Neurocritical Care Society Podcast

Post-intensive care clinics following admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) have gained significant traction in recent years across the United States and internationally. This movement has been driven by increasing recognition of the long-term sequela related to the experience of an ICU admission. This week, Dr Lauren Koffman is joined by Dr Matthew Jaffa and Dr Julia Carlson to discuss the landscape of post-neuroICU clinics and the impetus for their development and continuation.

In May 2014 Elisabeth Beraquit fell through the faulty doors of an elevator into an empty shaft, landing 30 feet below on top of the elevator car. She suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and a diffuse axonal injury. 10 years on and Elisabeth is thriving, running her own business in Philadelphia and living her best life. In this week’s episode she and her sister, Sarah, join Dr Lauren Koffman to discuss Elisabeth's Story of Hope. You can read Elisabeth’s story in Currents at https://currents.neurocriticalcare.org/Stories-of-Hope/Article/story-of-hope-elisabeth.

Experts Dr. Karen Hirsch and Dr. Teresa May discuss critical care management of post-arrest patients. They explore scientific statements vs guidelines, research priorities, and personalized treatment strategies for ICU patients. Topics include consensus on management statements, individualized care, sedation challenges, and the need for further research.

This week's Hot Topic is Intravenous Levothyroxine for Unstable Brain-Dead Heart Donors and Dr Nicholas Morris is joined by Dr Raj Dhar from Washington University School of Medicine to discuss his latest New England Journal of Medicine manuscript (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38048188/). 

Dr Krishna Rajajee joins to discuss non-invasive intracranial pressure monitoring. Topics include comparing non-invasive methods with invasive monitoring, drawbacks of optic nerve sheath diameter measurement, and role of pupilometry in assessing elevated ICP.

Dr. Jose Suarez discusses the NCS subarachnoid hemorrhage guidelines, comparing them with AHA guidelines and highlighting the importance of guidelines in research priorities and healthcare practices. Topics include challenges in guideline development, balancing guidelines with clinical judgment, personalized medicine, and research-based approaches in neurocritical care.

Dr. Michael Rodricks and Dr. Jason Makii discuss the FNCS designation, emphasizing criteria, application process, and benefits. They highlight the importance of sustained excellence, program development, and diverse backgrounds in Neuro Critical Care. Listeners learn how to enhance candidacy through involvement in organizations, tailored applications, and strong recommendations, with a deadline of April 19th for applications.

Dr. Judy Ch'ang, a neurointensivist at Weill Cornell, and Dr. Thanujaa Subrahmaniam from Brown University co-author an insightful discussion on the essential role of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in neurocritical care. They explore the rapid adoption of POCUS in critical settings and its potential to enhance diagnostics and clinical outcomes. With a call for standardized training and innovative techniques, they highlight the urgent need for effective education and community engagement in this vital field.

En este episodio especial en Español, el Dr. Luis Torres conversó con el Dr. Jose Javier Provencio acerca de los inicios de la campaña Curing Coma, sus metas iniciales, los retos que la campaña ha logrado superar y algunas colaboraciones internacionales con la campaña. Tambien hablamos acerca del Día Mundial del Coma y que pueden los participantes esperar este 22 de Marzo.

Dr. Susanne Muehlschlegel, Dr. Katja Wartenberg, and Dr. Krishna Rajajee discuss NCS Prognostication Guidelines. They explore challenges in GCS prognostication, emphasize the importance of calibration in prediction models, and discuss the impact of risk of bias assessment tools on clinical practice. The podcast also highlights the guidelines for conducting prognostication studies in the US and the influence of clinical prediction models on shared decision-making in critical care.