Extradural ICP monitors
Extradural ICP monitor: ICP monitoring; catheter inserted though a burr hole but does not penetrate the dura
Category CCC
The LITFL Critical Care Compendium is a comprehensive collection of pages concisely covering the core topics and controversies of critical care.
Codman ICP Monitor
Codman ICP Monitor: intracranial pressure monitor (aka 'BOLT')
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Assessment
OVERVIEW TBI assessment involves: HISTORY General (AMPLE) Specifically: EXAMINATION Specifically in TBI assess: Evidence of base of skull fracture: Look for evidence of trans-tentorial herniation: Look for evidence of underlying causes and complications INVESTIGATIONS Bedside Laboratory Imaging References and Links
Pseudofracture DDx
There are multiple reasons why lucent lines may appear in bones, or why bone contours may appear abnormal, mimicking fractures.
Mediastinal widening on portable x-rays
The mediastinum may appear widened on a portable chest x-ray even for many reasons (other than the mediastinum actually being widened!)
Bronchiectasis DDx
Bronchiectasis is a suppurative lung disease characterised by the presence of permanently and abnormally widened (dilated) bronchial airways. Bronchiectasis may be the end result of a number of etiological processes.
Ideal Helicopter Ventilator
Ideal helicopter ventilator
Sepsis Biomarkers
Reviewed and revised 20 December 2015 OVERVIEW At least 178 different sepsis biomarkers have been described in the published medical literature, reflecting the complex pathophysiology of sepsis e.g. coagulation, complement, contact system activation, inflammation, and apoptosis also biomarkers of complications, e.g.…
Arthritis DDx
Arthritis is inflammation of a joint (redness, warmth, pain, swelling, loss of function) that may be acute or chronic, and affect one or multiple joints.
Lithium Toxicity
Lithium: acute overdose is usually benign if adequate hydration is maintained and renal function is normal; chronic toxicity can be difficult to manage and result in devastating neurotoxicity
Methylene Blue
CLASS MECHANISM OF ACTION (1) low concentrations: methylene blue -> NADPH-dependent reduction to leucomethylene blue (due to action of methaemoglobin reductase) -> reduces methaemoglobin -> Hb(2) high concentrations: methylene blue -> converts ferrous iron of reduced Hb to ferric ion…
Hilar adenopathy DDx
Hilar lymphadenopathy, seen on chest x-ray or chest CT, can be classified as unilateral or bilateral, and if bilateral as symmetrical or asymmetrical.