Antipsychotics for Prevention and Treatment of Delirium

Delirium is a common, complex and costly condition in older adults. Every year, over 7 million hospitalized Americans suffer from delirium. A recent systematic review found that 31% of critical care patients have delirium,... read more

ICU Physiology in 1000 Words: Venous Doppler & Volume Tolerance

With the birth of "fluid responsiveness" physiology, there has been a slow and solemn drumbeat ushering the central venous pressure (CVP) up the squeaking planks of the hemodynamic gallows. Despite this, a few years ago... read more

Bedside Limited Echocardiography by the Emergency Physician Is Accurate During Evaluation of the Critically Ill Patient

Our study suggests that PEP sonographers are capable of obtaining images that permit accurate assessment of LVF and IVC volume. BLEEP can be performed with focused training and oversight by a pediatric cardiologist. We conducted... read more

My ICU Patient Lived. Is That Enough?

As many as one in three patients sick enough to require a ventilator might develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety and depression are equally common, if not more so. Others survive critical illness but... read more

The Washington Manual of Critical Care

Prepared by residents and faculty at the Washington University School of Medicine, this pocket manual contains easy-to-read algorithms for the management of more than 80 medical and surgical problems arising in the intensive... read more

The Washington Manual of Critical Care

Transfers From ICU to Hospital Ward

Little is known about documentation during transitions of patient care between clinical specialties. Therefore, we examined the focus, structure and purpose of physician progress notes for patients transferred from the intensive... read more

Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in ICU Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition

Our results suggested that in patients receiving enteral feeding, pharmacologic SUP is not beneficial and combined interventions may even increase the risk of nosocomial pneumonia. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane... read more

The Overlooked Danger of Delirium in Hospitals

The condition, once known as "ICU psychosis," disproportionately affects seniors and those who have been heavily sedated—and the delusions can last long after they're discharged. Patients treated in intensive-care units... read more

Do We Need New Trials of Procalcitonin-Guided Antibiotic Therapy?

Using biomarkers as a guide to tailor the duration of antibiotic treatment in respiratory infections is an attractive hypothesis assessed in several studies. Recent work aiming to summarize the evidence assessed the effect... read more

Lower ARDS Mortality at High-Volume Intensive Care Units

For patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), mortality is lower in high-volume intensive care units (ICUs), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society. The researchers... read more

AI Can Predict Sepsis to Save Lives

Emory University researchers have created a "Sepsis Expert" algorithm that works in real time to predict the onset of sepsis, the deadly condition that often takes hold in healthcare settings. Banking on information from... read more

Risk Factors for Ventilator-Associated Events in a PICU

There is an association between ventilator-associated condition and infection-related ventilator-associated complication in critically ill children with acute kidney injury, ventilatory support, and neuromuscular blockade.... read more

Early Application of APRV May Reduce the Duration of Mechanical Ventilation in ARDS

Compared with LTV, early application of airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in patients with ARDS improved oxygenation and respiratory system compliance, decreased Pplat and reduced the duration of both mechanical... read more

Differences in Impact of Definitional Elements on Mortality Precludes International Comparisons of Sepsis Epidemiology

Within a sepsis cohort, we illustrate case-mix heterogeneity using definitional elements (infection source and organ dysfunction). In the context of improving outcomes, we illustrate differential secular trends in impact... read more

Monitoring ICU Performance-impact of a Novel Individualised Performance Scorecard in Critical Care Medicine

Patients admitted to a critical care medicine (CCM) environment, including an intensive care unit (ICU), are susceptible to harm and significant resource utilisation. Therefore, a strategy to optimise provider performance... read more

Enteral vs Parenteral Nutrition in Critical Care Requiring Mechanical Ventilation

Enteral feeding was not superior to parenteral feeding for early nutritional support in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support for shock, according to the results of a study published... read more

Prospective Evaluation of a Multifaceted Intervention to Improve Outcomes in Intensive Care

Studies comprehensively assessing interventions to improve team communication and to engage patients and care partners in ICUs are lacking. This study examines the effectiveness of a patient-centered care and engagement program... read more

Factors Associated with Life-Sustaining Treatment Restriction in the ICU

Few previous studies have investigated associations between clinical variables available after 24 hours in the ICU and decisions to restrict life-sustaining treatment. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated... read more

The ADRENAL Trial: Steroids in Septic Shock

Randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of adjunctive corticosteroids in septic shock have shown conflicting evidence of clinical relevance. Two trials in particular looked at lower dose hydrocortisone (200mg/day)... read more

Enabling Machine Learning in Critical Care

Critical care units are home to some of the most sophisticated patient technology within hospitals. In parallel, the field of machine learning is advancing rapidly and increasingly touching our lives. To facilitate the adoption... read more

Barriers and Facilitators to Early Rehabilitation in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Using a theoretically driven approach, this study identified important barriers and facilitators to early rehabilitation in ICU patients. In particular, the domains of social influences and behavioral regulation were not... read more

Defining Sepsis on the Wards: Comparing Two Sepsis Definitions

Sepsis is defined as a dysregulated host response to infection, resulting in acute organ dysfunction. Although the condition has been thoroughly studied in the intensive care unit (ICU), accurate data collection outside of... read more