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.
Both etomidate and propofol are commonly used sedative agents in critically ill patients. Recent literature has suggested that these agents may result in increased...
Accurate assessment of intravascular volume is critical in managing sick patients in the emergency department or intensive care unit. In this podcast we discuss...
What do you do for the patient in cardiogenic shock who is not responding to vasopressors and inotropes? Should you place a mechanical circulatory...