A supplemental intravenous amino acid infusion sustains a positive protein balance for 24 hours in critically ill patients

A supplemental intravenous amino acid infusion sustains a positive protein balance for 24 hours in critically ill patients

Providing supplemental amino acids to ICU patients during a 3-h period results in improved whole-body net protein balance, without an increase in amino acid oxidation. The primary objective was to investigate if a 24-h intravenous... read more

Key Steps Can Help Patients Recover From A Stay In The ICU

Key Steps Can Help Patients Recover From A Stay In The ICU

Chances of recovering after an ICU stay rise when families keep patients oriented, stay on top of care plans and encourage seniors to get moving. As many as 1.4 million seniors survive a stay in the ICU every year. And most... read more

Diagnostic Importance of Pulmonary Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-8 in VAP

Diagnostic Importance of Pulmonary Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-8 in VAP

BALF IL-1β and IL-8 are amongst the strongest markers yet identified for accurately demarcating VAP within the larger population of patients with suspected VAP. These findings have potential implications for reduction in... read more

Efficacy and Safety of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in Critically Ill Patients

Efficacy and Safety of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in Critically Ill Patients

Our results provide moderate quality evidence that PPIs are the most effective agents in preventing CIB, but they may increase the risk of pneumonia. The balance of benefits and harms leaves the routine use of SUP open to... read more

A New Algorithm Identifies Candidates for Palliative Care by Predicting When Patients Will Die

A New Algorithm Identifies Candidates for Palliative Care by Predicting When Patients Will Die

End-of-life care can be stressful for patients and their loved ones, but a new algorithm could help provide better care to people during their final months. A paper published in arXiv by researchers from Stanford describes... read more

Burnout and Resilience in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine

Burnout and Resilience in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine

The term 'burnout' describes the collection of symptoms and signs, both physical and psychological, experienced by individuals due to their work. It is defined as the condition where professionals 'lose all concerns, all... read more

Music and Medicine: Something Important

Music and Medicine: Something Important

Every week or 2 when I don’t have a daytime shift, I set up my iPad and play piano for an hour or so. Nothing depressing or too complicated—feel-good music from the 1930s to the latest by John Legend or Coldplay. The... read more

The Impact of Mean Arterial Pressure on Functional Outcome Post Trauma-Related Acute Spinal Cord Injury

The Impact of Mean Arterial Pressure on Functional Outcome Post Trauma-Related Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Although no definitive conclusions could be reached based on the data collected, this study does give valuable insight into future avenues of research on the topic of hemodynamic management in traumatic ASCI as well as provides... read more

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer Brings Humanity To Medicine

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer Brings Humanity To Medicine

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer's journey to becoming an internationally-renowned critical care and perioperative nutrition researcher and clinician began at the age of 15 when a bout of strep throat and a prescription for antibiotics... read more

Effects of Physical Activity on Poststroke Cognitive Function

Effects of Physical Activity on Poststroke Cognitive Function

Despite the social, health, and economic burdens associated with cognitive impairment poststroke, there is considerable uncertainty about the types of interventions that might preserve or restore cognitive abilities. The... read more

Intra-Abdominal Hypertension and Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

Intra-Abdominal Hypertension and Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome are increasingly recognized in both medical and surgical critically ill patients and are predictive of death and the development of acute kidney injury.... read more

Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE)

Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE)

Many patients suffer significant physical, social and psychological problems in the months and years following critical care discharge. At present, there is minimal evidence of any effective interventions to support this... read more

The 10 False Beliefs in Adult Critical Care Nephrology

The 10 False Beliefs in Adult Critical Care Nephrology

Acute tubular necrosis (ATN), a histological pattern observed after ischemic insult, is considered the most frequent cause of any form of acute kidney injury (AKI) despite the absence of extensive histological data. This... read more

Easier Way to Measure Vital Signs

Easier Way to Measure Vital Signs

Cornell University researchers perfected a way to monitor vital signs that doesn’t require skin contact. Their technique relies on small radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors that can pick up heartbeats, chest movements... read more

Increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria hinders treatment of kidney infections

Increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria hinders treatment of kidney infections

Researchers use hospital emergency room data from around the country to document emergence of E. coli strain that fights medication. They recommend development of new antibiotics and treatment guidelines.... read more

Antibiotic Prescription Course

Antibiotic Prescription Course

In July, The BMJ published an analysis article called "The Antibiotic Course has had it’s day" - a provocative title that turned out the garner a lot of debate on our site. The article said that the convention for the length... read more

Workup, Management, and Critical Sequelae of Burn Injuries

Richard Iuorio, MD speaks with Laura Johnson, MD, and Jim Reilly, MD, about the workup, management, and critical sequelae of burn injuries. Using a fictional burn case as an example, Dr. Johnson talks about airway considerations,... read more