The Central Venous and Pulmonary Artery Catheter Carlos Brun and Geoffrey K. Lighthall BACKGROUND Since their inception, both central venous and pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) have been influential in the…
The Geriatric Patient Mary R. Mulcare, Alexis Halpern, and Michael E. Stern BACKGROUND Geriatric patients, or “older adults,” are defined chronologically as 65 years and older. They represent a growing…
Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Replacement Therapy Emilee Willhem-Leen and Glenn Chertow BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critical illness. A recent, large, multinational prospective study reported that…
Drugs of Abuse Rana Biary and Jane Marie Prosser OPIOIDS Background Opioids comprise both naturally occurring and synthetic compounds that bind to the μ opioid receptor. μ receptors are located…
Platelet Disorders and Hemostatic Emergencies Shawn K. Kaku and Catherine T. Jamin BACKGROUND Hemostasis is the process by which a blood clot is formed at a site of vessel injury….
Tissue Oxygenation and Cardiac Output Geoffrey K. Lighthall and Catherine S. Reid BACKGROUND The two principle determinants of tissue perfusion are, (1) a mean arterial pressure (MAP) sufficient to maintain…
Glycemic Control in the Critically Ill Daniel Runde and Jarone Lee BACKGROUND Glycemic control is one of the most controversial topics in critical care. A large body of evidence demonstrates…
Hypertensive Crises Anand Swaminathan and Michael P. Jones BACKGROUND Hypertension affects an estimated 50 million individuals in the United States.1 Management of this largely preventable disease focuses on chronic reduction…
Myasthenic Crisis and Peripheral Neuromuscular Disorders Christina Ulane BACKGROUND The diagnosis and management of peripheral neuromuscular disorders are generally the purview of neurologists in the outpatient setting. However, when these…
Transfusion Therapy Michael P. Jones and John E. Arbo BACKGROUND The use of blood product transfusion in the critically ill is commonplace, with more than 40% of all ICU admissions…
