Tag: pneumonia
Algorithm Can Diagnose Pneumonia Better than Radiologists
Stanford researchers have developed a deep learning algorithm that evaluates chest X-rays for signs of disease. In just over a month of development, their algorithm outperformed expert radiologists at diagnosing pneumonia.... read more
Hospital Factors May Influence NIV Outcomes Even in Low-Evidence Use
Strong evidence supports use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for patients with respiratory distress from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure – i.e., strong evidence conditions (SECs). A new study of... read more
Accuracy and Applications of Lung Ultrasound to Diagnose VAP
Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an accurate tool to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia. However, it is not yet an established tool to diagnose ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Small subpleural consolidations and dynamic... read more
Ultrasound-guided Mechanical Ventilation
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is now a tool used worldwide, integrating clinical assessment of the critically ill. In this review, we focus on lung, diaphragm and cardiac ultrasound in the management of the mechanically... read more
Oral Antibiotics Preferred for Pediatric Pneumonia
Children with complicated pneumonia should be discharged from the hospital with oral instead of intravenous (IV) antibiotics when possible, according to a new study. The results showed no significant differences in treatment... read more
Traditional vs. Extended Cefepime Infusion in Critically Ill Patients
Patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia or pneumonia had a reduced 28-day all-cause mortality and length of stay in the ICU when administered an extended infusion of cefepime.... read more
Steroids for severe CAP. Should I?
Steroids. I always have mixed feelings about them. It's a Love & Hate relationship inside my head. On one hand I cannot stand those who claim steroids are the critical care's Holy Grail. Steroids for sepsis, ARDS, trauma,... read more
Noninvasive Ventilation in Patients With Hematologic Malignancy
Two-thirds of patients with Hematologic Malignancy and respiratory failure failed Noninvasive Ventilation (NIV) and required endotracheal intubation, and had high subsequent mortality. Patients who failed NIV had higher Paco2,... read more
The Lactate Dilemma
After a long and exhausting discussion with an inferior human being, a cardiologist, which happens to be an old friend, I decided to write some thoughts about lactate. So, I'll do like I do in my lectures, which is state... read more
Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in the ICU (SUP-ICU)
Stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) is standard of care in the intensive care unit (ICU), however the quantity and quality of evidence is low and potential harm has been reported. The aim of the SUP-ICU trial is to asses the overall... read more
Role of Preventability in Redefining Failure to Rescue Among Major Trauma Patients
Failure to rescue (FTR) is defined as death after a major complication and has been adopted as a measure of quality in surgical patients. Current definitions of FTR are limited because they do not account for the influence... read more
Antibiotic Therapy in Comatose Mechanically Ventilated Patients Following Aspiration
Among comatose patients receiving mechanical ventilation, those without clinical, laboratory, or radiologic evidence of bacterial aspiration pneumonia did not require antibiotics. In those with suspected bacterial aspiration... read more
Aspirin therapy in patients with ARDS is associated with reduced ICU mortality
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common clinical syndrome with high mortality and long-term morbidity. To date there is no effective pharmacological therapy. Aspirin therapy has recently been shown to reduce... read more
Rescue Strategy for Treating Severe Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Infections
Recent reports have suggested the efficacy of a double carbapenem (DC) combination, including ertapenem, for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) infections. We aimed to evaluate the clinical... read more
Withholding Pantoprazole for Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in Critically Ill Patients
A decreased frequency of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and a possible association of proton pump inhibitor use with Clostridium difficile and ventilator-associated pneumonia have raised concerns recently. The Reevaluating... read more
Cluster-Randomized, Crossover Trial of Head Positioning in Acute Stroke
The role of supine positioning after acute stroke in improving cerebral blood flow and the countervailing risk of aspiration pneumonia have led to variation in head positioning in clinical practice. Disability outcomes after... read more
COPD can increase risk of developing sepsis
People with COPD have a higher than average risk of developing lung infections, such as pneumonia, which then puts them at higher risk for developing sepsis. Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in... read more
Humidification During Mechanical Ventilation: A Systematic Review
Mechanical ventilation (MV) suppresses the mechanisms that heat and moisturise inhaled air; hence, humidification is mandatory during MV. However, a systematic review published in the journal Critical Care finds no clear... read more
The impact of oral care on oral health status and prevention of VAP in critically ill patients
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections which increase mortality rate and length stay of hospitalization. Oral care would not only improve patient’s oral health and well-being,... read more
Plasma metabolomics for the diagnosis and prognosis of H1N1 influenza pneumonia
Metabolomics is a tool that has been used for the diagnosis and prognosis of specific diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine if metabolomics could be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for H1N1... read more
Early Palliative Care in Advanced Illness
As the on-call pulmonary critical care fellow, I listened to a family member plead with me to "do right by Mama." The emergency department team consulted me for possible intensive care unit (ICU) admission on a... read more
Value-Based Reforms and the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program
In this longitudinal study of 2837 US hospitals between 2008 and 2015, we found that participation in 1 or more Medicare value-based reforms - including the Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records program, the Accountable... read more
