Crit Care Resusc
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cytokine and lipid metabolome effects of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid in critically ill patients with systemic inflammation: a pilot, feasibility, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a dysregulated response that contributes to critical illness. Adjunctive acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) treatment may offer beneficial effects by increasing the synthesis of specialised proresolving mediators (a subset of polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived lipid mediators). ⋯ In ICU patients with SIRS, low-dose ASA did not significantly alter serum IL-6 concentrations, but it did affect plasma concentrations of certain lipid mediators. The ability to measure lipid mediators in clinical samples and to monitor the effect of ASA on their levels unlocks a potential area of biological investigation in critical care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The cost-effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroids for patients with septic shock.
To determine whether hydrocortisone is a cost-effective treatment for patients with septic shock. ⋯ Adjunctive hydrocortisone did not significantly affect longer term mortality, health-related quality of life, health care resource use or costs, and is unlikely to be cost-effective.
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Observational Study
Successful implementation of a short message service (SMS) as intensive care to family communication tool.
Regularly informing families of the condition of their relative can be difficult. Text messaging via mobile telephones may achieve such communication effectively. ⋯ We successfully instituted real-time SMS updates. All surveyed participants agreed that these messages were reassuring, informative and easy to follow and that they would recommend the SMS service to other families.
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Describe characteristics, daily care and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ⋯ Despite multiple advanced critical care interventions, COVID-19 ARDS was associated with prolonged ventilation and high short term mortality. Older age and pre-admission hypertension were key mortality risk factors.