Management of Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure in the ICU

In this episode, Dr. Sergio Zanotti focuses on the nuances of mechanical ventilation in patients with severe asthma. Previously, he explored the medical management of acute asthma exacerbations. Today, he takes a deeper dive into ventilatory strategies tailored to this high-risk population. He's joined by Dr. Emily Damuth, a dual-trained emergency medicine and critical care physician. Dr. Damuth is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and practices clinically in both the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. She is also an Assistant Program Director for the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship and is actively involved in the ECMO program. A passionate educator, she teaches mechanical ventilation through lectures and simulation and has received multiple teaching awards for her contributions to medical education. Additional resources: Links: Management of Life-Threatening Asthma. O. Garner, et al. CHEST 2022; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35218742/ Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Refractory Asthma Exacerbations With Respiratory Failure. J. Zakrajsek, et al. CHEST 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36191634/ Ventilator Graphics and Respiratory Mechanics in the Patient With Obstructive Lung Disease. R. Dhand. Respiratory Care 2005: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15691394/ Books mentioned in this episode: Seabiscuit: An American Legend. By Laura Hillenbrand: https://bit.ly/3EY24pJ Pisto: The Life of Pete Maravich. By Mark Kriegel: https://bit.ly/3GIarq6 Good Inside: A Practical Guide to Resilient Parenting Prioritizing Connection Over Correction. By Becky Kennedy: https://bit.ly/4iSTnes

In this episode, Dr. Zanotti discussed the Society of Critical Care Medicine “Focused Update on the Clinical Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Anxiety. Agitation/Sedation. Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU." This is also known as the PADIS Guidelines. He is joined by Joanna L. Stollings, PharmD, a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacotherapy Specialist. Joanna is the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She also served as vice chair for the PADIS Guideline Focused Update and co-authored the guidelines. Additional resources: Society of Critical Care Medicine Focused Update on the Clinical Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Anxiety. Agitation/Sedation. Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU. PADIS 2025 Update: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39982143/ Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU. PADIS 2018 Guidelines: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30113379/ Link to a previous episode of Critical Matters discussing the PADIS 2018 Guidelines: https://soundphysicians.com/podcast-episode/?podcast_id=342&track_id=635606964 Landing page for the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center: https://www.icudelirium.org/ Books mentioned in this episode: The Prophet. By Kahlil Gibran: https://bit.ly/4lA2Jhx

In this episode, Dr. Sergion Zanotti discusses TEE in cardiac arrest and shock. Critical care clinicians commonly utilize transthoracic echocardiography in the ICU as part of their point-of-care-ultrasonography (POCUS) toolkit. However, there is a growing push to train intensivists in using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for cardiac arrest and peri-arrest situations in the ICU. Our guest is Dr. Sara Nikravan, a cardiothoracic anesthesia critical care physician with training in advanced perioperative echocardiography. Dr. Nikravan is an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Washington Medical School and practices at the UW Medical Center. She is recognized as an expert and master educator in Critical Care, Perioperative echocardiography, and Point of Care Ultrasound. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and is the guidelines co-chair of the Society of Critical Care Medicine Guidelines on Adult Critical Care Ultrasonography: Focused Update 2024, recently published in Critical Care Medicine.  Additional links: Society of Critical Care Medicine Guidelines on Adult Critical Care Ultrasonography: Focused Update 2024, Crit Care Med 2025: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39982182/ Focused Transesophageal Echocardiography During Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation: JACC Review Topic of the Week. JACC 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32762909/ Landing page for the Resuscitative TEE Project website: https://www.resuscitativetee.com/ Books mentioned in this episode: The Prophet. By Kahlil Gibran: https://www.amazon.com/dp/998247037X?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

In this episode, Dr. Sergio Zanotti explores one of medicine's fastest-evolving frontiers: artificial intelligence (AI). From predictive analytics to decision-support tools, AI is beginning to influence how we deliver critical care — but what does that actually mean for frontline clinicians? Dr. Zanotti is joined by Dr. Sharad Patel, a critical care physician with additional board certification in nephrology and Echocardiography. He is a Critical Care Intensivist at Cooper University Health Care, the assistant program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Dr. Patel is deeply interested in applying artificial intelligence and technology at the bedside. Additional resources: Landing page for New England Journal of Medicine – AI in Medicine section. A multitude of articles and resources on the topic: https://www.nejm.org/ai-in-medicine Attention Is All You Need. A Vaswani et al. NIPS 2017: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf Artificial Intelligence Courses Online: https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=artificial%20intelligence UDEMY landing page for AI courses. https://www.udemy.com/AI Books mentioned in this episode: Meditations. By Marcus Aurelius (Author), Gregory Hayes (Translator): https://amzn.to/4iLvfLA Thinking Fast and Slow. By Daniel Kahneman: https://bit.ly/4c6pANu

In a previous episode, Dr. Sergio Zanotti explored the importance of challenging dogma, particularly when the supporting evidence is weak or absent. Today, he continues that discussion by examining critical care practices that persist despite a lack of strong scientific validation. He's joined by Dr. Mervyn Singer, an internationally recognized leader in critical care medicine. Dr. Singer is a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London and a distinguished clinician, researcher, and educator. Through his research, publications, and dynamic presentations, he has inspired Dr. Zanotti — and countless intensivists worldwide — to think critically, challenge conventions, and push the boundaries of our field. Additional resources: Challenging management dogma where evidence is non-existent, weak, or outdated: part II. DA Hofmaennner and M. Singer. Intensive Care Med2024: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go Challenging management dogma where evidence is non-existent, weak, or outdated. DA Hofmaennner and M. Singer. Intensive Care Med 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35303116/ Biomarker-Guided Antibiotic Duration for Hospitalized Patients with Suspected Sepsis. The ADAPT-Sepsis Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2025: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39652885/ Hyperglycemic Crises in Adults with Diabetes: A Consensus Report. Diabetes Care 2024: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38907161/ Books and music mentioned in this episode. Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. By. Jeremy Brown: https://amzn.to/3Ftb0mO Beethoven: 9 Symphonies / Karajan 1963: https://amzn.to/3R1M9ZO

Due to advancements in medical and surgical care, the survival of patients with congenital conditions into adulthood has dramatically increased. However, as these individuals transition to adulthood, their unique physiology, chronic complications, and evolving care needs create significant challenges for their management when they are admitted to adult intensive care units (ICUs). This episode will discuss adult congenital disease in the ICU. Dr. Zanotti is joined by Dr. Cameron Dezfulian, a pediatric and adult critical care physician. He is the director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program Development for the Section of Critical Care at Texas Children's Hospital and a faculty member at Cardiothoracic Critical Care at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. He is also a Senior Faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Additional resources: ACC/AHA 2008 Guidelines for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. Circulation 2008: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.190690 Special Considerations in Critical of the Congenital Heart Disease Patient. E Neethling, et al. Can J Cardiol. 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36682483/ Management of the Critically Ill Adult with Congenital Heart Disease. WB Kratzert, et al. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2018: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29500124/ Adults with childhood-onset chronic conditions admitted to US pediatric and adult intensive care units. J Edwards, et al. J Crit Care 2015: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25466316/ Down Syndrome. MJ Bull. N Eng J Med 2020. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1706537 Books and Music mentioned in this episode: The Bible: https://bit.ly/3EK4LL6

February 7-14 marks the observance of Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week. In this podcast episode, Dr. Sergio Zanotti provides a unique perspective on adult congenital heart disease, drawing from his journey as a lifelong patient. He offers reflections shaped by his own experiences with complex adult congenital heart disease, including insights gained from a recent medical procedure that granted him a firsthand view of patient care in the ICU. Additional resources: ACC/AHA 2008 Guidelines for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. Circulation 2008: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.190690 The Bell Curve. By Atul Gawande. The New Yorker 2004: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/12/06/the-bell-curve Website for the Adult Congenital Heart Association: https://www.achaheart.org/ Books and music mentioned in this episode: Montaigne. By Stefan Zweig: https://bit.ly/4gEOVP2 The Heart. A Novel. By Maylis De Kerangal: https://bit.ly/41ehqin The Essays: A Selection (Penguin Classics). By. Michel de Montaigne: https://bit.ly/3EvFwvW

Acute kidney injury is a frequent complication of critical illness, and a subgroup of these patients will require renal replacement therapy. In this episode. Dr. Sergio Zanotti discusses optimizing renal replacement therapy in the ICU. He is joined by Dr. Michael J. Connor, Jr., a practicing intensivist and nephrologist. He is a professor and senior physician of critical care medicine and nephrology at the Divisions of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, & Sleep Medicine and Renal Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. In addition, he is the director of critical care nephrology at the Emory Critical Care Center at Grady Memorial Hospital. Additional resources: Delivering optimal renal replacement therapy to critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. Wald R, et al. Intensive Care Med 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36066597/ Initiation Strategies for Renal-Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit. AKIKI Study Group. N Engl J Med 2016: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27181456/ Effect of Early vs Delayed Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy on Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury. ELAIN Trial. JAMA 2016: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27209269/ Timing of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Patients with Acute Kidney Injury and Sepsis. IDEAL-ICU Investigators. N Eng J Med 2018: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30304656/ Timing of Initiation of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury. STARRT-AKI Investigators. N Engl J Med 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32668114/ Comparison of two delayed strategies for renal therapy initiation for severe acute kidney injury. AKIKI 2 Trial. Lancet 2021: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33812488/ Books and Music mentioned in this episode: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. By V.E. Schwab: The Invisible-Life-Addie-LaRue Moon Music. By Coldplay: Moon-Music-Coldplay

In this episode, Dr. Sergio Zanotti discusses rational fluid therapy. He is joined by Dr. Adrian Wong, a practicing intensive care medicine and anesthesia physician. Dr. Wong is a consultant and clinical lead at King’s College Hospital, London. He also serves as a committee member for the Intensive Care Society FUSIC, examiner for the European Diploma of Intensive Care Medicine, on the executive committee of the International Fluid Academy. Additional resources: Intravenous fluid therapy in the perioperative and critical care setting” Executive summary of the International Fluid Academy (IFA). Malbrain ML, et al. Ann. Intensive Care 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32449147/ Multidisciplinary expert panel report on fluid stewardship: perspectives and practice. Malbrain ML, et al. Annals of Intensive Care 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37747558/ The emerging concept of fluid tolerance: A position paper. Kattan E, et al. Journal of Critical Care 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35660844/ Everything you need to know about derescuscitation. Malbrain ML, et al. Intensive Care Med 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35932335/ Start with Why. TED Talk presented by Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/videos/ted-talks/ Books mentioned in this episode: Thinking Fast and Slow. By Daniel Kahneman: https://amzn.to/4hicUoj Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everybody to Take Action. By Simon Sinek: https://bit.ly/42hzt8n

This episode of Critical Matters will close 2024 with a year in review. Dr. Sergio Zanotti is going solo and will discuss a couple of relevant clinical guidelines and review five clinical trials. To close, he'll share some of his favorite books for 2024. Additional Resources: Critical Care Management of Patients Post Cardiac Arrest (AHA/NCS): Hirsch KG, Abella BS, Amorim E, et al. Critical Care Management of Patients After Cardiac Arrest: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association and Neurocritical Care Society. Neurocrit Care. 2024;40(1):1-37: https://bit.ly/4087o1w 2024 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Pediatric Life Support: Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; and First Aid Task Forces. Circulation 2024: https://bit.ly/4fD4o1R PREOXI Trial. Gibbs KW, Semler MW, Driver BE, et al. Noninvasive Ventilation for Preoxygenation during Emergency Intubation. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(23):2165-2177. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2313680: https://bit.ly/4fD4pCX AMIKINHAL Trial. Ehrmann S, Barbier F, Demiselle J, et al. Inhaled Amikacin to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(22):2052-2062. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2310307: https://bit.ly/4iQQvzU REVISE Trial. Cook D, Deane A, Lauzier F, et al. Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis during Invasive Mechanical Ventilation. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(1):9-20. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2404245: https://bit.ly/3Pc4nqH TIGHT K Trial. O'Brien B, Campbell NG, Allen E, et al. Potassium Supplementation and Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: The TIGHT K Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2024;332(12):979-988. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.17888: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2823246 BALANCE Trial. Daneman N, Rishu A, et al. Antibiotic Treatment for 7 versus 14 Days in Patients with Bloodstream Infections. N Engl J Med. Published online November 20, 2024. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2404991: https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMoa2404991 CMD Study. Bodien YG, Allanson J, Cardone P, et al. Cognitive Motor Dissociation in Disorders of Consciousness. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(7):598-608. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2400645: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2400645 Books Mentioned in this Episode: Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. By Cal New Port: https://amzn.to/4gTbkJ2 Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. By Oliver Burkeman: https://bit.ly/4gURU6N Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. By Salman Rushdie: https://bit.ly/3ZPsAIt