Power to the Patient: Rethinking Pain Control in the ICU

This scoping review of 12 relevant studies suggests that Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) offers a promising path toward faster and more stable pain management for ICU patients. By allowing patients to self-administer small... read more

Lost in Translation: Unmasking the Silent Struggle of Ineffective Ventilator Efforts

While identifying the subtle timing mismatches between a patient and a ventilator often requires specialized internal monitoring, clinicians can still spot major "asynchronies" by closely watching the flow and pressure curves... read more

Corrected Serum Calcium Levels Predict 28-Day Death Risk in Sepsis

In a large cohort study utilizing data from 7,627 sepsis patients in the eICU Collaborative Research Database, researchers uncovered a clear U-shaped relationship between corrected serum calcium (sCa) levels and 28-day mortality.... read more

Less Steroids, Better Outcomes: High-Dose Corticosteroids Harm ICU COPD Patients

A large pharmacoepidemiologic cohort study of over 17,000 US patients admitted directly to ICUs for acute exacerbations of COPD revealed that two-thirds received high-dose systemic corticosteroids (>240 mg/day methylprednisolone... read more

ICU Quick Drug Guide 2nd Edition

This book provides precise, must-have drug information for the ICU. It offers essential, evidence-based practice guidelines for the critical care setting. Now in its fully revised and expanded second edition, ICU Quick Drug... read more

ICU Quick Drug Guide 2nd Edition

ICU Risk Check: Simple Blood Biomarker Predicts Mortality in Heart Attack Patients

A study using data from the MIMIC-IV database investigated the prognostic value of the Neutrophil-Platelet Activity Ratio (NPAR) in critically ill adult patients admitted to the ICU with a first acute myocardial infarction... read more

The Power and Pitfalls of AI: GPT Masters ICU Prediction But Struggles with ED Discharge

This retrospective proof-of-concept study investigated GPT-4o's ability to predict disposition (admission vs. discharge) for high-acuity ED patients with complex respiratory cases who required pulmonology consultation and... read more

Lung-protective Ventilation Strategies for Mechanical Ventilation

This study is an important step toward optimizing mechanical ventilation strategies, addressing the interplay between mechanical power, gas exchange and long-term respiratory outcomes could further refine lung-protective... read more

COVID-19 vs non-COVID-19 Patients Without Hematological Malignancies Treated for Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) patients have less comorbidities and higher fungal burden compared to Putative Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (PIPA), but clinical outcomes are similar between groups.... read more

Eosinopenia as a Predictor of Clinical Outcomes in CAP Patients

Contrary to previously published data, our analysis did not demonstrate an association between eosinopenia and increased mortality risk in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), highlighting the complexity... read more

Nebulized Long-Acting Bronchodilators to Treat ARF in an Older Patients

Although long-acting bronchodilators are not approved to treat acute respiratory failure (ARF), the older adult in this case clinically improved after three doses of revefenacin and arformoterol. Additional studies are... read more

COPD: Heterogeneity and Personalized Treatment

This book explains how analysis of the heterogeneity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) enhances understanding of the condition and leads to improved, personalized treatment. State of the art knowledge is presented... read more

COPD: Heterogeneity and Personalized Treatment

Methylprednisolone vs. Hydrocortisone in Septic Shock Patients

Corticosteroids play an important role in the management of septic shock patients, especially in those with higher doses of vasopressor. However, the therapeutic benefits of corticosteroids are not limited to hydrocortisone... read more

Elevated BCR Risk Factor For CHF in Critically Ill COPD Patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of global morbidity and death. The blood urea nitrogen-to-creatinine ratio (BCR) is recognized as a crucial marker to assess renal function and cardiovascular... read more

Prognostic Value of Composite Inflammatory Markers in COPD Patients

Elevated systemic immune inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), pan-immune inflammation value (PIV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated... read more

Predictor of Weaning Outcome Using Sonographic Assessment of Post-intubation Laryngeal Obstruction

The study determined that both cuff leak volume and ultrasound-guided LACWD exhibited excellent sensitivity and specificity in predicting clinically significant upper airway blockage post-extubation, with cuff leak volume... read more

Little Black Book of Pulmonary Medicine

This succinct, bulleted handbook is the ultimate resource for pulmonary and respiratory specialists. Throughout the book, tables and figures summarize important clinical data and current professional society recommendations,... read more

Little Black Book of Pulmonary Medicine

Factors Associated with Delayed Extubation in Post Cardiac Surgery Patients

The process of extubation is a crucial phase in postoperative care. By comprehending the elements that impact DE, healthcare providers can effectively allocate medical resources to enhance the success of weaning, extubation,... read more

Two Biomarkers Improve CRB-65 Predictability for Death Due to Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Augmenting CRB-65 (confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age 65 or older) score with troponin T high-sensitive (TnT-hs) and procalcitonin (PCT) help to predict death or intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients... read more

Relationship between Concentrations of Oxygen and Levels of Oxidative Stress in Patients Receiving Oxygen Therapy for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia

We evaluated the potential of high-flow oxygen therapy to increase oxidative stress and inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Our observation of decreased MDA levels when transitioning hypertensive patients from high-flow to... read more

Management of Refractory COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common condition with an estimated global prevalence of almost 12 percent in adults over age 30 years [1-3]. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)... read more

Spontaneous Breathing Trials Should Be Adapted for Each Patient According To The Critical Illness

Unassisted SBTs, namely PSV0PEEP0 and T-piece trial, are the most appropriate to replicate the postextubation effort to breathe. In this multicentre randomized cross-over study, adult intensive care unit patients under... read more