Specific infections and causative organisms
Key infections, organisms and suggested treatments; antibiotic selection varies by geographic location and institution - consult local guidelines and sensitivity patterns
Anaphylaxis DDx
Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalised or systemic hypersensitivity reaction. It is characterised by rapidly developing life-threatening airway (pharyngeal or laryngeal edema) and/or breathing (bronchospasm and tachypnea) and/or circulation (hypotension and tachycardia) problems usually associated with skin and mucosal changes.
Malabsorption DDx
Malabsorption can result from pancreatic enzyme deficiency, bile salt deficiency, defects of the absorptive epithelium and defects in removing absorbed fat from the epithelium.
Lower Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage DDx
Lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage is classically bleeding from below the ligament of Trietz (the suspensory muscle of duodenum that connects to the diaphragm), and is characterised by hematochezia (blood passed in or with the stools) or rectorrhagia (blood leaking from the rectum). Massive upper GI bleeding may also present with hematochezia.
Liver palpation abnormalities
Abnormalities of the liver detected on palpation include: firm and irregular liver, tenderness, and pulsatility. See also hepatomegaly and hepatosplenomegaly. Differential diagnosis
Jean-Martin Charcot
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) was a French neurologist and anatomopathologist.
Rhabdomyolysis CCC
Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of skeletal muscle fibres with leakage of potentially toxic intracellular contents into the systemic circulation, characterised by elevated plasma creatine kinase, myoglobinuria and risk of renal impairment
FEAST and Paediatric Fluid Resuscitation
FEAST = Fluid Expansion As Supportive Therapy. Trial was a landmark study investigating the effects of fluid boluses in the resuscitation of febrile children with evidence of poor perfusion
Pharmacology and Critical Illness
In simple terms, pharmacodynamics is "how the drug effects the body" and pharmacokinetics is "how the body handles the drug"; changes also occur in obesity, pregnancy, old age and the very young which may each coexist with critical illness
Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2008
These guidelines (and this webpage) has been superseded by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2012
Steroids and Septic Shock Literature Summaries
Bone R.C. et al (1987) “A controlled clinical trial of high dose methylprednisolone in the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock” NEJM, 317:653-658 PMID 3306374 RCT n = 382 with sepsis and organ dysfunction methylprednisolone (30mg/kg) vs placebo-> no…
Septic emboli
Septic embolism involves two insults: the early embolic/ischaemic insult due to vascular occlusion; and the infectious insult from a deep-seated nidus of infection