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

Heparin

Heparin: anticoagulant; unfractionated heparin (UFH) is a sulfated polysaccharide with a molecular weight range of 3 to 30 kDa

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Imipenem

carbapenem (imipenem + cilastatin); inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis; cilastatin reduces renal metabolism -> increases effective concentration and decreases nephrotoxicity

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Ketamine

Ketamine: phencyclidine derivative hypnotic and analgesic. NMDA receptor antagonist resulting in dissociative anaesthesia (profound analgesia with superficial sleep); interacts with opioid receptors - mu, delta and kappa

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Levosimendan vs Dobutamine

COMPARISON EVIDENCE Mebazza, (2007) SURVIVE – Levosimendan vs Dobutamine in patients with acute decompensated heart failure, JAMA References and Links

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Levosimendan

Levosimendan: Calcium sensitizer (novel inotrope, also considered an inodilator like milrinone)

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Lignocaine

Lignocaine: local anaesthetic and membrane stabilising anti-arrhythmic; binds selectively to refractory Na+ channels -> preferentially when cells are depolarised (ie. in ischaemia)

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Linezolid

Linezolid: oxazolidinone; blocks ribosomal function required for translation

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Lithium

Lithium: mood stabiliser; element of the alkali metal group; exact mechanism of action in mania is unknown

CCC Critical Care compendium 340

Pseudocoma

Pseudocoma is the term used for a patient feigning a comatose state, however it is sometimes also used for conditions like locked-in syndrome where patients may involuntarily appear unconscious but are actually self aware