Active clinical trials for "Critical Illness"

The purpose of this study is to improve care delivered to patients with serious illness by enhancing communication among patients, families, and clinicians in the outpatient setting. We are testing a new way to help patients share their preferences for talking about end-of-life care with their clinicians and families. To do this we created a simple, short feedback form. The form is designed to help clinicians understand what patients would like to talk about. The goal of this research study is to show that using a feedback form is possible and can be helpful for patients and their families.

Investigators are conducting research about oxygen levels in the body and whether it is possible to use a device to measure oxygen in the body's tissues noninvasively, without blood draws or a catheter (a plastic tube placed in a vein). Investigators would like to know how this device compares to standard measurements using blood from a catheter. This may help treat patients who may not be getting enough oxygen to their body.

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a multi-faceted communication intervention for family members of critically ill patients to reduce the family members' long-term symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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.

This study will implement and evaluate the effects of a pediatric continuity care intensivist program. This study will determine the impact of an additional pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) intensivist on outcomes at the patient and family level. It will also evaluate the training program to prepare the continuity care intensivist (CCI).

Despite the introduction of multiple preventative measures rates of hospital acquired infection in the intensive care unit remain high. New approaches to tackling this problem are required. The neutrophil (a type of white blood cell) is the key cell fighting bacterial and fungal infection in the body. This research group has already shown that the majority of patients on intensive care have neutrophils which don't ingest germs effectively and are therefore less able to fight infection. These patients, whose white blood cells don't work properly, are much more likely to develop a second infection whilst in hospital (hospital acquired infection). Previous work done by this group has shown that by adding a drug called granulocyte macrophagecolony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to a sample of blood from these patients in the lab, it is possible to restore the ability of the white blood cells to ingest bacteria and fight infection. This study will test whether it is possible to restore the capacity of patients' white blood cells to eat germs by giving them GM-CSF as an injection while they are on intensive care. The study will involve identifying adult patients on intensive care whose white blood cells don't work properly in this way. Patients taking part in the study will receive an injection, under the skin, of either the drug, GM-CSF, or a solution which will have no effect (placebo). The investigators will compare whether those patients who have received the GM-CSF injection have an improvement in the function of the white blood cells compared to those who don't. As well as looking at the function of the white blood cells the investigators will also study whether there is a difference in the rates of infection picked up in hospital between the two groups. This study is funded by the Medical Research Council.

This study is investigating the effects of an established clinical informationist program (evidence-based practice support service in which information professionals with significant clinical knowledge bases and advanced information seeking and appraisal skills) on clinical decision making at selected critical care units at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Postoperative pain is a common phenomenon in the intensive care unit (ICU) despite the multitude of efforts dedicated to promote its effective relief. Mounting evidence shows that cardiac surgery ICU patients experience moderate to severe pain reaching proportions as high as 74% despite the use of analgesics. The highest pain intensity is experienced in the first 24 hours post surgery when patients are still in the ICU, and represents a strong predictor for the presence and severity of persistent postoperative pain. To maximize pain relief, massage has been suggested in the recent clinical practice guidelines of the Society of Critical-Care Medicine as a complementary non-pharmacological therapy in the ICU given its opioid-sparing and analgesia-enhancing potential. Some randomized controlled trials showed promising pain relief effects of massage when administered to cardiac surgery patients in acute care units, however, its effects on pain relief while patients are still in the ICU and when pain severity is highest remain unknown. This study aims to compare the effect of three 20-minute hand massage administrations within 24 hours postop on the pain intensity (primary outcome), pain unpleasantness, pain interference, muscle tension, anxiety and vital signs (blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates) of adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients post cardiac surgery versus hand holding (i.e., simple touch) and standard care. Other objectives are to describe the location and quality of pain of cardiac surgery ICU patients. Hypothesis: Patients receiving 3 hand massages within 24 hours postop will have lower pain intensity, unpleasantness and interference, muscle tension, anxiety and vital signs compared to patients receiving hand holding and to those in the standard care group.

The purpose of this study is to collect physiologic data from patients with severe brain injury who require mechanical ventilation in order to describe the impact of ventilation, specifically positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), on intracranial pressure (ICP).

The aim of the study is to determine if colistin dosage adjustment using 4hr CrCl contribute to better clinical outcomes compared with drug dosage adjustment using eGFR in critical ill patients. In control group, colistin maintenance dosage will be decided using serum creatinine based eGFR (in ml/min). In study group, colistin maintenance dosage will be decided using 4hr CrCl.