Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol Withdrawal Rahul Ganatra, MD, MPH Scott Navarett, MD You have just admitted a 63-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and alcohol use disorder for acute…
CRITICAL CARE
Skin and Soft Tissue Infection
Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Neal Biddick, MD David Arboleda, MD Overnight, you are called to assess a 63-year-old man admitted earlier in the day for a heart failure exacerbation…
Acute Pancreatitis
Acute Pancreatitis Katerina L. Byanova, MD, MS A 60-year-old female patient presents to the ED with a 1-day history of nausea, vomiting, and sharp abdominal pain radiating to her back….
How Should Acute Spinal Cord Injury Be Managed in the ICU?
Spinal cord injury (SCI) constitutes a major cause of morbidity in the trauma patient. The United States has the highest incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries, with approximately 40 new…
How Do I Diagnose and Manage Patients Admitted to the ICU After Common Poisonings?
Patients who are critically poisoned present significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to critical care staff. Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted management algorithm to aid in the evaluation despite the…
What Is the Role of Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants in the ICU?
At present, the U.S. population uses 23.2 million intensive care unit (ICU) days at an estimated cost of $81.7 billion each year. This equates to 13.4% of hospital costs and…
Does ICU Admission Improve Outcome?
Critically ill patients require different types of organ support. These include invasive therapies such as orotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, inotropic/vasoactive support, invasive monitoring, or continuous renal replacement therapy. This care…
How Does One Diagnose, Treat, and Reduce Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit?
Delirium, a disturbance of consciousness and cognition, may occur in up to 80% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and is frequently underdiagnosed. Delirium is associated with longer durations of…
What Factors Influence a Family to Support a Decision Withdrawing Life Support?
Most patients who die in the intensive care unit (ICU) do so after having life-sustaining interventions withheld or withdrawn. Evidence suggests that more than 70% of elderly patients in the…
