15 Jan 10
Posted in Admission to ICU, Critical Care at 0:48 by Laci
By J-L Vincent, S Opal and J Marshall
Crit Care Med 2010;38:283-287
Severity scores such as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II have been advocated as entry criteria for clinical trials and in clinical decision-making. We present ten reasons why we believe this approach is not appropriate and may even be detrimental.
Data sources
Available relevant literature from authors’ personal databases and personal knowledge of past and future clinical trial development.
Data synthesis
Severity scores were not designed for use in individual patients or for therapeutic decision-making for specific interventions. Difficulties with the time window needed to calculate these scores and the need to administer therapies early further limit their use in this context. The complex nature of the scores makes it difficult to use them at the bedside and there is considerable interobserver variability in score calculation. Inclusion of chronic health and age points in severity scores may prevent younger, previously healthy patients, with similar acute physiological dysfunction and therefore total lower severity scores, from trial inclusion or from receiving therapies that may be beneficial.
Conclusions
We believe severity of illness scores are poor surrogates for risk stratification and should not be used as a criterion for patient enrollment into clinical trials or as the basis for individual treatment decisions.
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11 Dec 09
Posted in Critical Care at 1:26 by Laci
By J Preiser
Critical Care 2009, 13:228
In 2008, the interest in metabolic and endocrine issues and their consequences in critically ill patients was high. A large proportion of the research papers related to these issues was related to the metabolism of glucose and its control and to the changes in body composition, including muscular weakness. In Critical Care, original reports from investigations of glucose physiology and clinical data from observational and interventional studies were published. Important reports of the effects of hormone analogues, such as vasopressin and hydrocortisone, and early antioxidants in selected subpopulations were also available in 2008.
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09 Dec 09
Posted in Critical Care at 1:28 by Laci
By Zhang and A Slutsky
Critical Care 2009, 13:225
Original research contributions published in Critical Care in 2008 in the fields of respirology and critical care medicine are summarized. Eighteen articles were grouped into the following categories: acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation, mechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury, and tracheotomy decannulation and non-invasive ventilation.
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07 Dec 09
Posted in Critical Care at 1:26 by Laci
By Z Ricci and C Ronco
Critical Care 2009, 13:227
We summarize original research in the field of critical care nephrology accepted or published during 2008 in Critical Care and, when considered relevant or directly linked to this research, in other journals. Three main topics have been identified for a rapid overview. (1) The classification of acute kidney injury, with particular attention to differences and similarities between the RIFLE and AKIN classifications. (2) Fluid balance in patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) has been shown as an independent risk factor for mortality in critically ill patients: current evidence and uncertainties are described. (3) Management of anticoagulation during RRT has been explored by several researchers in 2008: diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, the use of tirofiban and optimal anticoagulation during drotrecogin A activated treatment have been evaluated.
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