A Year of Critical Care: The Changing Face of the ICU During COVID-19.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, admissions to hospital intensive care units (ICUs) surged, exerting unprecedented stress on ICU resources and operations. The novelty of the highly infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) required significant changes to the way critically ill patients were managed. Houston Methodist's incident command center team navigated this health crisis by ramping up its bed capacity, streamlining treatment algorithms, and optimizing ICU staffing while ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other ICU essentials.

Association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010.

Purpose: Obesity is characterised by chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation. Elevated FeNO levels reflect airway inflammation in various lung diseases including asthma.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from NHANES 2007-2010.

Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit: Are Residents Well Trained to Provide Optimal Care to Critically ill Patients?

Unlabelled: Palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EOL) care are gaining importance in the management of critically ill patients in the ICU. Residents form a significant work force in the ICU and most often are the only group that provides round the clock coverage.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study where residents were surveyed to assess their knowledge, skills and perceived barriers towards palliative care in the ICU.

Rituximab-a drug with many facets and cures: a treatment for acute refractory hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to severe granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare systemic anti neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA-) associated granulomatous vasculitis of the small and medium sized blood vessels. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare life-threatening complication of GPA. In our patient, cyclophosphamide was held secondary to complications of acute kidney injury, hematuria, and concern for a possible hemorrhagic cystitis.