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.
As we gain more experience managing critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection there has been a shift away from immediate intubation and towards more...
Approximately 75% of patients older than 65 years of age are seen in an ED within 6 months of their death. While palliative care...
We know NIV works well for patients with acute COPD or acute CHF exacerbations. In this episode we discuss the evidence for NIV not...