Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy
Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy Chanu Rhee and Michael Klompas BACKGROUND In the past several decades, advances in the development of antimicrobial agents have supplied the physician with dozens of drugs…
CRITICAL CARE
Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic Stroke Mohamed Teleb and Paul Singh BACKGROUND Stroke is the fourth leading cause of mortality in the United States and incurs an estimated cost of 38.6 billion dollars anually.1…
Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation
Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Jon-Emile S. Kenny and Stephen Ruoss BACKGROUND Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a life-threatening process that requires rapid identification and treatment by the emergency physician.1…
Left Ventricular Assist Devices
Left Ventricular Assist Devices Joe L. Hsu and Rachel H. Dotson BACKGROUND Heart failure affects over 6 million people in the United States and accounts for 1 million hospital admissions…
Pulmonary Ultrasonography
Pulmonary Ultrasonography Feras Khan and Anne-Sophie Beraud BACKGROUND Over the past decade, bedside point-of-care ultrasonography, or ultrasound (US), has become an indispensable tool in critical care and emergency medicine. It…
Electrolyte Disorders
Electrolyte Disorders Katy M. Deljoui and Michael T. McCurdy BACKGROUND Electrolyte disorders are frequently observed in critically ill patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This chapter reviews…
Severity of Illness Scores and Prognostication
Severity of Illness Scores and Prognostication David M. Maslove INTRODUCTION The ability to quickly and accurately assess a patient’s clinical status is essential to effective triage. This is especially true…
Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring
Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring Vidya K. Rao and John E. Arbo BACKGROUND Arterial blood pressure (ABP) is an essential cardiovascular vital sign and monitoring parameter for all critically ill patients….
Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol Withdrawal Nicole Bouchard BACKGROUND Chronic alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) are serious disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. AWS is frequently encountered in hospitalized patients and contributes…
Acid–Base Disorders
Acid–Base Disorders Tara Scherer and Corey Slovis BACKGROUND Acid–base homeostasis influences protein function, which in turn affects tissue and organ performance. Disturbances of the acid–base system are common in the…
