Core Outcome Measures for Clinical Research in ARF Survivors

This Core Outcome Measurement Set is recommended for use in all clinical research evaluating acute respiratory failure (ARF) survivors after hospital discharge. In the future, researchers should evaluate measures for outcomes... read more

Calcium induces chronic lung infections

Researchers have now discovered that calcium induces the switch from acute to chronic infection. One of the most serious pathogens is the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which frequently causes hospital infections and is... read more

Catheter ablation lowers long-term risk of recurrent stroke in atrial fibrillation patients

Atrial fibrillation patients with a prior history of stroke who undergo catheter ablation to treat the abnormal heart rhythm lower their long-term risk of a recurrent stroke by 50 percent. The Intermountain study compared... read more

Focus on Ventilation and Airway Management in the ICU

Airway and ventilation management are particularly challenging in the intensive care unit (ICU), and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Figure summarizes some of the more recent findings from the literature.... read more

Endobronchial Ultrasound Can ID Pulmonary Thromboembolism

The researchers found that in four cases (0.7 percent), filling defects were demonstrated in central pulmonary arteries while sampling mediastinal lymph nodes.... read more

New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Critically Ill

Kyle Enfield, MD, speaks with Travis J. Moss, MD, MSc, and J. Randall Moorman, MD, about the article, "New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Critically Ill," published in the May 2017 issue of Critical Care Medicine. Drs.... read more

Diagnostic Imaging on iPhone

FDA just cleared Butterfly Network's iQ an iPhone-connected Ultrasound system, which claims it is the world's first "ultrasound-on-a-chip" system. Butterfly iQ is FDA 510(k) cleared for diagnostic imaging across 13 clinical... read more

Higher PEEP versus Lower PEEP Strategies for Patients with ARDS

Use of higher positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is unlikely to improve clinical outcomes among unselected patients with ARDS. We identified eight randomized trials comparing higher versus lower PEEP strategies, enrolling... read more

The Practice and Implications of Finding Fluid During Point-of-Care Ultrasonography

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) can augment physical examination and procedural efficacy but requires appropriate education and program setup. As POCUS continues to spread, internal medicine physicians need to clarify... read more

Is this critically ill patient elderly or too old?

Life expectancy is increasing in industrialized countries. It is forecast that in the European Union 24.4 million people will be older than 85 years in 2040, more than doubling from the 10.4 million seen in 2010. In parallel,... read more

Surgeons Are Using Social Media to Share and Learn New Skills

Learning from others' experiences is an important aspect of professional development in surgery. That’s why academic surgical departments across the globe hold weekly Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences that gather... read more

Platelets and Multi-Organ Failure in Sepsis

Platelets have received increasing attention for their role in the pathophysiology of infectious disease, inflammation, and immunity. In sepsis, a low platelet count is a well-known biomarker for disease severity and more... read more

Understanding Adrenal Crisis

Approximately 5–17 cases of adrenal crisis (AC) occur per 100 patient years in patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI). The mortality rate is estimated to be between 0.5% and 2%. Norwegian data indicate... read more

Alarm Fatigue in ICU Addressed in Two Studies

Alarm fatigue within the intensive care unit (ICU) can negatively impact patient safety and lead to life-threatening events. Researchers from Harlem Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center aimed to identify solutions fight... read more

Bedside Chest Radiographs in the ICU – DRw vs. CR

Critical care chest radiography with a portable wireless direct radiography (DRw) system can provide similar or superior information compared to a computed radiography (CR) system regarding clinically significant findings... read more

The Role of Physiotherapy in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in the ICU

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based, multimodal approach to optimising patient outcomes following surgery. The role of physiotherapy within ERAS and intensive care units (ICU) is important. Patients... read more

When Antibiotic Treatment Fails

What to do when antimicrobial treatment fails and when and how to define it? These are three very common questions arising when clinicians use antibiotics. Categorization of responders and non-responders early in the course... read more

Ultrasound-guided Mechanical Ventilation

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is now a tool used worldwide, integrating clinical assessment of the critically ill. In this review, we focus on lung, diaphragm and cardiac ultrasound in the management of the mechanically... read more

Translational Evidence for Two Distinct Patterns of Neuroaxonal Injury in Sepsis

Ischemic and diffuse neuroaxonal injury to the brain in experimental sepsis, human postmortem brains, and in vivo MRI suggest these two distinct lesion types to be relevant. Future studies should be focused on body fluid... read more

Delirium in Hospitalized Older Adults

Delirium, an acute confusional state, is common among hospitalized elders and is associated with poor outcomes. All patients with delirium should be evaluated for reversible causes. Behavioral disturbances should be managed... read more

Barriers to Delirium Assessment in the ICU

Many barriers exist to prevent effective assessment and management of delirium, but several of these are due to a lack of understanding or unfamiliarity with the condition and the assessment tools as well as lack of medical... read more

Oral Antibiotics Preferred for Pediatric Pneumonia

Children with complicated pneumonia should be discharged from the hospital with oral instead of intravenous (IV) antibiotics when possible, according to a new study. The results showed no significant differences in treatment... read more