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VIDEO: Important topics in critical care management

WASHINGTON – Robert Balk, MD, director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Rush University discussed some of the major issues in critical care in reviewing a session at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2016.

Among the topics covered were the management of acute coronary syndrome, with an emphasis on guideline-based therapy, management of atrial fibrillation in the intensive care unit and the role of potential salvage therapies for acute respiratory syndrome.

Another important consideration for clinicians is the development of antibiotic stewardship programs, Balk said.

“We discussed how to more judiciously use our antibiotics in taking care of critically ill patients and to tailor antibiotics based on severity of illness so we don’t bombard everyone with the most powerful antibiotics since we are in danger of creating a lot of problems with resistance and inappropriate utilization,” he said.