Critical Care Reviews Podcast

Rob Mac Sweeney discusses the Tigris Trial with chief investigator John Kellum. Tigris investigated the efficacy of polymyxin B haemoadsorption in endotoxic septic shock. It was published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine in March, 2026.

Rob Mac Sweeney discusses the ACIOS study with Tim Baker, the study lead. ACIOS is a point prevalence study describing the burden of critical illness in Africa. It was published in the Lancet in March, 2025.

Rob Mac Sweeney discusses the IVIO trial with investigators Lars Wiuff Andersen and Mikael Fink Valentine from Aarhus, Denmark. The IVIO trial compared intraosseous with intravenous vascular access in adult patients suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. It was presented at the 2024 European Resuscitation Council congress in Athens and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Rob Mac Sweeney discusses the PARAMEDIC 3 trial with it's investigators Keith Couple and Ranjit Lall from the University of Warwick, England. PARAMEDIC 3 compared intravenous with intraosseous vascular access in adult patients suffering cardiac arrest and requiring drug administration during ongoing resuscitation. It was presented at the European Resuscitation Council meeting in Athens on October 31st and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Rob Mac Sweeney chats with Jessica Spence about the B-FREE trial, investigating benzodiazepine-free anaesthesia for the prevention of delirium in cardiac surgery

Bala Venkatesh (Brisbane) hosts a panel discussion entitled "Beyond Platform Trials" at the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023. The panellists include Bronagh Blackwood (Belfast), Susan Rowell (Chicago), Fernando Zampieri (Edmonton), Marion Campbell (Aberdeen), David Harrison (London), Roger Lewis (Los Angeles), Derek Angus (Pittsburgh) & Kathy Rowan (London).

Dr Lisa Higgins (Melbourne) presents the long term outcomes of the REMAP-CAP domains at the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023. Prof Howard Bauchner (Boston) delivers an editorial. Prof Christopher Seymour (Pittsburgh) chairs the session.

Kathy Rowan (London) hosts a fascinating panel discussion on causality at the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023. The panellists include Bronwen Connolly (Belfast), Ewan Goligher (Toronto), Flavia Machado (Sao Paulo), Kath Maitland (Kalifi), John Norrie (Edinburgh), Victoria Cornelius (London), Andrew Althouse (Pittsburgh) and Chris Seymour (Pittsburgh).

Prof Flavia Machado (Sao Paulo) delivers the John Hinds Lecture at the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023, describing the story of BRICNET, the Brazilian Critical Care Trials Group. The session commences with Dr Chris Nutt remembering our friend, Dr John Hinds.

Nina Christine Andersen-Ranberg presents the AID-ICU trial, investigating haloperidol for the management of delirium in the ICU. Danny McAuley delivers an editorial. Anders Perner joins the discussion and the session is chaired by Paul Mouncey.

You're listening to the audio version of the PROCOAG trial presentation from the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023. The PROCOAG trial investigated the efficacy and safety of early administration of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate in trauma patients at risk of massive transfusion. The trial is presented by Pierre Bouzat from Grenoble. Susan Rowell from Chicago, delivers the editorial. The session is chaired by Chris Seymour (Pittsburgh). PROCOAG was published in JAMA in March 2023.

You're listening to the audio version of the TEAM trial presentation from the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023. The TEAM trial investigated early active mobilisation in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. The trial is presented by Carol Hodgson from Melbourne. Darren Taichman from Philadelphia, delivers the editorial. The session is chaired by Paul Mouncey (Pittsburgh).

Matthew Semler (Nashville, USA) presents the PILOT trial at the Critical care Reviews Meeting 2023, in Titanic Belfast. The PILOT trial compared low, intermediate and high oxygenation targets in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.  Kath Maitland from Kigali, Kenya, delivers an independent editorial. The session is chaired by Chris Seymour from  Pittsburgh, USA. PILOT was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 10th, 2022.

Dr Francois Lamontagne joins Rob Mac Sweeney to discuss the harmonised REMAP-CAP / LOVIT-COVID vitamin C trial. The trial was presented at the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine annual congress and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

NICO Trial

Mark Peters and Doug Gould (both London) present the results of the OXY-PICU trial, comparing conservative with liberal oxygenation targets (SpO2 88-92% vs >94%) in critically ill children receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. Luregn Schlapbach (Zurich) delivers an independent editorial. They are joined by Victoria Cornelius (London), Bronagh Blackwood (Belfast), & Matthew Semler (Nashville) for a panel discussion. The session is chaired by Howard Bauchner (Boston).

Scott Berry (Austin) and Danny McAuley (Belfast) join Rob Mac Sweeney to discuss the results of the statin domain of the REMAP-CAP trial, investigating 80mg once daily of simvastatin in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Profs Nikki Curry (Oxford) and Karim Brohi (London) present the results of the CRYOSTAT-2 trial, evaluated early & empiric high-dose cryoprecipitate in patients with major traumatic haemorrhage. The editorial is delivered by Susan Rowell (Chicago) and the session is chaired by Phil Gillen from Belfast. The panel discussing the trial are Russell Gruen (Canberra), Caroline Leech (Coventry), John Holcomb (Birmingham, USA), Andrew Althouse (Pittsburgh) and co-investigator Simon Stanworth from Oxford.

Jan Jansen (Birmingham, USA) & Marion Campbell (Aberdeen) present the results of the UK-REBOA trial, investigating the use of REBOA in trauma patients with severe non-compressible torso haemorrhage. The editorial is delivered by John Holcomb (also from Birmingham, USA) and the session is chaired by Catriona Kelly from Dublin. The panel discussing the trial are Diana Cimpoesu (Ilsa, Romania), Caroline Leech (Coventry), Stephen Bernard (Melbourne) and Roger Lewis (Los Angeles).

Prof Ivor Douglas (Denver, USA) presents the CLOVERS trial, comparing an early restrictive fluid strategy with an early liberal fluid strategy in adult patients with sepsis-induced hypotension. Prof Fernando Zampieri (Edmonton, Canada), delivers an editorial. The session is chaired by Dr Paul Mouncey (London, England).