Critical Care Alert 2009-10-01

Are We Causing PTSD with Our Current Sedation Practices?

After randomized controlled trials demonstrated the benefit of daily sedation and analgesia vacations in critically ill patients, sedation and analgesia practices in many centers changed, such that patients are now maintained at a lighter depth of sedation.

Transmission of Influenza H1N1: What's Not Being Done

After identifying the first 2 cases of novel influenza (H1N1) infection in the United States in mid-April 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided interim recommendations to reduce the risk of transmission in health care settings.

Constipation in the ICU: How Common? How Important?

Nassar and colleagues at the University of São Paulo in Brazil investigated the incidence, associations, and outcomes of constipation among all patients admitted to their 14-bed surgical ICU during a 6-month period.

Is Portable X-ray Equipment Spreading Resistant Bacteria in Your Unit?

Levin and colleagues at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem carried out a 4-phase study to clarify the role of radiology technicians and portable X-ray equipment as potential vectors for the spread of infection in their 20-bed ICU, as well as to determine whether an intervention designed to diminish this role would be effective.

Special Feature: Telemedicine in the ICU: Views of Adopters and Non-adopters

The introduction of telemedicine in the ICU dates to the 1980s when Grundy and colleagues reported results of an 18-month trial using interactive television to provide consultation between university-based critical care physicians and a small (7-bed) inner city ICU with no intensivist of its own.

Pharmacology Watch: WHO Issues Global Alert on Antiviral Use

In this issue: WHO recommendations for antiviral use for H1N1 flu; antibiotic use trends for acute respiratory tract infection; denosumab clears FDA Expert Panel; FDA Actions.

Critical Care Alert – October 1, 2009

October 1, 2009