Stories Category: Intensive Care
Bag-Mask Ventilation during Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults
Among critically ill adults undergoing tracheal intubation, patients receiving bag-mask ventilation had higher oxygen saturations and a lower incidence of severe hypoxemia than those receiving no ventilation. Among the 401... read more
Implementing Early Mobilization in the ICU
The use of a quality improvement appraisal tool can help identify high quality projects when planning a similar mobility program. Even though projects were conducted in a variety of intensive care unit settings, and implementation... read more
Catheter Directed Thrombolysis for Intermediate Risk Pulmonary Embolism
Intermediate risk pulmonary embolism is common and carries a risk of progression to hemodynamic collapse and death. Catheter directed thrombolysis is an increasingly utilized treatment option, based largely on the assumptions... read more
The Clinical Impacts and Risk Factors for Non-central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection in 5046 ICU Patients
Most of the previous studies focused on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), while non-central line-associated bloodstream infection (N-CLABSI) was poorly studied. This study was performed to investigate... read more
The PreVent Trial, Assessing the Role of Bag-mask Ventilation During Tracheal Intubation in Critically Ill Adults
In this "Breathe Easy Critical Perspective" podcast, Dr. Dominique Pepper interviews Dr. Matthew Semler. They discuss the PreVent trial, a recent publication in the 2019 issue of the NEJM that assessed the role of bag-mask... read more
Improved Guideline Adherence and Reduced Brain Dysfunction After a Multicenter Multifaceted Implementation of ICU Delirium Guidelines in 3,930 Patients
This large pre-post implementation study of delirium-oriented measures based on the 2013 Pain, Agitation, and Delirium guidelines showed improved health professionals’ adherence to delirium guidelines and reduced brain... read more
Did I Start the Opioid Epidemic?
Prescription opioid abuse is at epidemic levels. Opioids diverted from friends and family members who have legitimate prescriptions are a major source of abused prescription opioids. Nurses are vital to any effort to combat... read more
In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope
In Shock is a riveting first-hand account from a young critical care physician, who in the passage of a moment is transfigured into a dying patient. This transposition, coincidentally timed at the end of her medical training,... read more
Design and Implementation of a Pediatric ICU Acuity Scoring Tool as Clinical Decision Support
Pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest most commonly occurs in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and is frequently preceded by early warning signs of clinical deterioration. In this study, we describe the implementation... read more
Antibiotic timing in Severe Sepsis
Severe sepsis is a time dependent condition and this study builds on previous literature which supports that early identification and treatment of sepsis with antibiotics decreases mortality. Retrospective analysis of a large... read more
RRT Board Exam: Dominate the Hemodynamic and ECG Portion of the Respiratory Therapy Board Exam
Our RRT Board exam series helps you study smarter, not harder. Instead of giving you information overload, we focus solely on the most recent NBRC TMC and clinical simulation exam matrix. Start feeling more confident and... read more
Fever Control in Critically Ill Adults
One potential way to protect patients from the physiological demands that are a consequence of fever is to aim to prevent fever and to treat it assiduously when it occurs. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that more... read more
Optimizing Hemodynamic Support in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock, An Issue of Critical Care Clinics
Guest Editor Dane Nichols, MD, has assembled a panel of experts focusing on Hemodynamic Support in Septic Shock. Topics include: Oxygen Delivery and Consumption: A Macro-Circulatory Perspective; Mean Arterial Pressure: Therapeutic... read more
Hospital Elder Life Program: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Effectiveness
The Hospital Elder Life Program is effective in reducing incidence of delirium and rate of falls, with a trend toward decreasing length of stay and preventing institutionalization. With ongoing efforts in continuous program... read more