View clinical trials related to Critical Illness.
Filter by:When children suffer from a critical-illness, the investigators focus on resuscitating and saving lives. Once these children leave the pediatric intensive care unit, very little is known about what happens to them - how long it takes for them to recover, how families cope, and what factors that impede their recovery. The specific objective of this research project is to evaluate how children and their families recover after a critical illness. Research Hypotheses: Following a critical illness in children, 1) the rate and degree of health and functional recovery is influenced by the following factors: age, pre-admission co-morbid status, critical illness severity, discharge functional status, and time to initiating acute rehabilitation; 2) functional recovery is influenced by caregiver burden and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL).
This study will implement and evaluate the effects of a pediatric continuity care intensivist program. This study will determine the impact of an additional pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) intensivist on outcomes at the patient and family level. It will also evaluate the training program to prepare the continuity care intensivist (CCI).
Primary objective of this study is to measure the change of concentration of faecal bifidobacteria between critically ill patients who receive enteral formula with and without prebiotics during enteral nutrition.Our null hypothesis is that there is no difference in the concentration of faecal bifidobacteria between critically ill patients who receive enteral formula with and without prebiotics during enteral nutrition (EN). Three faecal samples will be taken from the patient. First faecal sample is the first stool after initiation of EN and second sample is taken seven days after the initial sample and the third faecal sample is taken at day 14 after initial sample. Patient will be randomized to receive either of described formula after baseline (first) stool sample is obtained. Patient will be monitored up to 14 days after the initial stool sample is obtained.
The purpose of this prospective observational study is to investigate if mechanically ventilated patients who are treated in one of the new intensive care unit (ICU) rooms have less delirium compared to patients who are treated in the conventional rooms on the same ICU. The investigators will further evaluate the impact on sleep quality, circadian rhythm, global cognitive function and general outcome parameters. The investigators recorded light and noise conditions in the ICU rooms before start of the redesigning process (subproject light and noise in the intensive care unit (LiNo-ICU)). The investigators will compare data regarding light and noise in the ICU rooms before and after the redesigning process (non-patient related data; ethical vote amendment 08.05.2014).
Guidelines for blood transfusion have been issued for years. According to these guidelines, red blood cells (RBCs) transfusion should be given when the hemoglobin level is less than 6g/dL or 7g/dL and is unnecessary when the level is more than 10g/dL. However, in all the guidelines, the determination of whether RBCs should be administered when the hemoglobin level is in the range of 6~10g/dL is based on the judgment from doctors. Index of transfusion trigger for patients with hemoglobin level between 6g/dL and 10g/dL is necessary and important in clinical practice. Based on the aim of blood transfusion that maintain the balance of oxygen supply and oxygen consumption, the investigators hypothesize that index of transfusion trigger for patients with hemoglobin level between 6g/dL and 10g/dL could be calculated by parameters including infusion rate of inotropic drugs for maintaining normal cardiac output, fraction of inspired oxygen, core temperature, and torlerance to anemia. To verify this hypothesis, the investigators present West China Transfusion Score for Critically-ill Patients(WCTS-CP) for the trigger of transfusion according to the patient's history and monitoring parameters, and the investigators design a randomized controlled clinical trial to test this score.
The purpose of the study is to create a clinical pneumonia tool that can be used to predict the cause of community-acquired pneumonia, which is a lung infection that began outside of the hospital in critically ill children therefore limiting unnecessary antibiotic use. The investigators will enroll critically ill children admitted with acute respiratory failure and suspected pneumonia. Each patient will receive a clinical pneumonia score blinded from culture and respiratory viral panel results. All care after samples obtained will be at the discretion of the PICU team. The investigators believe that our clinical pneumonia scale with procalcitonin will accurately designate viral from bacterial etiologies.
Bed rest produces insulin resistance in healthy volunteers. In this study the investigators aim to investigate the effect of 8 days bed rest on the incretin effect and how alternate daily fasting affects cognitive function and the insulin resistance produced by bed rest. The subjects will be randomized to either 3 meals a day (isocaloric diet), alternate daily fasting or one meal/day every second day (25% of daily calorie need) and four meals/day every second (175% of daily calorie need). The investigators hypothesize: 1. Bed rest reduces the incretin effect 2. Alternate daily fasting improves the cognitive function (memory and concentration) compared to isocaloric diet 3. Alternate daily fasting reduces insulin resistance produced by bed rest compared to isocaloric diet
Critically ill patients with a predicted prolonged ICU stay will receive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of one quadriceps muscle. Whether the dominant or non-dominant side will be stimulated is chosen randomly by using opaque sealed envelopes. The patients will receive electrical stimulation for 1h for 7 consecutive days. The stimulated and non-stimulated side will be compared for it's thickness (by using ultrasound imaging), muscle strength if the patients are awake and cooperative (using the medical research council scale and handheld dynamometry) and a muscle biopsy will be taken. As a primary outcome the investigators hypothesize that electrical stimulation will preserve muscle mass with respect to the non-stimulated quadriceps. As secondary outcomes the investigators hypothesize that electrical stimulation can reduce muscle strength loss and leads to a better protein balance and thicker muscle fibers in the stimulated quadriceps.
The purpose of this project is to test an innovative method for managing pain in acutely ill hospitalized patients who are not able to report their pain verbally to health care professionals. Nurses will use a Pain Assessment and Intervention for the Non-communicative (PAIN) Algorithm to guide assessment of pain, selection of pain medications, and management of medication side effects. The researchers will evaluate whether patients who are managed with the PAIN Algorithm have less severe pain and increased use of pharmacologic pain management strategies than those who are not managed with the PAIN Algorithm. The study design is a non-randomized quasi-experimental cohort design with two cohorts who will be sequentially studied. In phase 1, patients will comprise the usual care group (UCG), or control cohort, defined as receiving pain assessment and management practices that nurses are currently performing on the study units. In phase 2 the PAIN Algorithm coupled with analgesic order sets will be introduced to nurses and physicians on all participating units as the intervention. Patients enrolled in this phase will be considered the intervention group (IG), also called the experimental cohort. Nurses will be enrolled from the participating inpatient units to provide data on the clinical utility of the PAIN Algorithm
The study was designed to explore the effects of different sedation protocol on incidence rates of delirium and PTSD in severe patients with mechanically ventilation.