The guest on this episode is Professor Rob Mac Sweeney, who founded and leads the hugely valuable organisation Critical Care Reviews. Rob is a Consultant Intensivist at the Royal Victoria Hospital and an Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Rob founded Critical Care Reviews back in 2008 and this has gro…

This episode is a rebroadcast of Episode 3 (from 2017) featuring the late Professor Rinaldo Bellomo, who unexpectedly died in May 2025. There is also a personal tribute from me. Andrew DaviesBy Andrew Davies

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

In this episode, you'll hear from a wise and thoughtful paediatric intensivist. Michael Clifford is a Paediatric Intensivist and Anaesthetist from the Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Childrens Hospital, Melbourne. Mike has recently finished his term as a CICM Examiner for both the Paediatric Fellowship and the CICM Primary exams. He is a keen …

My guest in this episode is Dr Jeram Hyde, an intensivist in Newcastle with a special interest in teaching non-technical skills. Jeram is the force behind an annual Trainee Education Day, run by the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, and which I attended this year. Jeram has been building this meeting over recent years from a single ICU’s annual me…

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 simult…

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 R…

My guest in this episode is Dr Emily Amos, a general practitioner and a passionate educator on mindfulness in Melbourne. Emily might not be an intensivist but she is a doctor with a powerful burnout story that led to her becoming an enthusiastic guide and teacher about mindfulness and self care. Emily has roles as a GP, a surgical assistant, a lact…

My guest in this episode is Dr Peter Brindley, an intensivist in Edmonton, Canada. Peter is a tenured full Professor of Critical Care Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Medical Ethics, with over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, over 30 book chapters, and over 100 other articles, including regular opinion pieces for the British Medical Journal. He has writ…

Mastering Intensive Care is back after a long hiatus between episodes, and a fun divergence into a series about at athletic adventure. This episode features Dr Andrew Holt, a highly experienced intensivist at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, who was one of the mentors who significantly shaped my career. You’ll discover why Andrew was pivotal in…

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

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 Row…

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 (Pittsb…

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

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. Susa…

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 …

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 Seymo…

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

By Rob Mac Sweeney

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 …

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.By Rob Mac Sweeney

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 t…

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 Gru…

Thank you for listening to the ninth and final episode of the Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta series. If you’ve listened to the series, you’ll know my friend Ed Litton and I entered a four-day stage trail running event, the Run Larapinta Stage Race, and ran, climbed, descended, scrambled and walked with 200 other enthusiastic partici…

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).…

This is the 8th episode of the "Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta" series and if you’ve been listening to the previous ones, you’ll know that this episode is coming out after the four day stage race that fellow intensivist Ed Litton and I set ourselves the challenge of running many months ago. Two Intensive Care doctors, both novices a…

Fellow intensivist Ed Litton and I signed up for a big challenge 10 months ago when we registered to run in the Run Larapinta, a 4-day stage race in central Australia. We’ve both completed many endurance events, however neither of us have done any serious trail running nor have we ever run 130km in 4 days on a rocky and mountainous trail like the b…

To help Ed Litton and I get really prepared for the Run Larapinta stage race we are only a few weeks away from competing in, today we bring a seasoned ultra trail running doctor on to the podcast to share her advice. In this sixth episode of the Mastering Intensive Challenges series, we welcome Dr Cheryl Martin, who is an Emergency Medicine special…

Russell Gruen, Brian Burns and Stephen Bernard present the results of the PATCH-Trauma trial, investigating tranexamic acid in severe trauma. An independent editorial is delivered by Karim Brohi (London). Caroline Leech (Coventry) chairs a panel discussion consisting of Susan Rowell (Chicago), Carol Hodgson (Melbourne), John Holcomb (Birmingham, US…

Glenn Eastwood presents the results of the TAME cardiac arrest trial, investigating mild hypercapnoea post cardiac arrest. He is joined by senior investigators Alistair Nichol (Dublin) and Stephen Bernard (Melbourne). An independent editorial is delivered by Lars Andersen (Aarhus). Darren Taichman (Philadelphia) chairs a panel discussion consisting…

This is the fifth episode in the Mastering Intensive Care - Run Larapinta series. Ed Litton and I are back on opposite sides of Australia, and neither of us has had the perfect three weeks since we last chatted. There are now less than seven weeks until the event starts, so we chat about our training, then swing over to what we are each thinking ab…

Profs Matthew Prekker (Minneapolis) and Matthew Semler (Nashville) present the results of the DEVICE trial, comparing direct with video laryngoscopy for emergency intubation in the critically ill. Prof Ellen O'Sullivan (Dublin) delivers an editorial, followed by a panel discussion including Prof David Harrison (London), Dr Caroline Leech (Coventry)…

Profs Giovanni Landoni and Giacomo Monti present the results of the MERCY trial, comparing bolus administration with continuous infusion of meropenem in critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock. The results were presented at the Critical Care Reviews Meeting 2023, in Titanic Belfast. Prof Flavia Machado (Sao Paulo) delivers an editorial…

Here is another episode in the Mastering Intensive Care - Run Larapinta series. For this one, I travelled to Perth to meet with my Run Larapinta co-participant Ed Litton and to head out for a few runs together over a three day weekend. We also set up the microphones to update each other with our preparations and to discuss our perspectives on the s…

This is a follow on episode as Ed Litton and I continue our discussion about the Run Larapinta Stage Race we will be participating in soon. Ed and I tell each other how our running training is going. Then we talk about our general views on nutrition and sleep, especially as we lead into a multi-day endurance event. One of us has picked up a little …