Active clinical trials for "Toxemia"

Intravenous lipid emulsions contain a number of biologically active ingredients, but the most important are fatty acids. Different fatty acids can affect a number of different physiological processes in different ways in critically ill patients. Adipose tissue can play an important role in metabolic changes of critical illnesses and in adaptation to stress through structural as well as functional changes Although it is known that serum adipokine and cytokine response changes in critical sepsis patients, the factors affecting these changes and the metabolic consequences of these changes are not well defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intravenous lipid emulsions on serum adipokine and cytokine levels in patients with sepsis. Secondly, this is to determine the adipokine and cytokine kinetics in the sepsis process and their relationship with mortality in patients with sepsis.

As a common and serious medical condition , sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection , which is a major and familiar cause of death in intensive care units(ICU). As a frequent laboratory abnormality in patients with sepsis , thrombocytopenia on intensive care unit admission is independently associated with increased mortality in patients. Furthermore, a low platelet count is a marker with further significance , which is always used for evaluating the prognosis of patients. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the effect of renin-angiotensin system on thrombocytopenia in patient with sepsis and explore the possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

Prospective studies on the incidence of VTE during severe sepsis and septic shock remain absent, hindering efficacy assessments regarding current VTE prevention strategies in septic patients. The investigators will prospectively study consecutively enrolled ICU patients with severe sepsis and septic shock admitted at three hospitals. All patients will provide informed consent and the study will be IRB approved. VTE thromboprophylaxis, provided per standard of care and according to the patients' primary team, will be recorded for all patients. Patients will undergo bilateral lower (and upper, if a central venous catheter [CVC] was present) comprehensive compression ultrasonography (CUS) and will be followed for symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) prior to discharge. The investigators will perform multivariate regression analyses to identify predictors of VTE.

Suriname is a small developing country in South America with a population of half a million people. Early neonatal death in Suriname is high with 16 per 1000 live births. Unpublished data from the Suriname Perinatal and Infant Mortality Survey estimate contribution of infection to early neonatal mortality at 25% (4 per 1000 live births) of all deaths. In comparison, incidence rates of neonatal sepsis alone are 3.5 per 1000 live births. These numbers indicate an increased burden of neonatal infection in Suriname versus the U.S. In any case about 40 newborns that die each year of infection are a huge loss, also considering the small Surinamese community. Despite this overall idea on the impact of infectious disease in Surinamese neonates exact information regarding incidence, type of infection (e.g., localized, viral, early-onset or late-onset sepsis), risk factors (e.g., insufficient antenatal care, maternal Group B-Streptococcus status), etiology, microbial causes, morbidity, antibiotic treatment (type and duration), and epidemiological determinants (e.g., gestational age, sex, ethnicity) are lacking. From a clinical perspective, there is still a challenge to identify neonates with infection. Neonates are often admitted with ambivalent clinical symptoms and receive preventive antibiotics that are costly, promote pathogen-resistance, and have negative long-term effects (i.e., on the development of the intestinal bacterial flora). Currently, assessment of blood leukocyte or trombocyte counts and levels of CRP are insufficiently sensitive to be used as biomarkers, while confirmation of actual sepsis or meningitis by positive culture results is relatively rare (0.5-3% in the United States). This complicates decisions on duration of antibiotic treatment and hospitalization significantly, while no other biomarkers exist. The circulating isoforms of adhesion molecules (cAMs), which mediate interactions of leukocytes with the vascular endothelium, have been proposed as biomarkers for infection and sepsis. During infection they accumulate in the bloodstream as a result of shedding, which represents their removal from cell surfaces of endothelial cells and leukocytes by enzymes called sheddases. Recently, we have reviewed mechanisms behind shedding of cAMs in neonatal, pediatric and adult sepsis. The shedding process reflects a critical and active process in orchestrating interaction between leukocytes and the endothelium for an effective host response, while minimizing collateral tissue damage. As a result, both plasma levels of cAMs and their sheddases are subject to change during infection and sepsis. Additionally, compelling, albeit limited, data suggest changes of levels of cAMs in CSF in adult and pediatric meningitis. To date, some evidence exists of changes in levels of cAMs during malaria (in children from Malawi) and sepsis, although not sensitive enough to predict outcomes in the clinic. Those levels have never been assessed simultaneously with levels of their sheddases in blood or CSF as a diagnostic tool. We propose that this combined approach may provide more detailed information about the extent of inflammatory activation in neonates.While a balance in levels is maintained under resting conditions or mild (local) infection, it may be perturbed during sepsis or meningitis . Thus, simultaneous measurement of these levels could promote early identification of infection, and may even distinguish between mild infection, systemic infection or meningitis. Currently, manufacturers are rapidly developing Luminex® technology as an advanced, fast, high-throughput and clinically feasible bedside tool for such an approach. We hypothesize that incidence rates of neonates with infection in Suriname are high. We further hypothesize that, upon signs of infection, the simultaneous measurement of cAMs and their SEs in serum and CSF discriminates between infected and non-infected neonates. We aim to: 1) identify and follow neonates at the Academic Hospital Paramaribo with signs of infection to establish incidence rates of infection, and 2) investigate diagnostic potential of our proposed biomarker combination in these neonates for infection, type of infection (e.g., local (mild), sepsis or meningitis) and outcomes.

This is an observational study to identify the etiology, management, and outcome of community-acquired sepsis and severe sepsis in children and adults in Southeast Asia. The study will take place in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the partner countries of SEAICRN. Potential study patients will be any patients (both children and adults) who are presented at the hospital with community-acquired sepsis or severe sepsis and require hospitalization.

The investigators perform a prospective observation study to search for the outcome predictors (ScvO2 and lactate) in patients with severe sepsis after admission to ICU.

Sepsis-associated Purpura fulminans (SAPF) is a rare life-threatening condition. It is characterized by multiple skin lesions which rapidly progress to necrosis and gangrene. SAPF is a manifestation of widespread clot formation in small blood vessels which emerges secondarily to severe bacterial and viral infections. The clinical presentation of SAPF is dominated by symptoms of severe sepsis and multiple organ failure which are further aggravated by the massive skin lesions. At present, there are no evidence-based guidelines for the medical management of SAPF. With numerous therapeutic approaches in use, there are no consistent comparisons of their efficacy. Altered role of causal pathogens following the introduction of meningococcal and pneumococcal prophylactic vaccines also remains to be investigated. The goal of the registry is comprehensive collection and evaluation of information concerning the epidemiology, morbidity, therapy and outcome of SAPF.

To investigate the role of initial venous lactate in predicting the severity progression to overt septic shock and 30-day mortality in non-elderly patients without hemodynamic shock who suspected to have acute infections.

To elucidate the role of an imbalance in vasodilator prostacyclin (PGI2) and vasoconstrictor thromboxane (TxA2) in pregnancy-induced hypertension

Acute leukemia is a life threatening illness that strikes people of all ages. In addition to surviving the direct effects of the disease, the treatment of leukemia generally requires chemotherapy which has its own burden. Infection is one of the most common secondary problems faced by these patients. Simple infections are common and easily treated with aggressive antibiotics. However, treated progressive infection leads to loss of vital organ function and is termed severe sepsis. Severe sepsis is associated with increased risk of death and the need for specialized care in the intensive care unit. Besides the appropriate use of antibiotics, little is known about what clinical and patient factors are associated with the development of severe sepsis. Recent evidence has suggested that certain practices like frequent transfusion of blood products and control of glucose levels effects outcome in critically ill patients. In addition, there have been advances in our knowledge of certain genes that may predispose people to severe infections. It is possible that these factors are important in people who are not yet critically ill, but are at risk for the development of severe sepsis. This observational study will look at genetic, clinical and therapeutic factors that are associated with the development of severe sepsis. This will help doctors understand what treatments may be helpful in preventing this serious complication.