Both measurements are volume-dependent and effort-dependent, so maximum patient effort is required for reliable recordings. The FEV1 is the preferred measurement because it is less variable and more likely to…
Diagnosis The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis requires: (a) an increase in serum levels of pancreatic enzymes (amylase and lipase) to at least 3 times the upper limit of normal, and…
Plasma vs. Interstitial Fluid Extracellular fluid accounts for about 40% of the total body fluid, and is composed of extravascular (interstitial) and intravascular (plasma) fluid compartments. Comparison of interstitial fluid…
1978 For patients who are unable to eat, the preferred method of nutrition support is the infusion of liquid feeding formulas into the stomach or small bowel (1,2). This mimics…
FIGURE 33.1 Mechanisms of bicarbonate reabsorption and secretion in the renal collecting tubules. CA = carbonic anhydrase, Pn = pendrin (the chloride-bicarbonate exchanger). See text for explanation. Bicarbonate Secretion Bicarbonate can…
FIGURE 55.1 Influence of 50% carboxyhemoglobin on the relationship between oxygen tension (PO2) and oxygen content. Other Effects Carbon monoxide has toxic effects that are unrelated to COHb (4). These effects…
FIGURE 51.1 Percentage of housestaff physicians and ICU nurses who answered incorrectly when asked if diazepam (Valium) relieved pain. Pain in Critically Ill Patients Surveys indicate that 50–80% of ICU patients…
The Physics Teacher1969 Magnesium is an essential element for the utilization of energy in the organic world. In green plants, magnesium is the heart of the chlorophyll molecule that captures…
The Art of War The concept of the bowel as noxious reservoir first appeared in the early years of the twentieth century, when a Scottish surgeon William Arbuthnot-Lane began performing…
PREVENTIVE MEASURES Aspiration of pathogenic organisms from the oropharynx is believed to be the inciting event in most cases of VAP (10). The pathogens that most often colonize the oropharynx…
