Tag: ICU
Successful Strategy to Decrease Indwelling Catheter Utilization Rates in an Academic Medical ICU
Our interventions demonstrated that aggressive and comprehensive indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) restriction protocol and provider training can lead to a successful decrease in IUC use, leading to a lower IUC utilization... read more
High Flow Nasal Cannula Use Outside of the ICU – Factors Associated with Failure
High FiO2 requirements, history of intubation, and cardiac co-morbidity are associative predictors of HFNC failure. Bronchiolitis patients may be treated with HFNC outside of the ICU with lower odds of failure. Two hundred... read more
Review of Strategies to Reduce CLABSI and CAUTI in Adult ICUs
Central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) are costly and morbid. Despite evidence-based guidelines, Some intensive care units (ICUs) continue to have... read more
Are Biomarkers Ready for Prime Time?
Kyle Enfield, MD, speaks with John A. Kellum, MD, MCCM, about his talk presented at the 46th Critical Care Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii entitled, "Are Biomarkers Ready for Prime Time?" Dr. Kellum works as an Intensivist in... read more
Despite My Best Intentions
The resident looked worried and the intern was nervous. They were concerned about an elderly patient with low cardiac output heart failure. We reviewed our plans for the day, and as we entered his intensive care unit (ICU)... read more
RRT Modality in the ICU and Renal Recovery at Hospital Discharge
In this large retrospective study, intermittent hemodialysis as an initial modality was associated with lower renal recovery at hospital discharge among patients with acute kidney injury, although the difference seems somewhat... read more
Animal-assisted Activity in the ICU
Animals are being introduced into hospital settings in ever-increasing numbers. Emerging literature suggests that incorporating trained animals to assist with medical care and rehabilitation therapies can promote patient... read more
Focus on Ventilation and Airway Management in the ICU
Airway and ventilation management are particularly challenging in the intensive care unit (ICU), and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Figure summarizes some of the more recent findings from the literature.... read more
New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Critically Ill
Kyle Enfield, MD, speaks with Travis J. Moss, MD, MSc, and J. Randall Moorman, MD, about the article, "New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Critically Ill," published in the May 2017 issue of Critical Care Medicine. Drs.... read more
Is this critically ill patient elderly or too old?
Life expectancy is increasing in industrialized countries. It is forecast that in the European Union 24.4 million people will be older than 85 years in 2040, more than doubling from the 10.4 million seen in 2010. In parallel,... read more
Understanding Adrenal Crisis
Approximately 5–17 cases of adrenal crisis (AC) occur per 100 patient years in patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI). The mortality rate is estimated to be between 0.5% and 2%. Norwegian data indicate... read more
Alarm Fatigue in ICU Addressed in Two Studies
Alarm fatigue within the intensive care unit (ICU) can negatively impact patient safety and lead to life-threatening events. Researchers from Harlem Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center aimed to identify solutions fight... read more
Bedside Chest Radiographs in the ICU – DRw vs. CR
Critical care chest radiography with a portable wireless direct radiography (DRw) system can provide similar or superior information compared to a computed radiography (CR) system regarding clinically significant findings... read more
The Role of Physiotherapy in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in the ICU
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based, multimodal approach to optimising patient outcomes following surgery. The role of physiotherapy within ERAS and intensive care units (ICU) is important. Patients... read more
Barriers to Delirium Assessment in the ICU
Many barriers exist to prevent effective assessment and management of delirium, but several of these are due to a lack of understanding or unfamiliarity with the condition and the assessment tools as well as lack of medical... read more
Severe AKI in Young ICU Patients Predicts Higher Mortality
Acute kidney injury (AKI) among critically ill children and young adults is common and is associated with higher mortality risk and other poor outcomes The condition also is associated with greater use of renal-replacement... read more
Active Noise Control Headphones to Reduce Patient’s Exposure to ICU Noise
The use of active noise cancellation, as delivered by noise-cancelling headphones, is associated with a significant reduction in noise exposure in our model of noise exposure in a cardiac ICU. This is the first study to look... read more
