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.
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...
In this episode, we review the critical pearls and pitfalls in ventilating the post cardiac arrest patient. Are lung protective strategies useful? What is...
Approximately 75% of patients older than 65 years of age are seen in an ED within 6 months of their death. While palliative care...