Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2018
Observational StudyWhat Faces Reveal: A Novel Method to Identify Patients at Risk of Deterioration Using Facial Expressions.
To identify facial expressions occurring in patients at risk of deterioration in hospital wards. ⋯ Patterned facial expressions can be identified in deteriorating general ward patients. This tool may potentially augment risk prediction of current scoring systems.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2018
Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality After Rapid Response Team Calls in a 274 Hospital Nationwide Sample.
Despite wide adoption of rapid response teams across the United States, predictors of in-hospital mortality for patients receiving rapid response team calls are poorly characterized. Identification of patients at high risk of death during hospitalization could improve triage to intensive care units and prompt timely reevaluations of goals of care. We sought to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients who are subjects of rapid response team calls and to develop and validate a predictive model for death after rapid response team call. ⋯ Patients who die following rapid response team calls differ significantly from surviving peers. Recognition of these factors could improve postrapid response team triage decisions and prompt timely goals of care discussions.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2018
Trends in Use of Midodrine in the ICU: A Single-Center Retrospective Case Series.
Midodrine is an oral alpha-agonist approved for orthostatic hypotension. The use of midodrine as a vasopressor sparing agent has steadily increased in the ICU despite limited evidence for its safety in that setting. We describe the trends in use and reported side effects and complications of midodrine in multidisciplinary ICUs of a tertiary care institution. ⋯ Our results suggest that midodrine is being increasingly used as an adjunct to increase mean arterial pressure and facilitate weaning of vasopressors in the ICU. Prospective trials are required to further establish the appropriate timing, efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of midodrine use in ICU patients.
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Critical care medicine · Jul 2018
Increasing the Number of Medical Emergency Calls Does Not Improve Hospital Mortality.
Medical emergency teams were established to rescue patients experiencing clinical deterioration thus preventing cardiac arrest and unexpected hospital mortality. Although hospitals are encouraged to increase emergency calling rates to improve in-hospital mortality, there are increasing concerns about the impact these calls have on the workload of the teams and the skill levels on the general wards. We set out to examine the relationship between emergency calling rates and adjusted in-hospital mortality. ⋯ With adjustment for patient factors, illness, and comorbidities, increased emergency calling rates were not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality. Efforts to increase calling rates do not seem warranted.