How Magic Mushrooms Shaped Human History 10,000 Years Before Your Instagram Feed
Magic mushrooms have been woven into human culture since prehistoric times, far predating modern scientific research into psilocybin. Archaeological evidence suggests these psychedelic fungi played significant social and cultural roles as early as 10,000 BCE, with ancient murals depicting mushroom-headed figures discovered across Australia, North Africa, and Spain. These prehistoric psychedelic experiences represent some of humanity's earliest documented altered states of consciousness.
The Aztec civilization later embraced magic mushrooms in more structured ceremonies, calling them "teonanacatl" or "flesh of the gods," and using them to communicate with deities and access visionary states. However, this spiritual practice faced brutal suppression when 16th-century Spanish colonizers deemed mushroom rituals barbaric and anti-Catholic, systematically destroying records and driving the practice underground for centuries. Despite these efforts to eradicate indigenous mushroom ceremonies, the ancient relationship between humans and these mind-altering fungi has persisted into the modern era.
Welcome to the 109thth edition of ResusNation!
The 5-Minute Ritual That Saved My Medical Career AND Marriage
Have you ever noticed that when you get home from the hospital, your mind is still in high gearâfocused but exhaustedâand you struggle to transition back to your personal life? I've experienced this countless times: going from making critical medical decisions all day to suddenly being expected to engage as a normal human being at home. This transition can be jarring without an intentional process.
After years of working with medical professionals facing burnout, I've developed what I call the "Driveway Debrief"âa guided exercise you complete in your car before entering your home. This simple but powerful technique helps process your clinical day, release the accumulated stress, and mentally prepare for your personal life. I've recommended this to hundreds of colleagues, and the feedback has been universally positive. It's available free on our resource page, and I'm confident it will transform your work-life balance as it has for so many others in our medical community.
Watch the full video here and leave a comment.
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Lifetime Access For Only $79!
Did you miss ResusX:ReUnion? If you weren't there live for ResusX:ReUnion then you missed an amazing experience with 3 days of education and over 50 faculty members. Fortunately for you, we got the whole incredible event captured on video and you can start watching it right now!
These videos were recorded in high-definition and have remastered audio. When you register you'll also have access to high-yield summaries that you can download to take with you on the go. You'll also be able to earn CME or CEU credits as you watch.
And because I'm grateful that you are a newsletter subscriber, I'm giving you this conference at the lowest price we've ever offered, at $79 for lifetime access! We only have a limited number of these dicsounts avaialble so if you want this discount do not wait...once these discounted registrations are gone....they're gone! Thanks for being part of ResusNation.
Is Calcium Is Ineffective for
Acute HyperK?!!!
Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening disturbance that can lead to dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. The article of the week this week is a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, encompassing 101 studies, has revealed significant findings that challenge current treatment approaches. The review found strong evidence supporting the use of insulin with glucose, inhaled beta2-agonists, and intravenous beta2-agonists for reducing potassium levels, with consistent decreases of 0.7-1.2 mmol/L across multiple patient populations. However, perhaps most surprisingly, no evidence was found to support the clinical effectiveness of calciumâa long-established first-line treatmentâin either cardiac arrest or non-cardiac arrest settings.
These findings particularly contradict conventional wisdom regarding calcium administration, which has been traditionally recommended based on its presumed membrane-stabilizing effects. Two observational studies of hyperkalemic patients in cardiac arrest actually showed worse outcomes with calcium administration. Similarly, intravenous bicarbonate showed minimal effect on potassium levels in non-arrest scenarios. For clinical practice, these results suggest prioritizing treatment with insulin-glucose combinations or beta2-agonists, with the evidence particularly supporting intravenous salbutamol (either alone or combined with insulin) as the most effective intervention. Given the very low to low certainty of evidence across interventions and the limited studies with patient-centered outcomes, further research focusing on clinical outcomes rather than just laboratory values is urgently needed.
Here's my Takeaways:
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Intravenous salbutamol combined with insulin reduces serum potassium by 1.2 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.5, -0.8), more effectively than insulin alone
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No evidence supports calcium administration for hyperkalemia despite its widespread use; beta2-agonists should be considered first-line therapy
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Both adult and pediatric populations showed similar reductions in potassium with beta2-agonists, though administration routes may differ by age group
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Very low to low certainty evidence with limited studies reporting patient-centered outcomes rather than just laboratory values
Read this for yourself! Read the full study "Pharmacological interventions for the acute treatment of hyperkalaemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis" by Jessen MK, Andersen LW, Djakow J, Chong NK, Stankovic N, Staehr C, Vammen L, Petersen AH, Johannsen CM, Eggertsen MA, Mortensen SĂ, Høybye M, Nørholt C, Holmberg MJ, Granfeldt A; Resuscitation. 2025 Mar
Save the Date: ResusX25
Mark your calendars! We're thrilled to announce that ResusX 2025, the premier resuscitation conference of the year, is returning for its seventh spectacular year. Join us September 29 - October 1, 2025, as we take over Philadelphia's iconic Punchline Comedy Club for our most ambitious event yet.
The overwhelming interest we've received through emails and messages has shown just how exited the ResusNation is for this announcement. We're pulling out all the stops to bring you an unforgettable experience featuring the leading voices in resuscitation medicine - live and in person. Don't miss your chance to be part of this landmark event in the City of Brotherly Love. Stay tuned for more details about our world-class speakers, innovative sessions, and more.
We're finalizing an action-packed schedule, including specialized post-conference workshops. Full CME and CEU details will be available on our website shortly.
Given the intimate venue and unprecedented interest in ResusX 2025, we anticipate tickets will sell out rapidly. As a valued newsletter subscriber, we want to ensure you have priority access to registration. So here's how to secure your spot:
If you're committed to attending ResusX 2025, simply complete our priority access form below. You'll receive immediate notification when ticket sales open, giving you first opportunity to register. Based on the overwhelming response we've already received, we expect tickets to be claimed quickly during this priority registration period.
Complete the Priority Access Form
Watch the March Videos Now!
If you're an All-Access Member, you're in for some great content this month. We have FIVE videos hand-picked by our staff that are high-yield and our most highly watched. We're featuring
- Propersi on "Capecod Trial"
- Schauer on "Trauma Contributions from the Military"
- Fornari on "Cerebral Edema in Pediatric DKA"
- Kim on "Everything You Wanted to Know About Thoracotomies"
- Weingart on "Trauma Team Leader"
Each month we bring you fresh new content from the best of the best in resuscitation. If you're an All-Access member, go watch these videos NOW! If you're not, then sign up here.
Are you a member of ResusNation? For less than a cup of coffee, you can get even more content from CriticalCareNow. Digital teaching sessions, podcasts, free video lectures, grand rounds, and so much more can be your today. Come watch on replay all the content that CriticalCareNow does live. Check out the membership options below and decide the right one for you.
Do you want even more resus content anytime you want? For less than a cup of coffee, you can get even more content from @CriticalCareNow. Digital teaching sessions, free video lectures, grand rounds, and so much more can be your today. Come watch on replay all the content that @CriticalCareNow does live.
Check out the membership options below and decide the right one for you.
Get Access To The ResusNation Today!
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