Portal Hypertension
96 Portal Hypertension Julia Wendon, Pablo Solis-Muñoz Anatomy and Physiology of the Portal System The term portal system refers to a venous system that begins and ends in capillaries. The…
CRITICAL CARE
Thoracentesis
W11 Thoracentesis J. Terrill Huggins, Steven A. Sahn, Peter Doelken Before Procedure Indications • Pleural effusion not explained by the clinical presentation • Massive pleural effusion with impending respiratory failure…
Sepsis and Multiple Organ System Failure in Children
131 Sepsis and Multiple Organ System Failure in Children Joseph Carcillo, Jan A. Hazelzet Definitions of Sepsis, Severe Sepsis, Septic Shock, and Multiple Organ Failure The 2001 International Sepsis Definitions…
Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity
173 Calcium Channel Blocker Toxicity Daniel E. Brooks, Kenneth D. Katz Calcium channel blockers (CCBs), also referred to as calcium entry blocking agents or calcium antagonists, are commonly used in…
Cardioversion and Defibrillation
W6 Cardioversion and Defibrillation Raúl J. Gazmuri Before Procedure Indications • Emergency reestablishment of an organized electrical rhythm (defibrillation): • Ventricular fibrillation • Pulseless ventricular tachycardia • Narrow or wide…
Toxic Megacolon and Ogilvie’s Syndrome
107 Toxic Megacolon and Ogilvie’s Syndrome H.M. Oudemans-Van Straaten Acute megacolon refers to a syndrome presenting as marked colonic distension in the absence of mechanical obstruction. It results from disturbed…
Spinal Cord Injury
39 Spinal Cord Injury Elizabeth A. Vitarbo, Allan D. Levi Despite substantial improvements in emergency, diagnostic, and surgical care, spinal trauma continues to present a challenging spectrum of diseases for…
Bedside Pulmonary Artery Catheterization
W5 Bedside Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Jean-Louis Vincent Before Procedure Indications • Need for continuous monitoring of pulmonary artery and right atrial (RA) pressures, cardiac output, and mixed venous oxygen saturation…
Arterial Cannulation and Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement
W4 Arterial Cannulation and Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement Phillip D. Levin, Yaacov Gozal Before Procedure Indications • Continuous beat-to-beat monitoring of blood pressure • Data source for noninvasive cardiac output…
Key Issues in Critical Care Nursing
224 Key Issues in Critical Care Nursing Franco A. Carnevale, Annie S. Chevrier Prevailing issues in critical care nursing are reviewed in this chapter. The topics examined have particular importance…
