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

Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

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

Adaptive Mechanical Ventilation with Automated Minimization of Mechanical Power

Long-term Cognitive Impairment After ARDS

Reducing the practical burden of cognitive recovery following critical illness depends crucially on understanding the links between brain injury and lung injury. New deficits in learning and memory, and new development... read more

Long-term Cognitive Impairment After ARDS

Population Enrichment for Critical Care Trials

Enrichment reduces heterogeneity and will enhance the sensitivity of future trials. However, enrichment, even when it identifies more homogenous populations, may not be efficient to deploy in trials or clinical practice. Many... read more

Population Enrichment for Critical Care Trials

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

Driving Pressure Is Associated with Outcome during Assisted Ventilation in ARDS

Vasoactive Medication and Randomized Clinical Trials

Vasoactive medication is one of the cornerstones in the treatment of critically ill patients in shock. Shock can be defined as a failure of the circulatory system to provide adequate tissue perfusion resulting in cellular... read more

Vasoactive Medication and Randomized Clinical Trials

Does high PEEP prevent alveolar cycling?

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients need mechanical ventilation to sustain gas exchange. Animal experiments showed that mechanical ventilation with high volume/plateau pressure and no positive end-expiratory... read more

Does high PEEP prevent alveolar cycling?

Ultrasound for Lung Monitoring of Ventilated Patients

In the intensive care unit, patient lung ultrasound provides accurate information on lung morphology with diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. It enables clinicians easy, rapid, and reliable evaluation of lung aeration and... read more

Ultrasound for Lung Monitoring of Ventilated Patients

Systemic Early Neuromuscular Blockade in ARDS – The ROSE Trial

The early use of neuromuscular blocking agents in the setting of moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was previously understood to confer a survival advantage at 90 days, based on the outcomes of... read more

Systemic Early Neuromuscular Blockade in ARDS – The ROSE Trial

Early Neuromuscular Blockade in the ARDS

Among patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS who were treated with a strategy involving a high PEEP, there was no significant difference in mortality at 90 days between patients who received an early and continuous cisatracurium... read more

Early Neuromuscular Blockade in the ARDS

Airway Closure during Surgical Pneumoperitoneum in Obese Patients

In obese patients, complete airway closure is frequent during anesthesia and is worsened by Trendelenburg pneumoperitoneum, which increases airway opening pressure and alveolar pressure: besides preventing alveolar derecruitment,... read more

Airway Closure during Surgical Pneumoperitoneum in Obese Patients

Driving Pressure in Airway Pressure Release Ventilation: a fool’s errand?

In this post I will briefly explain and critique their mathematical approach, propose a simpler equation for estimating PEEPi in APRV [based on far fewer physiological assumptions] and finally reaffirm why, in my opinion,... read more

Driving Pressure in Airway Pressure Release Ventilation: a fool’s errand?

Neuromuscular Blockade for ARDS Was No Help, In Supine Patients

Continuous neuromuscular blockade for severe ARDS became common practice after the ACURASYS trial showed it reduced mortality by an absolute 9%. A larger trial, ROSE, now finds no benefit of the therapy over usual care, but... read more

Neuromuscular Blockade for ARDS Was No Help, In Supine Patients

Tidal Volume Strategies for those without ARDS

This paper justifies utilizing a higher tidal volume strategy for our patients without primary ARDS/pulmonary disease. This can be very useful. Patient comfort and patient-ventilator synchrony are extremely important. This... read more

Tidal Volume Strategies for those without ARDS

Applied Physiology at the Bedside: Volumetric Capnography

Volumetric capnography is the graphical representation of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) versus exhaled volume. This measurement is made noninvasively at every breath by a combination of flow and CO2 sensors,... read more

Applied Physiology at the Bedside: Volumetric Capnography

Determination of Brain Death Under Extracorporeal Life Support

The worldwide use of extracorporeal lung/life support is increasing in severe lung failure (veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, vvECMO) or in cardiac arrest/severe circulatory failure (veno-arterial ECMO, vaECMO).... read more

Determination of Brain Death Under Extracorporeal Life Support

Effect of Titrating PEEP with Esophageal Pressure-Guided Strategy vs Empirical High PEEP-Fio2 Strategy on Death and Days Free From Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With ARDS

Among patients with moderate to severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), PES-guided positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), compared with empirical high PEEP-Fio2, resulted in no significant difference in death... read more

Effect of Titrating PEEP with Esophageal Pressure-Guided Strategy vs Empirical High PEEP-Fio2 Strategy on Death and Days Free From Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With ARDS

The Shocked Intubation: Definitive Airway Sans Hypotension

Not many aspects of Emergency Medicine define our specialty better than resuscitation, and few concepts exemplify resuscitation better than shock and intubation. Yet few words together strike greater fear in the minds of... read more

The Shocked Intubation: Definitive Airway Sans Hypotension

Adjunct and Rescue Therapies for Refractory Hypoxemia

Prone position, inhaled nitric oxide, high frequency oscillation, extra corporeal life support. The mortality of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), deļ¬ned with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 100 mmHg... read more

Adjunct and Rescue Therapies for Refractory Hypoxemia

Prone Positioning for a Morbidly Obese Patient with ARDS

Since the description in the 1970s of external positive end-expiratory pressure for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the optimum level of external positive end-expiratory pressure remains unresolved. In the 1990s,... read more

Prone Positioning for a Morbidly Obese Patient with ARDS

High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) – Part 1: How It Works

The use of heated and humidified high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has become increasingly popular in the treatment of patients with acute respiratory failure through all age groups. I first started using it as a pediatric intensive... read more

High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) – Part 1: How It Works