REBOOT Inotropes

Who knew there could be so much to glean from that little CO₂ waveform tucked away on your ICU monitor?! This week on Critical Care Time, Cyrus and Nick go Back to Basics and unpack end-tidal CO₂ and capnography—from the fundamentals to advanced bedside interpretation. We explore seven practical uses for capnography, including confirming tube placement, monitoring sedation, and guiding resuscitation, before digging into the physiology connecting metabolism, perfusion, and ventilation. Along the way, we explain why end-tidal and arterial CO₂ don’t always agree, decode shark-fin waveforms and other revealing patterns, and troubleshoot the equipment issues that can lead you astray. Whether you’re new to the ICU or looking to sharpen your skills, join us for practical bedside pearls, a healthy dose of physiology, and a surprisingly relevant detour into the world of seals, manatees, and “nature’s CO₂ retainers.” Buckle up! Once you are off the ride - shoot us a message or leave us a review and let us know how we’re doing! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Critical Care Time gets Curbsided! Cyrus and Nick are hosted by Drs. Matthew Watto and Paul Williams of The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast where they unpack the 2026 AHA/ACC multisociety pulmonary embolism guidelines and how they may effect your practice. During the course of our discussion, we unpack the new A–E clinical categories, revisit cryptic shock in the setting of PE, and review diagnostic testing, anticoagulation choices, and of course - when to call in the PE response team. Of course we also talk treatment options and delve into post-acute management of PE and what the guidelines say about CTED, etc. New categories, evolving evidence, and plenty of bedside perspective: this crossover connects critical care decisions with the questions that follow patients into clinic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Corley expected to be home by lunchtime. Instead, a routine left-heart cath became a five-month ICU stay involving cardiac arrest, ECMO, terrifying delirium, and a recovery that would reshape her family’s life.On this episode of Critical Care Time, Cyrus and Nick welcome Julie, her husband Chris, and Dr. Jess Bunin—an intensivist, psychiatrist, and three-time cancer survivor—to explore critical illness from the other side of the bed. Together, they unpack the hidden burden on caregivers, the gap between surviving and healing, and why even well-intended encouragement can miss the mark. Their stories reveal how our words, assumptions, and small acts of compassion can profoundly change a patient’s experience.This is an honest, raw & moving conversation for everyone who cares for the critically ill. Listen or watch, share it with others, and leave a five-star review along with a comment! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re bringing back one of our deep dives into the world of critical care! Nick & Cyrus revisit inotropes, breaking down these essential medications and their role in managing cardiogenic shock. From the different types of inotropes to choosing the right agent for your patient, we cover the key concepts you need to know at the bedside. Plus, we clear up the often-confused difference between an inotropic and an ionotropic agent. It’s a reboot packed with practical critical care goodness!Check out the original show notes for this episode - https://www.criticalcaretime.com/episodes/35-inotropes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Critical Care Time, neurointensivist Dr. Sean Marinelli joins Nick & Cyrus to tackle brain death/death by neurologic criteria. We break down the prerequisites, neurologic exam, apnea testing, ancillary studies, and the challenging situations where things get complicated—including confounders, ECMO, and families struggling to understand how someone with a beating heart can have died. This is essential knowledge for anyone caring for critically ill patients. Listen or watch now, and if you enjoy the episode, subscribe, leave us a review, and drop a comment with your thoughts! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Returning guest Dr. Sara Crager joins us again on Critical Care Time, this time to tackle one of the most important, and most commonly overcomplicated, topics in critical care: acid–base physiology. Rather than treating acid–base as a collection of equations and compensation formulas, Sara walks us through her practical State → Process → Story framework for rapidly interpreting blood gases and electrolytes at the bedside. We discuss how to distinguish acidemia from acidosis, interpret CO₂ in the context of bicarbonate, use the anion gap and strong ion difference to uncover mixed metabolic disorders, recognize the importance of chloride and albumin, and understand why a “normal” pH—or a “normal” CO₂—may be anything but normal. Along the way, we work through several real-world ICU cases involving chronic hypercapnia, DKA, vomiting, septic shock, renal failure, saline-induced hyperchloremia, and hypoalbuminemia. The goal isn’t more acid–base math. It’s a better mental model and a faster way to understand what your patient’s numbers are actually telling you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of Critical Care Time we had back to the basics again, this time with a focus on the ubiquitous Pulse Oximeter! We will talk all things Pulse Ox from how it generates values, how reliable those values are, what factors can confound your pulse ox and how best to use this powerful - yet imperfect - tool to deliver the best care possible for your patients. Check it out and let us know what you think! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've heard you guys and we are ready to deliver! We are proud to bring you guys our first of several episodes on Neurocritical Care! On this episode - our introductory show - we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Casey Albin a neurologist & neurointensivist who introduces the topic of neurocritical care with a special focus on basic tenets of stroke management. What type of imaging should you order? What do you do with anticoagulation? Who get's seizure prophylaxis? We cover all this and more with Dr. Albin. Please take a listen and let us know what you think and what else you want to hear from us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ARDS is one of the most important—and intimidating—topics in critical care, so we thought it was the perfect time to reboot one of our most comprehensive episodes. Whether you're hearing it for the first time or need a refresher on the latest evidence and core principles, this episode is packed with practical pearls that still hold up today.Check out the original show notes on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to another airway episode! On this episode, Cyrus and Nick are joined by Dr. Jarrod Mosier to discuss advanced concepts of airway management to include a practical and effective approach to awake intubation. We will discuss who is an appropriate candidate for this technique, why and when it should be implemented and cover some important pitfalls and pearls. We hope you guys enjoy this episode and that it motivates you to check out the Difficult Airway Course: Critical Care! If you are interested, make sure you use our discount code CCTIME26 to get $200 off the November course in San Diego! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.