The LITFL Critical Care Compendium is a comprehensive collection of pages concisely covering the core topics and controversies of critical care.
OVERVIEW In general terms, validity is “the quality of being true or correct”, it refers to the strength of results and how accurately they reflect the real world. Thus ‘validity’ can have quite different meanings depending on the context! Reliability…
Aspiration Pneumonia = aspiration of oropharyngeal contents which includes colonizing flora and leads to infection.
Propofol-related Infusion Syndrome is a life-threatening condition characterised by acute refractory bradycardia progressing to asystole
Sodium Valproate: anticonvulsant; decreasing neuronal excitability or enhancing inhibition of neuronal transmission.
Protamine: neutralization of heparin. Strongly basic protamine + strongly acid heparin -> forms stable salt -> removed by reticuloendothelial system.
Prostacyclin or Epoprostenol: -> used in the treatment of RV failure and pulmonary hypertension
Atrial fibrillation is an irregularly irregular tachydysrhythmia characterised by the presence of chaotic fibrillation waves on ECG, rather than p waves, due to disorganised electrical activity in the atria.
Sucralfate: aluminium salt of sulphated sucrose; forms viscous paste -> adheres to ulcers via ionic binding -> acts as a barrier to the diffusion of acid, pepsin and bile salts
Tazocin = piperacillin-tazobactam; broad spectrum penicillin + beta-lactamase
Rib fractures are associated with significant morbidity, especially in the elderly and especially if multiple fractures are present. Apart from being humane, optimal analgesia may help prevent respiratory deterioration
OVERVIEW SUMMARY Mucociliary Clearance Optimization Lung Expansion Optimization Ventilation and Oxygenation Optimization Advanced Therapies References and Links
Sedation is the depression of a patient's awareness to the environment and reduction of his or her responsiveness to external stimulation