The LITFL Critical Care Compendium is a comprehensive collection of pages concisely covering the core topics and controversies of critical care.
OVERVIEW can use bubble testing to ID calculate gradients if L->R shunt reverses due to pulmonary hypertension it is Eisenmenger syndrome Echo may not detect extra-cardiac shunts ASD patent foramen ovale (30% incidence in general population) ostium secundum ostium primum…
Transoesophageal Echocardiography: allow real time anatomical and physiological assessment of cardiac status; probes (single, bi, omiplane and epivascular)
Mitral Regurgitation Echocardiography
Defibrillator: application of an electrical current across the heart to convert VF/VT -> sinus rhythm
Abdominal Compartment Syndrome and Intra-abdominal Hypertension
Electrolyte Abnormalities Summary
Calcium Replacement: controversial issue; generally accepted that patient should have replacement if ionised Ca2+ < 0.8mmol/L
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) Increasing useful bedside test with increasing role in critical care; position marker on right
Pulmonary hypertension is present when mean pulmonary artery pressure exceeds 25 mm Hg at rest or 30 mm Hg with exercise.
Thyroid Function Tests and basic interpretation
Spinal cord infarction is necrosis of a portion of the spinal cord as a result of an interruption of the blood supply to the spine
Defibrillation pads are used to facilitate cardioversion and defibrillation; some allow ECG monitoring and external pacing; paddles are becoming obsolete