Cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: disease burden, determinants and possible future interventions

Cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: disease burden, determinants and possible future interventions

Cognitive impairment (CI) is an important but an under-recognized extra-pulmonary feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is related to the burden of disability, worse health outcomes and impaired self-management.... read more

Climate Change, Global Warming, and Intensive Care

Climate Change, Global Warming, and Intensive Care

In the last five decades, human activities have resulted in the release of increasing quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, thus contributing to global climate change by additional heating of the atmosphere.... read more

Low-flow Assessment of Current ECMO/ECCO2R Rotary Blood Pumps and the Potential Effect on Hemocompatibility

Low-flow Assessment of Current ECMO/ECCO2R Rotary Blood Pumps and the Potential Effect on Hemocompatibility

The role of blood pumps in contributing to adverse effects at the lower blood flow rates used during ECCO2R is shown here to be significant. Current rotary blood pumps should be used with caution if operated at blood... read more

Intensivists’ Preferences for Patient Admission to ICU

Intensivists’ Preferences for Patient Admission to ICU

ICU consultants vary in the importance they give to different factors in deciding who to prioritize for ICU admission. Transparency regarding which factors have been considered in the decision-making process could reduce... read more

Short-term vs. Conventional Glucocorticoid Therapy in Acute Exacerbations of COPD

Short-term vs. Conventional Glucocorticoid Therapy in Acute Exacerbations of COPD

In patients presenting to the emergency department with acute exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), 5-day treatment with systemic glucocorticoids was noninferior to 14-day treatment with regard to... read more

CDC Launches Investigation Into Surge Of Severe Lung Disease Cases Linked To Vaping

CDC Launches Investigation Into Surge Of Severe Lung Disease Cases Linked To Vaping

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating the sudden emergence of severe lung disease linked to vaping in 14 states. CDC is providing consultation to the departments of health in Wisconsin,... read more

Risk of Sepsis and Mortality Among Patients with COPD Treated With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

Risk of Sepsis and Mortality Among Patients with COPD Treated With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

Angiotensin receptor blockers were associated with lower rates of sepsis and mortality than angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The similar findings were also... read more

Randomized Controlled Trial of Health Coaching for Vulnerable Patients with COPD

Randomized Controlled Trial of Health Coaching for Vulnerable Patients with COPD

These results help inform expectations regarding the limitations and benefits of health coaching for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). They may be useful to health policy experts in assessing the... read more

Steroids in Septic Shock – Four Misconceptions and One Truth

Steroids in Septic Shock – Four Misconceptions and One Truth

The utility of steroids in sepsis has been debated passionately for decades. There is hope that steroids might improve mortality, but also fear that they could increase infectious complications. Practice varies widely. What... read more

Diagnosis and Management of Acute Exacerbations of COPD – Pharmacology CME

Diagnosis and Management of Acute Exacerbations of COPD – Pharmacology CME

As more and more patients present to the ED with symptoms that suggest an acute exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) –worsening dyspnea, cough and sputum production – emergency clinicians can... read more

ICU Utilization for Patients With Acute Exacerbation of COPD Receiving Noninvasive Ventilation

ICU Utilization for Patients With Acute Exacerbation of COPD Receiving Noninvasive Ventilation

There is wide variability in the rate of ICU utilization for noninvasive ventilation across hospitals. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receiving noninvasive ventilation had similar in-hospital mortality... read more

ICU May Be Overused for Some COPD, Acute MI, HF Patients

ICU May Be Overused for Some COPD, Acute MI, HF Patients

For patients with COPD, heart failure and myocardial infarction, who are not critically ill, a stay in the ICU may be no more beneficial than staying on a ward, according to an analysis just published in the Annals of the... read more

The Effect of Defining COPD by the Lower Limit of Normal of FEV1/FVC Ratio in TIOSPIR Participants

The Effect of Defining COPD by the Lower Limit of Normal of FEV1/FVC Ratio in TIOSPIR Participants

Using the lower limit of normal to define airflow obstruction would have excluded patients in TIOtropium Safety and Performance In Respimat study with a higher risk of nonfatal major adverse cardiovascular events and a lower... read more

Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination on Hospitalizations and Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With COPD

Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination on Hospitalizations and Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With COPD

Influenza vaccination significantly reduced influenza-related hospitalization among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Initiatives to increase vaccination uptake and early use of antiviral agents... read more