When to Withdraw Resuscitation in the ED

When can and should we withdraw from continuing resuscitation in the Emergency Department? We are here to save lives. I would argue the Emergency Medicine is a very pure expression of a Doctor's role: we meet a patient, we... read more

The Emerging Role of the Microbiota in the ICU

The importance of the intestinal and lung microbiotas is often overlooked on the ICU. Currently, we can explore the microbiome using a vast array of techniques, giving us 'meta' libraries of data, which has allowed researchers... read more

The Emerging Role of the Microbiota in the ICU

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in ICUs

The true prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals remains open for discussion. A thorough exploration of emotional distress in relation to... read more

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in ICUs

Ten False Beliefs in Neurocritical Care

1. Only neurointensivists should care about the brain. 2. Clinical examination of neurocritically ill patients is impossible. 3. We should no longer monitor ICP in traumatic brain injury (TBI). 4. The threshold to treat... read more

Ten False Beliefs in Neurocritical Care

Lower EGS Mortality Among Hospitals with Higher-Quality Trauma Care

Patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures are up to eight times more likely to die than patients undergoing the same procedures electively. This excess mortality is often attributed to nonmodifiable patient... read more

Lower EGS Mortality Among Hospitals with Higher-Quality Trauma Care

Associations With Psychological Outcomes Among Family Members of Mechanical Ventilation Survivors

In this multicenter cross-sectional survey, we interviewed family members of mechanically ventilated patients at the time of transfer from the ICU to the hospital ward. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore... read more

Associations With Psychological Outcomes Among Family Members of Mechanical Ventilation Survivors

Hemorrhagic Shock: Pearls and Pitfalls for the Resuscitation Room

Hemorrhagic shock is a state of systemic hypoperfusion secondary to acute blood loss which may have either traumatic or atraumatic etiologies. While gastrointestinal and traumatic etiologies are some of the most common causes... read more

Hemorrhagic Shock: Pearls and Pitfalls for the Resuscitation Room

Survival and Safety Outcomes of ICU Patients Discharged Directly Home

Recruited discharged directly to home patients experienced very good 8-week postdischarge outcomes with 0% mortality and a low rate of ICU readmission (1%) or ward readmission (4%), but not an insignificant rate of emergency... read more

Survival and Safety Outcomes of ICU Patients Discharged Directly Home

Comparison of Etomidate and Ketamine for Induction During Rapid Sequence Intubation of Adult Trauma Patients

Induction doses of etomidate during rapid sequence intubation cause transient adrenal dysfunction, but its clinical significance on trauma patients is uncertain. Ketamine has emerged as an alternative for rapid sequence intubation... read more

Comparison of Etomidate and Ketamine for Induction During Rapid Sequence Intubation of Adult Trauma Patients

Association Between Continuous Hyperosmolar Therapy and Survival in Patients with TBI

Intracranial hypertension (ICH) is a major cause of death after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Continuous hyperosmolar therapy (CHT) has been proposed for the treatment of ICH, but its effectiveness is controversial. We compared... read more

Association Between Continuous Hyperosmolar Therapy and Survival in Patients with TBI

The Life Cycle of Intensive Care Survivors

I started the Intensive care follow-up clinic to try to make sense of my work with critical patients and get feedback from their physical recovery. Over time, I verified that the patients presented not only physical effects,... read more

The Life Cycle of Intensive Care Survivors

Get Ready for a Massive Influx of Untriaged Patients

When a mass casualty incident occurs, emergency physicians are quickly thrust onto the front lines. That is precisely what happened on October 1st at Sunrise Emergency Department in Las Vegas the night Stephen Paddock opened... read more

Get Ready for a Massive Influx of Untriaged Patients

How The Burn Trauma ICU Eliminated Central Line Infections

Is zero possible? In the case of central line infections, the answer was once no. A CLABSI (central line associated blood stream infection) was once considered a car crash, or an expected inevitability of care. When University... read more

How The Burn Trauma ICU Eliminated Central Line Infections

Management of the Traumatized Airway

There is a lack of evidence-based approach regarding the best practice for airway management in patients with a traumatized airway. Airway trauma may not be readily apparent, and its evaluation requires a high level of suspicion... read more

Management of the Traumatized Airway

Concise Review of Critical Care, Trauma and Emergency Medicine

A Quick Reference Guide of ICU and Er Topics. Most commonly encountered clinical scenarios and relevant topics are summarized in an easy to understand format. Can be used as quick reference guide during rounds, or during... read more

Concise Review of Critical Care, Trauma and Emergency Medicine

Animal-assisted Intervention in the ICU: A Tool for Humanization

The combination of an aging population and advances in critical care medicine is resulting in a growing number of survivors of critical illness. Survivors' descriptions of their stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) are frequently... read more

Animal-assisted Intervention in the ICU: A Tool for Humanization

Early Hemorrhage Control and Management of Trauma-induced Coagulopathy

Trauma resuscitation should focus on early goal-directed therapy with use of viscoelastic hemostatic assays while initially applying a ratio 1:1:1 driven transfusion therapy (with red blood cells, plasma and platelets) in... read more

Early Hemorrhage Control and Management of Trauma-induced Coagulopathy

Long-term Recovery Following Critical Illness in an Australian Cohort

Almost all data on 5-year outcomes for critical care survivors come from North America and Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term mortality, physical function, psychological outcomes and health-related... read more

Long-term Recovery Following Critical Illness in an Australian Cohort

Receiving a Letter of Condolence After Loss of a Loved One in the ICU

This study describes the benefits of receiving a letter of condolence; mainly, it humanizes the medical institution (feeling of support, confirmation of the role played by the relative, supplemental information). However,... read more

Receiving a Letter of Condolence After Loss of a Loved One in the ICU

My ICU Patient Lived. Is That Enough?

As many as one in three patients sick enough to require a ventilator might develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety and depression are equally common, if not more so. Others survive critical illness but... read more

My ICU Patient Lived. Is That Enough?

Ultrasonography in Trauma: a Nation-wide Cross-Sectional Investigation

The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) protocol is considered beneficial in emergent evaluation of trauma patients with blunt or penetrating injury and has become integrated into the Advanced Trauma Life... read more

Ultrasonography in Trauma: a Nation-wide Cross-Sectional Investigation