Focus on Brain Injury – The Staircase Approach
Focus on brain injury, staircase approach for the treatment of intracranial hypertension after TBI. The development of clinical protocols based on both laboratory and clinical data has underpinned the achievements of neurocritical... read more
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery
Few head-to-head treatment comparisons have sufficient evidence. Most studies evaluated low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), not low-risk interventions (such as aspirin and mechanical devices); most reported on total deep... read more
Boarding ICU patients: Are our rounding practices subpar?
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) patients "boarding" in ICUs other than the designated home unit have been shown to suffer increased rates of complications. We hypothesized that ICU rounding practices are different... read more
Video Laryngoscopy for Endotracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults
Endotracheal intubation (EI) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening adverse events due to unstable conditions, rapid deterioration, limited preparation time, and variability... read more
Withholding Pantoprazole for Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in Critically Ill Patients
A decreased frequency of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and a possible association of proton pump inhibitor use with Clostridium difficile and ventilator-associated pneumonia have raised concerns recently. The Reevaluating... read more
A Novel Computerized Test for Detecting and Monitoring Visual Attentional Deficits and Delirium in the ICU
Delirium in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes but is under-detected. Here we evaluated performance of a novel, graded test for objectively detecting inattention in delirium, implemented on a custom-built computerized... read more
Sepsis and Therapeutic Interventions
The global burden of sepsis is substantial. Therefore, in a retrospective before-after clinical study, Marik et al compared the outcome and clinical course of consecutive septic patients treated with intravenous vitamin C,... read more
Cluster-Randomized, Crossover Trial of Head Positioning in Acute Stroke
The role of supine positioning after acute stroke in improving cerebral blood flow and the countervailing risk of aspiration pneumonia have led to variation in head positioning in clinical practice. Disability outcomes after... read more
Why a stay in the ICU can leave patients worse off
Almost 6 million patients land in an intensive care unit every year, and for many, it marks a turning point in their lives. A substantial number of patients leave the ICU with newly acquired problems, from dementia to nerve... read more
Simulation of a Novel Schedule for Intensivist Staffing to Improve Continuity of Patient Care and Reduce Physician Burnout
Despite widespread adoption of in-house call for ICU attendings, there is a paucity of research on optimal scheduling of intensivists to provide continuous on-site coverage. Overnight call duties have traditionally been added... read more
Prevention of AKI and protection of renal function in ICU
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The results of recent randomised controlled trials have allowed the formulation of new recommendations and/or increase... read more
Airway glucose homeostasis: a new target in the prevention and treatment of pulmonary infection
In health, the glucose concentration of airway surface liquid (ASL) is 0.4mM, around 12 times lower than blood glucose concentration. Airway glucose homeostasis is a set of processes that actively maintain low ASL glucose... read more
Angiotensin II may improve vasopressors’ efficacy
Adding angiotensin II to available vasopressor therapies correlated with significantly improved arterial pressure in patients with catecholamine-resistant vasodilatory shock and less adverse effects, according to a study... read more
COPD can increase risk of developing sepsis
People with COPD have a higher than average risk of developing lung infections, such as pneumonia, which then puts them at higher risk for developing sepsis. Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in... read more
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for poisoning in adult patients: outcomes and predictors of mortality
Data on outcomes from severe poisoning in adults receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is currently confined to single-center experiences or specific etiologies. While ECMO cannot facilitate toxin removal,... read more
Sepsis E-alert System with Response Team Improves Outcomes
According to a new study, the use of a multifaceted intervention including an electronic sepsis alert (e-alert) system with sepsis response team was associated with improvement in care processes of sepsis and septic shock... read more
Differentiating Delirium From Sedative/Hypnotic-Related Iatrogenic Withdrawal Syndrome
The main objectives of this study is to identify available assessment tools for sedative/hypnotic iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome and delirium in PICU patients, the evidence supporting their use, and describe areas of overlap... read more
