Post-extubation Dysphagia

Despite having the tools and techniques for tracheal intubation for > 4000 years, and performing oral intubation with positive pressure mechanical ventilation for > 50 years, only recently has attention focused on... read more

Adaptive Mechanical Ventilation with Automated Minimization of Mechanical Power

Adaptive mechanical ventilation with automated minimization of inspiratory power may lead to more lung-protective ventilator settings when compared with adaptive mechanical ventilation according to Otis' equation. Comparing... read more

Serum Creatinine in the Critically Ill Patient With Sepsis

A 73-year-old man underwent esophageal resection for cancer. He had a history of hypertension that was treated with an angiotensin receptor blocker. Preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 98 mL/min/1.73... read more

Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility and Safety of Intermittent Enteral Feeding in Mechanically Ventilated Medical ICU Patients

With the advent of the feeding pump, default enteral nutrition schedules in many medical intensive care units has shifted from intermittent or bolus feeding to continuous feeds. Clinical studies suggest that each of these... read more

Conservative Oxygen Therapy during Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU

In adults undergoing mechanical ventilation in the ICU, the use of conservative oxygen therapy, as compared with usual oxygen therapy, did not significantly affect the number of ventilator-free days. The number of ventilator-free... read more

High-Flow Nasal Cannula vs. Noninvasive Ventilation

High-flow conditioned oxygen therapy delivered through nasal cannulae and noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) may reduce the need for reintubation. Therefore, Hernández et al set out to test if high-flow conditioned... read more

Effect of Protocolized Weaning With Early Extubation to Noninvasive Ventilation vs Invasive Weaning on Time to Liberation From Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With Respiratory Failure

Among patients requiring mechanical ventilation in whom a spontaneous breathing trial had failed, early extubation to noninvasive ventilation did not shorten time to liberation from any ventilation. Among 364 randomized... read more

Effect of Protocolized Weaning With Early Extubation to Noninvasive Ventilation vs Invasive Ventilation

This complex randomized, controlled trial failed to demonstrate that early extubation to non-invasive ventilation reduced the total time of mechanical ventilation. I will continue to extubate early and will use non-invasive... read more

Long-term Cognitive Impairment and Delirium in ICU

ICU delirium was positively associated with impaired information processing speed and executive functioning at six-months post-discharge for this cohort. Testing for cognitive impairment with RBANS and TMT should be considered... read more

Impact of a Multifaceted Prevention Program on VAP Including Selective Oropharyngeal Decontamination

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a serious complication of mechanical ventilation (MV), and has an incidence between 2 and 16 episodes per 1000 ventilator-days, an attributable mortality of 5–13%, excess ICU... read more

Management of Peripheral Venoarterial ECMO in Cardiogenic Shock

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a powerful mechanical circulatory support modality capable of rapidly restoring systemic perfusion yet lacking in defined approaches to management. Adopting a management approach... read more

Sedation, Sleep Promotion, and Delirium Screening Practices in the Care of Mechanically Ventilated Children

The results highlight the heterogeneity in sedation practices among intensivists who care for critically ill children as well as a paucity of sleep promotion and delirium screening in PICUs worldwide. The survey was completed... read more

Interventions for Preventing Critical Illness Polyneuropathy and Critical Illness Myopathy

There is moderate quality evidence from two large trials that intensive insulin therapy reduces CIP/CIM, and high quality evidence that it reduces duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU stay and 180-day mortality, at the... read more

Added Benefit of Noninvasive Ventilation to High-Flow Nasal Oxygen to Prevent Reintubation in Higher-Risk Patients

Liberating patients from ongoing invasive mechanical ventilation is typically a 3-step process. First, clinicians must recognize that patients may no longer require mechanical ventilation, when the reasons for intubation... read more

Early Enteral Nutrition Associated with Improved Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill Children

In critically ill children with hyperglycemia requiring inotropic support and/or mechanical ventilation, early enteral nutrition was independently associated with better clinical outcomes. Of 608 eligible subjects, 331... read more

Brainstem Responses Can Predict Death and Delirium in ICU Sedated Patients

Assessment of brainstem responses is feasible in sedated critically ill patients and loss of selected responses is predictive of mortality and altered mental status. 72 patients were included in the initial group and 72... read more

Driving Pressure Is Associated with Outcome during Assisted Ventilation in ARDS

In patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), plateau pressure, driving pressure, and respiratory system compliance can be measured during assisted ventilation, and both higher driving pressure and lower compliance... read more

Long-Term Outcomes and Health Care Utilization after Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

Critically ill patients who undergo mechanical ventilation in an ICU for longer than 21 days have high in-hospital mortality and greater postdischarge mortality, health care utilization, and health care costs compared with... read more

Impact of Delayed Admission to ICUs on Mortality of Critically Ill Patients

When the number of patients who require intensive care is greater than the number of beds available, intensive care unit (ICU) entry flow is obstructed. This phenomenon has been associated with higher mortality rates... read more

Outcomes of ARDS in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With Cirrhosis

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is common in mechanically ventilated patients with cirrhosis but is not independently associated with increased mortality. The mean age in 181 eligible patients was 53 ± 11 years;... read more

Enteral vs. Parenteral Nutrition in Septic Shock

The strong paradigm of favoring the enteral over the parenteral route in critically ill patients has been challenged. As a consequence, updated guidelines recommend withholding enteral nutrition in patients with uncontrolled... read more

Mobilization Practices for Patients with Burn Injury in Critical Care

Mobilization therapy of patients with burns in the ICU was characterized by a low mobility level during mechanical ventilation with a low functional status at hospital discharge. Of the 74 patients admitted, 66% were placed... read more