Safe Performance of Echocardiography During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Safe Performance of Echocardiography During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has become a worldwide healthcare emergency, with continuously growing number of infected subjects. Considering the easy virus spread through respiratory droplets produced with... read more

Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infections: Practical Considerations for Intensivists

Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infections: Practical Considerations for Intensivists

On December 31, 2019, China reported cases of respiratory illness in humans appearing first in Wuhan, Hubei Province, that involved a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (aka 2019-nCoV). This new emergency is a zoonotic disease... read more

New Genomic Tests Aim to Diagnose Deadly Infections Faster

New Genomic Tests Aim to Diagnose Deadly Infections Faster

Rapid genomic tests are poised to change the way doctors diagnose and treat infections, but their cost may limit widespread use. Ryan Springer's mystery illness began last summer with a dull ache in his chest. Over the... read more

Clinically Significant Pleural Effusion in ICU

Clinically Significant Pleural Effusion in ICU

Clinically significant pleural effusion (PLEFF)—defined by a depth greater than or equal to 2 cm in a drainable location on thoracic ultrasound together with a potential adverse effect on patient progress—was detected... read more

Clinical Decision Support Systems: Future or Present in ICU?

Clinical Decision Support Systems: Future or Present in ICU?

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are today, a reality. More complex, useful systems will be developed in the near future, forging CDSS an essential part of ICU monitoring. However, we need to understand the algorithms... read more

Clinical Practice Manual for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Practice Manual for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Practice Manual for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, by Judd W. Landsberg, MD, is a unique point-of-care manual that provides essential information on managing inpatients and outpatients with common, serious... read more

Sepsis

Sepsis

Written by an international group of experts in the field, Sepsis, Third Edition is a valuable resource that provides the most practical information for clinicians and practitioners who treat this complication in the ICU.... read more

Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasonography and Chest Radiography in Adults With Symptoms Suggestive of ADHF

Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasonography and Chest Radiography in Adults With Symptoms Suggestive of ADHF

Standard tools used to diagnose pulmonary edema in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), including chest radiography (CXR), lack adequate sensitivity, which may delay appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Point-of-care... read more

A 10-Year Longitudinal Analysis of Protocol-Based Sepsis Management

A 10-Year Longitudinal Analysis of Protocol-Based Sepsis Management

This 10-year single-center retrospective cohort showed that the use of PB management of severe sepsis and septic shock was associated with a decreased hospital mortality for patients. This mortality benefit was preserved... read more

ED Management of Smoke Inhalation Injury in Adults

ED Management of Smoke Inhalation Injury in Adults

When treating patients who have suffered injury in a fire, managing their airway is as critical as treating their burns. Following on the February 2018 issue on Thermal Burns, this issue reviews strategies for diagnosing... read more

Echocardiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Artery Occlusion Pressure in Ventilated Patients

Echocardiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Artery Occlusion Pressure in Ventilated Patients

TEE accurately predicts invasive PAOP ≤ 18 mmHg in ventilated patients. This further increases its diagnostic value in patients with suspected acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. During two consecutive... read more

Clinical Assessment of Critically Ill Patients by Whole-body Ultrasonography

Clinical Assessment of Critically Ill Patients by Whole-body Ultrasonography

Critical care ultrasonography (CCUS) is increasingly advocated and used, and is defined as point-of-care image acquisition, interpretation and clinical application, all performed by the critical care clinician, and directed... read more

Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis

Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis

A riveting exploration of the most difficult and important part of what doctors do, by Yale School of Medicine physician Dr. Lisa Sanders, author of the monthly New York Times Magazine column "Diagnosis," the inspiration... read more

Causes and Consequences of Optimistic Expectations About Prognosis by Surrogate Decision-Makers in ICUs

Causes and Consequences of Optimistic Expectations About Prognosis by Surrogate Decision-Makers in ICUs

This multicenter study shows that optimistic expectations about prognosis are prevalent among surrogates of patients with advanced critical illness, arise both from misunderstandings by surrogates and from surrogates holding... read more

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy Among Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and Interleukin 6 for Blood Culture Positivity in General ICU Patients

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy Among Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and Interleukin 6 for Blood Culture Positivity in General ICU Patients

Despite various technological advances, it still usually takes at least 24 to 48 h to obtain a blood culture result. The subsequent delays in diagnosis and treatment of infection can negatively impact care in the intensive... read more

Identification of Subclasses of Sepsis that Showed Different Clinical Outcomes and Responses to Amount of Fluid Resuscitation

Identification of Subclasses of Sepsis that Showed Different Clinical Outcomes and Responses to Amount of Fluid Resuscitation

Sepsis is a heterogeneous disease and identification of its subclasses may facilitate and optimize clinical management. This study aimed to identify subclasses of sepsis and its responses to different amounts of fluid resuscitation.... read more

Department-Based ICU Improves Patient Survival Rates

Department-Based ICU Improves Patient Survival Rates

A new Michigan Medicine study found that implementing a dedicated emergency medicine department-based intensive care unit improved patient survival rates and lowered inpatient intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. In the... read more