Latest Articles in ICU

Increasing evidence implicates autophagy as repair process crucial for recovery from critical illness-induced vital organ failure and muscle weakness. This article summarises recent evidence and highlights potential implications for therapy.   Progress in intensive care medicine has resulted in

Prof. Henrik Kehlet reflects on the progress of fast-track surgery and the need for multidisciplinary teamwork in optimising perioperative care.  You are the “father” of fast-track surgery. What motivated you to develop this concept?   It all started when I was a young surgeon and had to p

This article describes recent advances and perspectives in cardiorespiratory monitoring for surgical patients, from prehabilitation to rehabilitation, from smartphones to wearable sensors.   There are over 320 million inpatient surgical procedures worldwide (Weiser et al. 2015). We learnt from

Optimising nutrition and metabolism post-ICU for recovery of functional lean body mass and quality of life.   In-hospital mortality following intensive care unit (ICU) care has consistently declined in recent years (Kaukonen et al. 2014). However, these data reveal many of these ICU “survivors”

RETIC study Presents results of the RETIC study that compared treatment of trauma-induced coagulopathy using coagulation factor concentrates or fresh frozen plasma.   Background   Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) represents a clinical picture resulting from severity of injury, hypope

Report of the Primex Pharmaceuticals Symposium, Euroanaesthesia 2017, Geneva, Switzerland, 4 June 2017  Current treatment options and challenges - Dr. K. Becke  Background   An increasing number of diagnostic and treatment procedures are performed outside the operating room. Without s

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is now a tool used worldwide, integrating clinical assessment of the critically ill. In this review, we focus on lung, diaphragm and cardiac ultrasound in the management of the mechanically ventilated patient. Ultrasound provides useful information to assess and moni

In order to make haemodynamic monitoring clinically successful it seems mandatory to have a comprehensive view on the incorporation of the measured variables in a team-adapted strategy.   Over the last decades the evolution of haemodynamic monitoring in critically ill patients has not been uneq

Historical command and control approaches to leadership fail in building relationships and engendering engagement and thus do not enhance performance like modern approaches to leadership.    Historically, leadership in medicine was taught and practised in an approach akin to the military p

Critical care units are home to some of the most sophisticated patient technology within hospitals. In parallel, the field of machine learning is advancing rapidly and increasingly touching our lives. To facilitate the adoption of machine learning approaches in critical care, we must become better a