Greenberg SB, Vender J The use of neuromuscular blocking agents in the ICU: where are we now? Crit Care Med. 2013 May;41(5):1332-44. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31828ce07c. Review.
Liu X, Kruger PS, Weiss M, Roberts MS The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cisatracurium in critically ill patients with severe sepsis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2012 May;73(5):741-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.04149.x.
McManus MC Neuromuscular blockers in surgery and intensive care, Part 1. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2001 Dec 1;58(23):2287-99. Review. Erratum in: Am J Health Syst Pharm 2002 Jan 1;59(1):16.
Welch RM, Brown A, Ravitch J, Dahl R The in vitro degradation of cisatracurium, the R, cis-R'-isomer of atracurium, in human and rat plasma. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1995 Aug;58(2):132-42.
The Study of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of a Loading Dose Cisatracurium in Critically Ill Patients
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.