Showing papers by "Luigi Camporota published in 2007"

Practical aspects of treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated)

Abstract: In November 2001, drotrecogin alfa (activated) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration; in August 2002 it was approved by the European Medicines Agency. Since the approval of drotrecogin alfa (activated), however, critical care physicians have been faced with several challenges, namely its costs, selection of patients who are more likely to benefit from it, and the decision regarding when to start drotrecogin alfa (activated) treatment. There are also operational issues such as how to manage the infusion to deliver an effective treatment while minimizing the risk for bleeding, particularly in patients with deranged clotting, at around the time of surgery or during renal replacement therapy. While addressing these issues, this review remains practical but evidence based as much as possible.

Using the Cortrak magnetic device to facilitate early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients.

Abstract: Confirmation of correct nasogastric tube (NGT) positioning is required before commencement of enteral nutrition (EN). In the ICU, however, the use of sedation, 24-hour feeding and proton pump inhibitors can make the standard confirmatory methods recommended by the UK National Patient Safety Agency (UKNPSA) [1] unreliable, and result in the need for multiple chest X-rays (CXR), increased cost and feeding delay. We studied the role of the Cortrak®(Viasys MedSystems, USA) against standard practice, and assessed the following outcomes: time required to confirm correct NGT position, time to starting feeding, and potential cost savings.

Comparison between uncalibrated cardiac output using the femoral and radial arterial pressure waveform in critically ill patients

Abstract: Cardiac output (CO) monitoring is often required to manage critically ill patients. Nominal values can be determined from analysis of arterial pressure waveforms. It is assumed that arterial waveforms from different arterial sites give similar CO values. The aim of this study was to compare the values of uncalibrated CO derived from simultaneous radial (COr) and femoral (COf) blood pressures.