Positive Topline Results for Novel Alzheimer’s Drug

A novel drug is showing promise for helping improve cognition in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to new topline results. A phase 3 trial of more than 800 patients showed that those who were... read more

Comparison of Two Lidocaine Administration Techniques on Perceived Pain From Bedside Procedures

Bedside procedures are exceedingly common. Data regarding the severity of procedural pain and strategies to mitigate it are important for the informed consent process and patient satisfaction. Overall, pain reported from... read more

Does Lactate Clearance Prognosticates Outcomes in ECMO Therapy

Changes in lactate levels after ECMO implantation is an important tool to assess effective circulatory support and it is found superior to single lactate measurements as a prognostic sign of mortality in our study. Based... read more

Effect of Human Recombinant Alkaline Phosphatase on 7-Day Creatinine Clearance in Patients With Sepsis-Associated AKI

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding adaptive phase 2a/2b trial enrolling 301 adults, the optimal therapeutic dose of recombinant alkaline phosphatase was 1.6 mg/kg. Treatment with this dose... read more

Effect of Theophylline as Adjunct to Inhaled Corticosteroids on Exacerbations in Patients With COPD

Among adults with COPD at high risk of exacerbation treated with inhaled corticosteroids, the addition of low-dose theophylline, compared with placebo, did not reduce the number COPD exacerbations over a 1-year period. The... read more

Antipsychotic Drugs Don’t Ease ICU Delirium Or Dementia

Powerful drugs that have been used for decades to treat delirium are ineffective for that purpose, according to a study published online Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol... read more

Artificial intelligence system could improve survival for sepsis patients

Researchers supported by the NIHR have created an artificial intelligence system that could help identify the best way to treat patients with sepsis. The system 'learnt' the best treatment strategy for a patient by analysing... read more

Rudeness in Medical Settings Could Kill Patients

A recent study paints a grim picture of what rudeness does to doctors and nurses performance. The study, "The Impact of Rudeness on Medical Team Performance: A Randomized Trial," which was published in the September... read more

Effect of Bronchodilation, Exercise Training, and Behavior Modification on Symptoms and Physical Activity in COPD

Tiotropium/olodaterol, with or without ExT, improved EET in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) taking part in an SMBM program. Combination bronchodilation, with or without ExT, did not provide additional... read more

An Incurable Disease Is On The Rise In California, And Scientists Say Climate Change Could Cause It To Spread To Much Of The Western US

A fungus that thrives in dry soil and warm weather has caused a record number of infections in California. Experts fear climate change will cause it to spread across the western US. Valley fever, a fungal disease that infects... read more

Doubling Down on Re-Expansion Pulmonary Edema: Treatment Approach and Ventilator Management

The treatment of choice for a pneumothorax is a chest tube, and when the small pig-tail catheter doesn’t do the job, the answer is to replace it with a larger bore – right? Not so fast. The exact mechanism of REPE is... read more

Adjunct and Rescue Therapies for Refractory Hypoxemia

Prone position, inhaled nitric oxide, high frequency oscillation, extra corporeal life support. The mortality of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), defined with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 100 mmHg... read more

Mechanical Ventilation/Ventricular Assist Devices, An Issue of Critical Care Clinics

This issue of Critical Care Clinics focuses on Mechanical Ventilation and Ventricular Assist Devices, with topics including: Targeted management approach to cardiogenic shock; Prevention and treatment of right heart failure... read more

Mechanical Ventilation/Ventricular Assist Devices, An Issue of Critical Care Clinics

Should ICU clinicians follow patients after ICU discharge? No

Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) describes new or worsening impairments of physical, cognitive or mental health resulting from an episode of critical illness and its treatment and lasting after discharge... read more

Should ICU clinicians follow patients after ICU discharge? Yes

The trajectory of recovery from critical illness is often portrayed as a continuum. At one extremity lies an unstable patient dependent on life-sustaining treatments in the intensive care unit. At the... read more

Do phenylephrine and epinephrine require central access?

Until recently I believed that prolonged vasopressor administration requires a central line, to avoid extravasation. I lumped together all vasopressors, treating them all as equal. I used the occurrence of an extravasation... read more

Haloperidol Serum Concentrations in Critically Ill Patients Included in the REDUCE Study

ICU delirium occurs frequently and is associated with unfavorable outcome. A recent delirium prevention study, the REDUCE study, has assessed the efficacy of prophylactic use of haloperidol. In this subset... read more

Six Reasons to Avoid Fluoroquinolones in the Critically Ill

As an internal medicine resident and pulmonary/critical care fellow, I loved fluoroquinolones. They were effective, easy to prescribe, and had 100% oral bioavailability. However, working full-time in the ICU has forced me... read more

Viral Sepsis in Children

Sepsis in children is typically presumed to be bacterial in origin until proven otherwise, but frequently bacterial cultures ultimately return negative. Although the incidence of viral-induced sepsis is not precisely known,... read more

Withdrawing vs. Not Offering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Is There a Difference?

In light of the SCC's Cuthbertson v. Rasouli decision, the distinction between withdrawing and not offering a medical treatment is increasingly relevant. Because CPR is a "default" treatment for cardiac arrest, it requires... read more

High Flow Nasal Oxygen for Acute Bronchiolitis?

Since bronchiolitis is a clinical diagnosis, there is no test, including viral testing and radiography, which rules it in or out (Schuh et al 2007). Sadly, despite multiple guidelines (NICE, AAP, CPS), there has also been... read more

The Needs of Families of Trauma Intensive Care Patients

This mixed methods study identified that families of trauma patients have different needs to families of general patients and the nurses rated the needs of the families of trauma patients as less important than the families... read more