Current opinion in critical care
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2024
ReviewSubgroup analyses and heterogeneity of treatment effects in randomized trials: a primer for the clinician.
To date, most randomized clinical trials in critical care report neutral overall results. However, research as to whether heterogenous responses underlie these results and give opportunity for personalized care is gaining momentum but has yet to inform clinical practice guidance. Thus, we aim to provide an overview of methodological approaches to estimating heterogeneity of treatment effects in randomized trials and conjecture about future paths to application in patient care. ⋯ There is an increasing interest in approaches that can identify heterogeneity in treatment effects from randomized clinical trials, extending beyond traditional subgroup analyses. While prospective validation in further studies is still needed, these approaches are promising tools for design, interpretation, and implementation of clinical trial results.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2024
ReviewAntibiotic dose optimisation in the critically ill: targets, evidence and future strategies.
To highlight the recent evidence for antibiotic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) in enhancing patient outcomes in sepsis and septic shock. We also summarise the limitations of available data and describe future directions for research to support translation of antibiotic dose optimisation to the clinical setting. ⋯ Antibiotic dose optimisation appears to improve outcomes in critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock, however further research is required to quantify the level of benefit and develop a stronger knowledge of the role of new technologies to facilitate optimised dosing.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2024
ReviewLong-term outcomes in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure.
This review aims to explore the latest evidence on long-term outcomes in patients admitted to the ICU because of acute respiratory failure (ARF). ⋯ There is not much data on the long-term outcomes of patients who have survived ARF. More follow-up studies should be conducted, especially in centers providing higher levels of costly care (e.g. ECMO). Randomized controlled trials on interventions for ARF should include patient-centered long-term outcomes in addition to mortality rates. The high mortality rates associated with ARF mandate collaboration among multiple centers to achieve an adequate sample size for studying the long-term outcomes of survivors.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2024
ReviewTreatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bloodstream infections in critically ill patients: an update.
This review describes the latest information in the management of bloodstream infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDRGNB) in critically ill patients. ⋯ For critically ill patients with bloodstream infections caused by MDRGNB, the use of newly developed antibiotics is recommended based on limited observational evidence. Further randomized clinical trials are necessary to determine the most effective antimicrobial therapies among the available options.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Oct 2024
ReviewHow to assess survival prognosis in patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia in 2024?
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is increasingly recognized as a complex, multisystemic disease with the potential to cause both acute and long-term sequelae, significantly impacting patient mortality rates. In this manuscript, the authors review the current methodologies for assessing mortality risk among CAP patients. ⋯ The development of an optimal prognostic tool for postacute sequelae of CAP is imperative. Such a tool should identify specific populations at increased risk. Moreover, accurately identifying at-risk populations is essential for their inclusion in clinical trials that evaluate potential therapies designed to improve short and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CAP.