Stories Category: Intensive Care
Should Transfusion Trigger Thresholds Differ for Critical Care vs Perioperative Patients?
The safety of restrictive transfusion strategies likely differs for critically ill patients versus perioperative patients. Further trials investigating transfusion strategies in the perioperative setting are necessary. The... read more
Effect of Boarding on Mortality in ICUs
Mortality increased with boarding of critically ill patients. Further research is needed to identify safer practices for managing patients during periods of high ICU occupancy. The study population consisted of 8,429 patients... read more
Balanced Crystalloids vs Saline for Critically Ill Adults
Among critically ill adults, use of balanced crystalloids for intravenous fluid administration reduced the composite of death, new renal replacement therapy, and persistent renal dysfunction compared with use of saline. Patients... read more
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Awareness of Graduate Medical Education Trainees Regarding Palliative Care
Surgical trainees and trainees without previous PC rotation had significantly less awareness of PC. Overall, trainees perceived PC as beneficial to patients and capable of reducing costs while increasing survival; they also... read more
Cisatracurium Ups Some ARDS Outcomes Versus Vecuronium
Among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cisatracurium does not improve mortality versus vecuronium but is associated with improvements in other outcomes, according to a study published online in the... read more
Pilot Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Hypothermia for Moderate to Severe ARDS
Neuromuscular blockade alone does not cause hypothermia but allowed acute respiratory distress syndrome patients to be effectively cooled. Results support conducting a randomized clinical trial of hypothermia in acute respiratory... read more
Safety of MRI in Patients with Cardiac Devices
Patients who have pacemakers or defibrillators are often denied the opportunity to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because of safety concerns, unless the devices meet certain criteria specified by the FDM. We evaluated... read more
Elevated BNP Levels in CFS Associated with Cardiac Dysfunction
This study confirms an association between reduced cardiac volumes and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Lack of relationship between length of disease suggests that findings are not secondary... read more
Clinicians’ Expectations of the Benefits and Harms of Treatments, Screening, and Tests
Clinicians rarely had accurate expectations of benefits or harms, with inaccuracies in both directions. However, clinicians more often underestimated rather than overestimated harms and overestimated rather than underestimated... read more
Bleeding During Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy – What to do while waiting for the surgeon?
A patient suffered significant bleeding during an attempt at percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy due to an aberrant anterior jugular vein. Bleeding was controlled with pressure temporarily, but quickly returned necessitating... read more
Effect of Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Surgical Site Infections Following Removal of Orthopedic Implants
In this randomized clinical trial that included 470 patients who were undergoing surgery for removal of orthopedic implants used for treatment of below-the-knee fractures, surgical site infection occurred in 12.9% of patients... read more
The Iatrogenic Potential of the Physician’s Words
Some of the information that physicians convey to their patients can inadvertently amplify patients' symptoms and become a source of heightened somatic distress, an effect that must be understood by physicians to ensure optimal... read more
Fifty Years of Research in ARDS
Mechanical ventilation (MV) is critical in the management of many patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, MV can also cause ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). The selection of an appropriate... read more
Doctor & Scientist Running for Congress
I worked for CDC: the 7 "banned words" are just the beginning... When I heard the recent news - that CDC experts have been banned or discouraged by the Trump administration from using key words, including "evidence-based"... read more
A Research Agenda for Communication Between Health Care Professionals and Patients Living With Serious Illness
Poor communication by health care professionals contributes to physical and psychological suffering in patients living with serious illness. Patients may not fully understand their illness, prognosis, and treatment options... read more
Burnout and Stress Among US Surgery Residents
Burnout among physicians affects mental health, performance, and patient outcomes. Surgery residency is a high-risk time for burnout. We examined burnout and the psychological characteristics that can contribute to burnout... read more
Current Therapy of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care
A comprehensive and contemporary summary of the treatment and post-operative management of traumatic injuries. The concise format makes it ideally suited for everyday use, and new, full-color illustrations highlight the most... read more
