Enteral Tube Feeding
Enteral Tube Feeding When oral feeding is not possible, the preferred method of nutrition support is the infusion of liquid feeding formulas into the stomach or small bowel (enteral tube…
Nutritional Requirements
Nutritional Requirements The fundamental goal of nutritional support is to provide the daily nutrient and energy needs of each patient. This chapter will describe how to determine those needs in…
Fever in the ICU
Fever in the ICU The appearance of a new fever is always a source of concern in a hospitalized patient. This chapter presents the general considerations for a new-onset fever…
Thermoregulatory Disorders
Thermoregulatory Disorders The human thermoregulatory system limits the daily variation in body temperature to ±0.6°C (1). This chapter de-scribes what happens when this system fails, and allows the body temperature…
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary Tract Infections Urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated with bladder drainage catheters account for 40% of all hospital-acquired infections in the United States (1), but a majority of these infections…
Abdominal Infections
Abdominal Infections This chapter describes abdominal infections that you are likely to encounter in the ICU, including infections of the biliary tree (acalculous cholecystitis), bowel (Clostridium difficile infections), and peritoneal…
Pancreatitis and Liver Failure
Pancreatitis and Liver Failure The conditions described in this chapter (i.e., necrotizing pancreatitis and liver failure) share the following features: (a) both are associated with injury in multiple organs, (b)…
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium and Phosphorus Calcium and phosphorus are responsible for much of the structural integrity of the bony skeleton. Although neither is found in abundance in the soft tissues, both have…
