Evidence is stronger than you think: a meta-analysis of vitamin C use in patients with sepsis

Despite varying degrees of statistical significance between the original studies, this meta-analysis reveals a positive correlation between incorporating vitamin C in the treatment of sepsis and favorable patient outcomes,... read more

2019 Elf on the Shelf

It is time for the second annual Elf on the Shelf social media photo sweepstakes! Your creative entries help make the season bright. So, just snap a photo of an Elf on the Shelf scene in your unit, and submit it here. Three... read more

Assessment of Variability in End-of-Life Care Delivery in ICUs in the United States

This study suggests most decedents in the ICU avoid CPR at EOL, have family present at their bedside, and are closely assessed for pain. However, the delivery of EOL care varies widely among units in the United States, including... read more

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

Initial Therapy Affects Duration of Diarrhoea in Critically Ill Patients with Clostridioides Difficile Infection

Clostridioides Difficile Infection (CDI) further harms critically ill patients by increasing 28-day mortality and in case of prolonged diarrhoea the length of their hospital stay. Appropriate therapy should be initiated... read more

Tales From The Bedside: True Stories From A Night-Shift ICU Nurse

Tales From The Bedside is a collection of short stories from a caring and brilliant ICU nurse. Her stories will captivate you, make you laugh, warm your heart, shake your head, and just maybe... will inspire you, too. Step... read more

Tales From The Bedside: True Stories From A Night-Shift ICU Nurse

Patient and Family Member-Led Research in the ICU

Patient and family member-led research is a novel research approach that is feasible to conduct and can be used to identify opportunities for improving care. Study participants described shared key experiences in the... read more

Assessment of immune organ dysfunction in critical illness

Critical illness may often induce persisting injury-associated immunosuppression with adverse effects on relevant patient-centered outcomes. However, despite the key task of ICU physicians to detect, monitor, and follow up... read more

First ICU Certified in Humanization (H-ICU)

250 ICUs around the world that have performed the self-assessment, the baseline compliance referred is between 40 and 60%. For more than a year, the team of the ICU of Valdemoro distributed the pending good practices and... read more

Ventilation Rates and Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Outcomes

In this multicenter cohort, ventilation rates exceeding guidelines were common. Among the range of rates delivered, higher rates were associated with improved survival to hospital discharge. Arterial blood pressure and... read more

Nonoperative Management of Splenic Injury of Patients with Reduced Consciousness is Safe and Feasible in Well-equipped Institutions

This study shows that NOM for blunt splenic trauma is a viable treatment modality in well-equipped institutions, regardless of the patients mental status. However, the presence of neurologic impairment is associated with... read more

Distance Between the Tips of Central Venous Catheters Does Not Depend on Same or Opposite Site Access

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are routinely required in the intensive care unit (ICU) for infusion of drugs, often concurrently with central venous dialysis catheters (CVDCs) for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Increased... read more

Economic Evaluation of a Patient-Directed Music Intervention for ICU Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilatory Support

Music intervention has been shown to reduce anxiety and sedative exposure among mechanically ventilated patients. The aim of this study was to examine ICU costs for patients receiving a patient-directed music intervention... read more

An assessment of repeat computed tomography utilization in the emergency department in the setting of blunt trauma

Two CT scans performed during blunt trauma encounters demonstrated mixed benefit and were associated with an increased hospital LOS. Additionally, IV contrast was associated with lower rates of AKI. Of 5787 patient encounters,... read more

Critical Pediatric Heart Deaths Drop by 24% at Hospitals With Cardiac ICUs

Major complications fall by 12%, time on a ventilator declines by 13% among children in the cardiac ICU at PC4 hospitals As a pediatric cardiology fellow nearly a decade ago, Michael Gaies remembers asking hospital colleagues... read more

In-line Filtration of Intravenous Infusion May Reduce Organ Dysfunction of Adult Critical Patients

In-line filtration with finer 0.2 and 1.2 μm filters may be associated with less organ dysfunction and less inflammation in critically ill adult patients. Comparing fine filter vs control filter cohort, respiratory... read more

Outcomes of VV ECMO When Stratified by Age

The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival to hospital discharge for patients on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) when stratified by age. We performed a retrospective study at single, academic,... read more

Post-extubation Dysphagia

Despite having the tools and techniques for tracheal intubation for > 4000 years, and performing oral intubation with positive pressure mechanical ventilation for > 50 years, only recently has attention focused on... read more

Family Care Rituals in the ICU to Reduce Symptoms of PTSD in Family Members

Offering opportunities such as family care rituals for family members to be involved with providing care for family members in the ICU was associated with reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This... read more

Pulmonary Artery Catheters for Adult Patients in ICU

Pulmonary Artery Catheters (PAC) is a diagnostic and haemodynamic monitoring tool but not a therapeutic intervention. Our review concluded that use of a PAC did not alter the mortality, general ICU or hospital LOS, or cost... read more

Practical Trends in Anesthesia and Intensive Care 2018

This book offers an essential guide to managing the most-debated hot topics of practical interest in anesthesia and intensive care. It reviews the state of the art in issues concerning both intensive care medicine and anesthesia,... read more

Practical Trends in Anesthesia and Intensive Care 2018

Triage and Flow Management in Sepsis

Septic patients had a lower priority for ICU admission and longer waiting times for an ICU vacancy than patients with other critical conditions. Overall, this implied a 2.7-fold increased risk of mortality in septic patients. The... read more