Category CCC

The LITFL Critical Care Compendium is a comprehensive collection of pages concisely covering the core topics and controversies of critical care.

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Blood Warmer

Blood Warmer: Used with rapid transfusion rates (e.g. >50 mL/kg/hr), in already hypothermic patients or rare conditions where cold fluid delivery is problematic (e.g. cold agglutinins); massive transfusion (avoid hypothermia)

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Blood gas syringe

Blood gas syringe: used for blood gas analysis; collection of a blood sample for accurate analysis by a blood gas machine

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Blood filter

Blood filter: removal of microaggregates during blood transfusion; platelet, leucocyte and fibrin aggregates form in stored blood and are thought to produce pulmonary microembolism -> pulmonary dysfunction

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Emergent Valve Disorders

Emergent Valve Disorders: regurgitation most common; acute or acute on chronic valve dysfunction; acute on chronic often precipitated by increase in metabolic or haemodynamic requirements (sepsis, bleeding, pregnancy).

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Aortic Regurgitation

Aortic regurgitation is diastolic reflux of blood from aorta to LV due to malposition of the aortic cusps. RISK FACTORS age enlarged aortic root diameter: Marfans, Enhlers-Danlos, oesteogenesis imperfecta, connective tissue disorders bicuspid AV atherosclerosis infective endocarditis rheumatic heart disease…

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Contractility

Contractility = the change in force generated independent of preload. Inotropy and contractility are essential synonymous — inotropes are agents that increase contractility.

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Blood Culture Bottles

Blood Culture Bottles: tubes for sampling blood for microbiological cultures; detection of circulating microorganisms in bacteraemia and septicaemia

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Bite block

Bite block: Prevent damage a patient from biting down when placing an device in or through the oral cavity, or during an intraoral procedure

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Oxylator

Oxylator: a device that acts as a combination between a bag-valve mask and a portable ventilator; primarily for prehospital use