View clinical trials related to Critically Ill.
Filter by:During weaning the work of breathing is transferred from the ventilator back to the patient. Approximately 40% of the time on ventilators is spent weaning. Studies support the use of screening protocols and tests of patient's ability to breathe spontaneously (SBTs) to identify weaning candidates. The investigators work demonstrates that once daily screening is the current standard of care. The conduct of daily ward rounds and once daily screening in ICUs is poorly aligned with the rapidly changing clinical status of critically ill patients. With respiratory therapists (RTs) in Canadian intensive care units (ICUs), a significant opportunity exists to screen patients more often, conduct more SBTs, and reduce the time spent on ventilators and in the ICU. Only one mechanical ventilation trial has focused on the elderly and no trial has evaluated weaning outcomes in the elderly and very elderly which may be influenced by the presence of comorbidities, frailty, malnutrition and treatment limitations. The investigators propose to conduct a pilot randomized trial in 100 elderly (>/= 65 years) critically ill adults comparing 'once daily' screening to 'at least twice daily' screening in 8 adult ICUs. In the proposed trial, the investigators will (i) evaluate their ability to recruit elderly (>/= 65 years) critically ill patients into a weaning trial and (ii) assess whether protocols can be adhered to similarly between elderly (65 to 80 years) and very elderly (>80 years) trial participants. Moreover, they will also address generalizability issues in the conduct of mechanical ventilation research by evaluating potential biases associated with exclusion criteria and consent between elderly and very elderly patients and obtain preliminary estimates of differences in important clinical outcomes between elderly and very elderly participants.
Rationale: A higher citrate dose during continuous venovenous hemofiltration provides better anticoagulation but possibly a higher risk of citrate accumulation in case of metabolic limitations. A higher citrate dose also increases magnesium loss in ultrafiltrate, while a negative magnesium balance is unwanted. Objective: Aim of this study is to determine the magnesium balance of citrate-based continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) and to determine whether and to which extent the magnesium balance depends on citrate dose. Study design and methods: A prospective randomized study conducted in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), treated with CVVH, with either low dose citrate (2.5 mmol/L blood flow in the filter) or high dose citrate (4.5 mmol/L blood flow in the filter) as anti-coagulant, targeting a postfilter ionized Calcium (iCa) of resp. 1.3-1.6 mg/dL (0.325-0.4 mmol/L) and 0.8-1.1 mg/dL (0.2-0.275 mmol/L). Post-filter blood as well as effluent aliquots and bloodconcentrations in the patient are tested for the following variables: (0 , 2 , 4, 6, 12 and 24 hrs): Total Magnesium (tMg) and total Calcium (tCa), ionized Ca (iCa)(bloodgas analyzer). In addition, hematocrit, albumin, total protein, ureum and creatinine and parathormone (PTH) are determined in arterial blood at 0 and 24 hrs or at the time of protocol exit and citrate concentrations in postfilter and arterial blood at 1 and 24 hrs or at protocol exit. Sample sites: arterial line, postfilter port (after postdilution and calcium compensation), effluent sample. All flow rates to be noted. Study population: Twenty patients admitted to intensive care, requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for AKI. Intervention: Anti-coagulation with either low dose citraat (2.5 mmol/L blood flow) or high dose citraat (4.5 mmol/L blood flow) targeting postfilter iCa of resp. 1.3-1.6 and 0.8-1.1 mg/dL. Both regimens are within standard protocolled CVVH treatment in the intensive care department.
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 purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of a novel cleaning device in keeping silver-coated endotracheal tubes free from bacterial colonization.
The patients with sepsis are in high risk of malnutrition, which could contribute to infection, difficulty in weaning from ventilators. The investigators speculate whether nutrition therapy with high nitrogen could attenuate the malnutrition status and improve the outcome in these sepsis patients. In this prospective Randomized Controlled Trial, the investigators aim to compare high nitrogen intake with conventional nitrogen supply which were recommended in guidelines.
Critically ill, ventilator-treated patients rapidly loose much of their muscle mass and strength. This can attribute to prolonged admission, prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased mortality and might have a negative impact on the physical function, degree of independence and quality of life. The pathophysiological background for the loss of muscle mass as well as possible effective treatment is still not well established. In the NONSEDA-trial we randomise critically ill patients to non-sedation or sedation with a daily wake-up trial during mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). It has never been assessed whether non-sedation reduces the loss of muscle mass and strength. Aim: To assess the effects of non-sedation versus sedation with a daily wake-up trial on physical function after discharge from ICU. Hypothesis: that non-sedation during ventilator-treatment will improve the physical function after ICU-discharge, compared with standard treatment of sedation with a daily wake-up.
Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is an intervention used with success in the outpatient setting within the COPD population. Use of IMT is also theoretically possible during mechanical ventilation. This study will will assess the feasibility and safety of the study of IMT in the patient population.
During weaning the work of breathing is transferred from the ventilator back to the patient. Approximately 40% of the time on ventilators is spent weaning. Studies support the use of screening protocols and tests of patient's ability to breathe spontaneously (SBTs) to identify weaning candidates. Once daily screening is the current standard of care. With respiratory therapists (RTs) in Canadian intensive care units (ICUs), a significant opportunity exists to screen patients more frequently, conduct more SBTs, and reduce the time spent on ventilators and in the ICU. The study is seeking to identify the optimal screening frequency to minimize patients' exposure to invasive ventilation. The RELEASE Trial will evaluate a simple a simple construct: more frequent screening will result In earlier identification of weaning candidates, more frequent SBT's, and less time spent on ventilators and in the ICU. More frequent screening is an appealing intervention because it is sensible, low risk, and represents a cost effective use of current resources. This simple intervention holds promise as a strategy that could change clinical practice, enhance the care delivered to critically ill adults, and improve clinically important outcomes.
Lactoferrin is a protein that is a component of the immune system. It has many properties that could make it the ideal agent for the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Lactoferrin has antibacterial properties (is able to kill or stop the growth of disease causing bacteria and fungal organisms), it improves immune function, and can increase the growth of beneficial bacteria in the bowel. Lactoferrin has been approved by Health Canada as a Natural Health product and is sold in health food stores as a supplement. However, given the potential beneficial effects of Lactoferrin, it requires further study as to its effects in acutely and seriously ill patients. One potential use which has not been studied is for the prevention of infections in critically adult ill patients. The aim of this study is to determine the utility of Lactoferrin in this patient population. The Lactoferrin that the investigators will be using in this study is extracted from cow's milk, where it naturally occurs. Cow lactoferrin has similar properties as that normally produced in the human body. This study is being conducted to determine how well a solution of Lactoferrin given orally and through a feeding tube helps to prevent infections and inflammation in critically ill patients in addition to usual care and other measures that are known to be partially effective for the prevention of infections.
Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are especially at risk for invasive candidiasis due to the presence of risk factors. It is known that in critically ill patients, alterations in function of various organs and body systems can influence the pharmacokinetics and hence the plasma concentration of a drug. A study of caspofungin in ICU patients has found a high inter- and intra-individual variability in caspofungin concentration. Factors that caused subtherapeutic caspofungin plasma concentrations were body weight > 75 kg and hypoalbuminemia. Furthermore, an efficacy study showed a lower response rate for caspofungin among patients with a higher disease severity score. As a result of the altered pharmacokinetics, under- or over-exposure of caspofungin can occur in critically ill patients and an adjusted dosage might be necessary in these patients.