Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2023
Meta AnalysisLower Versus Higher Exposure to Vasopressor Therapy in Vasodilatory Hypotension: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.
Balancing the risks of hypotension and vasopressor-associated adverse effects is a daily challenge in ICUs. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to examine the effect of lower versus higher exposure to vasopressor therapy on mortality among adult ICU patients with vasodilatory hypotension. ⋯ In patients with vasodilatory hypotension who are started on vasopressors, moderate-certainty evidence from three randomized trials showed that lower vasopressor exposure probably lowers mortality. However, additional trial data are needed to reach an optimal information size to detect a clinically important 10% relative reduction in mortality with this approach.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2023
Meta AnalysisImpact of Early Tracheostomy Versus Late or No Tracheostomy in Nonneurologically Injured Adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The optimal timing of tracheostomy in nonneurologically injured mechanically ventilated critically ill adult patients is uncertain. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of early versus late tracheostomy or prolonged intubation in this population. ⋯ In our systematic review, we observed that early tracheostomy, as compared with late tracheostomy or prolonged intubation, was not associated with a reduction in overall mortality. However, we cannot exclude a clinically relevant reduction in mortality considering the level of certainty of the evidence. A well-designed trial is needed to answer this important clinical question.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2023
ReviewMortality As a Measure of Treatment Effect in Clinical Trials Recruiting Critically Ill Patients.
All-cause mortality is a common measure of treatment effect in ICU-based randomized clinical trials (RCTs). We sought to understand the performance characteristics of a mortality endpoint by evaluating its temporal course, responsiveness to differential treatment effects, and impact when used as an outcome measure in trials of acute illness. ⋯ Our findings provide a conceptual framework for choosing a time horizon and interpreting mortality outcome in trials of acute illness. Differential mortality effects persist for 60 to 90 days following recruitment. Location-based measures approximate time-based measures for trials conducted outside the United States. The documentation of a mortality reduction has had a modest impact on practice.
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Surgical science has driven innovation and inquiry across adult and pediatric disciplines that provide critical care regardless of location. Surgically originated but broadly applicable knowledge has been globally shared within the pages Critical Care Medicine over the last 50 years.
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2023
Predicting Readmission or Death After Discharge From the ICU: External Validation and Retraining of a Machine Learning Model.
Many machine learning (ML) models have been developed for application in the ICU, but few models have been subjected to external validation. The performance of these models in new settings therefore remains unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of an existing decision support tool based on a ML model predicting readmission or death within 7 days after ICU discharge before, during, and after retraining and recalibration. ⋯ In this era of expanding availability of ML models, external validation and retraining are key steps to consider before applying ML models to new settings. Clinicians and decision-makers should take this into account when considering applying new ML models to their local settings.