated, an early adoption should be promoted.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2015
Review Meta AnalysisActive Compression-Decompression Resuscitation and Impedance Threshold Device for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Active compression-decompression resuscitation and impedance threshold device are proposed to improve survival of patients of cardiac arrest by lowering intrathoracic pressure and increasing cardiac output. The results of clinical studies of active compression-decompression resuscitation or impedance threshold device were controversial. This metaanalysis pooled results of randomized controlled trials to examine whether active compression-decompression resuscitation or impedance threshold device would improve outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in comparison with standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to explore factors modifying these effects. ⋯ Active compression-decompression resuscitation or impedance threshold device seemed not to improve return of spontaneous circulation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. The meta-regression indicated two probable prognostic factors causing this minimal effect. Nonetheless, these findings referred to differences between trials and could not necessarily be extrapolated to individual patients. The individual patient-level extrapolation may need to be solved by a future randomized controlled trial.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2015
Multicenter StudyMorbidity and Survival Probability in Burn Patients in Modern Burn Care.
Characterizing burn sizes that are associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity is critical because it would allow identifying patients who might derive the greatest benefit from individualized, experimental, or innovative therapies. Although scores have been established to predict mortality, few data addressing other outcomes exist. The objective of this study was to determine burn sizes that are associated with increased mortality and morbidity after burn. ⋯ In the modern burn care setting, adults with over 40% total body surface area burned and children with over 60% total body surface area burned are at high risk for morbidity and mortality, even in highly specialized centers.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2015
ReviewUltrasound for the Assessment of Peripheral Skeletal Muscle Architecture in Critical Illness: A Systematic Review.
To critically evaluate and summarize identified evidence for the use of ultrasound to measure peripheral skeletal muscle architecture during critical illness. ⋯ Ultrasound provides clinical utility for assessing the trajectory of change in peripheral skeletal muscle architecture during critical illness, supplementing more detailed characterization, albeit rarely used, from muscle biopsy analysis. Adoption of standardized operating protocols for measurement will facilitate future meta-analysis of data.