Awake Proning for COVID-19

Prone positioning improves oxygenation in spontaneous breathing nonintubated patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure: A retrospective study. This is a retrospective case series describing 15 non-intubated patients... read more

Predicting NIV Failure in Hypoxemic Patients

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is applied worldwide to patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure. It is often applied as an attempt to avoid invasive mechanical ventilation. However, the application of NIV is often... read more

Here’s a Lifesaving COVID-19 Test That Costs Almost Nothing

The New York Times ran a fascinating op-ed on Monday, and I’m surprised that it hasn’t gotten more attention. Here’s the nickel summary: a hotshot ER doctor volunteered to spend time at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan... read more

COVID-19 Pneumonia: ARDS or Not?

Even though it can meet the ARDS Berlin definition, the COVID-19 pneumonia is a specific disease with peculiar phenotypes. Its main characteristic is the dissociation between the severity of the hypoxemia and the maintenance... read more

COVID-19 Evolving Indications for Intubation

Hypoxemia and tachypnea should not be the sole indications for intubation, but rather a complete clinical assessment including work of breathing, mental status and increasing PaCO2 and/or acidosis. Based on experience... read more

Flow-controlled Ventilation Enhances Lung Aeration

Lung-protective ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) aims for providing sufficient oxygenation and carbon dioxide clearance, while limiting the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation. This study... read more

Multi-Modal Characterization of the Coagulopathy Associated With ECMO

The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)-associated coagulopathy is a multifactorial and quickly developing syndrome. It is characterized by individual changes of coagulation parameters and platelets and is aggravated... read more

New Study on Prehospital Airway Control Trial Underway

Emory University Department of Emergency Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital will take part in a U.S. Department of Defense-funded clinical trial to compare different ways to help people with traumatic injuries breathe. The... read more

Clinically Significant Pleural Effusion in ICU

Clinically significant pleural effusion (PLEFF)—defined by a depth greater than or equal to 2 cm in a drainable location on thoracic ultrasound together with a potential adverse effect on patient progress—was detected... read more

Conservative vs. Interventional Treatment for Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Although the primary outcome was not statistically robust to conservative assumptions about missing data, the trial provides modest evidence that conservative management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax was noninferior... read more

Impact of Levosimendan on Weaning from Peripheral VA-ECMO in ICU

This study suggests that levosimendan might be associated with a beneficial effect on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) weaning in ICU patients. The difference in mortality among propensity-matched... read more

Microcirculation Evolution in Patients on VA-ECMO for Refractory Cardiogenic Shock

Microcirculation is severely impaired in patients with refractory cardiogenic shock requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Inability to rapidly restore microcirculation during the first... read more

Impaired Cerebral Auto-regulation is Associated with Brain Dysfunction in Patients with Sepsis

Cerebral auto-regulation was altered in half of the patients with sepsis and was associated with the development of SABD. These findings support the concept that cerebral hypoxia could contribute to the development of... read more

Apneic Oxygenation As a Quality Improvement Intervention in an Academic PICU

Implementation of apneic oxygenation in PICU was feasible, and was associated with significant reduction in moderate and severe oxygen desaturation. Use of apneic oxygenation should be considered when intubating critically... read more

Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Although there are no specific data regarding the effect of respiratory management on stroke patients' outcomes, specific ventilator strategies in this population could potentially improve neurologic outcome and prevent respiratory... read more

Outcomes of VV ECMO When Stratified by Age

The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival to hospital discharge for patients on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) when stratified by age. We performed a retrospective study at single, academic,... read more

FDA Approves New Pill to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a once-daily pill for sickle cell disease that works in an entirely new way — by boosting hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule found in red blood cells. The novel... 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

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Cardiogenic Shock

Temporary circulatory support (TCS) have become the cornerstone of the management of patients with cardiogenic shock, although the evidence supporting their efficacy is limited. VA-ECMO is considered the first-line option,... read more

ECMO in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

In a population-based registry, 4% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) were treated with extracorporeal-CPR, which was not associated with increased hospital survival. Early extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)... read more

Transport of a Prone Position ARDS Patient

Critical care transport of prone acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients is a feasible and cost-effective intervention that will help prevent treatment delays and interruptions. A nonphysician critical care... read more

Is Hemoglobin Good for Cerebral Oxygenation and Clinical Outcome in Acute Brain Injury?

Hemoglobin is important for cerebral oxygenation and strategies to minimize anemia should be undertaken. higher hemoglobin levels are associated with less cerebral ischemia and better clinical outcome, whether this remains... read more