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

How to Run Successful Rounds in the ICU

Rounds in the intensive care unit (ICU) allow for scheduled discussions in which healthcare providers review clinical information and develop care plans for critically ill patients. Despite this straightforward concept, there... read more

Virtual Reality to Improve Cognitive Alterations in ICU

More than 30 percent of patients who survive an episode of critical illness presents brain alterations that go beyond those of the disease that has led to the admission to intensive care (ICU). As a result of this cerebral... read more

Delirium a Dreaded Scourge Underdiagnosed in Hospitals

Pain medications, infections, medical illnesses, ventilators, dehydration or withdrawing from alcohol can be risk factors for delirium. Hospitals are one of the biggest culprits. They're noisy, busy and not conducive to getting... read more

When Should Nutritional Support Be Implemented in a Hospitalized Patient?

At the time of admission to the hospital, malnutrition is already present in over 20% of patients. Hospitalized patients are particularly susceptible to developing malnutrition because of increased catabolic states in acute... read more

Tracheotomy in the ICU: Guidelines from a French Expert Panel

Tracheotomy is widely used in intensive care units (ICUs), albeit with great disparities between medical teams in terms of frequency and modality. Indications and techniques are, however, associated with variable levels of... read more

In ICUs, a Furry Friend to Comfort Patients

Amid the monitor alarms and life-and-death conversations on the intensive care unit, Tucker, a very mellow Labrador retriever, rolled onto his back at the nurses' station. Delighted staff surrounded the dog, cooing and scratching... read more

Medication Errors Occur in Nearly Half of ICU Transfers

Almost 50% of patients transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) to a non-ICU location experience a medication error at the time of transition of care, according to new data. While the majority of these errors did, in... read more

Tomorrow’s ICU

Johns Hopkins clinicians and engineers are creating a model for a safer, less costly and more productive clinical unit that can be adopted anywhere. With clinicians spending less time on documenting and gathering supplies,... read more