Edited by Dr Peter Radermacher
This series of articles in Critical Care has not been sponsored. All articles have undergone the journal’s standard peer review process overseen by the Series Editor, with final decisions made by the Editor in Chief. The Series Editor and Editor in Chief declare no competing interests.
Molecular oxygen is obviously essential for conserving energy in a form useable for aerobic life; however, its utilization comes at a cost - the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS can be highly d...
Carbon monoxide (CO) is generated during incomplete combustion of carbon-containing compounds and leads to acute and chronic toxicity in animals and humans depending on the concentration and exposure time. In ...
Nitric oxide (NO) is a unique and nearly ubiquitous molecule that is widely utilized as a signaling molecule in cells throughout the body. NO is highly diffusible, labile, and multiply reactive, suiting it wel...
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gas with the characteristic odor of rotten eggs, is known for its toxicity and as an environmental hazard, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration resulting from blockade of cytochrome c...
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous mediator of vascular tone and host defence. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) results in preferential pulmonary vasodilatation and lowers pulmonary vascular resistance. The route of...
Oxygen is one of the most commonly used therapeutic agents. Injudicious use of oxygen at high partial pressures (hyperoxia) for unproven indications, its known toxic potential, and the acknowledged roles of re...