Tag: ICU
Delirium in Critical Illness: Haloperidol vs Ziprasidone?
Delirium is defined as an acute disorder of consciousness which can occur in up to 80% of mechanically ventilated ICU patients. This acute cognitive dysfunction is associated with prolonged hospital stay, increased mortality,... read more
Metabolic-based Biomarkers Have Potential to Triage Children with Sepsis
A new study has validated potential biomarkers for a sepsis-triage model to distinguish sepsis patients requiring care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from sepsis identified in the pediatric emergency department... read more
What It’s Like in Pediatric Critical Care
As a medical student, do you ever wonder what it's like to specialize in pediatric critical care? Meet Joanna Kuppy, MD, a critical care pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center,... read more
A New Bill Introduced in the House Would Protect Millions of Health Care Workers
A group of House Democrats introduced a bill to help protect millions of nurses and other health care workers from the high rates of violence they experience on the job. The new bill, called the "Workplace Violence Prevention... read more
The Patient, The Whole Patient and Nothing But The Patient
In this short opinion piece, career and consumer advisor Belinda MacLeod-Smith challenges us to consider crucial elements of whole patient care, and how they can be impacted by limiting factors. Caring for someone with ongoing,... read more
Intensive Care Medicine in 2050: The Future of ICU Treatments
It's unlikely that any of the three of us will still be around, but we can imagine how our children would describe their experience if they were admitted to the ICU in 2050. Here is what they might say: "The hospital is definitely... read more
Transient Systolic Anterior Motion with Junctional Rhythm After Mitral Valve Repair in the ICU
This case report shows that junctional rhythm can cause deterioration of SAM, LVOTO, and MR, and can lead to unstable hemodynamics in a patient with right ventricular failure after MVR. Atrial pacing can resolve SAM, LVOTO,... read more
Improving Hospital Survival and Reducing Brain Dysfunction at Seven California Community Hospitals
The evidence-based ABCDEF bundle was successfully implemented in seven community hospital ICUs using an interprofessional team model to operationalize the Pain, Agitation, and Delirium guidelines. Higher bundle compliance... read more
Can probiotics be an alternative to chlorhexidine for oral care in the mechanically ventilated patient?
In this multicentre study, we could not demonstrate any difference between Lp299 and CHX used in oral care procedures regarding their impact on colonisation with emerging potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria in the oropharynx... read more
The Impact of Frailty on ICU Outcomes
Functional status and chronic health status are important baseline characteristics of critically ill patients. The assessment of frailty on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) may provide objective, prognostic information... read more
Antipsychotic Prescribing Patterns During and After Critical Illness
In this study, antipsychotics were used to treat nearly half of all antipsychotic-naïve ICU patients and were prescribed at discharge to 24% of antipsychotic-treated patients. Treatment with an atypical antipsychotic greatly... read more
Differences in attitudes towards end-of-life care among intensivists, oncologists and prosecutors in Brazil
There is great variability in end-of-life care and the legal context may interfere with decisions on limitation of medical treatment. In Brazil, end-of-life care was initially regulated in 2006, but legal controversies still... read more
The Precogs Take On Sepsis
It seems like every week there’s another publicized instance of our impending replacement by artificial intelligence. Big Data, they say, is going to free us of the cognitive burdens of complex thought while maximizing... read more
The impact of age on the innate immune response and outcomes after severe sepsis/septic shock in trauma and surgical ICU patients
Aged, critically ill surgical patients have greater organ dysfunction and incidence of adverse clinical outcomes after sepsis. Biomarker profiles suggest an immunophenotype of persistent immunosuppression and catabolism.... read more
Feasibility and observed safety of interactive video games for physical rehabilitation in the ICU
Novel use of interactive video games as part of routine PT in critically ill patients is feasible and appears safe in our case series. Video game therapy may complement existing rehabilitation techniques for ICU patients.... read more
Nurse intuition may play a role in critical-care outcomes
Nurse intuition doesn't sound scientific, but it could play a key role in critical-care outcomes, according to a small study published in DovePress. The researchers conducted a descriptive phenomenological study, interviewing... read more
Alfred ICU Intubation Checklist
Here is the Alfred ICU intubation checklist. We invite you to take it and adopt it whole, or, even better, to modify it to your own department's needs. We have spent considerable time and thought developing it, as well as... read more
PPIs do not increase risk for C. difficile infection in ICU
Proton pump inhibitors are not associated with an increased risk for Clostridium difficile infection in ICU patients, according to the results of a retrospective cohort study. PPI use was not associated with a significant... read more
Comparison of Two Lidocaine Administration Techniques on Perceived Pain From Bedside Procedures
Bedside procedures are exceedingly common. Data regarding the severity of procedural pain and strategies to mitigate it are important for the informed consent process and patient satisfaction. Overall, pain reported from... read more
Does Lactate Clearance Prognosticates Outcomes in ECMO Therapy
Changes in lactate levels after ECMO implantation is an important tool to assess effective circulatory support and it is found superior to single lactate measurements as a prognostic sign of mortality in our study. Based... read more
Never Underestimate the Simple Things We Do To Our Patients
In this compelling episode, Professor Paul Wischmeyer, shares some of his experiences as a patient in the ICU. Since he was 15 he has endured multiple hospitalizations and ICU stays for his inflammatory bowel disease. This... read more
