SCCM Resource Library-Polio Treatment Ushered in Massive Gains in Critical Care Medicine

Pdf Summary

The document highlights the significant impact of the polio epidemic on advancements in critical care medicine, as presented by Dr. Hannah Wunsch. During the Ake Grenvik Honorary Lecture at the SCCM’s 2023 Critical Care Congress, Dr. Wunsch recounted how a 1952 polio epidemic in Copenhagen led to the establishment of the first intensive care unit (ICU).<br /><br />During the epidemic, the lack of resources like iron lungs led Dr. Henry Cai Alexander Lassen to collaborate with Dr. Bjorn Ibsen, an anesthesiologist. Despite having no prior experience with polio, Dr. Ibsen recommended tracheostomies with positive pressure ventilation, informed by a 1950 research paper. This technique reduced the mortality rate of bulbar polio patients from 90% to 20%. Medical students hand-ventilated patients, decreasing mortality from 87% to 11% at the Copenhagen hospital. This success inspired the creation of the first ICUs in the U.S. in 1958 and fostered medical advancements like blood gas testing, respiratory therapy, and innovations in vaccine development, along with an increased focus on patient rights.<br /><br />Dr. Wunsch emphasized that lessons from the polio epidemic continue to inform critical care practices, exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. She asserts that critical care will evolve incrementally with future infectious disease outbreaks, reflecting on the progress since the inception of the first ICU 70 years ago.<br /><br />The document also encourages participation in the 2024 Critical Care Congress, emphasizing sessions with thought leaders, discussions on acute respiratory distress syndrome, and opportunities for professional growth and networking. It aims to unite critical care professionals to advance knowledge and patient care solutions.

Asset Subtitle

Infection, Quality and Patient Safety, 2023, 0:03:21

Asset Caption

"This article was first published in the Fall 2023 issue of Critical Connections.

Infectious disease epidemics have shaped advancements in critical care medicine for nearly a century. Polio ushered in innovations as few other diseases did, says Hannah Wunsch, MD, MSc, FCCM, during the Ake Grenvik Honorary Lecture at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 2023 Critical Care Congress.

Critical Connections, the critical care industry’s only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team."

Meta Tag

Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Infection

Knowledge Area Quality and Patient Safety

Membership Level Associate

Membership Level Professional

Membership Level Select

Tag Infectious Diseases

Tag Evidence Based Medicine

Year 2023

Keywords

polio epidemic

critical care medicine

intensive care unit

Dr. Hannah Wunsch

tracheostomies

positive pressure ventilation

Copenhagen

COVID-19 pandemic

blood gas testing

Critical Care Congress

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