Critical Care Scenarios

A look at rehabilitation and mobility in the critically ill, from the perspective of our skilled therapists—with Heidi Engel, PT, DPT of UC San Francisco, long-term provider of acute care therapy, researcher in ICU rehabilitation, and founding member of the SCCM’s ICU Liberation program. Takeaway lessons Tolerance of pressure support ventilation is often a good … Continue reading "Episode 44: Phys...

A quick review of tracheoinnominate fistulas: how they happen, what they look like, and most importantly, what you’ll need to do.

Brandon and Bryan reflect on the qualities that define good and bad ICU nurses, the challenges they face, and how APPs and physicians can enable them to be their best.

Why an assumption in your training should be to call for assistance, but expect it will never arrive. Plan to manage problems yourself. Let help surprise you—otherwise hope becomes your plan.

The hows, whys, logistics, and applications of focused, bedside transesophageal echocardiography performed by critical care and EM providers, with Felipe Teran, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Weill Cornell and director of the Resuscitative TEE Project. Takeaway lessons As a rule, resuscitative TEE is performed in patients with a secured airway. TEE views are not … Continue reading "E...

When do interventions need to be “weaned”? Stop using this word when you don’t mean it! Titrate, target to effect, but only wean when there is a physiologic dependence.

Brandon and Bryan talk about the practicalities of communication, collaboration, and compromise in a surgical ICU, when the surgical and critical care teams are both involved, one is the “primary” team on paper, but everyone needs to be heard.

When should you place a line or perform other procedures using your left (or non-dominant) hand? Brandon reflects on a few situations.

The first episode of Brandon’s intermittent solo rants, in this case discussing toughness, stress tolerance, and flexibility in clinical medicine.

An overview of the role and contributions of a clinical pharmacist in the ICU, with Laura Means Ebbitt of the University of Kentucky, a clinical pharmacist specializing in colorectal/ENT surgery and critical care. Takeaway lessons A clinical pharmacist is a “knowledge pharmacist,” dispensing advice rather than medications. They round with the team to review meds … Continue reading "Episode 42: Cli...

Bryan and Brandon look back on the two-year anniversary of the show and reflect on where it’s been, where it’s going, lessons learned, and other deep thoughts.

Part two of our discussion with fan favorite Matt Siuba (@msiuba), Cleveland Clinic intensivist, on complications in critical care and how to prevent and manage them. Today we focus on respiratory failure after extubation, and unintentional self-extubation. Takeaway lessons When considering extubation of borderline patients, extubating to high flow nasal cannula or CPAP/BiPAP is often a good … Con...

Bryan and Brandon talk about the physical exam: how we apply it in the ICU, its utility and changing role in the setting of modern diagnostic modalities, and its best and most practical use-cases. References McNamara LC, Kanjee Z. Counterpoint: Routine Daily Physical Exams Add Value for the Hospitalist and Patient. J Hosp Med. 2021 … Continue reading "Lightning rounds #10: Physical examination in...

Dr. André Mansoor (@AndreMansoor), associate professor of medicine in Portland, Oregon, author of the excellent Frameworks for Internal Medicine, and contributor to Physical Diagnosis PDX, talks us through a complex case of encephalopathy and respiratory failure to illustrate some principles of diagnostic reasoning. Takeaway lessons The hardest part of treating most diseases is making the … Contin...

Bryan and Brandon chat about notes: what makes a good one, their many and conflicting purposes, some structures and approaches, system- versus problem-based charting, and more.

An overview of VV ECMO with a focus on COVID-19, with Dr. Kimberly A. Boswell (EM and CCM) of the University of Maryland, perhaps the busiest center in the country for COVID-related ECMO. We discuss evaluating for candidacy, induction, maintenance, weaning, and general approaches to the COVID patient. Takeaway lessons The limited amount of ECMO … Continue reading "Episode 39: ECMO for COVID-19 wit...

Bryan’s off this week, so Brandon flies solo to explain five wrong-headed notions that many people believe without thinking about them. Are diuretic infusions more effective than intermittent boluses? Are antipsychotic (neuroleptic) agents a good treatment for ICU delirium? Is pressure control or volume control a better form of assist control? Does renal failure cause … Continue reading "Lightning...

Back with returning guest Dr. Elliot Tapper (@ebtapper), gastroenterologist, transplant hepatologist, and director of the cirrhosis program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, to talk about critical GI bleeding. Takeaway lessons Consider the Glasgow-Blatchford score to stratify risk and need for admission, GI consultation, etc. Octreotide (or terlipressin) is indicated in every cirrhotic …...

Discussing a pickle of a topic: outside of academic milestones, how do we recognize, acknowledge, reward, and move towards clinical excellence in medicine after one’s training is complete? In fact… do we?

Back again with Dr. Ross Hofmeyr (@rosshofmeyr), anesthesiologist in the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Cape Town, to discuss an expert’s perspective on airway management in the COVID-19 patient. Takeaway lessons Good practices for intubating COVID patients are, by and large, good practices for intubating anybody. Using a standardized protocol, … Continue...

We chat about focused, clinician-performed point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the ICU. How do you learn it? What are our favorite applications? What are some of the particulars and caveats surrounding credentialing, documentation, and billing? All that and more…

Back in the arena with one of our favorites, Matt Siuba (@msiuba), Cleveland Clinic intensivist and Mr. Zentensivism, to discuss complications in critical care and how to prevent and manage them. Today we focus on atrial fibrillation with RVR and bleeding after thoracentesis and related other procedures. Takeaway lessons Rapid atrial fibrillation in the ICU … Continue reading "Episode 36: Preventi...

Conceiving, planning, and building your career as a critical care PA or NP. Determining if this field is for you, finding your first job, pinpointing your interests or “niche” during your early career, nurturing your growth during the mid-career period, and some thoughts on life and priorities in your late career.

Looking at trauma from the perspective of a surgeon, with a focus on the perennial dilemma of when a patient needs surgery. Our guest is trauma surgeon Dr. Dennis Kim (@traumaicurounds), associate professor of Clinical Surgery at UCLA and medical director of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center SICU, as well as host of the Trauma ICU … Continue reading "Episode 35: When to operate in trauma with Dennis...

Wrapping up our series on procedures with a talk about airway management. Who should manage airways in the ICU? What’s the role of intensivists, APPs, anesthesia, etc? What’s the “correct” balance of expertise, distribution of labor, and training? Our general approach to supraglottic airways, mask ventilation, intubation, cricothyrotomy, drugs, assessing airway anatomy, training, and more.