Month January 2019
CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Stool specimens

OVERVIEW microscopy and culture is useful in community acquired diarrhoeal syndromes (not useful otherwise) in-hospital:— blood = ischaemic bowel or surgical cause— diarrhoea = rule out Clostridium difficile infection MICROSCOPY parasites, cysts, ova: giardia, cryptosporidium, blastocystis red and white cells:…

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Bone Marrow Biopsy: Confirm diagnosis. Allows therapy to be targeted. Needs to be done only, if the answer cannot be seen from peripheral blood already.

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

How to analyse a clinical trial

Clinicians must be able to critically appraise clinical trials to determine their internal validity. Trials should adhere to the CONSORT statement (CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials)

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Pleural Tap

Pleural Tap: Thoracocentesis; Diagnostic - determine the cause of pleural effusion. Therapeutic - remove excess pleural fluid to assist respiration and provide symptomatic relief.