Scientists Discover First New Antibiotic in Six Decades A ground-breaking class of antibiotics targeting drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria has been discovered by applying transparent deep-learning models in medicine. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the field, aiding scientists in unveiling the first novel antibiotics in six decades. Designated a priority-one critical pathogen by the World Health Organization, this organism has ...

Computerised Decision Support Alerts for High-Risk Drug Combinations Existing clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) designed to prevent drug-drug interaction (DDI) often generate low-yield alerts, leading to alert fatigue among physicians and jeopardising patient safety.  A recent study focuses on the impact of tailoring DDI alerts to the ICU setting to reduce the frequency of high-risk drug combinations. The multicentre study aims to assess how customising...

Decoding the Cytokine Storm in Sepsis Sepsis is a prominent cause of mortality in ICUs. Despite extensive research on the dynamics leading to sepsis, the role of cytokines—immune system molecules that can cause substantial harm to the body—has remained inadequately understood. While these proteins typically regulate inflammation, an overly aggressive immune response can result in a cytokine storm, leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and, ultimately, death. ...

Editorial  March 19, 2024 Postmarketing Vaccine Safety Assessments: Important Work in Progress Kathryn M. Edwards, Marie R. Griffin JAMA. 2024;331(11):915-917. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26630 After the initial randomized clinical trials and emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccines by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA undertook ext...

AI-Driven Model Redefines Right Heart Health Assessment In a ground-breaking study, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have employed artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the evaluation of the heart's right ventricle, responsible for pumping blood to the lungs. The study is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Utilising AI-enabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) analysis, the study reveals that electrocardiograms can...

Editorials Cancer trends in the UK Freddie Bray BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q504 (Published 13 March 2024)Cite this as: BMJ 2024;384:q504 Grounds for optimism but warning signs must not be ignored Cancer is a major public health problem in the UK, and in most high income countries. The disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, and one in four people die prematurely from it at ages 30-69 years.1 A comprehensive asse...

Invited Commentary  March 13, 2024 Standardizing Resident Assessment and Competency—Milestones Matter Amanda C. Filiberto, Amalia Cochran JAMA Surg. Published online March 13, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.0045 Smith et al1 present findings from an observational cohort study of early-career vascular surgeons and patient outcomes following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), where lower mean Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical E...

ICU Management & Practice, Volume 24 - Issue 1, 2024 Defining Medicines Optimisation in the Intensive Care Unit Complex polypharmacy and pathophysiology are common in the intensive care unit (ICU). Medicines optimisation is essential to deliver safe, effective, and individualised pharmacotherapy. This is ideally performed by a specialised ICU pharmacist. Introduction Medicines are the most common intervention in healthcare and are a central compo...

ICU Management & Practice, Volume 24 - Issue 1, 2024 Haemoadsorption in Critically Ill Patients: The New Frontier Haemoadsorption may represent the new frontier in extracorporeal blood purification. Haemoadsorption has demonstrated effective extraction of a variety of toxins and drugs during episodes of sepsis, acute kidney injury or intoxication. Selective haemoadsorption can be performed by endotoxin-binding polymyxin B functionalised polystyrene fibres. The c...

ICU Management & Practice, Volume 24 - Issue 1, 2024 Corticosteroids in the Intensive Care Unit: Evidence-Based Recommendations Corticosteroids are commonly used drugs in multiple diseases and conditions of critically ill patients. In this article, we review the pharmacology of corticosteroids and provide recommendations for their use in the ICU based on the best available evidence. Corticosteroids: Pharmacology and General Aspects Corticosteroids are...