Critical Care Medicine 101
(1) Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA Factors to Consider When a Patient is Admitted to the ICU Initial “Generic” Treatment…
House Officers Guidelines 2: Procedures
(1) Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA Murphy’s Laws of Procedures Central Venous Access Subclavian Vein Catheterization Internal Jugular Vein Catheterization…
Respiratory Monitoring
I. MONITORING A. Respiration is the transport of oxygen from the environment to the cells of the body and the transport of carbon dioxide from those cells to the environment. Consequently, in…
Hemodynamic Monitoring
I. HEMODYNAMIC MONITORING is one of the cornerstones of patient evaluation in the intensive care unit and provides diagnostic and prognostic value. The choice of monitoring depends on the diagnostic needs…
Mechanical Ventilation
I. MECHANICAL VENTILATION provides artificial support of gas exchange. A. Indications 1. Hypoventilation a. Evaluation: arterial pH should be evaluated for evidence of hypoventilation. Chronic compensated hypercapnia is a stable condition that usually does…
Hemodynamic Management
I. HEMODYNAMIC PERTURBATIONS are common during intensive care unit admission. Both hypotensive and hypertensive emergencies threaten cardiovascular system’s ability to provide sufficient oxygen and metabolic substrates to meet the demands of…
Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in the Intensive Care Unit
RV clot McConnell’s sign I. OVERVIEW: Venous thromboembolic event (VTE) refers to both deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Episodic thrombosis and/or embolism may appear to be discrete events, but increasingly…
Coagulopathy and Hypercoagulability
Coagulopathy in the critically ill covers a range of abnormal states of coagulation. It is defined as the blood’s inability to clot normally. I. COAGULOPATHIES AND HEMOSTATIC ABNORMALITIES IN THE CRITICALLY…
Stroke, Seizures, and Encephalopathy
Acute cerebral dysfunction is often the initial reason for presentation to the hospital and frequently develops as a complication of medical or perioperative care. The majority of causes require specific…
Adult Resuscitation
I. OVERVIEW. The intensivist needs to be well versed in advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) not only to administer care in the ICU but also to assist throughout the hospital. The algorithms…
