Critical Care Alert – January 1, 2024

Comparing the Safety of Cefepime to Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Adults with Acute Infections

There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute kidney injury in patients given piperacillin-tazobactam vs. cefepime for sepsis.

Bougie or Stylet Upfront for Endotracheal Intubation

In this secondary analysis of the BOUGIE trial, patient and operator characteristics may affect successful intubation with either technique despite no difference in outcomes in the primary analysis.

Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia with Inhaled Amikacin

A short course of inhaled amikacin at therapeutic doses prevented the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia without changes to duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay, or mortality.

Significant Disparities Exist in Accessing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

After extensive sensitivity analyses to account for severity of illness and confounding, a comparison of patient characteristics of those receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to those treated with mechanical ventilation alone revealed that female patients, those with Medicaid, and those living in the lowest-income neighborhoods were less likely to be treated with ECMO.