Definition of Refractory Septic Shock: Consensus from SCCM and ESICM In Sepsis Wed, 25 Mar 2026 A consensus process conducted by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) to establish clinical criteria for defining refractory septic shock, a severe and poorly standardised subset of septic shock, was presented at the SCCM Congress this week. Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dys...

Early Vasopressin Administration in Septic Shock In Sepsis Thu, 14 May 2026 A recent study examined whether starting vasopressin earlier in the course of septic shock improves patient outcomes. Septic shock is a severe form of sepsis characterised by profound circulatory failure and high mortality. Norepinephrine is the recommended first-line vasopressor, but escalating doses can cause adverse effects such as arrhythmias and myocardial injury. Vasopres...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Connecting ICU Data for Better Sepsis Care In Sepsis Wed, 4 Feb 2026 Sepsis remains a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability in intensive care, with outcomes varying widely across hospitals despite advances in technology and repeated guideline updates. One persistent barrier is the fragmentation of clinical data, which limits the ability of clinicians, researchers and health systems to learn systematically from real-world practice. The Eur...

French Military Transfusion Doctrine for Large-Scale Combat Operations In ICU Wed, 29 Apr 2026 A consensus article presents a revised French military transfusion doctrine tailored for large-scale combat operations (LSCO), addressing the substantial clinical, logistical, and organisational challenges posed by high-intensity warfare. The authors begin by situating the need for reform within the evolving geopolitical context, particularly the resurgenc...

Chlorhexidine vs Soap Bathing: Effects on ICU Outcomes In ICU Wed, 29 Apr 2026 An updated systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated whether daily bathing with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) improves key clinical outcomes in critically ill patients compared with traditional soap-and-water (SAW) bathing. While CHG has recognised antimicrobial properties and has been widely studied for infection prevention, its broader impact on outcomes such as mor...