Corticosteroid Treatment in Critically Ill Patients with Severe Influenza Pneumonia

Administration of corticosteroids in patients with severe influenza pneumonia is associated with increased ICU mortality, and these agents should not be used as co‑adjuvant therapy. A total of 1846 patients with primary... read more

Corticosteroid Treatment in Critically Ill Patients with Severe Influenza Pneumonia

Peripheral Vasopressors: The Myth and the Evidence

You are working in a small, rural hospital staffed by one physician and one nurse. There are multiple sick patients, all of whom require your attention, but the sickest is probably the 62 year old female with pneumonia and... read more

Peripheral Vasopressors: The Myth and the Evidence

Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination on Hospitalizations and Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With COPD

Influenza vaccination significantly reduced influenza-related hospitalization among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Initiatives to increase vaccination uptake and early use of antiviral agents... read more

Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination on Hospitalizations and Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With COPD

Clinical Performance of Beta-D-Glucan for the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Cancer Patients Tested with PCP PCR

Patients negative by both Beta-D glucan (BDG) and PCR were unlikely to have Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). In patients with a compatible clinical syndrome for PCP, higher BDG values (>200 pg/mL) were consistently associated... read more

Clinical Performance of Beta-D-Glucan for the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Cancer Patients Tested with PCP PCR

Decontaminants Don’t Cut Bloodstream Infection Risk in Ventilated ICU Patients

The use of digestive and oral decontaminants in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who are mechanically ventilated and who have moderate to high antibiotic resistance is not associated with a reduction in ICU-acquired... read more

Decontaminants Don’t Cut Bloodstream Infection Risk in Ventilated ICU Patients

Proton-Pump Inhibitor Prophylaxis in the ICU

Critical illness can disrupt local and systemic mechanisms that protect against upper gastrointestinal bleeding, a condition that may be associated with increased mortality, particularly among patients receiving extracorporeal... read more

Proton-Pump Inhibitor Prophylaxis in the ICU

Effect of Early Sustained Prophylactic Hypothermia on Neurologic Outcomes Among Patients With Severe TBI

Among patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), early prophylactic hypothermia compared with normothermia did not improve neurologic outcomes at 6 months. These findings do not support the use of early prophylactic... read more

Effect of Early Sustained Prophylactic Hypothermia on Neurologic Outcomes Among Patients With Severe TBI

Effect of Cricoid Pressure Compared With a Sham Procedure in the Rapid Sequence Induction of Anesthesia

This large randomized clinical trial performed in patients undergoing anesthesia with RSI failed to demonstrate the noninferiority of the sham procedure in preventing pulmonary aspiration. Further studies are required in... read more

Effect of Cricoid Pressure Compared With a Sham Procedure in the Rapid Sequence Induction of Anesthesia

ICU Usage for Pneumonia Doubles Length of Hospital Stay

A recently released report using data from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) verifies existing data on the prevalence of pneumonia in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits and provides the first-ever... read more

ICU Usage for Pneumonia Doubles Length of Hospital Stay

ECMO for Severe ARDS

Mr. Jackson is a 36-year-old man whom you are caring for in the intensive care unit (ICU). Before this hospitalization, he was healthy and took no medications. He has never smoked, and he drinks three or four beers every... read more

ECMO for Severe ARDS

Validation and Clinical Implications of the IDSA/ATS Minor Criteria for Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

These findings support the use of the IDSA/ATS minor criteria to predict hospital mortality and guide ICU admission in inpatients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) who do not require emergency mechanical ventilation... read more

Validation and Clinical Implications of the IDSA/ATS Minor Criteria for Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Initial Inflammatory Profile in Community-acquired Pneumonia Depends on Time since Onset of Symptoms

Time since symptom onset modifies the systemic inflammatory profile at Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) diagnosis. This information has relevant clinical implications for management, and it should be taken into account... read more

Initial Inflammatory Profile in Community-acquired Pneumonia Depends on Time since Onset of Symptoms

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of ARDS

Chronic high alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of ARDS. This finding suggests that patients admitted to hospital should be screened for chronic alcohol use. Seventeen observational studies (177,674 people)... read more

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of ARDS

Pressure ulcers in ICU patients: Incidence and clinical and epidemiological features

Pressure ulcers in ICU patients: Incidence and clinical and epidemiological features: A multicenter study in southern Brazil. The main objective is to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of pressure ulcers (PU) in adult... read more

Pressure ulcers in ICU patients: Incidence and clinical and epidemiological features

Distinguishing Pneumonia From Pneumonitis to Safely Discontinue Antibiotics

Consequences of pulmonary aspiration can be biphasic with dissimilar sequelae. An early phase, coined pneumonitis, involves an inflammatory reaction to gastrointestinal contents with a pH typically less than 2.4 resulting... read more

Distinguishing Pneumonia From Pneumonitis to Safely Discontinue Antibiotics

Immunocompromised Patients with ARDS

Immunosuppression is frequent in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and infections are the main risk factors for ARDS in these immunocompromised patients. Their management differs from that of immunocompetent... read more

Immunocompromised Patients with ARDS

Automated System Detects Risk of VAP

Approximately 50 percent of all patients receiving mechanical ventilator support develop ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed an automated system for identifying... read more

Automated System Detects Risk of VAP

A 10-year review of total hospital onset ICU bloodstream infections at an Academic Medical Center

Across all ICUs, the rates of primary BSIs progressively fell from 2.11/1000 patient days in FY05 to 0.32/1000 patient days in FY14; an 85.0% decrease (P<0.0001). Secondary BSIs also progressively decreased from 3.56/1000... read more

A 10-year review of total hospital onset ICU bloodstream infections at an Academic Medical Center

Metabolic Profiles in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

This study demonstrates that serum metabolomics approaches based on the LC-MS/MS platform can be applied as a tool to reveal metabolic changes during CAP and establish a metabolite signature related to disease severity. The... read more

Metabolic Profiles in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Mechanical Ventilation: Physiological and Clinical Applications

Known for its simple explanations and in-depth coverage of patient-ventilator management, this evidence-based text walks readers through the most fundamental and advanced concepts surrounding mechanical ventilation and guides... read more

Mechanical Ventilation: Physiological and Clinical Applications

Empiric Antibiotics Tend To Be Prolonged in ICU

Using antibiotics in critically ill patients is very much walking a tightrope. No one wants to miss an infection in a patient who could go downhill quickly, but no one wants to overuse these precious drugs, either.... read more

Empiric Antibiotics Tend To Be Prolonged in ICU

Risk Factors for HAI After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Mechanical ventilation greater than or equal to 3 days, dopamine use, genetic abnormality, and delayed sternal closure were associated with healthcare-associated infections after pediatric cardiac surgery. Since the use of... read more

Risk Factors for HAI After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery