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.
Critically ill patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure receive supplemental oxygen as a component of their treatment. In recent years, exposure to high levels...
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...
In this podcast we are joined by EM/CCM superstars Dr. Gabe Wardi and Dr. Kit Tainter, who discuss the physiologic effects of metabolic acidosis,...