Episodes

No matter which ICU in which I work, I am asked to keep the potassium levels more than 4. Is there any evidence for this?

I have railed against some traits and trends of new students and residents these days. My conversation with one of my teachers, Dr. Richard Abrams, taught me a valuable lesson and made me change my attitude.

If an insurance payer denies a claim, and we write an appeal. The very least the payer must do is write a letter in response.

This is Environmental Services Week, where we honor a crucial member of the healthcare community: those who clean hospital rooms.

Patients frequently base their relationships with Doctors on their first impression. And research shows that our attire has a lot to do with that first impression. On this week's episode, Dr. Hassaballa reviews the latest evidence on Physician attire and the patient-physician relationship. Article: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e100824

What’s it like to be a Teleintensivist? I asked one of the best in the business, Dr. Eugene Yeh of Sound Physicians. He gives us an intimate view of being a remote critical care specialist. Dr. Yeh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugene-yeh-39ba1844/

CMS unveiled the WISeR Model, a pilot of prior authorization for traditional Medicare beneficiaries. I have mixed feelings about it. NYT Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/health/medicare-prior-approval-health-care.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare CMS Press Release: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/wiser

Gallup’s recent poll showed that Americans are drinking alcohol at the lowest rate ever. This is something that should be celebrated. Poll Link: https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx

Artificial Intelligence can’t get get tired. Artificial Intelligence can’t get burned out. Artificial Intelligence can do a lot. There are things, however, that Doctors do that AI can’t.

Limiting student loans for professional schools is so horribly shortsighted. Dr. Hassaballa explains why.

Not too long ago, some predicted that Artificial Intelligence will render Radiologists obsolete. So, I sat down with Dr. Safwan Halabi, Associate Professor of Radiology at Northwestern University and Vice-Chair of Imaging Informatics at Lurie's Children's Hospital, and asked him about the effect of AI on his field now and in the future. This conversation was one of my absolute favorites. Dr. Halabi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safwanhalabi/

On July 1, new doctors start their residency. On July 4, our nation celebrates its independence. This is fitting because, truly, we in the medical field are fighting for the freedom of our patients.

Typically, we titrate Vascopressors to a mean arterial pressure of 65. Does this harm patient with septic shock? Dr. Hassabolus goes over the literature.

I am clearly in the aggressive fluid resuscitation camp for patients who present with septic shock or sepsis-induced hypotension. And I have been vindicated by the literature. CLASSIC: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2202707 CLOVERS: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2212663 CHEST Review: https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(23)00637-2/fulltext ESICM Guidelines: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40163133/

I was taken aback by the term, "Medical Gaslighting," used in this recent article. So, I sat down with the principal author and discussed the article and its larger implications beyond Gynecology. Article link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833711

A malpractice lawsuit can be very stressful for physicians - it sure was stressful for me. So, are all plaintiff attorneys bad people? What about those physicians who are expert witnesses for plaintiffs? I asked this and much more of Dr. Jeff Willis, an Emergency Medicine physician who left bedside practice to do medical legal consulting full time. It was an eye-opening conversation. Dr. Willis' Consulting Firm: https://ocmedlegal.com/ Expert Retainer: https://www.expertretainer.com/

Like it or not, compliance with the SEP-1 Bundle is here to stay, despite its questionable effect on outcomes. We can either rail against it or learn to how do it well. In this episode, to culminate Critical Care Awareness Month, Dr. Hassaballa shares tips on how to achieve good results with the SEP-1 bundle.

PulmCCM is one of the best Substacks out there. So, I sat down with Dr. Matt Hoffman, Critical Care physician and creator of PulmCCM to discuss his journey and evidence-based medicine in general. Substack Link: www.pulmccm.org When Death Comes To The Intensivist: https://www.sensible-med.com/p/when-death-comes-to-the-intensivist

In the last episode of the “Sleep in the ICU” series, Dr. Hassaballa goes through several easy tips to help get a good night’s sleep. American Academy of Sleep Medicine Tips: https://sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/

Dr. Hassaballa tells the story of when he filled in as a Tele-ICU Nurse. It wasn’t a pretty picture, and it highlights how important nurses truly are to the healthcare field. A very Happy Nurses Week to every nurse in the world! There is no “care” in healthcare without nurses.

In Part 2 of the Sleep in the ICU series, Dr. Hassaballa discusses the SCCM guidelines with respect to sleep in critically ill adults and what we should do in the ICU. SCCM Guidelines: https://www.sccm.org/clinical-resources/guidelines/guidelines/guidelines-for-the-prevention-and-management-of-pa SCCM Update: https://sccm.org/clinical-resources/guidelines/guidelines/focused-update-padis-guideline

Dr. Adam Cifu is an award-winning Medical Educator and general internist at the University of Chicago. He also writes for the fantastic Substack, Sensible Medicine. I had a wonderful conversation with him about Medical Education and how it has changed and not changed over the years. Dr. Cifu's books: https://www.adamcifu.com/books Sensible Medicine Substack: https://www.sensible-med.com/

In the first of a two-part series about sleep in the intensive care unit, Dr. Hassaballa discusses the classic sleep deprivation studies and their implications on our own sleep.

Unless one has lost a child, then he or she can never know the horror of the parents who just lost a child to measles in Texas. For the latest on the Texas Measles Outbreak: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025