Is platelet transfusion associated with hospital-acquired infections in critically ill patients?
After adjustment for confounders, including patient severity and other blood components, platelet transfusion was independently associated with ICU-acquired infection. Further research aiming to better understand this association... read more
A New Organ you didn't know you had: The Mesentery
The research of Dr. J. Calvin Coffey, foundation chair of surgery at the University of Limerick, is reclassifying this part of the digestive system as a contiguous organ. In a new study, Coffey has established the anatomy... read more
Disruption of the microbiota across multiple body sites in critically ill children
Microbiota in critically ill children differs sharply from the microbiota of healthy children and adults. Acknowledgement of dysbiosis associated with critical illness could provide opportunities to modulate the microbiota... read more
First ICU for Men Suffering from Cold
There's finally hope for the critically ill! The Münster University Hospital has set up an intensive care unit exclusively for the treatment of male patients suffering from coughs, colds, or even both. A specially trained... read more
Tele-ICU shows positive outcomes at Florida hospitals
Large hospitals staff their ICUs with 24/7 intensivists but smaller facilities rely on tele-ICU systems that provide specialist help as needed. The eCare program being implemented at BayCare, which includes 14 Florida hospitals,... read more
Characterizing Hydrogels for use in drug delivery systems
The delivery of drugs to a precise location at the desired concentration without causing toxic effects to the rest of the body has been a challenge to biomedical science for many years. Although several approaches have been... read more
A Guide to Autonomic Pharmacology
Understanding neurotransmitters and their receptors can help you choose the right medication. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the control of a wide variety of body functions. Through a process of chemical... read more
Waging War Against CABSIs
Catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSIs) are on the decline, according to the 2016 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report. The report, published by the CDC, showed that between 2008... read more
Hospital ICUs Are Overused
A study conducted on ICU admissions at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center states that the hospital’s Intensive Care Units are being overused by non-deserving patients. This revelation is suggesting that the hospital’s most evasive... read more
In-Bed Cycling Feasible for ICU Patients on Ventilation
TryCYCLE was the first study in the CYCLE research program. In TryCYCLE, we determined it was safe and feasible to bike with mechanically ventilated medical surgical patients very early in their ICU stay.... read more
Metformin Associated with Reduced Mortality in CKD, CHF, and CLD
Metformin is currently the suggested initial treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States. In the past, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not recommend metformin for patients with chronic kidney... read more
COPD and Life Expectancy
COPD is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a term for many health conditions that affect a person's lungs on a chronic basis. The condition causes... read more
PERTs Aim to Disentangle Gordian Knot of Acute Pulmonary Embolism
The concept of a rapid response team for acute PE has spread quickly across the United States, although the impact remains unclear. A recently published research letter in CHEST showed that the most common specialties involved... read more
Airway Driving Pressure and Lung Stress in ARDS Patients
Since the first description of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the 1960s, numerous studies have sought the optimal tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, plateau pressure, and inspired fraction of oxygen... read more
New molecular map reveals how cells spew out potassium
New research from The Rockefeller University has determined, for the first time, the complete structure of an ion channel that plays an important role in cellular electrical signaling by sending potassium ions out of the... read more
Patient Achieves Remission With CAR-T Cell Therapy for Aggressive Brain Tumors
A case study published in the December 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine outlines the results of a patient treated with his own genetically modified CAR-T cells, using central memory T cells, a stem-cell-like... read more
Triple therapy for influenza with naproxen, clarithromycin, and oseltamavir?
Antiviral therapy for influenza is a sore subject. Oseltamavir was initially felt to be a silver bullet. Unfortunately, it turned out that its efficacy was overblown by publication bias. Discordance between guidelines, practice,... read more
ECG Accuracy Raised by Placement of Electrode Patch
A single-use patch that ensures the uniform placement of electrocardiogram (ECG) leads cuts down on inaccuracies and saves time. A new study to evaluate CQP placement found a significant difference between the minimum time... read more
Antibiotic Resistance just became more complex
Bacteria that are susceptible to antibiotics can survive when enough resistant cells around them are expressing an antibiotic-deactivating factor. This new take on how the microbial context can compromise antibiotic therapy.... read more
Normal Saline as Resuscitation Fluid in Critically Ill
The study of Van Regenmortel et al. indirectly underscores growing equipoise in the expert medical community regarding the presumed harmful effects of NS compared with balanced crystalloids. Future studies, such as the ongoing... read more
Pain Sensitivity Plays a Role in Unrecognized Myocardial Infarction
People who experience unrecognized or silent myocardial infarction may have reduced pain sensitivity compared with those whose Myocardial Infarction is noticed, according to the results of a study recently published online... read more
Meta-Analysis of Therapeutic Hypothermia for Traumatic Brain Injury
Therapeutic hypothermia is likely a beneficial treatment following traumatic brain injuries in adults but cannot be recommended in children.... read more
