Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyInterleukin-1 Receptor Blockade Is Associated With Reduced Mortality in Sepsis Patients With Features of Macrophage Activation Syndrome: Reanalysis of a Prior Phase III Trial.
To determine the efficacy of anakinra (recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) in improving 28-day survival in sepsis patients with features of macrophage activation syndrome. Despite equivocal results in sepsis trials, anakinra is effective in treating macrophage activation syndrome, a similar entity with fever, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hepatobiliary dysfunction, cytopenias, and hyperferritinemia. Hence, sepsis patients with macrophage activation syndrome features may benefit from interleukin-1 receptor blockade. ⋯ In this subgroup analysis, interleukin-1 receptor blockade was associated with significant improvement in survival of patients with sepsis and concurrent hepatobiliary dysfunction/disseminated intravascular coagulation. A prospective randomized trial using features of macrophage activation syndrome for mortality risk stratification should be undertaken to confirm the role of interleukin-1 blockage.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyMulticenter Comparison of Machine Learning Methods and Conventional Regression for Predicting Clinical Deterioration on the Wards.
Machine learning methods are flexible prediction algorithms that may be more accurate than conventional regression. We compared the accuracy of different techniques for detecting clinical deterioration on the wards in a large, multicenter database. ⋯ In this multicenter study, we found that several machine learning methods more accurately predicted clinical deterioration than logistic regression. Use of detection algorithms derived from these techniques may result in improved identification of critically ill patients on the wards.
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This special article will review the history of blood glucose meter hospital use and current issues surrounding their use in this patient population. ⋯ Physicians who care for critically ill patients need to be cognizant of the accuracy and interference limitations of blood glucose meters and aware of the current regulatory situation.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2016
Case ReportsSpinal Cord Infarct During Concomitant Circulatory Support With Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump and Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
To report a series of three patients who received simultaneous circulatory support with both veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and intra-aortic balloon pump and subsequently developed spinal cord infarction, and present a brief review of the relevant literature. ⋯ The timeline of events suggests a causal relation between intra-aortic balloon pump, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and significant neurologic deficits. This is likely due to hypoperfusion of the spinal cord, which is multifactorial in origin, including small aortic calibre, low cardiac output states, high vasopressor requirements causing vasospasm of the artery of Adamkiewicz, occlusion of retrograde oxygenated blood flow from peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation due to intra-aortic balloon pump being in situ, and possible thromboembolic phenomena. The thoracic spinal cord is intrinsically susceptible to ischemia due to the anatomy of the arterial supply, which is described here. We identify several risk factors and make several recommendations to avoid this rare but catastrophic complication in the future. We also suggest interventions should this challenging complication be identified.