Active clinical trials for "Critical Illness"

Hemodynamic management of critically ill patients is a constant challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU). Commonly used monitoring parameters to guide hemodynamic management generally consist of measurements of pressures (systemic and pulmonary artery pressures, cardiac filling pressures) and flow (cardiac output measurements using a thermodilution method). However, cardiac filling pressures and flow data have known limitations and might not accurately represent cardiac preload and contractility. Hemodynamic management of critically ill patients based on these parameters might therefore not be optimal and delay stabilisation of the patient, leading to negative outcomes and increased use of resources. Visualization of the heart using echocardiography offers the advantage of direct measurement of cardiac volumes and systolic function. Echocardiography has been established as a tool to evaluate the causes of hemodynamic instability in ICU patients by the visualization of cardiac chambers, valves and pericardium and cardiac functional abnormalities. A repeated echocardiographic assessment could potentially provide useful additional information resulting in more rapid resolution of hemodynamic instability. Using conventional TTE and TEE, however, limits the feasibility of such an approach due to a lack of time and availability of appropriately trained staff. In recently published studies the feasibility of hemodynamic monitoring and safety of hTEE was demonstrated. In the context of a prospective quality review assessment, the investigators showed that the echocardiographic examinations using hTEE were of sufficient quality in a majority of examined ICU patients and that the inter-rater reliability between the intensivists and a trained cardiologist was substantial. However, as of yet studies assessing the impact of hemodynamic monitoring by hTEE on relevant patient outcomes are not available. Given the associated costs for the hTEE device and the ultrasound probes and the additional resource requirements for training and application, the efficacy and efficiency of hTEE monitoring in comparison to standard monitoring should be established.

Since strategies were applied in intensive care medicine, including low tidal volume ventilation, fluid resuscitation, use of antibiotics, restrictive transfusion strategy and bundle of ventilator therapy, the incidence of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) has been decreased recent years. However, the mortality of severe ARDS is still higher to 45%. Few medications did were indicated to be effective in working on development of ARDS. Different with other disease, ARDS were difficult to prevent in its later stage like a domino effect. The medication interventions are all used after ARDS was developed, including ulinastatin. The investigators hypothesized that the key point in failure of medication therapy is the delay timing of medication intervention. If given the preventive strategy, such as ulinastatin, the incidence or the severity of ARDS might be decreased. Therefore this is a randomized controlled trial to test the hypothesis of the preventive effect of ulinastatin in ARDS. This is a multi-center, randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled study.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether oral topic silver nanoparticles are effective to reduce potential pathogen microbial loads in mechanical ventilation patients.

Difficulties in the accurate assessment of intravascular volume in critically ill patients are frequently encountered. In addition to clinical evaluation, bedside echocardiographic measurements of fluid responsiveness can be technically difficult, especially in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. The carotid artery is an easily accessible structure that is amenable to bedside ultrasonography performed by Intensivists. The investigators hypothesize that measurement of the carotid artery Corrected Flow Time (FTC) in response to a passive leg raise (PLR), which simulates a fluid bolus, can be used to predict fluid responsiveness.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus infection in critically ill patients looked after in the intensive care unit can be successfully and safely prevented using antiviral agents. Comparison is made between standard care, and treatment with one of two different antiviral regimens: valaciclovir/aciclovir, which has a favourable side effect profile but requires high dosage to be effective, and valganciclovir/ganciclovir, which has more side effects, but has been demonstrated to be effective in low dosage. The primary hypothesis is that cytomegalovirus reactivation can be effectively suppressed with antiviral prophylaxis.

Patients are admitted to the critical care unit of the hospital because of medical conditions that have a high likelihood of causing severe problems with blood flow, breathing, or brain function. These conditions also have a high likelihood of causing death. Approximately 10 to 15% of all critically ill patients die in hospital. A large amount of scientific evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of these deaths is due to a combination of blot clotting and inflammation in the blood vessels. Statins are drugs that interfere with cholesterol and fat metabolism. Cholesterol and fat in the blood are associated with blood clotting and inflammation in the blood vessels. Statins are known to be very beneficial in improving the survival after heart attacks, and in preventing heart attacks. The question that VASTVALUS asks is: do statins improve survival among all critically ill patients? In VASTVALUS, we will concentrate on patients that do not currently require a statin because of their medical condition e.g. after a heart attack, but we are concerned with the rest of the critically ill. In VASTVALUS, participating patients will receive either atorvastatin 80 mg daily or a placebo. Atorvastatin is a statin with a well-established record of safety and effectiveness. A placebo has no known medical activity. We will follow all patients in VASTVALUS to determine whether atorvastatin has any effect on the occurrence of death, stroke, heart attack, or kidney failure among the critically ill. Results from VASTVALUS will be shared with the medical community after the study is completed. As with all clinical trials, patients in VASTVALUS participate of their own choice, and can change their mind at any time.

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.

This study evaluates the effect of a transcutaneous electrical stimulation in critically ill patients compared to a sham electrical stimulation to decrease the incidence of diaphragm dysfunction before mechanical ventilation weaning.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT), is a common and severe complication of critical illness. Critically ill patients are at high risk of VTE because they combine both general risk factors together with specific ICU risk factors of VTE. Vasopressor administration was found to be an independent risk factor for DVT. certainly explained by reduced absorption of subcutaneous heparin linked to the vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels. For critically ill patients, due to the altered pharmacokinetics behavior of unfractionated heparin, continuous intravenous infusion of the low doses of unfractionated heparin has been proposed. Standard prophylaxis with subcutaneous (SC) heparin is less efficient in patients requiring vasopressors. Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response due to an infection. Both inflammatory mediators and coagulation are involved in sepsis. the release of inflammatory mediators such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor causes damage to the endothelium and activation of coagulation which promotes the inflammatory process. Unfractionated heparin is the most negatively charged biological molecule known, heparin has a strong ability to interfere with the functioning of positively charged molecules. Due to the difference in charges, heparin has been documented to interact with over 100 proteins.57 Interleukins, cytokines, and receptors located on endothelial cells, which are involved in the acute phase response, are positively charged and thus are a reasonable target for the modulating effects of heparin. Heparin has strong anti-inflammatory effects with many possible mechanisms, including binding to cell-surface glycosaminoglycans, preventing leukocyte migration, direct binding to chemokines and cytokines, and inhibition of intracellular NF-kB.

This study evaluates the impact of prospective clinical surveillance with the use of triggers to identify risk of adverse events with prompt adoption of interventions on the stabilization time of critically ill patients.