Editorial  January 16, 2024 A Tale of 2 Palliative Care Trials: Developing Sustainable and Transferable Models Ashwin A. Kotwal, Lauren J. Hunt, Alexander K. Smith JAMA. 2024;331(3):196-198. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26815 At first glance, the 2 palliative care trials in this issue of JAMA may seem a study in contrasts.1,2 One was an outpatient intervention, the other inpatient. One included 306 participants, the other 24 065. One was an efficacy...

Original Investigation  January 16, 2024 Analysis of Breast Cancer Mortality in the US—1975 to 2019 Jennifer L. Caswell-Jin, Liyang P. Sun, Diego Munoz, et al JAMA. 2024;331(3):233-241. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.25881 Key Points Question  What are the relative associations of breast cancer screening, treatment of stage I to III breast cancer, and treatment of metastatic breast cancer with improved breast cancer mortality in the US be...

ICU Management & Practice, Volume 23 - Issue 4, 2023 Artificial Intelligence in Anaesthesia and Critical Care - Temptations and Pitfalls Big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are buzzwords. In this article, we briefly discuss what they mean for anaesthesiologists and intensivists, focusing on existing clinical applications. We are today able to collect and store a considerable amount of patient-related data. These “big” data are typ...

Medical News & Perspectives  January 10, 2024 From “Immunity Debt” to “Immunity Theft”—How COVID-19 Might Be Tied to Recent Respiratory Disease Surges Rita Rubin JAMA. Published online January 10, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26608 Last fall, children in China were coming down with respiratory illnesses earlier and in greater numbers than usual. Ditto for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in the US and elsewhere in 2021 and 2...

Original Investigation  January 16, 2024 Default Palliative Care Consultation for Seriously Ill Hospitalized Patients: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Trial Katherine R. Courtright, Vanessa Madden, Brian Bayes, et al JAMA. 2024;331(3):224-232. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.25092 Key Points Question  Does ordering palliative care by default (allowing opt-out) increase consultation and improve clinical outcomes? Findings  In th...

Checklists in the Intensive Care Unit Checklists are cognitive aids that ensure task completion, enhance adherence to best practices, and prevent errors. In the complex environment of the ICU, checklists have been adopted to improve leadership, team performance, and patient outcomes. While research over the past two decades supports the efficacy of specific ICU checklists, the diverse nature of checklist items, implementation methods, and outcomes measured makes de...

Original Investigation  January 16, 2024 Nurse and Social Worker Palliative Telecare Team and Quality of Life in Patients With COPD, Heart Failure, or Interstitial Lung Disease: The ADAPT Randomized Clinical Trial David B. Bekelman, William Feser, Brianne Morgan, et al JAMA. 2024;331(3):212-223. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.24035 Key Points Question  Can a nurse and social worker palliative telecare team improve quality of life in outpa...

ARTICLES|ONLINE FIRST Indomethacin with or without prophylactic pancreatic stent placement to prevent pancreatitis after ERCP: a randomised non-inferiority trial B Joseph Elmunzer, Lydia D Foster, Jose Serrano, et al Lancet Published: January 11, 2024 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02356-5 Summary Background The combination of rectally administered indomethacin and placement of a prophylactic pancreatic stent is recommended to prevent pancr...

Infection in ECMO Patients The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has risen significantly as a rescue therapy for respiratory issues, including those caused by viral infections. Patients on ECMO frequently experience complications like thrombotic events and major bleeding, which are considered ECMO-related issues. However, infections are typically attributed to the patient's underlying condition rather than ECMO itself. A literature search was con...

Research Letter  January 11, 2024 Mortality Due to Hyperglycemic Crises in the US, 1999-2022 Matthew A. Crane, Audrey Lam, Emil Ekanayake, et al JAMA. Published online January 11, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26174 Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state are 2 forms of hyperglycemic crisis presenting as acute complications of diabetes. These conditions represent a substantial source o...