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Concise Critical Appraisal: Improving Training for Invasive Bedside Procedures
Invasive bedside procedures (IBPs) require a high degree of familiarity and skillful expertise. Yet effective and thorough bedside training can be haphazard or unattainable. Chest published a systematic review and meta-analysis that highlights gaps in research on IBP training in critical care. The study included four focus groups of pulmonary and critical care medicine faculty and fellows from four U.S. medical centers. The focus groups identified traits, behaviors, and context as common themes of effective teachers. This Concise Critical Appraisal takes a deep dive into the study and the takeaways for experts and novices seeking to improve procedural knowledge and increase patient safety.
Posted: 7/7/2021 | 0 comments | Concise Critical Appraisal, Procedures

Ethical Considerations for a COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Mandate to vaccinate or nudge if there is no budge? COVID-19 vaccines remain a key weapon in the fight against the deadliest modern-day pandemic the world has seen. In this article, we summarize key facts and ethical considerations for healthcare organizations when considering a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. healthcare workers (HCW).

Posted: 6/17/2021 | 0 comments | Coronavirus, COVID-19, Ethics, Vaccines

Concise Critical Appraisal: Cardiac Ultrasound in Pediatric Septic Shock Assessment
How can clinical information gleaned from focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) be used to augment clinical assessments in children with suspected septic shock? This month’s Concise Critical Appraisal analyzes a study published in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine that sought to show how often a clinician’s hemodynamic characterization of a child with septic shock was altered by FCU and to further validate an expert-developed algorithm for these assessments.
Posted: 6/10/2021 | 0 comments | Concise Critical Appraisal, pediatrics, Septic Shock, Ultrasound

An SCCM Member Responds to a Call for Volunteers
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tina R. Shah, MD, MPH, focused her work on two questions: How can technology help improve the United States health system and, more specifically, how can it be used to improve patient and practitioner well-being?
Posted: 6/4/2021 | 0 comments | COVID-19, COVID-19 Calls for Volunteers, COVID-19 Member Stories

Concise Critical Appraisal: Development of the CCEeXAM
Bedside echocardiography has become increasingly widespread among physicians caring for critically ill patients. The Examination of Special Competence in Critical Care Echocardiography (CCEeXAM) was administered for the first time in 2019 to 524 physicians from multiple specialties. The examination was designed for physicians to demonstrate an objective competence and obtain certification in advanced critical care echocardiography (CCE).
Posted: 5/13/2021 | 0 comments | Concise Critical Appraisal, Echocardiography