Articles related to CRITICAL CARE

The story of “Dr. H,” an up-and-coming physician who was charged with 14 counts of murder in June 2019 after prescribing patients extremely high doses of fentanyl. The prosecution said Dr. H had intended to hasten or cause the deaths of the 14 patients, and it did not matter whether they were severely ill or close to dying. The defense argued the physician was merely relieving the patients’ suffering and that they died from their underlying diseases or being removed from ventilators. Who did the jury agree with?

A commentary with perspective on the clinical practice implications of the Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial, which demonstrated short-term noninferiority of antibiotic therapy vs. surgical therapy for patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

Hyperglycemia is associated with poor clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Most medical societies recommend less stringent glucose control, in the range of 140 to 180 mg/dL, for critically ill patients. In this population, although glucose management is essential, hypoglycemia is associated with increased mortality. Enhancing the amount of time glucose levels are in the target range and minimizing glycemic variability have been associated with improved outcomes in critically ill patients.

Follow this case study of a 71-year-old man found to have significant, asymptomatic hypokalemia discovered in routine outpatient lab work. How would you manage this patient?

A new cohort study has found physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms in patients one year after being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19. The study involved an exploratory multicenter prospective cohort study that included 246 patients who were alive one year following ICU treatment for COVID-19. Three-quarters of patients reported physical symptoms, 1/4 reported mental symptoms, and about 15% reported cognitive symptoms a year after being hospitalized with the respiratory illness.

A proposed six-step approach to making sense of arterial blood gas (ABG) labs. This six-step process with simple table support helps ensure a complete and understandable interpretation of every ABG.