Continuing beta blockers safe during acute COPD exacerbations
Continuing Selective Beta Blockers Safe During COPD Exacerbations by Blair Westerly, MD Many COPD patients also have congestive heart failure or ischemic heart disease, two conditions where beta...
View ArticleEtomidate associated with increased mortality in sepsis: meta-analysis
Etomidate: Unsafe for Intubation in Patients with Sepsis? by Blair Westerly, MD Etomidate is commonly used for rapid sequence intubation; however, even after one dose, it has been associated with...
View ArticleIntubation in pre-hospital cardiac arrest strongly associated with worse...
Intubation for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest May Harm, Not Help by Blair Westerly, MD Out of hospital cardiac arrest is a major public-health problem, and despite advances in care, survival is still...
View Article“Trach collar” beats pressure support trials for long-term ventilator weaning...
“Trach Collar” Trials Beat Pressure Support for Long-Term Ventilator Weaning By Blair Westerly, MD Patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation linger in ICUs and long-term acute care hospitals...
View ArticleDiuretics beat ultrafiltration at treating congestive heart failure with...
Ultrafiltration No Better Than Diuresis for CHF Exacerbations by Blair Westerly, MD Cardiorenal syndrome — simultaneous heart failure and renal failure — is a frequently encountered problem in people...
View ArticlePassive leg raise offers promise in predicting fluid responsiveness
“Like this … kind of” Passive Leg Raise Improved Management of Patients in Shock* (*some assembly required) by Blair Westerly, MD Providing the right amount of fluid is vital in a critically ill...
View ArticleGot sleep apnea? Climbing Everest? Pack your Diamox (RCT)
Acetazolamide Improved Obstructive Sleep Apnea at High Altitudes by Blair Westerly, MD Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common, and so is travel to the mountains for work and play, therefore encounters...
View ArticleObesity may improve survival in ARDS, but with renal failure
In ARDS, Obesity May Protect Life (But Not Kidneys) by Blair Westerly, MD Obesity is an epidemic and common in intensive care units in the United States. Furthermore, while acute kidney injury (AKI)...
View ArticleHow dangerous are ground glass nodules over time?
image: Radiology Assistant Ground-Glass Nodules: If Growing, Assume Cancer Blair Westerly, MD The more CT scans that are performed, the more ground-glass opacities (GGO’s) are seen and what to do with...
View ArticleUsing procalcitonin to guide antibiotics for pneumonia
Use of Procalcitonin to Reduce Unnecessary Antibiotics by Blair Westerly, MD Acute respiratory tract infections have a wide range of disease severity and the use of antibiotics for self-limited...
View ArticleHypothermia might harm, not help, in bacterial meningitis
Hypothermia No Help for Bacterial Meningitis by Blair Westerly, MD Therapeutic hypothermia got “hot” after trials in the early 2000’s showed improvement in neurological outcomes in global cerebral...
View ArticleMacitentan for IPF falls short in MUSIC trial
Blair Westerly, MD Effective treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis continues to elude patients and clinicians alike. Multiple classes of medications have been studied, none with convincing data...
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