About Katherine Berg
Dr. Katherine Berg is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician at BIDMC and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Tufts Medical Center. She completed her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Harvard Combined Program. Dr. Berg’s clinical investigations focus on understanding how oxygen metabolism changes in the shock seen in severe sepsis and after cardiac arrest, and investigating the utility of metabolic resuscitation. She is currently Principal Investigator of the randomized trial of thiamine to improve oxygen consumption after in-hospital cardiac arrest (THICA) and a co-investigator of the trial of thiamine as a metabolic resuscitator after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (THACA) trial, as well as multiple other CRS studies. She has recently expanded her clinical and research interests to interventions to maximize long-term recovery after cardiac arrest and other critical illness. She is part of the core faculty of the Critical Illness Survivorship Program, where she sees patients weekly. Dr. Berg is the Chair of the Advanced Life Support Task Force at the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, and Chair of the writing group for the 2025 American Heart Association Post-cardiac Arrest Care Guidelines.
Topics for Talks by Katherine Berg
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (management, guidelines, controversies)
- Oxygen consumption in the critically ill
- Metabolic resuscitation in sepsis and cardiac arrest
Latest Publications
- Berg KM, Donnino MW, Callaway C. Looking for CO2: Exploring the Novel Finding of Low Respiratory Quotient After Cardiac Arrest. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 Jul; 7(13); e009500.
- Liu X, Montissol S, Uber A, Ganley S, Grossestreuer AV, Berg K, Heydrick S, Donnino MW. The Effects of Thiamine on Breast Cancer Cells. Molecules. 2018 Jun; 23(6).
- Moskowitz A, Holmberg MJ, Donnino MW, Berg KM. In-hospital cardiac arrest: are we overlooking a key distinction? Curr Opin Crit Care. 2018 Jun;24(3): 151-157.
- Uber A, Grossestreuer AV, Ross CE, Patel PV, Trehan A, Donnino MW, Berg KM. Preliminary observations in systemic oxygen consumption during targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2018 Jun; 127:89-94.
- Moskowitz A, Grossestreuer AV, Berg KM, Patel PV, Ganley S, Casasola Medrano M, Cocchi MN, Donnino MW; Center for Resuscitation Science. The association between tidal volume and neurological outcome following in-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2018 Mar; 124:106-111.
- Moskowitz A, Andersen LW, Huang DT, Berg KM, Grossestreuer AV, Marik PE, Sherwin RL, Hou PC, Becker LB, Cocchi MN, Doshi P, Gong J, Sen A, Donnino MW. Ascorbic acid, corticosteroids, and thiamine in sepsis: a review of the biologic rationale and the present state of clinical evaluation. Crit Care. 2018 Oct 29;22(1):283.
- Panchal A, Berg KM, Kudenchuk P, Del Rios M, Hirsch KG, Link MS, Kurz MC, Chan PS, Cabanas JG, Morley PT, Hazinski MF, Donnino MW. 2018 American Heart Association Focused Update on Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Use of Antiarrhythmic Drugs During and Immediately After Cardiac Arrest: An Update ot the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 5 Nov 2018. 2018;0:CIR.0000000000000613.
- Soar J, Donnino MW, Maconochie I, Aickin R, Atkinds DL, Andersen LW, Berg KW, Bingham R, Bottiger BW, Callaway CW, Couper K, Couto TB, de Caen AR, Deakin CD, Drennan IR, Guerguerian AM, Lavonas EJ, Maeney PA, Nadkami VM, Neumar RW, Ng KC, Nicholson TC, Nuthall GA, Ohshimo S, O’Neil BJ, Ong GY, Paiva EF, Parr MJ, Reis AG, Reynolds JC, Ristagno G, Sandroni C, Schexnayder SM, Scholefield BR, Shimizu N, Tijssen JA, Van de Voorde P, Wang TL, Welsford M, Hazinski MF, Nolan JP, Morley PT; ILCOR Collaborators. 2018 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations Summary. Resuscitation. 2018 Nov 5. pii: S0300-9572(18)31001-3.
- Moskowitz A, Ross CE, Andersen LW, Grossestreuer AV, Berg KM, Donnino MW, American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines — Resuscitation Investigators. Crit Care Med. 2018 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print].
- Moskowitz A, Andersen LW, Karlsson M, Grossestreuer AV, Chase M, Cocchi MN, Berg K, Donnino MW. Predicting In-Hospital Mortality for Initial Survivors of Acute Respiratory Compromise (ARC) events: Development and Validation of the ARC Score. Resuscitation. 2017 Jun;115:5-10.
- Moskowitz A, Patel PV, Grossestreuer AV, Chase M, Shapiro NI, Berg K, Cocchi MN, Holmberg MJ, Donnino MW; Center for Resuscitation Science. Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Criteria as Predictors of Critical Care Intervention Among Patients With Suspected Infection. Crit Care Med. 2017 Nov;45(11):1813-1819.
- Berg KM, Grossestreuer AV, Uber A, Patel PV, Donnino MW. Intubation is not a marker for coma after in-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective study. Resuscitation. 2017 Oct; 119:18-20.
- Myers L, Mikhael B, Currier P, Berg K, Jena A, Donnino M, Andersen LW; American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation Investigators. The association between physician turnover (the “July Effect”) and survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2017 May;114:133-140.
- Andersen LW, Vognsen M, Topjian A, Brown L, Berg RA, Nadkarni VM, Kirkegaard H, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation Investigators. Pediatric In-Hospital Acute Respiratory Compromise: A Report From the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines-Resuscitation Registry. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2017 Sep; 18(9):838-849.
- Andersen LW, Liu X, Montissol S, Holmberg MJ, Sulmonte C, Balkema J, Cocchi MN, Gazmuri RJ, Berg K, Chase M. Cytochrome C in Patients with Septic Shock. Shock. 2016 May;45(5):512-517.
- Kim WY, Ahn S, Hong JS, Cho GC, Seo DW, Jeung KW, Kim YM, Park KN, Berg K, Donnino MW. The impact of downtime on neurologic intact survival in patients with targeted temperature management after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: National multicenter cohort study. Resuscitation. 2016 Aug;105:203-208.
- Donnino MW, Andersen LW, Chase M, Berg K, Tidswell M, Giberson T, Wolfe R, Moskowitz A, Smithline H, Ngo L, Cocchi MN. Center for Resuscitation Science Research Group. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Thiamine as a Metabolic Resuscitator in Septic Shock: A Pilot Study. Crit Care Med. 2016 Feb; 44(2):360-367.
- Donnino MW, Andersen LW, Berg K, Chase M, Sherwin R, Smithline H, Carney E, Ngo L, Patel PV, Liu X, Cutlip D, Zimetbaum P, Cocchi MN. collaborating authors from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Center for Resuscitation Science Research Group. Corticosteroid therapy in refractory shock following cardiac arrest: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial. Crit Care. 2016 Apr;20:82.
- Andersen LW, Holmberg MJ, Berg K, Chase M, Cocchi MN, Sulmonte C, Balkema J, MacDonald M, Montissol S, Senthilnathan V, Liu D, Khabbaz K, Lerner A, Novack V, Liu X, Donnino MW. Thiamine as an adjunctive therapy in cardiac surgery: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II trial. Crit Care Med. 2016 Mar;20:92.
- Andersen LW, Raymond TT, Berg RA, Nadkarni VM, Grossestreuer AV, Kurth T, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Resuscitation Investigators. Association Between Tracheal Intubation During Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and Survival. JAMA. 2016 Nov; 316(17):1786-1797.
- Perman SM, Stanton E, Soar J, Berg RA, Donnino MW, Mikkelsen ME, Edelson DP, Churpek MM, Yang L, Merchant RM; American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines®—Resuscitation (formerly the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) Investigators. Location of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the United States-Variability in Event Rate and Outcomes. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016 Sep;5(10).
- Andersen LW, Kim WY, Chase M, Berg KM, Mortensen SJ, Moskowitz A, Novack V, Cocchi MN, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines(®) – Resuscitation Investigators. The prevalence and significance of abnormal vital signs prior to in-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2016 Jan; 98: 112-117.
- Andersen LW, Liu X, Montissol S, Holmberg MJ, Sulmonte C, Balkema JL, Cocchi MN, Gazmuri RJ, Berg KM, Chase M, Donnino MW. Cytochrome C in Patients with Septic Shock. Shock. 2016 May; 45(5):512-517.
- Andersen LW, Berg KM, Montissol S, Sulmonte C, Balkema J, Cocchi MN, Wolfe RE, Balasubramanyam A, Liu X, Donnino MW. Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is decreased in emergency department patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. Acad Emerg Med. 2016 Jun;23(6):685-689.
- Donnino MW, Anderson LW, Chase M, Berg KM, Tidswell M, Giberson T, Wolfe R, Moskowitz A, Smithline H, Ngo L, Cocchi MN; Center for Resuscitation Science Research Group. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Thiamine as a Metabolic Resuscitator in Septic Shock: A Pilot Study. Crit Care Med. 2016 Feb; 44(2):360-367.
- Donnino MW, Andersen LW, Berg KM, Chase M, Sherwin R, Smithline H, Carney E, Ngo L, Patel PV, Liu X, Cutlip D, Zimetbaum P, Cocchi MN; Collaborating Authors from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Center for Resuscitation Science Research Group. Corticosteroid therapy in refractory shock following cardiac arrest: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial. Crit Care. 2016 Apr;20:82.
- Andersen LW, Holmberg MJ, Berg KM, Chase M, Cocchi MN, Sulmonte C, Balkema J, MacDonald M, Montissol S, Senthilnathan V, Liu D, Khabbaz K, Lerner A, Novack V, Liu X, Donnino MW. Thiamine as an adjunctive therapy in cardiac surgery: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II trial. Crit Care. 2016 Mar;20:92.
- Andersen LW, Kurth T, Chase M, Berg KM, Cocchi MN, Callaway C, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation Investigators. Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) in patients with cardiac arrest with initial shockable rhythm in hospital: propensity score matched analysis. BMJ. 2016 Apr; 353:i1577.
- Kim WY, Ahn S, Hong JS, Cho GC, Seo DW, Jeung KW, Kim YM, Park KN, Berg K, Donnino MW. The impact of downtime on neurologic intact survival in patients with targeted temperature management after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: National multicenter cohort study. Resuscitation. 2016 Aug; 105:203-208.
- Ikeda K, Liu X, Kida K, Marutani E, Hirai S, Sakaguchi M, Andersen LW, Bagchi A, Cocchi MN, Berg KM, Ichinose F, Donnino MW. Thiamine as a neuroprotective agent after cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. 2016 Aug;105:138-144.
- Andersen LW, Berg KM, Chase M, Cocchi MN, Massaro J, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines(®)-Resuscitation Investigators. Acute respiratory compromise on inpatient wards in the United States: incidence, outcomes, and factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Resuscitation. 2016 Aug;105:123-129.
- Donnino MW, Andersen LW, Berg KM, Reynolds JC, Nolan JP, Morley P, Lang E, Cocchi MN, Xanthos T, Callaway C, Soar J; ILCOR ALS Task Force. Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest: An Advisory Statement by the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation and the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and the Council on Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative and Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 2016 Jan;98:97-104.
- Giberson B, Uber AJ, Gaieski D, Miller J, Wira C, Berg K, Giberson TA, Cocchi MN, Abella BS, Donnino MW. When to stop CPR and when to perform rhythm analysis: Potential confusion among ACLS providers. J Intensive Care Med. 2016Sep;31(8):537-543.
- Andersen LW, Holmberg MJ, Doherty M, Khabbaz K, Lerner A, Berg KM, Donnino MW. Postoperative Lactate Levels and Hospital Length of Stay After Cardiac Surgery. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2015 Dec;29(6):1454-1460.
- Andersen LW, Berg KM, Saindon BZ, Massaro JM, Raymond TT, Berg RA, Nadkarni VM, Donnino MW; American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines–Resuscitation Investigators. Time to Epinephrine and Survival After Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. JAMA. 2015 Aug;314(8):802-810.
- Peng TJ, Andersen LW, Saindon BZ, Giberson TA, Kim WY, Berg K, Novack V, Donnino MW; American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Resuscitation Investigators. The administration of dextrose during in-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with increased mortality and neurologic morbidity. Crit Care. 2015 Apr;19:160.
- Ryoo SM, Kim WY, Huh JW, Lim CM, Koh Y, Berg KM, Donnino MW. Prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide with sequential organ failure assessment score in septic shock. Am J Med Sci. 2015 Apr;349(4):287-291.
- Donnino MW, Mortensen SJ, Andersen LW, Chase M, Berg KM, Balkema J, Radhakrishnan J, Gazmuri RJ, Liu X, Cocchi MN. Ubiquinol (reduced Coenzyme Q10) in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock – a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Crit Care. 2015 Jul; 19:275.
- Nuzzo E, Berg KM, Andersen LW, Balkema J, Montissol S, Cocchi MN, Liu X, Donnino MW. Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is decreased in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with sepsis: A prospective observational trial. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015 Nov;12(11):1662-1666.
- Donnino MW, Salciccioli JD, Howell MD, Cocchi MN, Giberson B, Berg K, Gautam S, Callaway CW. Time to administration of epinephrine and outcome after in-hospital cardiac arrest with non-shockable rhythms: retrospective analysis of large in-hospital data registry. BMJ. 2014 May;348:g3028.
- Kim WY, Giberson TA, Uber AJ, Berg K, Cocchi MN, Donnino MW. Neurologic outcome in comatose patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with prolonged downtime and treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Resuscitation. 2014 Aug;85(8):1042-1046.
- Moskowitz A, Graver AM, Giberson TA, Berg K, Liu X, Uber AJ, Gautam S, Donnino MW. The relationship between lactate and thiamine levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. J Crit Care. 2014 Feb;29(1):182.e5-8.
- Berg KM, Gautam S, Salciccioli JD, Giberson T, Saindon B, Donnino MW. Intravenous Thiamine is Associated with Increased Oxygen Consumption in Critically Ill Patients with Preserved Cardiac Index. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014 Dec;11(10):1597-1601.
- Omar Y, Massey M, Andersen LW, Giberson TA, Berg K, Cocchi MN, Shapiro NI, Donnino MW. Sublingual microcirculation is impaired in post-cardiac arrest patients. Resuscitation. 2013 Dec;84(12):1717-1722.
- Andersen LW, Mackenhauer J, Roberts JC, Berg KM, Cocchi MN, Donnino MW. Etiology and therapeutic approach to elevated lactate levels. Mayo Clin Proc. 2013 Oct;88(10):1127-40.
- Berg K, Lang J, Salciccioli J, Bak E, Cocchi MN, Gautam S, Donnino MW. The rapid shallow breathing index as a predictor of failure of noninvasive ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure. Respir Care. 2012 Oct;57(10):1548-1554.
- Cocchi MN, Giberson B, Berg K, Salciccioli JD, Naini A, Buettner C, Akuthota P, Gautam S, Donnino MW. Coenzyme Q10 levels are low and associated with increased mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients. Resuscitation. 2012 Aug;83(8):991-995.
- Berg KM, Clardy P, Donnino MW. Noninvasive ventilation for acute respiratory failure: a review of the literature and current guidelines. Intern Emerg Med. 2012 Dec;7(6):539-545.
- Berg KM, Lang GR, Salciccioli JD, Bak E, Cocchi MN, Gautam S, Donnino MW. The rapid shallow breathing index as a predictor of failure of noninvasive ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure. Respir Care. 2012 Oct;57(10):1548-1554.