A Call for Fresh Airway Management Standards

Anesthesiology News recently reported on a study that promoted the LMA in prone position to "avoid intubation, reduce use of relaxants and minimize airway trauma." This study reflects increasing confusion in a complex... read more

Pre-hospital therapeutic hypothermia: The RINSE trial

Therapeutic hypothermia has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the last few years. It was all the rage following three small trials, which initially suggested a significant benefit from cooling patients to 33C following... read more

Meta-analysis confirms EGDT for sepsis is unhelpful and wasteful (PRISM)

Three large, well-conducted randomized trials around the world (ProCESS, ARISE, and ProMISe) all agreed: use of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for sepsis does not improve mortality or any other important clinical outcome.... read more

Early, Goal-Directed Therapy for Septic Shock

After a single-center trial and observational studies suggesting that early, goal-directed therapy (EGDT) reduced mortality from septic shock, three multicenter trials (ProCESS, ARISE, and ProMISe) showed no benefit. This... read more

Drug-Free Musculoskeletal Pain Therapy Given Clearance by FDA

BioElectronics Corp. has received over-the-counter use market clearance from the FDA for ActiPatch for the adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain related to plantar fasciitis of the heel and osteoarthritis of the knee. BioElectronics... read more

Vasopressors: Future Research

Margaret Parker, MD, MCCM, speaks with Lakhmir S. Chawla, MD, about future research related to the Congress session "Bench-Pressing in the ICU: Which Vasopressor Agent Should I Choose for My Patient?" which he presented... read more

The Emotional Toll of Treating Victims of Violence

Hospital leaders are implementing several techniques to address the lasting trauma of disaster emergencies. Hospital disaster drills often focus on transporting patients to the emergency department and moving them into the... read more

Meta-Analysis of Therapeutic Hypothermia for Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult and Pediatric Patients

Therapeutic hypothermia is a likely beneficial treatment following TBI in adults, improving both neurologic outcomes and decreasing mortality rates. Our work suggests that the optimal management strategy to improve both morbidity... read more

Role of Combination Antimicrobial Therapy for Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococcus faecium Infections

Enterococcus species are the second most common cause of nosocomial infections in the United States and are particularly concerning in critically ill patients with preexisting comorbid conditions. Rising resistance to antimicrobials... read more

Factors influencing physical activity and rehabilitation in survivors of critical illness

Eighty-nine papers were included. Five major themes and 28 sub-themes were identified, encompassing: (1) patient physical and psychological capability to perform physical activity, including delirium, sedation, illness severity,... read more

Electronic Dura Mater Meddling in the Central Nervous System

This review of preclinical applications assesses the potential of the electronic dura mater to deliver electrical and chemical stimulation to targeted areas of the central nervous system for extended periods. Soft neural... read more

Assessing Postoperative Pulmonary Complications After Noncardiothoracic Surgery

In this multicenter study in 1202 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3 patients undergoing noncardiothoracic surgery requiring 2 hours or more of general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation, at least... read more

POCT for emergency assessment of coagulation in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants

Hemochron Signature Point-of-care testing (POCT) can be a fast and reliable alternative for guiding emergency treatment during rivaroxaban and dabigatran therapy. It allows the rapid identification of a relevant fraction... read more

Carotid Stenting Technology Has More Appeal

Ten-year follow-up from the CREST trial and 5-year follow-up from the ACT I study, presented at least year's International Stroke Conference, showed that carotid artery stenting (CAS) holds up well over the long term... read more

Thromboprophylaxis after Knee Arthroscopy and Lower-Leg Casting

The results of our trials showed that prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin for the 8 days after knee arthroscopy or during the full period of immobilization due to casting was not effective for the prevention of... read more

Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock

The best approach for hemodynamic therapy for sepsis has become more uncertain as evidence has accumulated. This extends even to the degree to which clinicians should use intravenous fluids as a foundation for resuscitation... read more

Statins for Primary Prevention

A recent issue of JAMA contains the latest US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on statins for prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults, along with the accompanying evidence report and... read more

First deep brain stimulation surgery on stroke patient

Cleveland Clinic performed the nation's first deep brain stimulation surgery on a stroke patient. This is part of an ongoing clinical trial that’s evaluating whether DBS can improve movement after a stroke. Only 10... read more

Patient Achieves Remission With CAR-T Cell Therapy for Aggressive Brain Tumors

A case study published in the December 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine outlines the results of a patient treated with his own genetically modified CAR-T cells, using central memory T cells, a stem-cell-like... read more

Antibiotic Resistance just became more complex

Bacteria that are susceptible to antibiotics can survive when enough resistant cells around them are expressing an antibiotic-deactivating factor. This new take on how the microbial context can compromise antibiotic therapy.... read more

Clinical challenge in IBD expanded by Systemic inflammation

More targeted antibody therapies carry the potential to transform how physicians treat inflammatory bowel disease. However, management can become less clear when IBD patients present with extra-intestinal manifestations.... read more