I. There are several gastrointestinal (GI) diseases that present in an acute fashion and require critical care, that is, acute pancreatitis, intestinal perforation, ischemic bowel, acute bleeding, or following a major…
I. INTRODUCTION A. Scope of the Problem in the United States 1. Burns are a major source of morbidity: approximately two million burns occur per year. Burns result in more than 60,000 hospitalizations…
I. EXTRACORPOREAL LIFE SUPPORT (ECLS/ECMO) A. The development of ECLS/ECMO as a temporary assist device is a direct extension of the principles of cardiopulmonary bypass, which usually involves intrathoracic venoarterial (VA) cannulation….
I. DEFINITION A. The RIFLE criteria (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and ESRD) were developed in 2004 to standardize the definition of acute kidney injury (AKI), formerly called acute renal failure (ARF). Prior…
I. INTRODUCTION A. “Telemedicine,” as defined by the American Telemedicine Association, is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health…
Obtaining Blood Cultures I. INTRODUCTION A. The management of infectious disease is a crucial skill for the intensivist. Epidemiological studies suggest that more than 70% of adult patients in an ICU receive…
Patient Positioning Direct Laryngoscopy I. INTRODUCTION: Endotracheal intubation is indicated in the setting of acute respiratory failure (hypoxemic or hypercarbic) when noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has failed or is contraindicated,…
I. GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS, INSULIN RESISTANCE, AND INSULIN DEFICIENCY A. Normal Blood Glucose Dynamics. In the normal fasting state, blood glucose (BG) is regulated between 70 and 110 mg/dL and does not increase…
