View clinical trials related to Critically Ill.
Filter by:The investigators aim to compare the respiratory mechanics in acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory diseases syndrome (ARDS) patients with and without pleural effusion.
The purpose of this study is to determine if naso-jejunal feeding (feeding beyond the stomach) improves the efficacy of enteral feeding (feeding into the gut) in critically ill patients. The study hypothesis is that in patients who fail to establish enteral feeding via the nasogastric route, introduction of nasojejunal feeding will lead to more effective enteral feeding than the current regime involving staged introduction of promotility agents.
Using the self-regulation theory, an intervention to prepare families for that experience was developed. This study will assess the impact of the intervention on a family's evaluation of their preparation and their short-term coping. The site used for this study will be the Trauma and Life Support Center (TLC), University of Wisconsin (UW) Hospital. After a decision has been made to withdraw life support, a member of the TLC staff will approach the next of kin of the patient to inform him/her about the study and inquire about his/her interest to participate. Using an experimental design, 10 family members will be assigned to the control group and 10 to the intervention group. Upon agreement, a research nurse will use a "coin toss method" for group assignment of the subjects until there are ten in each group. Experimental group subjects will receive the intervention after the family meeting. Demographics of the next of kin will be collected at this time. Patient information such as demographics, diagnosis, and time of withdrawal and death will be collected too. Two to four weeks after death, a telephone interview will be conducted with the next of kin using the "Evaluation of the Experience of Withdrawal" questionnaire and the Profile of Mood State - shortened version. Potential benefits are that the families will be prepared for the experience of the dying patient, which will help them cope better during withdrawal and after their loss. There are no major risks to the subjects but there might be an increase in psychological distress.
This study will examine the impact of acute illness on sequential airway IgA levels in intensive care patients who will require prolonged intubation. Infections are the most common cause of late deaths in non-head injured trauma patients and a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially intubated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. Nosocomial pneumonia is the most common of these infections, and its incidence in defined populations of critically injured patients is responsive to route and type of nutrition. This study will focus on the mechanisms of specific immune mucosal defenses in intestinal and extraintestinal sites and link enteral feeding (or lack of it) with maintenance (or deterioration) of respiratory mucosal defenses.
PROTECT Pilot objective is to assess: 1) the feasibility of timely enrollment and complete, blinded study drug administration, 2) the bioaccumulation of LMWH in patients with acquired renal insufficiency and its association with bleeding, 3) the feasibility of scheduled twice weekly lower limb ultrasounds, and 4) recruitment rates for a future randomized trial.
The purpose of this study is to identify the incidence of scratches on the surface of the eye in children who cannot blink due to medication use and to identify how best to reduce the risk of a scratch on the surface of the eye when patients are using specific medicines.