EDITORIAL Sodium Bicarbonate in Critical Illness — A New Chapter for the Book Marlies Ostermann, Deborah J. Cook N Engl J Med 2026;395:1124-1127 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2610218 Acute metabolic acidosis is common in hospitalized patients owing to conditions such as shock, kidney disease, and diabetic ketoacidosis. While the underlying cause is being treated, it may be tempting to use buffer solutions concurrently to try to raise extracellular pH, particularly in c...

Original Investigation  Critical Care Medicine High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Edward Litton, Rachael L. Parke, Shay P. McGuinness, et al JAMA Netw Open 2026;9;(4):e265447. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.5447 Key Points Question  In patients at increased risk of pulmonary complications undergoing cardiac surgery, does prophylactic high-flow nasal oxygen ...

Research Letter  Geographic Shifts in Early-Stage Biopharmaceutical Innovation So-Yeon Kang, Yunan Ji JAMA Published Online: March 26, 2026 doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.1962 Biopharmaceutical innovation is increasingly viewed as a source of national economic and strategic advantage, prompting public investment in domestic drug research and development.1 At the same time, large pharmaceutical firms now perform a shrinking sh...

Invited Commentary  Exchange Transfusion for Severe Babesiosis—Insights From a Multicenter Retrospective Analysis Eric A. Meyerowitz, Johanna P. Daily JAMA Intern Med Published Online: March 30, 2026 doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2026.0252 Babesia microti is a tickborne intraerythrocytic parasite reported in at least 24 states across the US, with 1827 cases reported in 2020.1 Rising cases have been attributed to climate and weather changes across the coun...

Original Investigation  Ethics Public Acceptance of Emergency Research Without Prior Consent in Stroke Masaru Suzuki, Mayumi Fukuda-Doi, Haruko Yamamoto, et al JAMA Netw Open 2026;9;(6):e2617347. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.17347 Key Points Question  Is emergency research without prospective consent (ERWPC) for hyperacute stroke acceptable to the public in Japan, where no established pathway exists? ...

Six Phases of Prolonged Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Support In ICU Wed, 6 May 2026 A new article proposes a novel conceptual framework to guide the management of patients undergoing prolonged veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) for severe respiratory failure. V-V ECMO is an invasive, resource-intensive therapy used in cases of refractory hypoxaemic respiratory failure, particularly acute respiratory distress sy...

Original Investigation  Pediatrics Acute Respiratory Tract Infections and Severe Disease Among Hospitalized Children Haifa Mtaweh, Caitlyn L. Kaziev, Carlee A. Feinstein, et al JAMA Netw Open 2026;9;(6):e2617575. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.17575 Key Points Question  What factors are associated with risk of severe disease among children hospitalized with acute respiratory infections? Findings ...

Comment Kidney xenotransplantation—bridge to allotransplantation or destination treatment? Alexandre Loupy, Aurélie Sannier, Gabriel C Oniscu Lancet 2026; 408: 976-978 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01479-0 The shortage of human kidneys remains a central problem in transplantation, and many candidates die or are removed from the waiting list before an organ becomes available.1Genetically engineered porcine kidneys have long been proposed to expand th...

Surviving Sepsis Campaign: Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2026 In Sepsis Wed, 25 Mar 2026 The Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2026, presented at the SCCM Congress this week, provide updated, evidence-based recommendations for the identification and management of sepsis across hospital, prehospital, and immediate post-hospital settings. Sepsis is defi...

Articles Porcine kidney xenotransplantation as a bridge to allotransplantation: a first-in-human study Leonardo V Riella, Thiago J Borges, Ivy A Rosales, et al Lancet 2026; 408: 1029-1040 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01295-X Summary Background Kidney xenotransplantation offers a potential solution to the organ shortage, but questions remain regarding durability, zoonotic infection risk, and whether the immunological r...