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.
Though we’ve discussed the use of balanced solutions in the resuscitation of critically ill patients numerous times on CCPEM, the literature remains controversial with...
Central venous catheter (CVC) placement is common in critically ill patients for a variety of indications. Thrombocytopenia is also quite common in critically ill...
Respiratory distress in the patient with a tracheostomy can incite fear in even the most seasoned emergency physician or intensivist. In this episode, we...