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

Organophosphate Poisoning

Organophosphate Poisoning: common cause of poisoning in the developing world; covalent bonding with inactivation of acetylcholinesterase; results in cholinergic crisis

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Polonium

the radioactive isotope polonium-210 was implicated in the death of former KGB/ FSB operative Alexander Litvenko;
also has potential for use in nuclear terrorism as a 'dirty bomb'

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

AXR Interpretation

Indications for plain AXR differ depending on the availability of CT or USS, which give considerably more information. Abdominal X-rays are only useful for certain defined pathology such as abnormal ‘gases, masses, bones and stones’.

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Vasopressin

Vasopressin: bioactive neuroendocrine nonapeptide; endogenously produced by the magnocellular neurone cell bodies of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the posterior hypothalamus

CCC Critical Care Compendium 680

Hypermagnesaemia

Hypermagnesaemia: Serum Mg above normal range of 1.3-2.2 mEq/L; Rare and usually iatrogenic; ↑Magnesium is closely associated with ↑K and ↓Ca

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Haemoptysis

Haemoptysis is the symptom of coughing up blood. Massive haemoptysis is life-threatening emergency - patients do not usually bleed to death, they asphyxiate

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Pneumothorax CCC

Spontaneous – primary (no disease) and secondary (underlying lung disease)
Traumatic - non-iatrogenic and iatrogenic (barotrauma and procedure related)

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Routine Daily Chest X-ray

Routine Daily Chest X-ray: controversial issue; viewed as an essential tool but is subject to overuse and misinterpretation; no evidence of harm from a more restrictive strategy

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Gastrointestinal haemorrhage

GI haemorrhage is divided into upper GI haemorrhage and lower GI haemorrhage based on the underlying cause and differences in the approach to management