Benzodiazepine agonist treatment for patients with benzodiazepine dependence undergoing opioid agonist treatment: a study protocol for the randomized controlled trial BMX-BAR.

Background: There is a lack of knowledge on effective treatment methods for comorbid benzodiazepine dependence in populations undergoing opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Tapering and discontinuation of benzodiazepines has long been considered the standard treatment, even though there is limited evidence for this practice. There is also limited research on benzodiazepine agonist treatment; however, peer and clinical experiences indicate that such approaches may be beneficial for a subgroup of the patients with long-lasting benzodiazepine dependence not responding to other treatment approaches.

Mechanical Circulatory support for Septic Shock in Children and Adults: Different but Similar!

Whilst Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for circulatory support in patients with severe septic shock, commenced in newborn infants and children in the late 1980's, ECMO has remained a controversial treatment for adults with refractory septic shock (RSS). This is fundamentally due to differences in the predominant hemodynamic response to sepsis. In newborn infants and very young children ventricular failure called Low Cardiac Output Syndrome (LCOS) is the major hemodynamic response whilst adolescents and adults have mainly vasoplegic shock.

The Role of Nitric oxide in the sweep gas for patients receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation or Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Nitric oxide (NO) was proclaimed the 1992 "molecule of the year" by Culotta in Science magazine because of its importance in neuroscience, physiology and immunology. Inhaled NO has been in clinical use for over 35 years to decrease pulmonary hypertension and improve oxygenation. Over the last 20 years there has been much research to understand the role of nitric oxide on cell surface receptors, mitochondria, and intracellular processes which involve calcium and superoxide radicals.

Hemostatic Outcome Definitions in Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Challenges in Cohorts From Rotterdam (2019-2023) and Melbourne (2016-2022).

Objectives: To determine if a priori standardization of outcome hemostatic definitions alone was adequate to enable useful comparison between two cohorts of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients, managed according to local practice and protocol.

Design: Comparison of two separate prospective cohort studies performed at different centers with standardized outcome definitions agreed upon a priori.

Setting: General and cardiac PICUs at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne, Australia, and the Sophia Children's Hospital (SCH) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.