Care Unit Patients (care + unit_patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Altered pharmacology in the intensive care unit patient

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Giovanni Zagli
Abstract Critically ill patients, not infrequently present alterations of physiological parameters that determine the success/failure of therapeutic interventions as well as the final outcome. Sepsis and polytrauma are two of the most common and complex syndromes occurring in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and affect drug absorption, disposition, metabolism and elimination. Pharmacological management of ICU patients requires consideration of the unique pharmacokinetics associated with these clinical conditions and the likely occurrence of drug interaction. Rational adjustment in drug choice and dosing contributes to the appropriateness of treatment of those patients. [source]


Serum osmolality and outcome in intensive care unit patients

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 8 2006
B. Holtfreter
Background:, The aim of the present study was to compare 16 routine clinical and laboratory parameters, acute physiologic and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score for their value in predicting mortality during hospital stay in patients admitted to a general intensive care unit (ICU). Methods:, A retrospective observational clinical study was carried out in a 15-bed ICU in a university hospital. Nine hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients with ICU stay > 24 h (36.2% surgical, 29.1% medical and 34.7% trauma) were observed. Blood sampling, patient surveillance and data collection were performed. The primary outcome was mortality in the hospital. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and logistic regression to compare the 16 relevant parameters, APACHE II and SOFA scores. Results:, Two hundred and thirty-three out of the 933 patients died (mortality 25.0%). One laboratory parameter, serum osmolality [area under the curve (AUC) 0.732] had a predictive value for mortality which lay between that of APACHE II (AUC 0.784) and SOFA (AUC 0.720) scores. When outcome prediction was restricted to long-term patients (ICU stay > 5 days), serum osmolality (AUC 0.711) performed better than either of the standard scores (APACHE AUC 0.655, SOFA AUC 0.636). Using logistic regression analysis, the association of clinical parameters, age and diagnosis group with mortality was determined. Conclusion:, Elevated serum osmolality at ICU admission is associated with an increased mortality risk in critically ill patients. Serum osmolality is cheaper and more rapid to determine than the scoring systems. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the predictive value of serum osmolality in different patient populations. [source]


Adverse drug reactions induced by cardiovascular drugs in cardiovascular care unit patients,

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 9 2010
Niayesh Mohebbi Pharm D
Abstract Purpose To detect the type, rate, seriousness, and preventability of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) attributable to cardiovascular drugs in cardiovascular care unit; and to determine the relationship between patient factors and detected ADRs. Methods Patients admitted to cardiovascular care units in Tehran Heart Center over an eight month period who received at least one cardiovascular drug were eligible to enter the study. ADRs were recorded based on information collected by interviewing patients, reviewing patients' charts, laboratory test monitoring, and confirmation by physicians. The World Health Organization definition for ADR, its seriousness and casualty criteria, was used to evaluate the reactions. The preventability was estimated based on Schumock and Thornton questioning. The relationship between possible risk factors and ADRs occurrence were assessed by statistical analysis. Results During the study period, 677 patients entered the study. A total number of 189 ADRs were registered of which 22.2% were serious. The highest ADR rates were observed with Streptokinase (59.3%). The rate of preventable ADRs was 6.9%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with lower weight (OR,=,0.95, 95%CI: 0.9,0.99) and patients with smoking history who had concurrent diseases (OR,=,8.72, 95%CI: 1.53,49.52) had a higher risk of experiencing ADRs. Conclusion The rate of ADRs induced by cardiovascular drugs in this study was 24.2%. This study has shown that anti-arrhythmic and thrombolytic agents need more attention. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Vancomycin dosing assessment in intensive care unit patients based on a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic simulation

BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
Natalia Revilla
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT , Despite the frequent use of vancomycin in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, few studies aimed at characterizing vancomycin population pharmacokinetics have been performed in this critical population. , Population pharmacokinetics coupled with pharmacodynamic analysis, in order to optimize drug exposure and hence antibacterial effectiveness, has been little applied in these specific patients. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS , Our population model characterized the pharmacokinetic profile of vancomycin in adult ICU patients, higher distribution volume values (V) being observed when the patient's serum creatinine (CrSe) was greater than 1 mg dl,1. , Age and creatinine clearance (CLcr) were identified as the main covariates explaining the pharmacokinetic variability in vancomycin CL. , Our pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) simulation should aid clinicians to select initial vancomycin doses that will maximize the rate of response in the ICU setting, taking into account the patient's age and renal function as well as the susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus. AIM To estimate the vancomycin pharmacokinetic profile in adult ICU patients and to assess vancomycin dosages for increasing the likelihood of optimal exposure. METHODS Five hundred and sixty-nine concentration,time data from 191 patients were analysed using a population pharmacokinetic approach (NONMENÔ). External model evaluation was made in 46 additional patients. The 24 h area under the concentration,time curve (AUC(0,24 h)) was derived from the final model. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for S. aureus were obtained from the EUCAST database. AUC(0,24 h) : MIC , 400 was considered as PK/PD efficacy index. The probability of different dosages attaining the target considering different strains of S. aureus and patient subgroups was estimated with Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS Vancomycin CL showed a significant dependence on patient age and renal function whereas CrSe > 1 mg dl,1 increased V more than twofold. For our representative ICU patient, 61 years, 73 kg, CrSe= 1.4 mg dl,1, measured CLCr= 74.7 ml min,1, the estimated values were CL = 1.06 ml min,1 kg,1 and V= 2.04 l kg,1. The cumulative fraction of response for a standard vancomycin dose (2 g day,1) was less than 25% for VISA strains, and 33% to 95% for susceptible S. aureus, depending on patient characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Simulations provide useful information regarding the initial assessment of vancomycin dosing, the conventional dosing regimen probably being suboptimal in adult ICU patients. A graphic approach provides the recommended dose for any selected probability of attaining the PK/PD efficacy target or to evaluate the cumulative fraction of response for any dosing regimen in this population. [source]