COMMENT|ONLINE FIRST Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 estimates: implications for health policy and research Zachary J Ward, Sue J Goldie Lancet Published: April 17, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00812-2 Over the past three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has produced several iterations of global estimates for various disease metrics.1 The latest iteration, GBD 2021, published in ...

Editorial  June 10, 2024 Anesthesia Dose and Delirium—A Picture Coming Into Focus Miles Berger, Mark D. Neuman JAMA. Published online June 10, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26819 In this issue of JAMA,1 Deschamps and colleagues report results of the Electroencephalographic Guidance of Anesthesia to Alleviate Geriatric Syndromes-Canada (ENGAGES-Canada) trial. ENGAGES-Canada compared rates of postoperative delirium among 1140 patients 6...

Specialty Emergency Departments - The Future of Emergency Care? In ICU Tue, 14 May 2024 Specialised emergency departments (EDs) are emerging, focusing on specific patient populations such as oncologic, geriatric, or orthopaedic cases. Advocates argue that these specialised centres can provide more targeted and cost-effective care. They may alleviate pressure on general EDs while potentially improving overall...

Invited Commentary  February 21, 2024 Surgical Site Infections—Time to Test Cost-Effective Prevention Strategies? Jeffrey S. Upperman, Eunice Y. Huang JAMA Surg. 2024;159(5):492. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.7979 The recent randomized clinical trial by Mueller et al1 assessing the effectiveness of polyhexanide 0.04% solution in surgical site infection (SSI) prevention following laparotomy presents findings that challenge established clinical pract...

Past, Present, and Future of Sustainable Intensive Care In ICU Tue, 14 May 2024 Climate change is a critical challenge of the 21st century, with fossil fuel combustion being the largest contributor, responsible for over 75% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The global healthcare industry significantly impacts the environment, accounting for up to 5% of global carbon emissions, with the U.S. contributing the largest share. Nations with high c...

Invited Commentary  June 5, 2024 Travel Guide From the Brave New World of Artificial Intelligence Daniel E. Hall JAMA Surg. Published online June 5, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.1645 Just over 1 year has passed since ChatGPT (OpenAI) burst onto the scene to become the fastest growing consumer software application in history.1 It was immediately obvious that large language models (LLMs) were extraordinarily powerful, but the scope, nat...

Editor's Note  June 3, 2024 Traditional Chinese Medicine to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes—A Difficult Path Forward Mitchell H. Katz JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 3, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1208 Safe and effective treatments for preventing type 2 diabetes in persons at high risk for the disease are needed. In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Ji and colleagues1 randomized patients with impaired glucose tolerance a...

Toward Greener Anaesthesia Practices: Mitigating the Environmental Impact In ICU Wed, 24 Apr 2024 Inhaled anaesthetics, including volatile hydrofluorocarbons like desflurane, sevoflurane, isoflurane, and halothane, as well as nitrous oxide (N2O), have potent greenhouse gas properties, contributing significantly to global warming and ozone layer depletion. Despite efforts to mitigate their release through gas scavenging systems, these gases are ultimate...

Editor's Note  April 15, 2024 RSV Vaccination—The Juice Is Worth the Squeeze Tracy Y. Wang JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(6):611. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0219 In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Woodruff et al1 present a cross-sectional study of patients 50 years and older who were hospitalized and tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), reporting that 22% experienced an acute cardiac event, including acute exacerbation ...

Antibiotic Overuse in Newborns With Suspected Sepsis In Sepsis Wed, 8 May 2024 A recent study conducted by the University of Gothenburg involving over a million newborns in Sweden highlights a concerning trend: despite a notable decrease in the rate of sepsis among this group, the administration of antibiotics remains disproportionately high. The study, published in JAMA, highlights the need for a reevaluation of antibiotic use practices in newbor...