Urea-Creatinine Ratio
The relationship of urea and creatine is dependent on serum laboratory units used to determine the cause of acute kidney injury.
Month January 2019
Creatinine
Creatinine = Non-protein end product of creatinine metabolism. Formed from skeletal muscle and excreted in constant amounts. Completely filtered by kidney (marker of GFR). Production proportional to muscle mass
IHD vs CRRT vs SLED
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the modality most widely used in Australia and New Zealand ICUs. There is no evidence suggesting mortality benefit for one modality over another
Toxic Alcohol Ingestion
Highlights and pearls on toxic alcohol ingestion from the EBMedicine article, "Toxic Alcohols: Not Always A Clear-Cut Diagnosis"
Tricyclic Antidepressant Toxicity
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA) are weak bases (pKa 8.5) that can cause life-threatening sodium channel toxicity
Citrate Toxicity
Citrate toxicity is primarily a result of hypocalcaemia and metabolic effects of excess citrate
Spider envenoming
Spider envenoming: In Australia the only two spiders of real importance = Funnel-web and the Red-Back; only these two can cause death or severe systemic illness
Mushroom Toxicity
Severe toxicity from mushrooms is rare in humans; most symptomatic presentations are a self-limiting gastroenteritis requiring supportive care only; lethal hepatotoxicity from Amanita mushrooms must be excluded
Ciguatera Poisoning
Ciguatera Poisoning: A bizarre poisoning syndrome with acute and sometimes severe neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms caused by eating tropical reef fish that have accumulated ciguatoxin from the dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus; most common cause of fish poisoning worldwide.
Acute Transplant Issues
Reviewed and revised 5/5/12 LUNG TRANSPLANT right ventricular failure hyperacute rejection bilateral infiltrates: hyperacute rejection, LVF, aspiration, fluid overload immunosuppression: steroids, calcineurin antagonists, anti-proliferatives anastamosis breakdown: air leak PAC care iNO weaning extubate early bleeding HEPATIC TRANSPLANT transplant characteristics: alive/deceased…
Post-transplantation infection
Transplant patients are treated with immunosuppressants to prevent rejection, which makes them susceptible to infection; risk of infection depends on epidemiological factors (determines exposure) and overall state of immunosuppression (determines susceptibility)
Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Overview
Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) or intra-aortic counterpulsation device the balloon is inflated during diastole to increase coronary perfusion and then deflated during systole to decrease afterload