Critical Care Alert – January 1, 2010

January 1, 2010

• Clinical Briefs in Primary Care supplement

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• Pharmacology Watch: Niacin Beats Ezetimibe Head to Head

  In this issue: Statin and niacin increase HDL-C, omeprazole reduces effectiveness of clopidogrel, darbe-poetin increases risk of stroke, statins decrease risk of gallstone disease, FDA Actions.

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• Early Goal-directed Therapy for Sepsis

  Early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) has been shown to reduce hospital mortality from severe sepsis and septic shock. Puskarich et al hypothesized that long-term outcome would also be improved.

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• To Prone or not to Prone That Is the Question

  Prone positioning has been advocated as a management strategy for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but despite evidence of improved oxygenation with the technique, numerous studies have yet to establish a mortality benefit from the practice.

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• Expedited ICU Admission from the ED Decreases Mechanical Ventilation Days and ICU Stay

  Prior studies have demonstrated that delayed transfer of critically ill patients from the emergency department (ED) to the ICU (> 6 hours) prolongs ICU and hospital stay.

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• Special Feature: Families in the ICU: What Intensivists Should Know

  Every intensivist recognizes that families play a prominent role in ICU decision making.

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