Stories Category: Intensive Care
Thrombocytopenia and Platelet Transfusions in ICU Patients
In this international prospective cohort study of acutely admitted adult ICU patients, we found that 43% had thrombocytopenia; 23% at ICU admission and 20% developed it during ICU stay. Patients with thrombocytopenia... read more
Feasibility of HEMS Performed Prehospital E-CPR in Pediatric Cardiac Arrests
This case-series shows that a properly trained regular Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) crew of only two health care professionals (doctor and flight nurse) can establish Extracorporeal-Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation... read more
Uncommon Diseases in the ICU
This book highlights the practical characteristics of uncommon diseases and presents the most relevant features for the management of intensive care units. It does not aim to provide an exhaustive description of uncommon... read more
Revisiting VA-ECMO in Infarct-related Cardiogenic Shock
Despite advances in medical therapies and coronary revascularization, infarct-related cardiogenic shock remains a life-threatening emergency with high death rates. Temporary mechanical circulatory support, including peripheral... read more
Optimal RRT for Critically Ill Patients with Severe AKI
In critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI), initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), as compared to intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), was associated with a significant reduction in the... read more
Haloperidol and Delirium: What is Next?
Haloperidol is, by far, the best-studied antipsychotic in ICU, appears to be safe in the dosing range used in these two trials and is easy to administer and titrate. For these reasons, if a clinician chooses to pharmacologically... read more
Long COVID Associated with Reduced Circulating Serotonin Levels
Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC, "Long COVID") pose a significant global health challenge. The pathophysiology is unknown, and no effective treatments have been found to date. Several hypotheses have been formulated... read more
COVID-19-associated Sepsis: Incidence and Mortality
In this retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults, SARS-CoV-2 accounted for approximately 1 in 6 cases of sepsis during the first 33 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-hospital mortality rates for SARS-CoV-2–associated... read more
ECLS in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock
In patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock with planned early revascularization, the risk of death from any cause at the 30-day follow-up was not lower among the patients who received ECLS... read more
Levels of Intensive Care vs. In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Hospitalized for Sepsis Stratified by SOFA
Patients hospitalized for sepsis with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores greater than or equal to 6 in the ICU or HDU had lower in-hospital mortality than those in the general ward, as did those with SOFA scores... read more
Enteral Citrulline Supplementation vs. Placebo in Mechanically Ventilated Patients
Among mechanically ventilated ICU patients without sepsis or septic shock, enteral L-citrulline administration did not result in a significant difference in SOFA score on day 7 compared to placebo. Of 120 randomized patients... read more
Mechanical Ventilation in Patient with Respiratory Failure
This handbook covers the principles of mechanical ventilation, making them easy to understand and apply in clinical settings. Presented in an accessible style and supplemented by a wealth of illustrations and graphs, it includes... read more
Tight Blood-Glucose Control without Early Parenteral Nutrition in the ICU
In critically ill patients who were not receiving early parenteral nutrition, tight glucose control did not affect the length of time that ICU care was needed or mortality. Of 9,230 patients who underwent randomization,... read more
Roadblock: AFib with RVR
In this paper we focus on strategies to bypass the most common pitfalls in our treatment algorithm when treating patients who present to the ED in atrial fibrillation with RVR. We all know the few medications in our toolbox... read more
What to Know About Merkel Cell Carcinoma, the Rare Cancer that Killed Jimmy Buffett
"Margaritaville" singer Jimmy Buffett died of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer, according to a tribute posted on his official websiteopens in a new tab or window. The 76-year-old music icon... read more
The Hemodynamics of Adrenal Veins with Four-dimensional CT Using Quantitative Time-density Curve
Present study quantitatively analyzed adrenal venous flow using four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT). We reviewed 4D CT images of 55 patients [mean age, 52 years ± 11 (standard deviation); 23 females] who underwent... read more
Urine Output-based Sepsis-associated AKI: Clinical Implications
This paper offers comprehensive insights into the epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI), and we commend the authors for their significant contribution. They revealed an increase in the number of mild cases among AKI stage... read more