Critical Care Medicine

Vanderbilt’s pediatric neurocritical care team treated patient Will Terry after he suffered a traumatic brain injury when he flipped over the handlebars of a kick scooter.
June 22, 2023

Neurocritical care team helps boy survive severe brain injury

Vanderbilt’s pediatric neurocritical care team combines experts from different areas of pediatric medicine to care for each child according to individual needs to maximize that child’s quality recovery.

By Christina Echegaray
April 13, 2023

Three physicians appointed to VUH leadership roles

Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics have named physicians Chetan Aher, MD, Arna Banerjee, MD, MMHC, and Gregory Polkowski, MD, MSc, to leadership roles designed to increase internal collaboration and to further improve patient outcomes.

By Kathy Rivers
April 4, 2023

Study shows ketamine could be beneficial for treating brain injury in children

Vanderbilt research shows a common anesthesia drug could be beneficial in reducing pressure inside the skull of children with traumatic brain injuries.

By Craig Boerner
May 21, 2020

Rounding based on acuity helps preserve attention of clinicians

Multidisciplinary teams conducting daily rounds in intensive care units will typically work their way down hallways, going from one patient to the next based on spatial proximity.

By Paul Govern
arm with IV line
December 7, 2017

Study seeks to aid diagnosis, management of catatonia

Catatonia, a syndrome of motor, emotional and behavioral abnormalities frequently characterized by muscular rigidity and a trance-like mental stupor and at times manifesting with great excitement or agitation, can occur during a critical illness and appear similar to delirium. But the management strategies are vastly different.

By Nancy Humphrey
October 2, 2017

Delirium, benzos and the pediatric ICU

With other risk factors held equal, children who received a benzodiazepine sedative drug were nearly three times more likely to experience delirium – confused thought – the following day.

By Paul Govern
September 13, 2016

Risk factors for delirium

High levels of blood markers for vascular endothelial dysfunction were associated with longer periods of confusion in ICU patients, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 10, 2015

Honoring Wheeler

Arthur Wheeler, M.D., and his wife, Lisa, pose with the portrait of Wheeler that was unveiled at a special reception last week honoring his career accomplishments and service to VUMC.
By VUMC News and Communications
December 10, 2015

That’s what friends are for

Brandi Besheres, R.N., left, who works in the Critical Care Tower, and her good friend, McCauley Gatliff Robbins, who works in Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos’ office, were returning home from a day of shopping recently when Robbins’ baby, Reagan, experienced respiratory distress and struggled to breathe.
By VUMC News and Communications
November 12, 2015

Wheeler’s contributions to critical care lauded

Arthur Wheeler, M.D., professor of Medicine, received the 2015 Presidential Honor Lecture Award last month from the American College of Chest Physicians during the college’s international meeting in Montreal.
By Bill Snyder
October 15, 2015

Risk of death in the ICU

The irregular heart rhythm atrial fibrillation increases the risk of death in patients in the intensive care unit.
By Bill Snyder
March 17, 2014

Delirium increases long-term disability

Patients who suffer a longer duration of delirium in the intensive care unit are more likely to experience long-term disability after discharge.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 28, 2013

Acetaminophen: protective in sepsis?

In critically ill patients with sepsis, plasma hemoglobin may be a new indicator of disease severity – and a potential target for treatment with acetaminophen.
By Leigh MacMillan
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