Improving Long-Term Outcomes Research for ARF

Alison Turnbull, DVM, MPH, PhD discusses the heterogeneity in outcome measures in our field and the need for a Core Outcome Measurement Set (COMS) to standardize reporting of important outcomes. As part of the consensus process,... read more

Examining Mechanical Chest Compressions

Mechanical chest compression (CC) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with AutoPulse or LUCAS devices has not improved survival from cardiac arrest. Cohort studies suggest risk of excess damage. Therefore, Koster et... read more

The Science and Art of Pediatric Critical Care Nutrition

Malnutrition is prevalent in the pediatric ICU population, and is associated with worse outcomes. Nutrition support teams, dedicated dietitians, and educational programs facilitate surveillance for existing malnutrition and... read more

Doctors frustrated that electronic records steal time from patients

Researchers asked doctors licensed to practice in Rhode Island the question: How does using an EHR affect your interaction with patients? They got an earful. Most who responded complained that electronic records undermined... read more

Patients with postoperative delirium more likely to suffer dementia

Delirium is common in elderly hospitalized patients, affecting an estimated 14 - 56% of patients. It frequently manifests as a sudden change in behavior, with patients suffering acute confusion, inattention, disorganized... read more

When Evidence Says No, but Doctors Say Yes

Long after research contradicts common medical practices, patients continue to demand them and physicians continue to deliver. The result is an epidemic of unnecessary and unhelpful treatments.... read more

How to Beat Burnout

Burnout takes a toll on physicians, their patients, and their practices. Short visits, complicated patients, lack of control, electronic health record stress, and poor work-home balance can lead to physicians leaving practices... read more

Targeted Temperature Management and Neurologic Outcome After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

In this randomized clinical trial enrolling 355 adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, there was no significant difference in favorable neurologic outcome at 6 months for those treated for 48 hours (69%) vs 24 hours... read more

Enhancing the Usability of Systematic Reviews by Improving the Consideration and Description of Interventions

The importance of adequate intervention descriptions in minimizing research waste and improving research usability and reproducibility has gained attention in the past few years. Nearly all focus to date has been on intervention... read more

Web-based ICU Communication Improves Patient Experience and Outcomes

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have developed a web-based program that uses team communication and engagement to improve patient experience and outcomes. The study enrolled 1,075 ICU patients and provided... read more

In Treating Sepsis, Questions About Timing and Mandates

The question of whether Rory's Regulations save lives isn’t asked or answered in the recent study. Sepsis deaths were already decreasing in the United States before the mandate, and determining its contribution to... read more

Are We Creating Survivors or Victims in Critical Care?

Delivering targeted nutrition to improve outcomes. Over the last 10 years, we are proud of the fact we have finally begun to reduce in-hospital mortality following severe sepsis in some countries worldwide. Further, mortality... read more

Heart Rate Variability in Critical Care Medicine

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to assess cardiac autonomic activity in critically ill patients, driven by translational and biomarker research agendas. Several clinical and technical factors can interfere with... read more

High-Observation Protocol Cuts Length of Stay in Head

A high-observation protocol (HOP) appears to optimize clinical care for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing primary surgery, according to a study published online June 20 in Head & Neck. The researchers found... read more

The Role of Oliguria and the Absence of Fluid Administration and Balance Information in Illness Severity Scores

Urinary examination has formed part of patient assessment since the earliest days of medicine. Current definitions of oliguria are essentially arbitrary, but duration and intensity of oliguria have been associated with an... read more

The Complexities of Intravenous Fluid Research: Questions of Scale, Volume, and Accumulation

Despite near ubiquity, information regarding fluids consumption at a health care systems level, and patient exposure at an individual level, is surprisingly limited in the medical literature. The epidemiology of the foundational... read more

I’m your Anesthesiologist. Let me explain what that means

Anesthesiologists are the guardian angels of the operating room. Their primary purpose is to keep you alive so you can undergo whatever procedure you need. While we may only meet you shortly before we take you to the operating... read more

Effective Care for High-Need Patients

To advance insights and perspectives on how to better manage the care of the high-need patient population, the National Academy of Medicine, with guidance from an expert planning committee, was tasked with convening three... read more

New Institute to Focus on Immune System

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is launching a new institute to coordinate initiatives among the rapidly evolving disciplines of infection biology, immunology and inflammatory diseases. The Vanderbilt Institute... read more

WHO Resolution: Recognizing Sepsis as a Global Health Priority

The true burden of disease arising from sepsis remains unknown. The current estimates of 30 million episodes and 6 million deaths per year come from a systematic review that extrapolated from published national or local population... read more

Defending Biomedical Science in an Era of Threatened Funding

Supporting scientific research should be a top priority of any society that aims to make progress and thrive. Reducing funding for research will adversely affect individual and population health. However, mounting pressure... read more

An NIH-Kennedy Center Initiative to Explore Music and the Mind

Music is fundamental to the human species in ways that reach beyond entertainment or pastime. In Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks noted that music can "calm us, animate us, comfort us, thrill us, or serve to organize and synchronize... read more