Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of tight computerized glucose control on neurological outcome in severely brain injured patients: A multicenter sub-group analysis of the randomized-controlled open-label CGAO-REA study.
Hyperglycemia is a marker of poor prognosis in severe brain injuries. There is currently little data regarding the effects of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) on neurological recovery. ⋯ In this sub-group analysis of a large multicenter randomized trial, IIT did not appear to alter the day-90 neurological outcome or ICU morbidity in severe brain injured patients or ICU morbidity.
-
Delirium is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery. Although various risk factors for postoperative delirium have been identified, the relationship between nocturnal breathing disorders and delirium has not yet been elucidated. This study evaluated the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery patients without a previous diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. ⋯ Preoperative SDB (for example, undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea) were strongly associated with postoperative delirium, and may be a risk factor for postoperative delirium.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Procalcitonin guidance for reduction of antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with severe acute exacerbations of asthma: a randomized controlled study with 12-month follow-up.
Patients with severe acute exacerbations of asthma often receive inappropriate antibiotic treatment. We aimed to determine whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels can effectively and safely reduce antibiotic exposure in patients experiencing exacerbations of asthma. ⋯ A PCT-guided strategy allows antibiotic exposure to be reduced in patients with severe acute exacerbation of asthma without apparent harm.
-
Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the anticoagulant of choice for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), but bivalirudin can be used as an alternative. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the existence of a heparin-like effect (HLE) during heparin-free ECMO. ⋯ A heparin-like effect is common during ECMO, and most likely due to a release of heparinoids from the glycocalyx and the mast cells, as a consequence of sepsis or of the systemic inflammatory reaction triggered by the contact of blood with foreign surfaces.
-
Comparative Study
Predicting preload responsiveness using simultaneous recordings of inferior and superior vena cava diameters.
Echocardiographic indices based on respiratory variations of superior and inferior vena cavae diameters (ΔSVC and ΔIVC, respectively) have been proposed as predictors of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients, but they have never been compared simultaneously in the same patient sample. The aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of these echocardiographic indices when concomitantly recorded in mechanically ventilated septic patients. ⋯ ΔSVC was better than ΔIVC in predicting fluid responsiveness in our cohort. It is worth noting that the sensitivity and specificity values of ΔSVC and ΔIVC for predicting fluid responsiveness were lower than those reported in the literature, highlighting the limits of using these indices in a heterogeneous sample of medical and surgical septic patients.