Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAssociation Between Premorbid Beta-Blocker Exposure and Sepsis Outcomes-The Beta-Blockers in European and Australian/American Septic Patients (BEAST) Study.
To examine the effect of premorbid β-blocker exposure on mortality and organ dysfunction in sepsis. ⋯ This study suggests that β-blocker exposure prior to sepsis, especially to noncardioselective β blockers, may be associated with better outcome. The findings suggest prospective evaluation of β-blocker use in the management of sepsis.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyOutcomes, Time-Trends, and Factors Associated With Ancillary Study Use for the Determination of Brain Death.
Brain death determination often requires ancillary studies when clinical determination cannot be fully or safely completed. We aimed to analyze the results of ancillary studies, the factors associated with ancillary study performance, and the changes over time in number of studies performed at an academic health system. ⋯ A large number of ancillary studies were performed despite a clinical determination of brain death; patients with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury are more likely to undergo ancillary studies for brain death determination, and neurologists were less likely to use ancillary studies for brain death. Recently, the use of electroencephalograms for brain death determination has decreased, likely reflecting significant concerns regarding its validity and reliability.