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Proulx et al assert that during this crisis, we have learned much about ourselves, and about how to be present with our patients and families. We have learned that virtual care allows a real connection with others; surely it will outlast the current crisis in some form. We have learned how many challenges in communication are in our purview; the onus is on us to understand, navigate and advocate to overcome those barriers to access that are socially determined. And at the bedside, we have learned new sensitivities to silences, to wrinkled eyes, to tears slipping under masks, to body language and to words that command a fuller attention. When we cannot hug, and when our smile is mostly hidden behind a mask, then we doff any pretense and move beyond the face shields, the masks, the myriad new protocols and guidelines, to be fully present for the child and caregiver in front of us. This is the necessary accompaniment, the personalized medicine that precedes computer screens and genomic screens.

Critical care clinicians practice a liminal medicine at the border between life and death, witnessing suffering and tragedy which cannot fail to impact the clinicians themselves. Clinicians’ professional identity is predicated upon their iterative efforts to articulate and contextualize these experiences, while a failure to do so may lead to burnout. This journey of self-discovery is illuminated by clinician narratives which capture key moments in building their professional identity. We analyzed a collection of narratives by critical care clinicians to determine which experiences most profoundly impacted their professional identity formation. After surveying 30 critical care journals, we identified one journal that published 84 clinician narratives since 2013; these constituted our data source. A clinician educator, an art historian, and an anthropologist analyzed these pieces using a narrative analysis technique identifying major themes and subthemes. Once the research team agreed on a thematic structure, a clinician-ethicist and a trainee read all the pieces for analytic validation. The main theme that emerged across all these pieces was the experience of existing at the heart of the dynamic tension between life and death. We identified three further sub-themes: the experience of bridging the existential divide between dissimilar worlds and contexts, fulfilling divergent roles, and the concurrent experience of feeling dissonant emotions. Our study constitutes a novel exploration of transformative clinical experiences within Critical Care, introducing a methodology that equips medical educators in Critical Care and beyond to better understand and support clinicians in their professional identity formation. As clinician burnout soars amidst increasing stressors on our healthcare systems, a healthy professional identity formation is an invaluable asset for personal growth and moral resilience. Our study paves the way for post-graduate and continuing education interventions that foster mindful personal growth within the medical subspecialties.

Abstract Background Recent literature and guidelines support routine use of isotonic intravenous (IV) fluids for maintenance therapy in hospitalized infants and children. Current prescribing practices are unknown. Objective To elicit paediatric residents’ choice of maintenance IV fluids, particularly with regard to tonicity, in a variety of clinical scenarios and patient ages. We hypothesized that residents would choose isotonic fluids in most cases, but there would be substantially more variability in fluid choice in the neonatal age group. Methods An Internet-based survey was e-mailed to trainees in the 17 paediatric residency programs across Canada, via the Canadian Paediatric Program Directors. The survey instrument included questions related to training, followed by a series of questions eliciting choice of IV fluid in a variety of clinical situations. Results A total of 147 survey responses were submitted (22% response rate). Isotonic solutions were selected by >75% across all clinical scenarios involving infants and children. Very hypotonic fluids were seldom chosen. There was more variability in fluid choice in neonates, with evidence of significant differences in fluid tonicity based on senior versus junior resident status and geographical location. Conclusions Results imply a predominance of isotonic fluid use in infants and children, suggesting that clinical practice has changed in response to risk of hyponatremia with hypotonic IV fluids. As hypothesized, there was more variability with respect to choice of maintenance fluids in neonates. This likely reflects a paucity of guidance in an age group with unique physiologic factors affecting fluid and electrolyte status.

[Adam] ... isn't nice With Adam's mom and John, Respecting Adam's kin -

Durable mechanical circulatory devices are commonly used to support children and adolescents in end-stage heart failure. However, these patients remain at high risk of acute medical complications, which may lead to significant impairment in functional capacity, altered quality of life, or death. We explore the incorporation of adolescent directives into medical decision-making in this scenario through a clinical case vignette.

PurposeCritical care medicine is facing an epidemic of burnout and consequent attrition. Interventions are needed to re-establish the medical field as a place of professional growth, resilience, and personal well-being. Humanities facilitate creation, reflection, and meaning-making, holding the promise of personal and community transformation. This study aimed to explore how clinicians engage with a humanities program, and what role and impact do the humanities play in their individual and collective journey.MethodsThis is a qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach. Participants were faculty and trainees who participated in the program. Data consisted of (a) 60-h observations of humanities evenings, (b) more than 200 humanities artifacts brought by participants, and (c) 15 in-depth participant interviews. Data were analyzed inductively and reflectively by a team of researchers.ResultsParticipants were motivated to engage with the humanities curriculum because of past experiences with art, identifying a desire to re-explore their creativity to make meaning from their clinical experiences and a wish to socialize with and understand their colleagues through a different lens. The evenings facilitated self-expression, and inspired and empowered participants to create art pieces and re-engage with art in their daily lives. More importantly, they found a community where they could be vulnerable and supported, where shared experiences were discussed, emotions were validated, and relationships were deepened between colleagues.ConclusionsHumanities may impact resilience and personal and community well-being by facilitating reflection and meaning-making of challenging clinical work and building bonds between colleagues.

To the Editor: The letter by van Doremalen et al. (published March 17 at NEJM.org) 1 provides important information on the viability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19), and the implication that the virus remains viable in aerosols is likely to influence infection-control practices. The authors used a three-jet Collison nebulizer to generate artificial particles that, because of their small size (<5 μm), remained suspended in aerosols. However, the authors did not provide data to support the choice of particle size or viral inoculum. A closely related coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1, was not detected in air . . .