Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2018
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyThe Randomized Educational Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Diagnosis Study: A Trial to Improve the Radiographic Diagnosis of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
Radiographic criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome have been criticized for poor reliability. Our objective was to test an educational intervention to improve the radiographic identification of acute respiratory distress syndrome by participants in the Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure study. ⋯ Participant recognition of radiographic criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome was low, with poor agreement. This was not impacted by an educational intervention designed to improve accuracy of identification of radiographic criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Critical care medicine · May 2018
Comparative Study Observational StudyReporting of Sepsis Cases for Performance Measurement Versus for Reimbursement in New York State.
Under "Rory's Regulations," New York State Article 28 acute care hospitals were mandated to implement sepsis protocols and report patient-level data. This study sought to determine how well cases reported under state mandate align with discharge records in a statewide administrative database. ⋯ Approximately four of five discharges with a diagnosis code of severe sepsis or septic shock in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System data were reported in the New York State Department of Health Sepsis Clinical Database. Incomplete reporting appears to be driven more by underrecognition than attempts to game the system, with minimal bias to risk-adjusted hospital performance measurement.
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Critical care medicine · May 2018
Meta AnalysisOutcomes of Ethics Consultations in Adult ICUs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Clinical ethics consultation as a mechanism for supporting patients, family, and staff during ethically challenging situations has become standard of care. Despite this, there is a lack of consensus about the effectiveness of clinical ethics consultation consultation in the ICU. We performed a systematic review of outcomes associated with clinical ethics consultation within adult ICUs. ⋯ Our review identified outcome-based assessment as the predominant measure used to report effectiveness of clinical ethics consultation consultations. In particular, clinical ethics consultation decreased ICU length of stay and increased family and healthcare provider satisfaction. However, using outcome measures as the primary endpoint may not reflect the original intent of the clinical ethics consultation service. Based on our review, we propose a list of process measures that may better capture the key domains of a quality clinical ethics consultation.
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Critical care medicine · May 2018
Review Case ReportsNonejecting Hearts on Femoral Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Aortic Root Blood Stasis and Thrombus Formation-A Case Series and Review of the Literature.
Cardiogenic shock constitutes the final common pathway of cardiac dysfunction associated with tissue hypoperfusion and organ failure. Besides treatment of the underlying cause, temporary mechanical circulatory support serves as a supportive measure. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can effectively prevent hypoxemia and end-organ dysfunction, but knowledge about patient selection, risks, and complications remains sparse. ⋯ Patients in cardiogenic shock who require femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support are at risk of developing a state of nonejecting heart with thrombus formation in the aortic root. Echocardiography is the cornerstone of diagnosis and documentation of treatment effects. Depending on the likelihood of the presence of clinically relevant thrombotic material in the aortic root, we propose a treatment algorithm for this group of high-risk patients.
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Critical care medicine · May 2018
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialPrognostic Value of Secretoneurin in Patients With Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: Data From the Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis Study.
Secretoneurin directly influences cardiomyocyte calcium handling, and circulating secretoneurin levels seem to improve risk prediction in patients with myocardial dysfunction by integrating information on systemic stress, myocardial function, and renal function. Accordingly, in this study, we hypothesized that secretoneurin would improve risk prediction in patients with sepsis and especially in patients with septic shock as these patients are more hemodynamically unstable. ⋯ Secretoneurin provides early and potent prognostic information in septic patients with cardiovascular instability.