Thoracic Trauma
Assessment of thoracic trauma requires the identification of immediately life-threatening injuries on primary survey, and delayed life threats on secondary survey.
Medical Specialty
Finger Thoracostomy
Finger Thoracostomy: Any pneumothorax in a patient undergoing positive pressure ventilation; Actual or near traumatic cardiac arrest; Shocked state with no apparent cause; Pleural drainage is not indicated in drowning or hangings unless pneumothorax is diagnosed. Remember pleural decompression will reduce the efficiency of the ACD and impedance valve
Extremity Injuries
The most important extremity injuries are those that are either life-threatening or limb-threatening in nature such as Pelvic disruption with massive hemorrhage; Severe arterial hemorrhage; and Crush syndrome
Renal replacement therapy: Troubleshooting
Renal replacement therapy (RRT): Troubleshooting
Frailty syndrome
Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome characterized by loss of physiologic and cognitive reserves in vulnerability that predisposes to the accumulation of deficits and adverse outcomes from acute stressors
Interventional Radiology and the Critically Ill
Main goals of interventional radiology (IR) therapies: stop bleeding without surgery; relieve obstruction; drain collections; and insert therapeutic or prophylactic devices
Pelvic Stabilization
Pelvic stabilization is an important simple intervention in the management of severe pelvic trauma, and has 4 main objectives: Prevent re-injury from pathological pelvic motion (most important clinically); Decrease pelvic volume; Tamponade bleeding pelvic bones and vessels; Decrease pain
Post-Splenectomy Care
Post-splenectomy patients are at increased risk of infection from encapsulated organisms which can (very rarely) lead to overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis (OPSS); have distinctive findings on full blood count (FBC) and the blood film
Nosocomial Infections in ICU
COMMON NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS COMMON NOSOCOMIAL ORGANISMS RISK FACTORS Patient Environment Organism References and Links
Other Bacteria
MYCOBACTERIUM organisms: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. microtti, and M. canetti Tb insoniazid + rifampicin + pyrazinamide + ethambutol streptomycin ciprofloxacin Non-Tb rifampicin dapsone clofazimine kansassi: ciprofloxacin fortuitum: ciprofloxacin avium-intracellulare: clarithromycin, azithromycin chelonae: clarithromycin, azithromycin INTRACELLULAR ORGANISMS Mycoplasma…
Pneumocystis pneumonia
Pneumocystis pneumonia: form of pneumonia caused by the yeast-like fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, most commonly as an opportunistic infection in the immunosuppressed
Q Fever
Q Fever: infection caused by Coxiella burnetii