Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jun 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialA second large controlled clinical study of E5, a monoclonal antibody to endotoxin: results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. The E5 Sepsis Study Group.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of E5, a murine, monoclonal antibody directed against endotoxin, in the treatment of patients with Gram-negative sepsis. ⋯ In this study, E5 did not reduce mortality in nonshock patients with Gram-negative sepsis whether or not those patients also had organ failure. However, E5 did result in greater resolution of organ failure in patients with Gram-negative sepsis. This benefit extended to those patients with suspected Gram-negative etiology. This finding is important because patients with suspected Gram-negative sepsis and organ failure can be identified without waiting for culture results. In addition, E5 resulted in the prevention of adult respiratory distress syndrome and central nervous system organ failure. However, more studies are needed to determine if this result can be extended to organ failure in general. E5 is safe as a treatment for patients with Gram-negative sepsis.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffect of the antiendotoxic agent, taurolidine, in the treatment of sepsis syndrome: a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
To assess the benefit gained from administration of the antiendotoxic drug, taurolidine, on outcome in critically ill patients with sepsis syndrome. ⋯ Taurolidine had no beneficial therapeutic effect on the outcome of patients admitted to the intensive therapy unit with sepsis syndrome, using clinical, bacteriologic outcomes, progression of endotoxemia, resolution of organ failure, and 28-day mortality rate as end points.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 1995
Multicenter StudyProbability of survival after prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure. Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used with increasing frequency for respiratory failure that is unresponsive to conventional therapy. We examined the relationship between duration of ECMO and outcome to understand whether prolonged ECMO (duration of the procedure for > 14 days) was more commonly associated with futile therapy or eventual recovery. ⋯ While the survival rate in pediatric patients receiving ECMO appears related to the severity of lung disease and to the occurrence of ECMO complications, the survival rate in patients treated with ECMO courses of > 2 wks was similar to the survival rate of patients treated for shorter periods of time. ECMO was terminated in some patients for pulmonary futility at durations of ECMO associated with survival in substantial numbers of patients in whom ECMO was continued.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialFrequency of mortality and myocardial infarction during maximizing oxygen delivery: a prospective, randomized trial.
To determine the frequency of myocardial infarction and mortality during treatment that increased oxygen delivery (DO2) to > or = 600 mL/min/m2. To define the characteristics of patients achieving a high DO2 without inotropes in order to guide future studies. ⋯ The group that required catecholamines to achieve a DO2 of > or = 600 mL/min/m2 had a lower mortality rate, with no increase in the frequency of myocardial infarction. Future prospective, controlled trials examining select groups of patients (age > or = 50 yrs) may demonstrate a difference between control and treatment groups by eliminating the majority of patients who generate the high DO2 with only preload augmentation.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 1995
Comparative StudyNoninvasive monitoring of end-tidal carbon dioxide tension via nasal cannulas in spontaneously breathing children with profound hypocarbia.
To determine the correlation between end-tidal CO2 and PaCO2 measured via nasal cannulas in spontaneously breathing children with profound hypocarbia (PaCO2 < 30 torr [< 4.0 kPa]). ⋯ End-tidal CO2 measurement by infrared spectroscopy provides an accurate estimation of PaCO2, even during episodes of severe hypocarbia. Its use may limit the need for invasive monitoring and/or repeated arterial blood gas analyses.