Tag: ICU
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
Imaging platform captures hard-to-track bacterial lung infections in real time
Ahsan Akram and colleagues have created a fluorescent imaging probe that can quickly and accurately detect hard-to-trace Gram-negative bacteria (one of the major bacterial groups) in human lungs within minutes. Their first-in-human... read more
Proton-Pump Inhibitor Prophylaxis in the ICU
Critical illness can disrupt local and systemic mechanisms that protect against upper gastrointestinal bleeding, a condition that may be associated with increased mortality, particularly among patients receiving extracorporeal... read more
Chasing Mortality Endpoints is a Fool’s Errand
"There is no mortality benefit for that." How many times have you heard that? The implication is usually the same: that intervention is a waste of time. A smart, evidence-based clinician wouldn't bother with it. But, what... read more
Dopamine Antagonists in ICU Delirium
Perhaps the most vexing problem in a patient in an intensive care unit (ICU) is an unexpected change in mental status. Historically, "acute encephalopathy" was the term used to encompass such alterations, but "delirium" is... read more
Haloperidol and Ziprasidone for Treatment of Delirium in Critical Illness
The use of haloperidol or ziprasidone, as compared with placebo, in patients with acute respiratory failure or shock and hypoactive or hyperactive delirium in the ICU did not significantly alter the duration of delirium.... read more
