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Roxanna Bloomfield

Publications and source records attributed to Roxanna Bloomfield.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Accuracy of weight and height estimation in an intensive care unit: Implications for clinical practice and research.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous calculations routinely used in the intensive care require the knowledge of patients' weight and height, although these measurements are not always made. Estimates by doctors or nurses are often substituted. This study sought to ascertain the accuracy of estimates of weight and height of patients made by intensive care unit (ICU) staff. DESIGN: : Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Sixteen-bed mixed medical and surgical ICU in a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Fourteen patients had their height and weight estimated by 20 members of the medical and nursing staff. MEASUREMENTS: After all estimates had been recorded, measurements of weight and height were obtained. Weight was measured by means of a patient hoist with a calibrated weighing facility and height using a steel tape measure. MAIN RESULTS: Estimation of weight was poor, with 47% of estimates at least 10% different and 19% of estimates at least 20% different from the measured values. The majority of height estimates were within 10% of the measured values. CONCLUSIONS: Individual estimates of weight and height are frequently inaccurate. These errors of estimation could compromise application of effective therapies, as well as contribute to a reduction in design sensitivity of clinical trials.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Etomidate, pharmacological adrenalectomy and the critically ill: a matter of vital importance.

Etomidate is a potent suppressant of adrenal steroidogenesis,effectively inducing reversible pharmacological adrenalectomy. Recent evidence suggests that for every five patients with septic shock given etomidate without corticosteroid supplementation, one patient will die as a consequence. Other critically ill patients are also at possible risk, and this risk requires further exploration. Etomidate will also confound investigations into the effects of disease states on adrenal function, and should therefore be avoided. A moratorium on the use of etomidate in critically ill patients outside clinical trials may be prudent until its safety is established.

Adrenal Cortex Function Tests↗