Critical Care
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Angiotensin II Raises Blood Pressure in Patients with Vasodilatory Shock
The ATHOS-3 trial represents an important proof of concept trial regarding angiotensin II as a new vasopressor in the armamentarium to treat vasodilatory shock.
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Natriuretic Peptide-guided Therapy Does Not Improve Systolic Heart Failure Outcomes
A recent meta-analysis of 11 trials showed a significant reduction in all-cause mortality with natriuretic peptide-guided therapy, although the individual trial results varied substantially.
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Is a Dabigatran Reversal Agent Effective?
Dabigatran is an attractive oral anticoagulant for patients who demonstrate indications for oral anticoagulation but are at high risk of bleeding.
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In-hospital vs. Telephone Availability of an Intensivist at Night
When overnight shifts were staffed by nighttime intensivists rather than residents with attending intensivists on call remotely, most nurses perceived improvements in clinical care, procedures, efficiency, communication, and job place comfort.
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Is There Still a Role for High-frequency Oscillatory Ventilation in ARDS?
In this patient-level meta-analysis of four well-known randomized, controlled trials of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the authors found that HFOV increases mortality for most patients with ARDS but may improve survival among patients specifically with severe ARDS.
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Hyponatremia in the Critically Ill
Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder encountered in hospitalized patients (30-40%) and is present in 17.7% of patients admitted to the ICU. A recent registry demonstrated significant practice variation regarding this common disorder, underlining the frequent diagnostic and therapeutic challenges clinicians face in this area.
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The Pediatric Airway and Rapid Sequence Intubation in Trauma
This article will discuss in detail the approach to the pediatric trauma patient, with a strict focus on the pediatric airway.
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Angiotensin II Raises Blood Pressure in Patients with Vasodilatory Shock
Infusion of recombinant angiotensin II improved blood pressure control in patients with vasodilatory shock already receiving conventional vasopressors.
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Spontaneous Breathing Trials and Occam’s Razor
Different ventilator modes used for a spontaneous breathing trial affected a patient’s work of breathing (WOB) variously and differed regarding WOB measured after extubation. The clinical relevance of these differences is uncertain.
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Intensive Care Enteral Nutrition in 2017
Enteral nutrition, defined as any method of feeding that uses the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (including oral feeding), usually refers to the delivery of nourishment to the GI tract through a tube. Nutrition is of utmost importance for patients suffering from a critical illness, and EN is a mainstay of nutrition in the ICU. Malnutrition and nutritional risk are common in patients admitted to the ICU. The presence of critical illness causes the body to enter a catabolic state, putting patients at risk of development or worsening of malnutrition. The Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition have published and revised joint guidelines to offer evidence-based recommendations for how best to feed critically ill patients.