Artificial Intelligence and Human Values In ICU Tue, 4 Jun 2024 Recent advancements in generative AI have produced large language models (LLMs) capable of writing persuasive articles, passing professional exams, and crafting empathetic messages. While their potential in medicine and healthcare is significant, concerns about their accuracy, reliability, and alignment with human values persist. These concerns include risks of confabulation and factual in...

In-Hospital Mortality as a Sepsis Quality Metric In Sepsis Sat, 1 Jun 2024 Sepsis is a major cause of death and disability and a key focus of quality measures for hospitals. In-hospital mortality of sepsis patients is often used for benchmarking by researchers and policymakers. For instance, in New York, sepsis regulations require reporting risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality, identifying hospitals with higher or lower than expected rates as high or lo...

Arterial Partial Oxygen Pressure and Mortality in Sepsis Patients In Sepsis Tue, 4 Jun 2024 Sepsis is a severe condition characterised by organ dysfunction due to impaired oxygen delivery and utilisation by cells. In ICUs, oxygen is often administered to sepsis patients, especially those with sepsis-induced hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Traditionally, the goal is to maintain a partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) around 60 mm Hg, where...

Invited Commentary  Infectious Diseases July 2, 2024 Optimizing the Value of β-Lactam Antibiotics Through Extended Infusion Miranda So JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2418196. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18196 In the decade since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a global health threat—the so-called postantibiotic era when common infections would be life-threatening and when routine surgcal procedu...

ESICM/NACCS Recommendations: Targeted Temperature Control Following TBI In ICU Wed, 22 May 2024 Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a highly prevalent global health issue, causing significant mortality and disability. It results from external forces affecting brain function or structure. TBI involves primary damage from the initial impact, followed by secondary injury processes such as ischaemia, swelling, and metabolic changes, which worsen outc...

Viewpoint  May 20, 2024 Are Patients With Cancer Best Managed in a Clinical Trial? David I. Shalowitz, Franklin G. Miller JAMA. 2024;331(24):2077-2078. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1235 Tremendous improvement in the care of patients with cancer is largely due to the proliferation of well-designed clinical trials leading to therapeutic advances. Additionally, the results of interventional cancer research have facilitated the development of robust, ev...

Cell-Based Immunotherapies for Sepsis In Sepsis Thu, 16 May 2024 Sepsis affects approximately 49 million people worldwide each year. To reduce the mortality rate and the global burden of sepsis, the World Health Organization has classified it as a priority research area. When combined with surgical trauma, anaesthetic drugs, and various invasive procedures, the impact intensifies, leading to further impairment of vita...

Emergency Nurses Face Issues Related to Training, Staffing, Stress, Overflowing EDs In ICU Thu, 23 May 2024 Nurses working in emergency departments seek more training, stating that the high-pressure environment can negatively affect their decision-making. Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) conducted the first-ever U.K. survey of triage nurses to explore their backgrounds, training, and decision-making processes. The study is p...

Nutrition: From Acute Phase to Beyond In ICU Thu, 30 May 2024 In acute critical illness, catabolism leads to muscle wasting, weakness, and difficulty in weaning from ventilation. Low intake of protein, energy, and micronutrients can worsen catabolism, leading to infections, delayed recovery, and increased mortality. Traditionally, it was believed that nutrition could counteract catabolism and improve outcomes. However, recent clinical trials have shown...

Invited Commentary  June 26, 2024 Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in NSQIP—The PROMise Land Catherine B. Jensen, Lesly A. Dossett, Susan C. Pitt JAMA Surg. Published online June 26, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.1758 Integrating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into a well-established, trusted platform like the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) holds tremendous promise for improving outcomes that truly matter ...