View clinical trials related to Critically Ill Patients.
Filter by:During hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU), the occurrence of a blood glucose imbalance is frequent and associated with increased mortality. These observations have resulted in the hypothesis that intensive insulin therapy designed to control blood glucose would improve the prognosis of patients admitted into the ICU. In a prospective, randomized, single center study in a surgical ICU during which the majority of patients had undergone cardiac surgery, intensive insulin therapy with the objective to maintain glycemia below 110 mg/dl (6.1 mmol/L) provided a significant reduction in ICU mortality and hospital mortality compared to a group with a glycemic objective of 200 mg/dl. In a recent published article, the beneficial effect of intensive insulin therapy seems less obvious in a randomized single center study in a medical ICU. One of the potential factors limiting the impact of a therapeutic strategy like this one is the absence of achieving strict glycemic control for all patients on intensive insulin therapy. Additionally, the implementation of such a therapeutic strategy results in an increased risk of hypoglycemia, the consequences of which on morbidity remain unclear. The aim of our study is to determine, in a mixed population of medical and surgical patients admitted to the ICU, requiring artificial ventilation with a expected duration above 48 hours, the impact of effective strict glycemic control (<6,1 mmol/l) compared to a conventional glycemic control (<11mmol/l) on hospital mortality.
H2-receptor antagonists are the gold standard for stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients. Various studies demonstrated superiority of proton pump inhibitors over H2-receptor antagonists in increasing gastric pH and in healing gastric acid-dependent diseases. It is unknown, whether proton pump inhibitors are more effective in increasing gastric pH than H2-receptor antagonists in critically ill patients requiring stress ulcer prophylaxis.
Intravascular devices are an integral component of modern-day medical practice. Infection is one of the leading complications of intravascular catheters and is associated with an increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization and increased medical costs. Central venous catheters (CVCs) account for an estimated 90% of all catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). A host of risk factors for CVC-related infections have been documented. This includes most importantly, duration of catheterization. The duration of use of CVCs remains controversial and the length of time such devices can safely be left in situ has not been fully and objectively addressed in the critically ill patient. As a consequence, scheduled replacement remains widely practiced in many Intensive Care Units(ICUs). Over the past few years, antimicrobial impregnated catheters have been introduced in an attempt to limit catheter-related infection (CRI) and increase the time that CVCs can safely be left in place. Recent meta-analyses concluded that antimicrobial impregnated CVCs appear to be effective in reducing CRI. The topic however, remains extremely controversial with different viewpoints appearing in the literature recently. This was a prospective randomized double-blind study performed in the multidisciplinary ICU at Johannesburg Hospital over a four year period.The study entailed a comparison of standard triple-lumen versus antimicrobial impregnated CVCs on the rate of CRI. The aim was to determine whether the researchers could safely increase the duration of catheter insertion time from the standard practice of seven days to 14 days, to assess the influence of the antimicrobial impregnated catheter on the incidence of CRI, evaluate risk factors and elucidate the epidemiology of CRI.
Critically ill patients are generally exposed to an increased oxidative stress, which is proportional to the severity of their condition. Endogenous antioxidant (AOX) defenses are depleted particularly in those patients with intense inflammatory response. The hypothesis tested is that early I:V: administration of a combination of AOX micronutrient supplements (Se, Zn, Vit C, Vit E, Vit B1) would improve clinical outcome in selected critically ill patients, by reinforcing the endogenous AOX defenses and reducing organ failure.
This is a single-center, open, non-controlled clinical investigation in 10 patients at the Medical University Graz including a treatment visit (V1)and a follow up visit(V2). In the treatment visit (V1) after admittance to the ICU arterial blood glucose values will be monitored and either the software-algorithm eMPC will be used to adjust the infusion rate of intravenously administered human soluble insulin to normalise arterial blood glucose. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the performance of the already developed and tested algorithm in combination with a newly developed bed-side, touch screen user interface (CS-1 decision support system) in patients at the medical ICU for a period of 72 hours. Follow up information(V2) will be acquired at hospital discharge or at the latest one week after visit 1.
Sleep disruptions are extremely common in high-risk critically ill patients. The investigators want to analyse oral melatonin potentialities as a sedative and a free-radicals scavenger for critically ill patients, and secondarily for preventing Delirium during their ICU stay and post-traumatic stress disorders after ICU discharge.
This is an open mono-centre randomised controlled trial performed at the Medical University Graz including a treatment visit (V1). In the treatment visit (V1) after admittance to the ICU arterial blood glucose values will be monitored and either the software-algorithm eMPC will be used to adjust the infusion rate of intravenously administered human soluble insulin to normalise arterial blood glucose or routine treatment will be used to establish tight glycaemic control. The treatment visit will last for 72 hours. The primary hypothesis of the study is that blood glucose control by the eMPC algorithm is not inferior compared to the implemented routine protocol.
Compare the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia with or without tracheal isotonic saline instillation before tracheal suctioning
There is a growing body of evidence in the literature regarding the adverse effects of hyperglycemia in critically ill patients. To target and maintain better blood glucose regulation we implemented an insulin protocol with target blood glucose levels between 81-110 mg/dL.
The investigators aim to compare the bladder pressure to the gastric pressure in critically ill patients.