Critical Matters

In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss the management of conflict in the intensive care unit (ICU). Our guest is Dr. Joshua Kayser. Dr. Kayser is Section Chief for Medical Critical Care Medicine and Medical ICU Director at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. He is also Professor of Clinical Medicine and Professor of Medical Ethics and Healthy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. A...

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss the management of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS). Our guest is Dr. Fred Rincon, a neurologist and critical care specialist with expertise in the resuscitation and management of acute brain injured patients. He is a Professor of Neurology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Director of the Neuro-ICU at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, New...

In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss tracheostomy emergencies. Tracheostomies are common in ICU patients. Every intensivist should be capable of recognizing and providing initial management to potentially serious complications associated with tracheostomies. Our guests are Drs. Laura Bontempo and Sara Manning, emergency physicians and educators with a special interest in the topic. Dr....

In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss dogma in critical care medicine. How do we fight dogma when the evidence is weak? Our guest is Dr. Mervyn Singer, an internationally recognized critical care clinician, investigator, and educator. Dr. Singer is professor of intensive care medicine at University College London. Additional Resources: Challenging management dogma where evidence is non-e...

In this episode, we will discuss Brain Death / Death by Neurologic Criteria. Brain Death remains an important topic within the practice of critical care medicine. However, there are still inconsistencies in the concept, criteria, practice, and documentation of brain death. Today we will discuss this topic through the lens of "The World Brain Death Project." Our Guest is Dr. David Greer, Chair of t...

In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss tracheal intubation-associated hypotension. Endotracheal intubation is a common procedure in the clinical care of critically ill patients. Tracheal intubation in the ICU is often associated with cardiovascular complications that can include hypotension, cardiac arrest, or death. A recently published clinical trial evaluating the impact of a 500ml- bo...

In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss the science behind the benefits of being Other-Focused and of having a Live-to-Give attitude. Our guest is Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, a practicing intensivist, physician scientist, professor, and chair of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Trzeciak is the co-author of “Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways...

We are taking a short break from recording new episodes this month. I hope you enjoy this previously released episode on Toxicology in the ICU. This is part two of a two part series. Today’s episode will focus on specific toxic ingestions and their management. Our guest is Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin. Dr. Leikin is the Director of Medical Toxicology at North Shore University Health System-OMEGA which in...

We are taking a short break from recording new episodes this month. I hope you enjoy this previously released episode on Toxicology in the ICU. This is part one of a two part series. Today’s episode will focus on an overview of toxic ingestions and their general management. Our guest is Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin. Dr. Leikin is the Director of Medical Toxicology at North Shore University Health System-...

Patients who survive a cardiac arrest often sustain a severe anoxic brain injury. Determining their neurological prognosis is a critical component of post-cardiac arrest care. In this episode of the podcast, we will discuss best practices for Neuroprognostication after Cardiac Arrest. Our guest is Dr. Neha Dangayach, a neurocritical care physician at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. Dr. Danga...

This is an encore for a previous episode of Critical Matters. One in five US residents receives ICU care at the end of life. In this episode, we discuss different aspects of end of life care in the ICU. Our guest is Dr. BJ Miller, a physician, author, and speaker. He is a practicing hospice and palliative medicine physician and is best known for his 2015 TED Talk, "What Really Matters at the End o...

This is a previously released episode that I thought would be of great interest to our listeners. As we move forward post 24 months of COVID-19 reconnecting with our purpose and core values is more important than ever. In this episode, we discuss the practice of respect in the intensive care unit. Our guest is Samuel M. Brown, MD, MS, a practicing intensivist and Director of the Center for Humaniz...

In a recent episode of the podcast, we had a wonderful conversation with Amy Edmondson (Twitter: @ AmyCEdmondson), on the elements of high-performing teams in complex environments. In this episode of the podcast, we examine psychological safety, teaming, and learning from failure within the context of building better ICU teams. The episode is a recording of a webinar I recently presented entitled...

The last 24 months have pushed ICU teams around the world to their limits. As we move forward, we need to heal and rebuild our critical care teams. Healthcare more than ever will require ICU teams to perform at the highest levels and to continuously innovate to deliver high-value care to the sickest of the sick. In today’s episode of the podcast, we will discuss the elements of The Fearless ICU. O...

In today’s episode, we will discuss the management of severe alcohol withdrawal in the intensive care unit. Our guest is Dr. Nick Mark (@nickmmark), a critical care physician practicing in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Mark is the founder and creator of www.onepagerICU.com - a wonderful resource that provides regularly updated comprehensive and practical one-page summaries on various critical care topi...

Fluid resuscitation is a cornerstone of our treatment for circulatory failure and is often quite challenging to get right. In today’s episode of the podcast, we will discuss the prediction of fluid responsiveness. Our guest is Dr. Haney Mallemat, a critical care intensivist and emergency medicine clinician at Cooper University Health. He is also an associate professor of medicine and of emergency...

As we start a new year, we look forward with the hope to grow and improve critical care medicine. In today’s episode of the podcast, we will discuss a path forward focused on healing, recovery, and transformation. Our guest is Dr. Wes Ely, professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Critical Illness, Brain dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS...

In today’s podcast episode, we will discuss Point of Care Ultrasonography (POCUS). We examine key trends in technology, the relationship of POCUS to consultative ultrasonography, growing clinical applications, and challenges with POCUS. Our guest is Dr. Jose Luis Diaz-Gomez. Dr. Diaz- Gomez is the Chief of Transplant, Cardiovascular, and Mechanical Support Critical Care, and Director of Critical C...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will discuss the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2021 update. Our guest is Dr. Laura Evans. Dr. Evans is the medical director for critical care and professor in the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center. She is the current Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines co-chair and the lead author f...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we discuss the management of severe acute pancreatitis. Our guest is Dr. Marc G Besselink (@MarcBesselink). He is Professor of pancreatic and hepatobiliary(HPB) surgery, at Amsterdam University Medical Centers in the Netherlands. Dr. Besselink is a member of the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group and is the senior investigator of the POINTER clinical trial (recentl...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will discuss two important clinical questions regarding intravenous fluids. First: Does the composition of intravenous fluids impact patient outcomes? Second: Does the mode of administration (rapid bolus vs. slower infusion) matter? Our guest is Michael J. Connor, Jr., MD, a practicing intensivist and nephrologist. He is an Associate Professor & Senior Physi...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will discuss Ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19. During the COVID-19 Delta surge, we have seen a sharp increase in the noise surrounding the use of Ivermectin. A record number of prescriptions have been filled during the last months and numerous news stories report families suing hospitals refusing to provide Ivermectin to patients. We will dis...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will discuss the results of the recently published TTM2 clinical trial and the current state of evidence for Targeted Temperature Management in the post cardiac arrest patient. Our guest is Dr. Niklas Nielsen. Dr. Nielsen is an associate professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences at Helsingborg, Lund University, and consultant in Anesthesiology and Int...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will explore the Choosing Wisely for Critical Care. These are evidenced-based best practices to avoid waste and promote value in the practice of critical care medicine. We are fortunate to have with us today three of the authors of the recently published guidelines for critical care medicine – Choosing Wisely for Critical Care: The Next Five. Our guests are...

In this episode of Critical Matters, we will discuss the management of the difficult airway. Our guest is Dr. Thomas Heidegger. Dr. Heidegger practices anesthesia and intensive care medicine. He is a Professor in the Department of Anesthesia, Spital Grabs, in Grabs and the Department of Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, in Bern – both in Switzerland....