Critical Matters

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. Laura Bontempo is an associate professor of emergency medicine, and serves as Assistant Director for Faculty Development & Resident Education, in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical School. Dr. Sara Manning is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Additional Resources: Tracheostomy Emergencies. LJ Bontempo and SL Manning. Emerg Med Clin N Am 2019: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30454773/ Link to Onepager on Tracheostomy Emergencies: https://onepagericu.com/trach-emergencies Bleeding Tracheostomy. Kenji Inaba MD. Presented at Essentials of EM: https://www.facebook.com/EssentialsofEM/videos/1163679590380038/ Book Recommendations: Who Moved my Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. By Spencer Johnson, et al: https://amzn.to/3pq0CkR Where the Red Fern Grows. By Wilson Rawls: https://amzn.to/3AawH6a

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 Additional Resources: Challenging management dogma where evidence is non-existent, weak, or outdated. By D. A Hofmaenner and M. Singer https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00134-022-06659-4 Link to Gapminder, an independent educational non-profit fighting global misconceptions https://www.gapminder.org/ Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. By Adam Grant https://amzn.to/3bceyLu Books Mentioned in this Episode: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. By Hans Rosling https://amzn.to/3S4kWFj

Dr. David Greer, a leading neurologist and chair of the neurology department at Boston University, delves into the crucial topic of brain death. He explains the World Brain Death Project's goals to standardize brain death determination practices. Interesting discussions include the challenges of accurately determining brain death, the importance of detailed clinical examinations, and the role of ancillary testing. Dr. Greer emphasizes the need for meticulousness and conservative approaches in these life-and-death decisions, making it vital for clinicians to familiarize themselves with best practices.

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- bolus of crystalloid solution intravenously on cardiovascular complications post-intubation is the catalyst for our discussion. Additional Resources Effect of Fluid Bolus Administration on Cardiovascular Collapse Among Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Tracheal Intubation. A Randomized Clinical Trial. The PREPARE II Investigators. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2793545 Effect of a fluid bolus on cardiovascular collapse among critically ill adults undergoing tracheal intubation (PREPARE) a randomized controlled trial. The PREPARE Investigators. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31585796/ Previous episodes of Critical Matters discussing other Intravenous Fluid topics. Critical Matters_Fluid Responsiveness: https://bit.ly/3bBTOg7 Critical Matters_Fluid BaSICS: https://bit.ly/3y99S0j Link to REBELEM post on Post Intubation Hypotension: The AH SHITE mnemonic. https://rebelem.com/post-intubation-hypotension-the-ah-shite-mnemonic/ Link to PulmCrit Blog on PREPARE clinical trial. https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/prepare/ Books mentioned in this episode: Leonardo Da Vinci. By Walter Isaacson. https://amzn.to/3Nw0PfG Benjamin Franklin. By Walter Isaacson. https://amzn.to/3OM3N0C

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 That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine for Yourself”, a wonderful book soon to be published and the focus of our conversation today. Additional Resources Website for the book: Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine for Yourself: https://www.wonderdrugbook.com/ Link to previous podcast episode with Dr. Trzeciak on Compassionomics: https://bit.ly/3tqBdJU Curricula for empathy and compassion training in medical education: A systematic Review. Patel s, et al: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31437225/ Need for compassion in prehospital and emergency care: A qualitative study on bus crash survivor’s experiences. Doohan I, et al: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25257225/ “Unsung Hero” a beautifully executed commercial of what it means to be Live to Giver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWA2GbcnJU Books Mentioned in this Episode: Man’s Search for Meaning. By Viktor Frankl: https://amzn.to/3xv9n1J Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. By Paul Bloom: https://amzn.to/3MtzXg1

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 includes several hospitals in Illinois. In addition, he is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Pritzker School of Medicine (University of Chicago) and Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Rush Medical College. Additional Resources: Link to the website for the American Association of Poison Control Centers: https://aapcc.org/ A three part review series published in CHEST on Toxicology in the ICU: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21896525 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21972388 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22045882 Albums Mentioned in this Episode: The Beatles Live at the BBC: Dr. Leikin’s recommendation for the one album he would take on a deserted island: https://amzn.to/2vIrX5M

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-OMEGA which includes several hospitals in Illinois. In addition, he is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Pritzker School of Medicine (University of Chicago) and Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Rush Medical College. Additional Resources: Link to the website for the American Association of Poison Control Centers: https://aapcc.org/ A three-part review series published in CHEST on Toxicology in the ICU. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21896525 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21972388 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22045882 Books mentioned in this episode: Biographies on Louis Armstrong: https://amzn.to/3wsdT0z https://amzn.to/38DfEP5 Albums by Louis Armstrong: https://amzn.to/3Pt40qO

Dr. Neha Dangayach, a neurocritical care physician at Mount Sinai, dives deep into neuroprognostication after cardiac arrest. She highlights the evolution of prognosis methodologies, emphasizing the importance of multimodal testing beyond a single exam. Uncertainty in outcomes is addressed, stressing shared decision-making to avoid premature life support withdrawal. Dr. Dangayach also discusses influential factors like arrest history, temperature, and biomarkers, urging a cautious approach to brain death declarations and the necessity for ongoing assessments post-arrest.

B.J. Miller, a palliative care and hospice physician famous for his TED Talk on what matters at the end of life. He discusses why clinicians avoid talking about death and how ICU culture shapes care. He explores palliative versus hospice roles, communicating values rather than interventions, humane ICU practices, and small acts of presence that matter to families.

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 Humanizing Critical Care, at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. Dr. Brown holds an academic appointment as Associate Professor of Medicine at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, Murray UT. He is a prolific investigator and author with a wide range of interests including complexity in critical illness, echocardiography, and ethics. Our conversation covers topics such as dignity, respect, compassion, and burnout. Join us in a fascinating discussion with a thought leader in bringing humanism to critical care. Additional Resources: Recent article co-authored by Dr. Brown and colleagues reviewing important aspects of the practice of respect in critical care medicine: https://bit.ly/3uFLou8 The Center for Humanizing Critical Care works with researchers and clinicians with the goal of helping patients and family members make it through critical illness with their humanity intact: https://bit.ly/3JTxfjp Speak, Memory: An autobiography revisited. By Vladimir Nabokov: https://amzn.to/3iKaXVc