The LITFL Critical Care Compendium is a comprehensive collection of pages concisely covering the core topics and controversies of critical care.
OVERVIEW basic template for answering on ‘critically evaluate’ questions in the FCICM exam often this is critically evaluate the role of a therapy in a specific condition or patient group TEMPLATE Rationale – e.g. why was this question important to…
OVERVIEW A “wet circuit” is a breathing circuit with active humidification, as opposed to a “dry circuit” that uses a Heat and Moisture Exchanger (HME) USES DESCRIPTION METHOD OF INSERTION AND/OR USE Pitfalls COMPLICATIONS PROS AND CONS Advantages Disadvantages References…
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a non-invasive technique for monitoring blood flow velocity (FV) in the basal cerebral arteries using Doppler ultrasound
Injuries in Multi-Trauma Hot Case
Hot Case General Approach
GENERAL APPROACH Infectious community acquired nosocomial (surgical site, lines, chest, urine, sinusitis) ‘hidden’ sepsis (endocarditis, neuraxial infection, retroperitoneum, sinusitis) Non-infectious head injury VTE drug/toxin SIRS (post surgery, trauma, burns, ICH, aspiration, pancreatitis, CTD) Hypermetabolic syndromes (e.g. thyroid storm, NMS, MH, heat stroke, pheochromocytoma) INTRODUCTION…
Blood transfusion complications may be early or late
Anemia and blood transfusion is common in the critically ill, and are associated with costs and morbidity/ mortality
Tumour Lysis Syndrome: oncological emergency due to turnover of high cell mass malignancies resulting in severe metabolic derangement
von Willebrand Disease: commonest inherited coagulation disorder (autosomal dominant); protein involved in (1) platelet adhesion and (2) carriage of factor VIII; leads to: factor VIII deficiency, abnormal platelet adhesiveness and abnormal vascular endothelium
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may contribute to up to 12% of deaths in ICU and is the No.1 preventable cause of hospital death; asymptomatic events range from 10-80% in various medical and surgical groups
Peripheral Intravenous Cannula (PIVC) aka venflon: Uses; IV fluid administration; blood sampling; drug administration; needle thoracostomy for tension pneumothorax; needle cricothyroidotomy