Severity of Illness Scores and Prognostication David M. Maslove INTRODUCTION The ability to quickly and accurately assess a patient’s clinical status is essential to effective triage. This is especially true…
Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring Vidya K. Rao and John E. Arbo BACKGROUND Arterial blood pressure (ABP) is an essential cardiovascular vital sign and monitoring parameter for all critically ill patients….
Alcohol Withdrawal Nicole Bouchard BACKGROUND Chronic alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) are serious disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. AWS is frequently encountered in hospitalized patients and contributes…
Acid–Base Disorders Tara Scherer and Corey Slovis BACKGROUND Acid–base homeostasis influences protein function, which in turn affects tissue and organ performance. Disturbances of the acid–base system are common in the…
Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State Catherine T. Jamin and Jeffrey Manko BACKGROUND Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and the hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) are two potentially devastating complications of diabetes. Although…
Right Ventricular Failure Joshua Sternbach, Francois Haddad, John E. Arbo, and Anne-Sophie Beraud BACKGROUND Accurate and rapid assessment of right ventricular failure (RVF) is challenging. The thin-walled right ventricle (RV),…
Indications for Contact and Respiratory Isolation Chanu Rhee and Michael Klompas BACKGROUND Emergency and intensive care department health care providers often encounter patients with suspected or confirmed infections due to…
Thyroid Storm and Myxedema Coma James Lantry III, John E. Arbo, and Geoffrey K. Lighthall BACKGROUND Thyrotoxicosis and myxedema coma are life-threatening syndromes representing the extremes of thyroid dysfunction. The…
