Active clinical trials for "Critical Illness"

Treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than five days often leads to chronic physical, cognitive and psychological complaints, such as post-traumatic stress disorders, muscle weakness, depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders. This is referred to as Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). So far, there have been only a few studies investigating this syndrome. The aim of this pilot study is to test the effectiveness and feasibility of an ICU follow-up clinic, which our study team developed in a participatory process involving patients, caregivers, health care providers and researcher. For this purpose, the participants will be randomly assigned to a group with treatment in this follow-up clinic or to a group with usual care. Both groups will then be compared.

Among critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation and catecholamines for shock, nearly 40% to 50% die, and functional recovery is often delayed in survivors. International guidelines include early nutritional support (≤48 h after admission), 20-25 kcal/kg/d at the acute phase, and 1.2-2 g/kg/d protein. These targets are rarely achieved in patients with severe critically illnesses. Recent data challenge the wisdom of providing standard amounts of calories and protein during the acute phase of critical illness. Studies designed to improve enteral nutrition delivery showed no outcome benefits with higher intakes. Instead, adding parenteral nutrition to increase intakes was associated with longer ICU stays and more infectious complications. Studies suggest that higher protein intakes during the acute phase may be associated with greater muscle wasting and ICU-acquired weakness. The optimal calorie and protein supply at the acute phase of severe critical illness remains unknown. NUTRIREA-3 will be the first trial to compare standard calorie and protein feeding complying with guidelines to low-calorie low-protein feeding potentially associated with improved muscle preservation, translating into shorter mechanical ventilation and ICU-stay durations, lower ICU-acquired infection rates, lower mortality, and better long-term clinical outcomes. This multicentre, randomized, controlled, open trial will compare, in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and treated with vasoactive agent for shock two strategies for initiating nutritional support at the acute phase of ICU management (D0-D7): early calorie/protein restriction (6 kcal/kg/d/0.2-0.4 g/kg/d, Low group) or standard calorie/protein targets (25 kcal/kg/d/1.0-1.3 g/kg/d, Standard group). Patients in both groups will receive enteral or parenteral nutrition appropriate for their critical illness. Two alternative primary end-points will be evaluated: all-cause mortality by day 90 and time to discharge alive from the ICU. Second end-points will be calories and proteins delivered, nosocomial infections, gastro-intestinal complications, glucose control, liver dysfunctions, muscle function at the time of readiness for ICU discharge and quality of life at 3 months and 1 year after study inclusion.

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of inflammation and the insulin regulating hormone GLP-1 during critical illness.

Background: Conditions of reduced perfusion are characterized by redistribution of blood flow away from the skin to more vital organs. Study Objectives: To assess the efficacy of a non-invasive, dermal blood flow (DBF) monitor in detecting changes in perfusion in critically ill patients. Preliminary Study Study Population: critically ill patients in a general ICU

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across Scotland are working with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) to reduce healthcare associated infections (HAls). This is being done through implementation of "care bundles". Ensuring that ICU patients get the correct amount of sedation (medicine that makes patients sleepy) is part of this bundle, but is proving the most difficult to get right. It's important healthcare staff (nurses and doctors) get sedation levels correct because too much sedation is linked with increased hospital acquired infections (HAIs), longer intensive care (ICU) and hospital stays, and possibly higher death rates. This quality improvement project will develop and introduce three interventions that may improve sedation practice: first, an ICU sedation education package; second, feedback of sedation-related performance data (graphs and charts); and third, introduction of a CE (Conformité Européenne - With the CE marking on a product, the manufacturer ensures that the product conforms with the essential requirements of European regulations) marked new technology designed to improve sedation management. The investigators will study the effect these interventions, in different combinations, have on sedation management and quality in the participating ICUs. Eight ICUs in Scotland will take part in the project, pairs (2 ICUs) will be assigned randomly to different combinations as follows: 1.Enhanced education alone, 2. Education plus process/outcome measure feedback (graphs and charts), 3. Education plus introduction of a new sedation monitoring technology, or 4. Education,process/outcome measure feedback, and sedation monitoring technology. The investigators will evaluate which combinations of education, feedback, and technology provide the most patient benefit in the NHS. In addition both nursing & medical staff will be observed in clinical practice & interviewed about their clinical practice to increase understanding about sedation management from different view points and inform the education package content. These data will also help implement the findings after the research is completed if a benefit is found.

Lower lobe atelectasis of the lung is common in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and has the potential to adversely impact lung compliance and intra-pulmonary shunt. The cephalic shift of the diaphragm and dorsal atelectasis associated with the commonly used supine position might also contribute to this shunt. Reports indicate that obese patients may be more likely to develop dorsal atelectasis than non-obese patients. The investigators hypothesized that opening the body position angle at the waist from a typical head of bed at 30 degrees to one similar to a more upright reverse trendelenburg position, would alter the position of the diaphragm downward, allowing for improved aeration of lung bases. Thus, the investigators examined the upright body positioning in mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS primarily by evaluating for effects on oxyhemoglobin saturation (O2sat), Tidal Volume (TV) and Respiratory Rate (RR).

This is a prospective, noncomparative study to assess the pharmacodynamics of meropenem during early phase of severe sepsis and septic shock in critically ill patients in an intensive care unit. Clinical and laboratory data such as age,sex, body weight, electrolyte, vital signs, APACHE II score, SOFA score, BUN, Cr and blood culture will be collected. Twelve patients will be enrolled in this study. Meropenem pharmacokinetic will be carried out during the first and second dose after 1g meropenem administration. Blood samples (approximately 3 ml) will be obtained by direct venepuncture at the following time: 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 12, 14 and 16 h. Meropenem assays will be performed by modified method of Ozkan et al. (Biomed. Chromatogr., 2001). The pharmacokinetics of meropenem will be modelled from concentration-time profile using compartmental model. Monte Carlo simulation to assess PK/PD index as 40% and 100% T>MIC will be conducted and the results will be reported as % PTA (Probability Target Attainment) and %CFR (Cumulative Faction Response)

To compare the nutritional effect on blood glucose of two commercially available enteral diets in overweight or obese patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the beneficial effects of the administration of a complete diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and slow absorption carbohydrate in patients with stress hyperglycemia(T-Diet Plus Diabet IR). The main objective of this project is to evaluate blood glucose metabolic control, insulin requirements, insulin action resistance, lipid profile and to reduce infectious complications on mechanical ventilation ICU (intensive care unit) patients after the administration of a complete diet enriched in MUFA and slow absorption carbohydrates, without fructose.

Hyperglycemia is a known risk factor for mortality in critically ill patients. Most of these patients receive enteral feeding. There is controversy about ideal carbohydrate composition of these diets. The aim of this study was to compare an enteral formula with the same proportion of carbohydrates with and without fructose on blood glucose levels.