Acute mental status changes after the ingestion of alcohol or other substances are a common presentation to the ED. Those with severe obtundation may require intubation for airway protection while the substance metabolizes. In fact, more than 20,000 patients are intubated each year in the United States for acute poisoning or intoxication. Notwithstanding, intubation and mechanical ventilation are not benign procedures. In this podcast we discuss the recently published NICO Trial, that evaluated a strategy of withholding intubation in patients with coma due to acute poisoning.
The administration of IVFs is nearly universal in critically ill patients. In recent years, several studies have suggested improved outcomes with the use of...
Sepsis results in more than 250,000 deaths each year in the United States. Resuscitation of the septic patient centers on timely recognition, early antibiotic...
In February, we discussed the results of the ADRENAL trial and implications for clinical practice. Since that time, another large trial and meta-analysis has...