I. INTRODUCTION A. “Telemedicine,” as defined by the American Telemedicine Association, is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health…
Obtaining Blood Cultures I. INTRODUCTION A. The management of infectious disease is a crucial skill for the intensivist. Epidemiological studies suggest that more than 70% of adult patients in an ICU receive…
Patient Positioning Direct Laryngoscopy I. INTRODUCTION: Endotracheal intubation is indicated in the setting of acute respiratory failure (hypoxemic or hypercarbic) when noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has failed or is contraindicated,…
I. GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS, INSULIN RESISTANCE, AND INSULIN DEFICIENCY A. Normal Blood Glucose Dynamics. In the normal fasting state, blood glucose (BG) is regulated between 70 and 110 mg/dL and does not increase…
I. INTRODUCTION. The delivery of calories and protein to a critically ill patient should be considered a high priority that is integral to care, rather than a supportive afterthought. The goals…
Critical care ultrasonography (CCUS, or point-of-care ultrasound) has become increasingly popular in the management of critically ill patients as ultrasound technology has progressively become more portable, less expensive, and yet…
Infectious disease specialists are often consulted for infections in the critically ill given the degree of diagnostic and therapeutic complexity. That being said, the “first-responder” provider needs to familiarize him-/herself…
I. INTRODUCTION In caring for critically ill patients, it is inevitable that ethical issues will arise. Patients often have complex medical conditions, multiple providers, and uncertain prognosis or treatment plans. This…
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors of the current chapter gratefully acknowledge the contributions of David Shahian, MD, Vice President, and Laura Rossi, RN, Staff Specialist, Center for Quality and Safety, Massachusetts General…
