Discontinuing Mechanical Ventilation This chapter describes the process of removing patients from mechanical ventilation (also called weaning from mechanical ventilation), and the difficulties that can occur during the transition to…
The Ventilator-Dependent Patient This chapter describes the daily care and concerns for ventilator-dependent patients, with emphasis on the artificial airways (endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes) and mechanical complications of positive pressure…
Alternative Modes of Ventilation This chapter describes alternative methods of ventilatory support when conventional mechanical ventilation is not sufficient, or may not be necessary. Included are rescue modes of ventilation…
Conventional Mechanical Ventilation There are 174 methods of positive pressure ventilation (1), yet in the 50-plus years since positive pressure ventilation was introduced, the only method that has improved clinical…
Asthma and COPD in the ICU This chapter describes the management of acute exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including the use of noninvasive and invasive ventilatory…
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome The condition described in this chapter, which has the nondescript name acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is a diffuse inflammatory injury of the lungs that is…
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia The clinical approach to pneumonia can be characterized by one word: problematic. Fundamental problems include a limited ability to detect parenchymal lung infections, and the lack of a…
Cardiac Arrest This chapter presents the essential elements of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and post-CPR care, including criteria for predicting a poor neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest. The material in this…
Acute Coronary Syndromes This chapter describes the management of patients with acute, occlusive coronary artery thrombosis (acute coronary syndromes, or ACS). The importance of this disorder is shown by the…
Tachyarrhythmias A rapid heart rate or tachycardia in a critically ill patient is usually evidence of a problem, but the tachycardia may not be the problem (e.g., sinus tachycardia). This…
