Effects of systematic prone positioning in hypoxemic acute respiratory failure: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: A recent trial showed that placing patients with acute lung injury in the prone position did not increase survival; however, whether those results hold true for patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF) is unclear.

Objective: To determine whether prone positioning improves mortality in ARF patients.

Design, Setting, And Patients: Prospective, unblinded, multicenter controlled trial of 791 ARF patients in 21 general intensive care units in France using concealed randomization conducted from December 14, 1998, through December 31, 2002.

Comparison of nebulized epinephrine and terbutaline in patients with acute severe asthma: a controlled trial.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of nebulized adrenaline and terbutaline in acute severe asthma.

Design: Prospective pilot randomized double-blind cross-over trial.

Setting: Emergency department of a university hospital.