Critical Care Alert – June 1, 2024

Health Disparities and Inequities in the Intensive Care Unit and Beyond

Disparities and inequity are everywhere, including in the ICU. This article will review some of the disparities that are present in the ICU, provide a reflection on possible root causes, and identify ideas to combat these inequities.

Racial Inequities in Shared Decision-Making for Critically Ill Patients

In this thematic analysis of a previously conducted randomized clinical trial, disparate shared decision-making behaviors were observed among meetings with white vs. Black caregivers of critically ill patients, illustrating opportunities for future clinician-level interventions.

Individualized Oxygen Targets May Improve Outcomes in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Using a machine learning algorithm, a predictive model demonstrated that different oxygen targets for mechanically ventilated patients may improve outcomes.