Acute kidney injury common in children, young adults in ICU

Among children and young adults admitted to intensive care, as many as 1 in 4 may have acute kidney injury and 1 in 10 may have severe acute kidney injury. Acute kidney injury is common in children and young adults admitted... read more

A Pilot Study of Eye-Tracking Devices in ICU

Eye-tracking devices have been suggested as a means of improving communication and psychosocial status among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study was undertaken to explore the psychosocial impact and communication... read more

Words that Heal: ICU Journals at Penn Help Patients and Staff

After years of planning, Penn Presbyterian began offering the journals in January to help prevent post-intensive care syndrome or PICS, a set of physical and emotional problems gaining attention as more people survive an... read more

Epidemiology of Sepsis in Turkish ICUs

The prevalence and mortality of sepsis are largely unknown in Turkey, a country with high antibiotic resistance. A national, multicenter, point-prevalence study was conducted to determine the prevalence, causative microorganisms,... read more

Delirium in ICU Prevented With Nocturnal Administration of Dexmedetomidine

Low-dose dexmedetomidine administered at night to critically ill adults reduced the incidence of delirium during intensive care unit (ICU) stays and patient-reported sleep quality remained unchanged, according to a study... read more

Weaning from the Ventilator and Extubation in ICU

Current research is focusing on preventing extubation failure, especially in the most challenging cases. The use of weaning protocols – written or computerized – attempts to early identify patients who are able to breathe... read more

Comparing Effects Between Music Intervention and Aromatherapy on Anxiety of Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU

Music and aromatherapy interventions were both effective for ICU patients. The effects of music intervention were greater than that of aromatherapy; both interventions maintained the effects for at least 30 min. The Music... read more

Indicators of ICU Capacity Strain

We identified and characterized 16 indicators of strained ICU capacity across the spectrum of healthcare quality domains. Future work should aim to evaluate their implementation into practice and assess their value for evaluating... read more

Which Models Can I Use to Predict Adult ICU Length of Stay? A Systematic Review

No models completely satisfy our requirements for planning, identifying unexpectedly long ICU length of stay, or for benchmarking purposes. Physicians using these models to predict ICU length of stay should interpret them... read more

Incorporating Dynamic Assessment of Fluid Responsiveness Into Goal-Directed Therapy

In adult patients admitted to intensive care who required acute volume resuscitation, goal-directed therapy guided by assessment of fluid responsiveness appears to be associated with reduced mortality, ICU length of stay,... read more

The Emerging Role of the Microbiota in the ICU

The importance of the intestinal and lung microbiotas is often overlooked on the ICU. Currently, we can explore the microbiome using a vast array of techniques, giving us 'meta' libraries of data, which has allowed researchers... read more

Intra-Abdominal Hypertension Is More Common Than Previously Thought

Intra-abdominal hypertension is common in both surgical and nonsurgical patients in the intensive care setting and was found to be independently associated with mortality. Despite prior reports to the contrary, intra-abdominal... read more

High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Critically Ill Subjects With or at Risk for Respiratory Failure

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen delivery has been gaining attention as an alternative means of respiratory support for critically ill patients, with recent studies suggesting equivalent outcomes when compared with other... read more

The Association of Frailty with Post-ICU Disability, Nursing Home Admission, and Mortality

Pre-ICU frailty status was associated with increased post-ICU disability and new nursing home admission among ICU survivors, and death among all admissions. Pre-ICU frailty status may provide prognostic information about... read more

ICU Early Mobility – A Concept ICU Bed with Integrated Leg Press

ICU beds that promote muscle recovery not muscle loss. Critical care experts at Johns Hopkins are reporting initial success in boosting recovery and combating muscle wasting among critically ill, mostly bed-bound patients... read more

Early Mobility in ICU: From Patient to Physician

In the ICU, motion means life. Dr. Paul Wischmeyer, Professor of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Duke University gives an overview of the challenges associated with early mobility in ICU, and the importance of implementing protocols.... read more

How Mayo Clinic Is Combating Information Overload in Critical Care Units

Health care teams depend on electronic health records (EHRs) to compile important medical data from innumerable lab tests and medical devices, observations, treatments, and diagnostic codes. We rely on it so much that we... read more

Early Mobilization of Patients in ICU

Currently there is a divide between ICU clinicians who wish to implement early mobilization based on current evidence and clinicians who believe that early mobilization is an intervention that should be tested in a large... read more

A Qualitative Study Exploring Moral Distress in the ICU Team

This study identified the ways in which moral distress manifests across critical care disciplines in different ICU environments. Our results have potential implications for patient care. First, when clinicians alter the content... read more

Establishing a Relationship of Trust and Care

An admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) is often a traumatic experience for both patients and families. Although members of the critical care team are specially trained to provide care and treatment requiring close,... read more

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in ICUs

The true prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals remains open for discussion. A thorough exploration of emotional distress in relation to... read more

Antibiotic Therapy in Comatose Mechanically Ventilated Patients Following Aspiration

Dr. Fraser, MD, speaks with Jean Baptiste Lascarrou, MD, about the article, "Antibiotic Therapy in Comatose Mechanically Ventilated Patients Following Aspiration: Differentiating Pneumonia from Pneumonitis," published in... read more