Month January 2019
CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Wet Circuit / Humidifier

OVERVIEW A “wet circuit” is a breathing circuit with active humidification, as opposed to a “dry circuit” that uses a Heat and Moisture Exchanger (HME) USES DESCRIPTION METHOD OF INSERTION AND/OR USE Pitfalls COMPLICATIONS PROS AND  CONS Advantages Disadvantages References…

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Fever Hot Case

GENERAL APPROACH Infectious community acquired nosocomial (surgical site, lines, chest, urine, sinusitis) ‘hidden’ sepsis (endocarditis, neuraxial infection, retroperitoneum, sinusitis) Non-infectious head injury VTE drug/toxin SIRS (post surgery, trauma, burns, ICH, aspiration, pancreatitis, CTD) Hypermetabolic syndromes (e.g. thyroid storm, NMS, MH, heat stroke, pheochromocytoma) INTRODUCTION…

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Tumour Lysis Syndrome

Tumour Lysis Syndrome: oncological emergency due to turnover of high cell mass malignancies resulting in severe metabolic derangement

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

von Willebrand Disease

von Willebrand Disease: commonest inherited coagulation disorder (autosomal dominant); protein involved in (1) platelet adhesion and (2) carriage of factor VIII; leads to: factor VIII deficiency, abnormal platelet adhesiveness and abnormal vascular endothelium

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

VTE Prophylaxis

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may contribute to up to 12% of deaths in ICU and is the No.1 preventable cause of hospital death; asymptomatic events range from 10-80% in various medical and surgical groups

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Peripheral Intravenous Cannula

Peripheral Intravenous Cannula (PIVC) aka venflon: Uses; IV fluid administration; blood sampling; drug administration; needle thoracostomy for tension pneumothorax; needle cricothyroidotomy

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Oropharyngeal Airway

Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA): Lifts the tongue off the posterior pharyngeal wall to prevent airway obstruction; bite block; assist oropharyngeal suctioning; promotes moulding of the face of a mask for manual ventilation