AstraZeneca, Biosensors, and The Medicines Company.

Critically ill patients with normal renal function demonstrated significantly lower anti-Xa levels in response to a single daily dose of subcutaneous enoxaparin when compared with medical patients in the normal ward.

Only one-fifth of patients in this mixed ICU had significant arrhythmias, taking a contemporary definition of arrhythmias. Ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation were the most frequent arrhythmias.

Sufficient rate control can be achieved in critically ill patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias using either diltiazem or amiodarone. Although diltiazem allowed for significantly better 24-hr heart rate control, this effect was offset by a significantly higher incidence of hypotension requiring discontinuation of the drug. Amiodarone may be an alternative in patients with severe hemodynamic compromise.