intensive care unit (ICU)

June 21, 2021

Dexmedetomidine and delirium

The sedative dexmedetomidine, when administered during or after heart surgery, is associated with postoperative delirium and adverse outcomes.

By Paul Govern
June 14, 2021

Opening a new patient care unit requires months of planning. Devin Bunch helped open the COVID-19 ICU in just a matter of days.

“Whatever it is, we roll up our sleeves and do what’s best for our patients.”

By Nancy Humphrey
June 9, 2021

Wilson County resident provides handmade quilts to VWCH nurses

ICU nurses at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH) were recently surprised with a thoughtful gift –unique handmade quilts for every single nurse in the unit.

By VUMC News and Communications
April 1, 2021

COVID-19 met with intensive teamwork

Team members serving COVID-19 inpatients were more densely connected, interacting far more than their medical ICU counterparts.

By Paul Govern
Zach Lloyd spent 95 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, after contracting COVID-19.
April 1, 2021

COVID recovery included long stay on ECMO, double-lung transplant

Zach Lloyd was only 37 years old with no pre-existing health conditions, but COVID-19 was bringing him within an inch of his life.

By Matt Batcheldor
Christopher Hughes, MD, left, Pratik Pandharipande, MD, MSCI, and colleagues are studying two drugs recommended for patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU.
February 2, 2021

Study finds recommended ICU sedatives equally safe, effective

Sedative medications used in intensive care are associated with increased delirium, which is in turn connected with higher medical costs and greater risk of death and ICU-related dementia.

By Paul Govern
July 22, 2020

Study to explore how COVID affects cognition over time

The Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is following patients who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 over time to see if they develop long-term cognitive impairment, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
By Nancy Humphrey
June 4, 2020

Fleming reflects on a life of love, purpose after terminal cancer diagnosis

A month before his 49th birthday, Geoffrey Fleming, MD, had a biopsy of his liver to diagnose an unidentified metastatic disease that he already knew was “something bad.”
By Kelsey Herbers
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
May 6, 2020

As Frank Rummo died of COVID-19, his family gathered to tell him they loved him — through an iPad and the touch of his nurse, Maddie Hayes.

“If his family had been there, they would have wanted to hold and touch his hand and rub his head, so that’s what I did"
By Nancy Humphrey
May 5, 2020

Years ago Neil Stinson trained to care for Ebola patients. Now he is on the front lines of COVID.

“A bunch of us came from different ICU environments. We became a tight team, a great team, that came together very quickly.”
By Wayne Wood
April 14, 2020

Children’s Hospital intensive care unit sends gift of support to counterparts at Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital

“It really helped everyone focus on something positive. We were all excited about supporting them, encouraging them and lifting them up.”
By Jessica Pasley
April 8, 2020

Self-care crucial for providers during pandemic

High levels of stress and anxiety can be debilitating, especially for health care providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are ways they can protect themselves and their ability to provide the best and most compassionate care.
By Bill Snyder
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