Stories Category: Intensive Care
Perioperative Management of Glucose-lowering Drugs in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Patients with type 2 diabetes are commonly referred for elective or emergency surgery. In case of scheduled surgical procedures, previous guidelines recommended to withhold oral glucose-lowering drugs. Based on recent... read more
Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke During COVID-19 Pandemic
The evaluation and treatment of acute large vessel occlusion stroke present many challenges during the COVID-19 era. It may be difficult to screen stroke patients for COVID-19 symptoms because of encephalopathy or aphasia.... read more
Substituting Acetaminophen for Fentanyl Feasible in PCI for STEMI
In patients with STEMI given crushed ticagrelor before PCI, using IV acetaminophen instead of IV fentanyl as a painkiller did not increase pain levels or platelet reactivity and prevented delay of ticagrelor's effects, researchers... read more
COVID-19 Drug Treatments: Living Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis
Glucocorticoids probably reduce mortality and mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 compared with standard care. The effectiveness of most interventions is uncertain because most of the randomised controlled trials... read more
Ground-breaking Research – Venous Thrombosis is Back in Business
The primary efficacy outcome was the development of a major venous thromboembolic event such as symptomatic distal or proximal deep-vein thrombosis, asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or venous thromboembolism–related... read more
Inhaled Pulmonary Vasodilators
Confusion between inhaled versus intravenous routes for pulmonary vasodilators. For optimal clinical benefit (especially regarding oxygenation), these agents must be given via an inhaled route. The misconception that inhaled... read more
Working in ICU is like Flying a Plane: The Secret World of Intensive Care
Stepping on to the ICU during this period was like entering another world. In a way intensive care has always seemed like a place removed from life outside said Mike Brunner, an intensive care doctor at Northwick Park hospital... read more
Aerosol and Surface Distribution of SARs-CoV-2 in Hospital Wards
In a hospital treating COVID-19 patients, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found widely distributed in surface and air samples. Contamination was greater in intensive care units (54/124 samples) than general wards (9/114 samples). A... read more
Cost Analysis of Adjunctive Hydrocortisone Therapy for Septic Shock
Using adjunctive hydrocortisone therapy yields a significant monetized benefit based on inputs from the Adjunctive Corticosteroid Treatment in Critically Ill Patients with Septic Shock and Activated Protein C and Corticosteroids... read more
Is it Safe to Look Yet?
As we start to move to the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, it feels like a moment to take stock. The country has gone through huge changes to our way of life over the last few months, and those changes have been mirrored... read more
Respiratory Strategies for Patients with Suspected or Proven COVID-19 Respiratory Failure
The trial objective is to determine if Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) is clinically effective compared to standard oxygen therapy in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The... read more
SARS-CoV-2-reactive T Cells in Healthy Donors and Patients with COVID-19
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the rapidly unfolding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary, ranging from asymptomatic infection to... read more
NICE COVID-19 Rapid Guideline
The purpose of this guideline is to help healthcare professionals deliver efficient planned care while minimising the risk of COVID-19 in the context of increasing or decreasing local prevalence. It also aims to help patients... read more
A Guide to Performance Evaluation for the Intensivist
Currently, there is no standard process to develop Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation and Focused Professional Practice Evaluation processes in critical care medicine. Departments and institutions can tailor metrics... read more
Longitudinal Analyses Reveal Immunological Misfiring in Severe COVID-19
Recent studies have provided insights into the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Yet, longitudinal immunological correlates of disease outcome remain unclear. Here, we serially analysed immune responses in 113 COVID-19 patients with... read more
Presence of Genetic Variants Among Young Men With Severe COVID-19
In this case series of 4 young male patients with severe COVID-19, rare putative loss-of-function variants of X-chromosomal TLR7 were identified that were associated with impaired type I and II IFN responses. These preliminary... read more
What Nursing Homes Can Teach EMS About COVID-19
Most EMS providers are familiar with long-term skilled nursing facilities, yet most of us don't think much about them. We certainly don't think they can teach us much. Nursing homes have been hit hard by COVID-19 and... read more
