Emergence of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Critical Care Units
In intensive care unit, the care of critically ill patients is a primary component of modern medicine. Intensive care units create potential for recovery in patients who otherwise may not have survived. They are, however,... read more
IHCA Variation Throughout the Day
We observed higher rates of hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), and poorer outcomes at night. However, in those admitted to ICU, this variation was absent. This suggests patient factors and processes of care issues contribute... read more
Methylene Blue Reduced Length of Stay in ICU
In patients with septic shock, methylene blue (MB) initiated within 24 h reduced time to vasopressor discontinuation and increased vasopressor-free days at 28 days. It also reduced length of stay in ICU and hospital without... read more
ECMO in Adult Patients Receiving HCT
Combined advances in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and intensive care management have improved the survival of patients with hematological malignancies admitted to the intensive care unit. In cases of refractory... read more
Hospital Acquired Infections, Multidrug Resistant (MDR) Bacteria, Alternative Approaches to Antibiotic Therapy
Bacterial resistance to known and currently used antibiotics represents a growing issue worldwide. It poses a major problem in the treatment of infectious diseases in general and hospital-acquired infections in particular.... read more
Post-discharge Care Using Telemedicine: Pre-pandemic vs. Pandemic Care
Expansion of virtual post-discharge visits to include all patients and telephone calls did not negatively impact rates of 30-day post-discharge hospital encounters. Offering tele-health options for post-discharge follow-up... read more
Targeted Immunomodulation: A Primer for Intensivists
Targeted immunomodulation is a topic that gained wide interest from translational researchers in the past decades, yet immunomodulatory drugs were not frequently administered to intensive care patients. The coronavirus... read more
Is It Time to Abandon Routine Mask Ventilation Before Intubation?
Mask ventilation in the period between induction and intubation has traditionally been used to confirm the ability to ventilate the patient while awaiting the onset of adequate neuromuscular blockade. However, recent studies... read more
Impact of Variations in the Nursing Care Supply-Demand Ratio on Postoperative Outcomes and Costs
Improving surgical outcomes is a priority during the last decades because of the rising economic health care burden. The adoption of enhanced recovery programs has been proven to be part of the solution. In this context,... read more
Acute Lung Injury and Repair: Scientific Fundamentals and Methods
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the incidence is predicted to increase with the aging population. Several clinical disorders can initiate... read more
Spotlight on Aortic Stenosis and Dissection
This Focus Issue on valvular heart disease contains the State of the Art Review article "ESC/EACTS vs. ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of severe aortic stenosis" by Grace Lee from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in... read more
The High-risk Surgical Patient
It is well known that certain diseases and patient conditions are associated with increased perioperative risk. The aim of this book is to define and identify the clinical factors that warrant a broader and more detailed... read more
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Usage During COVID-19
We confirm that use of early continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) with high-flow output combined with an "ad hoc" algorithm to inform the decision to intubate is a valid and safe strategy for respiratory support in... read more
Mechanical Power: Meaning, Uses and Limitations
Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) carries significant attributable mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Even though all the ventilatory variables contribute to VILI, current guidelines focus almost... read more