2011 Jun- Acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute lung injury [Review]
Dushianthan A, Grocott MP, Postle AD, Cusack R.; Postgrad Med J. 2011 Jun 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life threatening respiratory failure due to lung injury from a variety of precipitants. Pathologically ARDS is characterised by diffuse alveolar damage, alveolar capillary leakage, and protein rich pulmonary oedema leading to the clinical manifestation of poor lung compliance, severe hypoxaemia, and bilateral infiltrates on chest radiograph. Several aetiological factors associated with the development of ARDS are identified with sepsis, pneumonia, and trauma with multiple transfusions accounting for most cases.
2011 Jun - Statins for acute coronary syndrome
Vale N, Nordmann AJ, Schwartz GG, de Lemos J, Colivicchi F, den Hartog F, Ostadal P, Macin SM, Liem AH, Mills E, Bhatnagar N, Bucher HC, Briel M. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jun 15;6:CD006870.
BACKGROUND: The early period following the onset of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) represents a critical stage of coronary heart disease with a high risk for recurrent events and deaths. The short-term effects of early treatment with statins in patients suffering from ACS on patient-relevant outcomes are unclear.
2011 Jun - Treatment for disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with acute and chronic leukemia
Martí-Carvajal AJ, Simancas D, Cardona AF.;Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jun 15;6:CD008562.
BACKGROUND: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an acquired syndrome characterized by systemic intravascular activation of coagulation, leading to deposition of fibrin in the bloodstream, that may occur in patients with acute and chronic leukemia.
2011 Jun - Direct hemoperfusion with polymyxin B immobilized fiber for abdominal sepsis in Europe [Review]
Sato K, Maekawa H, Sakurada M, Orita H, Komatsu Y.;Surg Today. 2011 Jun;41(6):754-60.
Since direct hemoperfusion with polymyxin B immobilized fiber (PMX-DHP) received its product certification for use in Europe in 1998, several prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted in European countries. The first RCT, performed in six European academic medical centers in 2005, concluded that PMX-DHP is associated with improved hemodynamic status and cardiac function. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of PMX-DHP was presented in Italy in 2007....
2011 Jul - Micronutrient supplementation for critically ill adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Visser J, Labadarios D, Blaauw R.;Nutrition. 2011 Jul-Aug;27(7-8):745-58.
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review assessed the effects of micronutrient supplementation on adults recovering from critical illness. Primary outcomes included clinical endpoints (mortality, infectious complications, length of intensive care unit and of hospital stay). Secondary outcomes included descriptions of practice issues, micronutrient status, morbidity, course of the acute-phase response, and oxidative stress.
2011 May - Systematic review and meta-analysis of survival following extracorporeal liver support
BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal liver support (ELS) systems offer the potential to prolong survival in acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure. However, the literature has been unclear on their specific role and influence on mortality. This meta-analysis aimed to test the hypothesis that ELS improves survival in acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure.
2011 Jun - Management of severe sepsis in patients admitted to Asian intensive care units: prospective cohort study
Phua J, Koh Y, Du B, Tang YQ, Divatia JV, Tan CC, Gomersall CD, Faruq MO, Shrestha BR, Gia Binh N, Arabi YM, Salahuddin N, Wahyuprajitno B, Tu ML, Wahab AY, Hameed AA, Nishimura M, Procyshyn M, Chan YH; for the MOSAICS Study Group.; BMJ. 2011 Jun 13;342:d3245.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the compliance of Asian intensive care units and hospitals to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign's resuscitation and management bundles. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the impact of compliance on mortality and the organisational characteristics of hospitals that were associated with higher compliance.
2011 Apr - Randomisation to protect against selection bias in healthcare trials [Review]
Odgaard-Jensen J, Vist GE, Timmer A, Kunz R, Akl EA, Schünemann H, Briel M, Nordmann AJ, Pregno S, Oxman AD. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Apr 13;4:MR000012.
BACKGROUND: Randomised trials use the play of chance to assign participants to comparison groups. The unpredictability of the process, if not subverted, should prevent systematic differences between comparison groups (selection bias). Differences due to chance will still occur and these are minimised by randomising a sufficiently large number of people.
2011 May - Vasopressors for hypotensive shock [Review]
Havel C, Arrich J, Losert H, Gamper G, Müllner M, Herkner H.; Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 May 11;5:CD003709.
BACKGROUND: Initial goal directed resuscitation for shock usually includes the administration of intravenous fluids, followed by initiating vasopressors. Despite obvious immediate effects of vasopressors on haemodynamics their effect on patient relevant outcomes remains controversial. This review was originally published in 2004 and was updated in 2011.
2011 May - Prophylactic corticosteroids for cardiopulmonary bypass in adults [Review]
Dieleman JM, van Paassen J, van Dijk D, Arbous MS, Kalkman CJ, Vandenbroucke JP, van der Heijden GJ, Dekkers OM.; Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 May 11;5:CD005566.
BACKGROUND: High-dose prophylactic corticosteroids are often administered during cardiac surgery. Their use, however, remains controversial, as no trials are available that have been sufficiently powered to draw conclusions on their effect on major clinical outcomes.
2011 May - Acupuncture for acute management and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury [Review]
Wong V, Cheuk DK, Lee S, Chu V. ; Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 May 11;5:CD007700.
BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be life threatening depending on the severity of the insult to the brain. It can also cause a range of debilitating sequelae which require cognitive, motor, communication, emotional, or behavioral rehabilitation of varying intensity and duration. A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that acupuncture may be beneficial in the acute treatment and rehabilitation of TBI.
2011 Apr - Human recombinant activated protein C for severe sepsis
BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a common and frequently fatal condition. Human recombinant activated protein C (APC) has been used to reduce the high rate of death by severe sepsis or septic shock. This is an update of a Cochrane review (originally published in 2007 and updated in 2008).
2011 Apr 18 - Off-Label Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa in U.S. Hospitals: Analysis of Hospital Records
Background: Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is approved for treatment of bleeding in patients who have hemophilia with inhibitors but has been applied to a wide range of off-label indications.
2011 Apr 18 - Characteristics and Short-Term Prognosis of Perioperative Myocardial Infarction in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery: A Cohort Study
Background: Each year, millions of patients worldwide have a perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) after noncardiac surgery.
2004 Jun 15 - Clinical Guidelines: Medical Management of the Acute Radiation Syndrome: Recommendations of the Strategic National Stockpile Radiation Working Group
Abstract
Physicians, hospitals, and other health care facilities will assume the responsibility for aiding individuals injured by a terrorist act involving radioactive material. Scenarios have been developed for such acts that include a range of exposures resulting in few to many casualties. This consensus document was developed by the Strategic National Stockpile Radiation Working Group to provide a framework for physicians in internal medicine and the medical subspecialties to evaluate and manage large-scale radiation injuries.
2011 Mar - Clinical and functional outcome and factors predicting prognosis in osmotic demyelination syndrome (central pontine and/or extrapontine myelinolysis) in 25 patients
Kallakatta RN, Radhakrishnan A, Fayaz RK, Unnikrishnan JP, Kesavadas C, Sarma SP.; J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 Mar;82(3):326-31. Epub 2010 Sep 8
AIMS: To assess the functional and clinical outcome in a sizeable cohort of patients with osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) and to characterise the factors which could predict the final outcome.
2011 Mar - A randomized comparison of the use of an optical compared with a rigid laryngoscope on the success rate of novices performing tracheal intubation.
Proficiency in tracheal intubation is a difficult skill to acquire, especially when using a rigid laryngoscope. We compared success in tracheal intubation by novices using an optical laryngoscope with that achieved with a rigid laryngoscope.
2011 Mar - Environmental cleaning intervention and risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant organisms from prior room occupants
Datta R, Platt R, Yokoe DS, Huang SS.; Arch Intern Med. 2011 Mar 28;171(6):491-4.
BACKGROUND: Admission to intensive care unit rooms previously occupied by carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enteroccoci (VRE) had been found to confer a 40% increased risk of acquisition, presumably through environmental contamination. Subsequently, a cleaning intervention was shown to reduce MRSA and VRE room contamination. We now evaluate the effect of this intervention on the risk of acquiring MRSA and VRE from prior room occupants.
2011 Mar 14 - What Distinguishes Top-Performing Hospitals in Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality Rates? A Qualitative Study
Background: Mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) vary substantially across hospitals, even when adjusted for patient severity; however, little is known about hospital factors that may influence this variation.
2011 Mar 14 - Early Percutaneous Tracheotomy Versus Prolonged Intubation of Mechanically Ventilated Patients After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Trial*
Background: Whether early percutaneous tracheotomy in patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation can shorten mechanical ventilation duration and lower mortality remains controversial.